“One of my fondest memories of the Ocean Adventure program was always the end of the second day of service with the crews. The sun would begin to lower after the second day of service, the crews would sit down for dinner, knowing that each of them needed to get through this trek together. The feeling of Brotherhood would start to set upon the crew and a team was built. The service provided on the Order of the Arrow High Adventure treks never directly helps the participants; the service is only lived on through the others that benefit from the trail building or hurricane clean-up. Ultimately, the Order of the Arrow High Adventure treks are for Arrowmen who wish to be challenged by nature and create a true feeling of Brotherhood among their fellow participants.” -Spencer Lanning, OA Ocean Adventure Foreman.
Spencer, like many other Arrowmen, had had the opportunity to experience the thrill that is Order of the Arrow High Adventure, (OAHA). OAHA started over 25 years ago and is a way for Arrowmen to experience the high adventure bases, as well as experience the brotherhood of the OA. Across these four bases, there are five distinct programs offered, including OA Canadian Odyssey and OA Wilderness Voyage at Northern Tier in Minnesota, OA Ocean Adventure at Florida Sea Base in the Florida Keys, OA Summit Experience at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia, and OA Trail Crew at Philmont Scout Ranch located in New Mexico. These programs are for Arrowmen ages 16-20, with the exception of OA Summit Experience, which is 14-17 years old.
Memories, brotherhood, and friendships are ever-lasting as Arrowmen come together from all over for two weeks, and bond over the common interest of Scouting.
"The friends, brotherhood, and connections I made with my fellow Arrowmen will last a lifetime. One Arrowmen is now a fellow section chief like me,” G17N Section Chief Erik Carver said, “and we had the pleasure to meet up again at the National Planning Meeting."
Making friends is one of the biggest takeaways from this experience, and seeing them again makes it feel surreal. So if you’re looking for something to do this summer, choose OA High Adventure for the experience of a lifetime!
For more information on your next adventure, visit https://oa-bsa.org/high-adventure to know more about OA High Adventure.