The year has just begun and already Wagion is already “meeting the challenge.”
The lodge started out January with a rousing attendance at the Eberly Scout Reservation Camp Rally. Representatives from the lodge were present to present information on unit elections, camping promotions, and the OA Troop Representative Program. For those who missed it, it is very important to make sure your OA Troop Representative attends the lodge banquet. There will be important trainings he must attend regarding unit elections. The lodge also provided information on the upcoming Spring Nature Walk to the Cub Scout leaders.
Later in the same month, the Lodge Training Committee under the direction of Training Chairman Mark Steiner hosted the annual Lodge Leadership Development Course. The event was a huge success. By having 91% of our Lodge Executive Committee present for training, the lodge has taken the first step towards attaining gold-level recognition in the new Journey To Excellence program.
In budgeting $15,000 towards the purchase of new equipment for the council office and a new refrigeration unit at camp, the executive committee has also satisfied it’s second gold-level requirement by donating more than $5 per member to the Council.
Our Chief has announced this year’s lodge theme: “Meet the Challenge.” Every committee in the lodge has exciting tasks in front of them this year: “Build a native American village”, “Install a new refrigeration unit”, “Get unit elections done”, “Run a great banquet”, “Make our Brotherhood conversion goals”, and so on. Those tasks may be challenging, but they aren’t your challenge.
Your challenge is to complete these tasks with pride. Show the nation why your lodge is the very best. We don’t get to be the best by using phrases like “good enough.” We are the best because we constantly push ourselves to do better. 90 years of brothers came before us and they gave it their all so that we could have this magnificent lodge. We owe it to them to do the same for the ones that follow us.
I look forward to seeing all of you at the Lodge Banquet on February 25th at Uniontown High School. I can’t wait to see how all of you meet the challenge of putting on a top-notch event.