On October 5-7, 2018 at Camp Alpine in Alpine, New Jersey, the Northeast Region hosted the first ever High Performing Lodge Summit. The summit was attended by lodge chiefs, lodge advisers, and staff advisers, as well as one additional youth per lodge, for a total of one hundred participants from around the Northeast Region that came together to focus on what it takes to be a High Performing Lodge. 2018 Northeast Region Chief Justin St. Louis, 2018 Central Region Chief Will Coots, 2018 Western Region Chief Jordan Jefferis, the Northeast Region section chiefs and various national committee members led the charge to discover how lodges can find the key to becoming a High Performing Lodge.
What is a High Performing Lodge? A High Performing Lodge (HPL) is a lodge that excels in three areas of lodge operation: unit elections, induction rate and activation rate. HPLs have a one hundred percent unit election rate, ninety percent induction rate and fifty percent activation rate. St. Louis wanted to provide lodges within the region the opportunity to learn where they can improve as a lodge and find what works for them. “Most Arrowmen will only experience the Order of the Arrow through the lodge and we understand that lodges are overloaded with things they have to do to run a successful lodge,” St. Louis said. “That is why the HPL program is so important. It will provide focus for lodge program and give lodges a way to strategically approach the jobs they need to do to run a successful lodge program.”
The first step is unit elections, the foundation of the induction and activation rates. A unit member’s first interaction with the Order of the Arrow is typically at a unit election. This sets the tone for the remainder of the interactions a lodge has with the Scouts. After the unit election, the goal is to induct ninety percent of all elected candidates. Once inducted, the next goal is to have the Arrowmen come to their first lodge function within six months of their Ordeal. This combination of events helps lodges achieve a fourteen percent density rate, meaning fourteen percent of Scouts in the council are Arrowmen.
When asked what his favorite moment of the event was, St. Louis said, “On Sunday morning, during a brainstorming session between the lodges, I enjoyed seeing the ideas flow and was encouraged by the innovative ideas going around the room, that can be easily executed by the lodge, yet make a major impact.” St. Louis reminds lodges to, “not be overwhelmed, take on tasks one step at a time and find what works best for your lodge.” The HPL program will help to shape lodge program and give the best experience to every Arrowmen and Scout who encounters the Order of the Arrow.