Sunday Show
According to our Chief Scout Executive, Robert Mazzuca, his first NOAC is a "Hoot!" Mr. Mazzuca opened the Sunday night show and immediately got down to business. The more than 7,200 Arrowmen were fired-up by his no nonsense, take-no-prisoners tone. He stressed how over the next five years we are going to redefine the BSA to the American people. Our 3 million scouts, 1.5 million leaders and 50 million alumni must stand tall to proclaim the pride our rich heritage, relevant mission and values.
Next was an entertaining presentation made by "Tyler" who explored the life of our founder E. Urner Goodman using a Wikapedia-like interface titled MeDiapedia. In keeping with the conference theme, we discovered how our founder used his Power of One to inspire and motivate others to commit and promote the values of scouting and the Order. It was a fascinating story told using a very entertaining format.
The 49, 2009 Distinguished Service Award Recipients were introduced. For those of us who have been involved in the Order for a few years or longer, many of the names called were familiar. Our DSA recipients are truly dedicated to the principals of our Order. The Distinguished Service Award was created in 1940 to honor those who rendered service to the Order beyond the lodge level. The award is presented to those Arrowmen who have rendered distinguished and outstanding service to the Order on a sectional, regional, or national basis. The award is presented every two to three years during the National Order of the Arrow Conference. Since the time the first awards were presented, less than 840 Distinguished Service Awards have been awarded.
Rosetta Arkeketah LeClair, Sandra Reti and Patricia Swedenburg were then introduced as our 2009 Red Arrow Award Recipients. The Red Arrow award was created in 1967 to recognize individuals who are not members of the Order of the Arrow but who has provided outstanding service to the Order.
Our National Chairman, Brad Hoddock, presented the 2009 Legacy of Service Award to Delbert W. "Del" Loder. The Legacy of Servant Leadership Lifetime Achievement Award was created by the National Order of the Arrow Committee in 2002 to recognize the Order's second and third generation "Founders"--Scouters who have built an enduring legacy to Scouting and the Order of the Arrow through a lifetime of cheerful service to others.
The award is intended to recognize only those extraordinary Arrowmen who have deeply influenced and significantly contributed to the vision, direction, and growth of the Order of the Arrow, faithfully demonstrated a lifetime of servant leadership, and, through their daily example, illuminated and reinforced the significance of the values found in the Scout Oath and Scout Law.
Del made an emotional and inspirational presentation. He nicely wove the "Power of One" theme into his presentation demonstrating real-life examples of how one individual in history made a difference that affected the lives of so many people.
The show closed with the continuing saga of Adam Stone and his grandfather.
Revised 8/3/2009