By Jonathan Shaeffer
The 2015 National Order of the Arrow Conference is closer than you might think. Even though the big event is still two summers away, now is not too early to start thinking about raising money to attend this once-in-a-lifetime experience!
The conference fee in 2012 was $420 per Arrowman, which excludes money your lodge may charge for transportation, memorabilia and other conference-related expenses. To prepare for the 2012 conference last summer, Wagion Lodge set up a committee led by Evan B. to raise money for its members to attend NOAC 2012. The lodge used all three years in between the 2009 and 2012 conferences to fundraise instead of cramming it down into a year. Wagion Lodge, like many other lodges, holds a patch auction at their annual Lodge Fellowship Banquet. The patches are donated by Arrowmen and their families. In addition to the yearly patch auctions, they had dart throwing and other carnival games with prizes to raise money. They also made a patch set to be sold to raise money. They would issue a patch to each person at a lodge event for each event leading up until NOAC not only to raise money but also to get brothers excited about NOAC. The entire committee worked diligently the weekend prior to each lodge event to bake cookies and other sweets. Not only did selling baked goods help raise money for the fund; it also got the word out to fellow Arrowmen. As a result, Wagion Lodge had 49 Arrowmen go as participants and 7 Arrowman go as staff to NOAC 2012.
If your lodge is planning on fundraising, current Wagion Lodge Chief Robbie Lavelle suggests starting a committee and getting to work as soon as possible. He also suggests not keeping your eggs in one basket with fundraising. That way, you have multiple options but your lodge also does not have to thin its resources out. "Stick to what works and don't spread yourself too thin by asking for money all over the place," Lavelle advised. "It will make your lodge members less likely to want to spend on your fundraisers that really count."
Waigon Lodge raised over $10,000 for NOAC 2012. The money went to the side attractions the lodge stopped at on their way to the conference, including trips to Cedar Point, Put-In Bay, and a Toledo Mudhens game. "With the whole package for the conference, all the patches and other lodge items side trips, and food, the youth only paid $250 – less than what it costs to go to most summer camps for a week," Lavelle explained.