Founders Day Parade
To kick off the Founders Day festivities on Wednesday morning, lodges paraded along Seventh St. and Woodlawn Ave. from the
Auditorium to Woodlawn Field, the site of the Goodman Games. Many lodges made floats or dressed up with a particular theme representing their home areas.
Arrowmen from Portage Lodge and the Heart of Ohio Council honored the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and their collection of road construction barrels along nearly all of the highways in the state. Said lodge member Greg H, "We wanted orange colored shirts so we figured traffic cones would match."
Jerry C. and the other Arrowmen from Lowwapaneu Lodge in the Northeastern Pennsylvania Council dressed in scrubs to 
remember the start of first aid in nearby Jermyn, PA. Jerry explained, "First aid really started in the coal mines of Jermyn when some of the women said 'hey, if we help these guys [who get injured] before we get them out [of the mine], we can save lives.'"
A summer camp tradition of Scottish Highland Games contests led Arrowmen from Kishkakon Lodge in the Anthony Wayne Area Council to don kilts for the parade. For many years, the summer camp staff challenges scoutmasters in the Highland Games, so lodge chief Nick I. wanted to bring that tradition to NOAC. 
John M, a vice chief from Enda Lechauhanne Lodge with the Greater Pittsburgh Council described his lodge's City of Champions float as "the most awesome float that exists at this NOAC." The float recognizes the Pittsburgh Penguins, hockey's 2009 Stanley Cup champions, and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the 2009 Super Bowl winners.
Wahpekute Lodge's totem is a circle, presenting a problem to the contingent when they were deciding on their parade display. As Cody explained, "Seriously, when your lodge totem is a circle, you have to be creative." He and his fellow lodge members were led by a banana, "not something you see other people doing," he said.
Finally, a year-long salute to the troops at Catawba Lodge with the Mecklenburg County Council led to their surrounding their traditional hornet mascot with minutemen and colonials, honoring the founding of our country.
Revised 08/05/2009