Lowanne Nimat Lodge recently had 20 youth and 11 adult Arrowmen attend their lodge leadership development conference held at the Destiny USA mall in Syracuse, NY, the sixth largest mall in the country.
Arrowmen arrived Friday and, after getting to know one another over dinner, started their training. Arrowmen who were not from the Syracuse area were invited to stay with families in the area. On Saturday, Arrowmen had a chance to learn about what it means to be a leader in the lodge. The youth were led to a 70-foot tall ropes course where they had to work together to get through. The resilience of the members of Lowanne Nimat quickly shined as many decided to take on the course blindfolded, walking backwards, or even both. This fun but challenging experience helped these growing leaders not only strengthen their sense of brotherhood but also learn from each other and take on new experiences.
As the training came to a close, each Arrowman had to come up with goals they had for themselves and the lodge. After sharing their vision with the group, participants were given their new lodge hat and patch. Scott Armstrong, the lodge adviser, was extremely pleased with what lodge members dreamed up. "They weren't afraid to think big," he said, explaining that very few of the goals the youth leadership set were short-term. The team was not only shooting for a good lodge now, but also for a lodge that would continue to grow years into the future.
Months later, the lodge has gone through a transformation to a group of Scouts with "a sense of pride in their lodge." News of what transpired at the LLD quickly spread throughout the lodge, and new Arrowmen quickly asked how they could become more active in the lodge. The lodge has also taken a prominent role in the council by adding the lodge chief to a position on the council executive board as people became more aware of the presence the OA had in the council.
The Lowanne Nimat Lodge has shown us that with a little innovation and brotherhood, we can make big things happen in the lodge and beyond.
Reese Wamsley Lodge Ledger