Most Scouts consider themselves lucky to attend one of the four high adventure bases owned by the Boy Scouts of America. However, all Arrowmen are given nearly unrestricted access to these camps through the Order of the Arrow High Adventure programs. The 2014 National Chief, Nick Dannemiller, took advantage of this opportunity by earning the Triple Crown Award while he was a section officer.
To date, Triple Crown has been a coveted award offered to Order of the Arrow members who attend the high adventure program at the three national high adventure bases: OA Wilderness Voyage or Canadian Odyssey at Northern Tier in Ely, Minnesota, the OA Trail Crew at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico; and the OA Ocean Adventure at the Florida Sea Base in Islamorada, Florida. While there is great value in any one of the programs, Dannemiller believes earning the Triple Crown Award puts him in a unique position to lead the Order. With the addition of the OA Summit Experience program starting this year, upcoming changes to the award will be announced soon.
"Whether it's sailing around the Florida Keys or exploring the boundary waters, these programs give you full control of where you go and what you see," Dannemiller said. "With five programs being offered this summer including the brand new Summit Experience, I want to make it a priority to help share the best practices among the programs." Exploring the backcountry and sailing the Florida Keys are unforgettable, but the real impact of the program is even more enduring.
"During our time, we worked at a nature reserve on establishing better trails and providing general service," Dannemiller recalls. "The best part of this was seeing the locals and tourists coming through the reserve, enjoying the incredible biodiversity throughout the Keys, and to know that although they didn't know who we were or that we were volunteering for, our work helped make the reserve, and their experience, better."
Nick believes that OAHA is an easy sell. "You will make life-long friends with guys from all over the country," Nick said. "To this day I still talk to the guys I went through Trail Crew with over almost 3 years ago. It's a lot easier promoting these programs when you can tell personal stories."
If you want to earn your own stories, head to https://adventure.oa-bsa.org/ and learn more about the application process. For more information on how to earn or apply for the Triple Crown Award download the award form. Help us make 2014 the best summer of OAHA yet!
Stephen Hamm Section Sentinel