One for the History Books,
Our 2019 Conclave is officially behind us, but what an awesome event it was! The 2019 Conclave drew in over 1260 Scouts and Scouters across 6 lodges in SR-7A Region, making this the largest Conclave in Virginia history. Our Section Chief, Seth Greiling was quote saying, “Our six lodges came together and truly set the bar high for future Conclaves. This year we celebrated 100 years of the Order of the Arrow in the Commonwealth of Virginia!”
Weather delivered a bumpy start to our Conclave by knocking out power to camp. However, as resilient as Scouts are, registration continued, tents and canopies were reconstructed, evening Carnival was enjoyed by many, and most importantly, all were fed a Friday night meal with no electricity. However, power was restored earlier than anticipated and we were rewarded with beautiful weather the remainder of the weekend.
Fun was had by all that attended. Offerings included the usual opportunities for training, Expo, FireFest, Polar Plunge, American Indian Activities (AIA), patch trading, Grand Ho-Dag, and Quest events. Some new initiatives included adult amusements, a roving Cruise Director and a visiting Food Truck that offered an alternative to camp food. However, camp food was outstanding throughout the weekend. The OA Museum was visited by many who saw our Lodge history and a few came for the popcorn or slushees on the front porch. The two Trading Posts were visited for those who wanted a souvenir of the event or of our camps.
With all lodges participating, our Conclave Service Project exceeded expectations. The Section partnered with Shood to collect socks and assembled over 2500 foot care bags to be delivered to the Richmond homeless. Service is the cornerstone of the Order of the Arrow and its effort will brighten the day for many individuals in need.
Nawakwa Lodge should be proud of our camp and the Arrowmen that represent it. Being the host lodge was a significant effort and our camp was ready. Both T. Brady Saunders and Cub Adventure Camp was in great shape and looked terrific. Much preparation was made in the months before the event and the work and preparation all paid off. Thanks to our Conclave Committee, Scouters from around the Council, and the many Arrowmen that worked to make this a Conclave for the history books.
Mark Loyd
Conclave Committee Adviser