When we think of Michigan, Western Ohio, and Northern Kentucky, what comes to mind? Is that the heart of the Midwest? The Home of the Motor City? Or is it the home of 6 lodges that now form the new Section E2 of the Order of the Arrow? After a series of council mergers and the national restructuring of our organization, the former Sections C-2 and C-6B have officially come together to form Eastern Region Section 2.
While the Region Restructuring officially created our two regions in December of 2021, Section C-2 and Section C-6B came together to form E2 just a couple of months ago. In May of 2022, both Sections kicked off their final conclaves as a last big gathering for their sections but to also look ahead to a bright future for the Order of the Arrow in their area.
In June of 2022, the section elected its first section officer team. When asked what his goals were for this year, Inaugural Section E2 Chief John Hutchinson said “My goals for this section are to forge the bonds of Brotherhood between our lodges, while also finding the new workflows and rhythm that works across our different lodge needs. Though we can take inspiration from the structures of the past, this year will really be spent focusing on building a strong foundation for the future success of this section. This is an opportunity that doesn’t just apply to a newly formed section though. All Arrowmen, at any level of this organization, have this same opportunity: to build a brighter future for the success of those who will come after them, rather than just accepting the status quo. It is these change makers I intend to embrace and support in the next year, and I encourage all Arrowmen to do the same.”
One unique aspect is their leadership team. Their group of officers and advisers come from past section teams and represent a good amount of the lodges in their section. Hutchinson noted the diversity of the lodges in their section and hopes to take advantage of the talent and solutions of some lodges to solve common problems certain lodges face on a daily basis.
We can’t wait to see what Section E2 accomplishes throughout their lodges and as a section this year!