Written by Owen Clapp
Youths and adults clad in Scout uniforms parading through downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, is not a typical sight, with the exception for the annual “North Carolina Report to the State.” Many Brothers from our section, as well as from across surrounding sections of North Carolina, came together at the state’s capital to report on the relationship between the Order of the Arrow and the Boy Scouts of America with the State of North Carolina. Participants went to buildings representing all three sections of state government, including legislative, judicial, and executive committees, to witness and sometimes participate in the presentation of the report to the State. The report contained many statistics about the hours of service and membership numbers of Scouting in North Carolina.
Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Arrowmen went to the North Carolina Justice Building, the floor of the House of Representatives, the Senate, the Lt. Governor’s mansion, and the Governor’s Mansion. Participants had time to experience sitting in the seats of great lawmakers, and to take in the great rooms of the Governor’s mansion, but there was also time to learn. It was also an educational experience for those in attendance. Arrowmen gained a more in depth understanding the governmental process while being in the very location where the textbook stories of freedom and liberty come to life.
Brandon Kelly, Vigil member of our lodge and current VC of Program for our section, was the chairmen for this event. It was a part of his duties as the Centennial Chairman for our section where he worked with many events such as the “I am History” exhibition at the 2015 conclave. He also started the section’s initiative to complete service hours in every single one of the 100 North Carolina counties by the various lodges in the state during the centennial. Brandon was tasked with getting the information from every North Carolina lodge about their service contributions for his initiative to be complied in the report. The report this year actually highlighted the success of this initiative and the great work that was done to hold true to centuries of service. Kelly was excited to see the “600,000 + hours of community service done in North Carolina” completed by the various lodges of the state. His work contributed to a “quality of scouting’s presence” in the wake of this new century.
The North Carolina Report to the State happens early in the year. Be sure to sign up for it on our lodge website as the date approaches. All Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, adult leaders and Arrowmen are welcome to attend and “see the change in yourself” that can come from the experience. We would love to a great response and participation at the event in 2017! It truly does Start with Us.
