The snow has finally melted, the weather is getting warmer, and the sun is shining (even though it’s sometimes “liquid sunshine”). It is a great time to be a member of Wagion!
Spring is in full swing and the summer is fast approaching, which means soon Conestoga will be full of Scouts and Scouters enjoying the outdoors and all the amenities that our camp has to offer.
I’d like you to stop for a moment and close your eyes. Ok, I guess you have to open them to read the rest of this article…but anyways, picture this:
It’s your first year at summer camp and your parents just dropped you off for what is probably your first full week away from home. You arrive at [INSERT YOUR FAVORITE CAMPSITE THAT YOUR TROOP ALWAYS STAYS AT] and instantly race the other members of your troop to pick out the “best” tent in the site. It might seem silly, but it’s your home for the next week and you have to find the one in the best condition, location…you know the drill.
You probably didn’t think much of it at the time, but how did all those tents get there? Well, now you’re a bit (or perhaps “much”) older and wiser and you know that every year the Order of the Arrow sets up all those tents. Wagion Lodge 6 members – just like you – assemble for the June Service Weekend, where they pitch every tent you see in camp.
It is a lot of work and every year Wagion has the goal to set up every tent before the June Weekend is over. Unfortunately, we are not able to achieve this every single year, but we need you help to ensure that we do this year. Therefore, I am challenging every lodge member to come to camp June 5-7 and #pitchatent. Actually, pitch two tents, or three tents, or a hundred tents. Count how many tents you help pitch this year and at the end of the day you’ll be able to think, “I helped make the summer camp experience awesome for that many Scouts!” It’s going to be a lot of work, but it is so rewarding when you get to finally relax Saturday night and think about the important role you played in making Conestoga such a great camp.
Pitching tents might not mean that much to you, but think back to that first-year Scout picking out their “home away from home” for the first time. It means the world to them.
I’ll see you all in June.
–Yours in Service,
Robbie Lavelle