Section Sentinel: Clyde Mayer, Cheerfully Serving Our Order for Two Decades

Giving opportunities to young people serves as the core essence of Scouting for all adult advisers. To current OA Director Clyde Mayer, enabling youth today to become exemplary leaders tomorrow is the direction he wants all to follow. With hundreds of thoughtful suggestions being sent to the national Order of the Arrow committee each year, it is a tricky process to see what ideas will be best for the organization. Current national chairman Ray Capp states wonderfully: "The thing that I'm most impressed with Clyde is that he always comes back with 'how does this help kids?'" For the last 20 years, Mayer has perpetually wondered about the many ways that the Order can help to mentor youth. His approach and philosophy was greatly appreciated by 2012 national chief John Rehm. When Rehm forgot to book a flight to a National Leadership Seminar, he reached out to the national office to seek assistance. Mayer, understanding the need for the national chief to reach out to young Arrowmen at the seminar, made the flight possible at the last minute. As a Scouting professional, money is always a factor; however, for Mayer, no monetary value exists which could compare to giving youth a better experience that could change their lives. It is invaluable for a growing organization like the Order of the Arrow to enable its future leaders to learn leadership skills and to experience them practically.

Rehm remembers his election as national chief well, and also recalls his first meeting with Mayer after the results. "I was so tired. My nerves were at an all time high, and I had not slept in far too long. Seeing Clyde, I was initially intimidated because I knew that the man who sat before me was someone who had done an incredible amount of work for our Order."  Two decades of mentorship from Mayer leaves a reputable legacy for all those in the future to follow. Scott Beckett, 1994 national chief, was a youth in the Order when Mayer entered his early years as director; now, Beckett serves as a vice chairman on the national Order of the Arrow committee. Mayer also worked closely with four national committee chairmen: Dr. Carl Marchetti, Ed Pease, Brad Haddock, and currently Capp. Through each cycle of volunteer leadership, Mayer stood as a fixture of the Order's programs and commitment to serving youth.

To celebrate his 20th anniversary with the Order of the Arrow, national chairman Capp organized a fun event, urging national committee members to give Mayer a $20 bill. The money, he was told, could go towards any OA program that he wished. Having served in his position for two decades, Mayer had overseen some truly incredible programs. FromArrowCorps⁵ in 2008 to many NOAC years and OA high adventure experiences, he truly had seen the entire organization from every level. However, Capp fondly remembers Mayer's reaction when told that the money could go towards giving a youth the chance to go to summer camp through the OA Get Kids to Camp initiative (program since discontinued). "I have never seen him so happy," Capp concluded.