If you are one of the 1,500 Arrowmen who will be attending NEXT as a delegate from your lodge or section, you are probably wondering what you will do once you arrive at Indiana University. After receiving your welcome packet and settling in to your living space in the dorms, you will join your crew and jump right in to experiencing the NEXT program.
The crew will be the basic unit of organization at NEXT. Made up of approximately ten Arrowmen, each of whom comes from different lodges, the crews will be led by guides throughout each element of the conference. The crew guides are all experienced lodge, section, or national leaders, who will be responsible for ensuring that every delegate is participating fully in NEXT. The crew guide job is similar to that of an OA High Adventure foreman. During NEXT, they will facilitate the growth and development of a team of Arrowmen from across the nation, so that those Arrowmen can become influential change agents inside their lodge.
Once you and your contingent have settled in, you will be met by your crew guide and the other members of your crew. These Arrowmen will be from similar lodges all across the country. Youth will be in crews with other youth, and adults will be in crews with other adults. The crew guide will begin to orient their crews to the facilities at Indiana University with a tour, visiting the locations that will become familiar to delegates over the next three days. Places like the IU Auditorium and Innovation Center are a few of the spots on the list.
To help you get to know the other members of your crew, your crew guide will also focus on teambuilding. With icebreakers and other activities, you will work to develop the crew as a supportive group in which every delegate can pitch new ideas and share constructive feedback. As you develop this ability to move beyond your comfort zone, your entire crew will benefit from the resulting rush of program ideas. Together, the crew guide will help each crew to set the groundwork so that they can continue to succeed throughout the entirety of NEXT.
Program will conclude with enough time for you to make it to the IU Auditorium for the opening gathering, having met the group of change agents with whom you will explore NEXT: A New Century. Visit next.oa-bsa.org for more information!