From August 3-8, Arrowmen from around the country gathered together to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the Order of the Arrow at the 2015 NOAC. The largest NOAC event to date was held at Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan. Over 15,000 Scouts and Scouters attended to experience a wide variety of events to celebrate the first century of the Order and kick off the second century of service.
The centennial NOAC introduced two defining features: the conference theme of “It Starts With Us” and the conference wide game, Spark. Guests were challenged to create tomorrow with action today, just like a ripple effect, during their 100 hours at the conference. Each guest received a Spark device and could share contact information others by touching the devices together, symbolizing a “High Four. ” Over 6,661,572 Spark interactions were documented.
The centennial NOAC encompassed several highlights. NOAC shows introduced the Centennial Fire, a keynote address by BSA President Dr. Robert Gates, and the #DareToDo service campaign. #DareToDo challenged Arrowmen to complete simple acts of service for the next 100 days while posting them on social media. The signature training session was entitled “The Secret to Ruling the World.”
The Hub, a central activity area, encompassed rock-climbing walls, ArrowTour, inflatable obstacle courses, Adventure Central, and the Centennial Festival. Another highlight, the Legacy Display Tent displayed hundreds of completed lodge legacy projects – history books, painted lids, and engraved rocks.
The 2015 Goodman-Edson Observatory (GEO) [NOAC museum] was the largest and most attended! The entrance featured NUWINGI - The Willing, a film inspired by E. Urner Goodman’s selection as the first Vigil Honor member. The GEO displayed a fascinating array of exhibits, artifacts, and paintings starting from the Order’s beginnings at Treasure Island and continuing to its next century at the Summit Circle.
References:
https://oa-bsa.org/uploads/bulletin/nb-q3-15.pdf
https://oa-bsa.org/pages/content/noac-2015-100-years-in-the-making