NPM briefing for section chiefs

Chiefs,

This year has come and gone, fueled by the excitement of Prism, NEXT, and much more. Now, each of us is ready to plan for what’s coming next at the 2016 National Planning Meeting. We’d like to give you a glimpse of what to expect at the planning meeting of the century:

ARRIVAL INFORMATION

Once you land at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on December 27th, grab your bags and head to Terminal C, baggage claim C31, where a uniformed representative will meet you and provide your transportation to the Marriott Solana Hotel. You can check in and receive your room credentials with the Order of the Arrow staff set up in the lobby of the hotel.

PROGRAM INFORMATION

The meeting will begin promptly at 5:00 p.m. with a fellowship reception followed by dinner. Be sure to look sharp in your field uniform with OA sash for both events. Dinner will be followed by a presentation about several opportunities for 2017, including Operation Arrow, Lodge Leadership Development, and more. This information will be vital to you as you work throughout the rest of the meeting to plan for 2017.

From there, section chiefs will proceed directly into the national chief and vice chief election. These elections are known to run late, so make sure you are well rested when you arrive at the Solana. Heading straight to bed following these elections is highly recommended, as breakfast will be served at 7:00 a.m. the next morning, followed by the region chief elections at 8:00 a.m.

The rest of the morning will consist of two special sessions for section chiefs on two of the most significant elements in the OA today: OA High Adventure and Communications. A photo session will follow, during which individual photos of planning meeting attendees will be taken.

In the afternoon, the 2017 officers will be installed, your Operation Arrow/LLD committee assignments will be announced, and planning will commence! You will break out into respective committees, where initial, big picture discussions of your committee’s role at Operation Arrow and for LLD will take place. You will also choose an individual to lead your committee during the year.

The rest of the meeting will be spent compiling your plan to deliver on your respective committee’s part at Operation Arrow and for LLD. These committee breakouts will test your creativity. 

Of course, the planning meeting is not 100% strictly business. You will have the chance to enjoy fellowship with other planning meeting attendees, as well as see first-hand the exciting things happening in the Order of the Arrow.

On December 30th, continental breakfast will be served and we each will depart our separate ways, ready to put on an event of a lifetime.

We look forward to planning the OA’s future with you in just a few short days!

With excitement for the road ahead,