Author: Carson

Section Conference 2020 Recap

Carson

While it may have been delayed and moved online, Echockotee Lodge put on a stellar Section Conference event. The trainings were informative, but they managed to pack some good competition in with a Section S-4 Kahoot and an around your home Scavenger hunt. The Section elections still took place, and Adam L has been elected our new Section Chief. You can read more about that on the Section S-4 website here.

For Lodge competitions, we competed in multiple categories including Best All Around Lodge and the Section Website Competition. We placed 1st in the Section Website Competition.

Currently, Section Conference 2021 is scheduled for April 9-11, 2021 and will be hosted by Tipisa Lodge at camp La-No-Chee. This can still change depending on the world situation as we approach the date, so stay tuned for more information.

2021 Dues & ArrowPass

Carson

You can now pay your 2021 Lodge dues! Dues are $15 this year. You must be a current dues paying member to attend any events, including the Winter Weekend (Conclave). You can either pay dues in person at an event or pay them online here: Pay 2021 Lodge Dues

2021 Arrowpass

ArrowPass is another option to paying dues. ArrowPass pays your dues, registration for 5 Lodge events, and guarantees a patch from each event as well. Think of it as a pre-pay option to your event registrations. This year ArrowPass is being offered at $120. If you choose to buy ArrowPass, you do NOT need to pay dues separately. Learn more and purchase 2021 ArrowPass here: Purchase 2021 ArrowPass (ArrowPass needed to be purchased by January 3, 2021).

Mostly Virtual Ordeal 2020 – Netapolis Tachquiwi & Lodge Ordeal

Carson

Attend your Ordeal with minimal contact!  We will provide a link to a Lodge video conference on Friday night.  You will begin your experience at home by camping out in your yard Friday night, then visit your local BSA camp for an in-person service day on Saturday.  Return home on Saturday and finish the process online.  Sign up now to get your spot.  If you were elected between February 2019 to now, you are eligible for this historic event.  Sign up for your Mostly Virtual Ordeal now and be a history maker!

Projects will be available at all 4 Greater Tampa Bay Area Council camps:

  • Camp Soule
  • Sand Hill Scout Reservation
  • Camp Owen J. Brorein
  • Flaming Arrow Scout Reservation

Check in at your selected camp by 8:30 am, projects will be completed by 1 pm.  Ordeal candidate’s lunches will be provided. Please do not change camp choice after registering.  

For more details and to register, please visit: Mostly Virtual Ordeal 2020 Registration

Deadline to register is November 4th; no walk-ups, no exceptions.  Current OA members who wish to assist may attend at no charge, but we ask that you register and bring your own lunch.

Fall Conclave 2020 Recap

Carson

This past weekend the lodge gathered at Camp Owen J. Brorein for our Fall event.  We offered both Ordeal and Brotherhood opportunities and provided much needed service to the camp.  The lodge contributed over 500 hours of service to the camp over the span of just one day.  Service mostly consisted of burning brush, splitting logs, moving downed trees, and mulching branches.  The lodge welcomed 67 new members upon the completion of their ordeal and 14 members sealed their membership in the OA with brotherhood.  So many people attended the weekend that two Ordeal ceremonies had to be held.

In addition to our weekend of service, everyone also found time to have some great fun.  The basketball court and trading post at Brorein was a hot spot at the end of the day, and dinner on Saturday proved to be a great fellowship opportunity for everyone's chapter.

At the weekend, we all made sure to follow the GTBAC and National OA guidelines on Covid-19. Although the event was only one night, it was a great success.  It offered brotherhood and fellowship in a time we need it the most.

Proposed Lodge By-Law Change Resolutions

Carson

At the last LEC meeting, the LEC moved to accept the following resolutions/changes for the Lodge By-Laws. Linked below are the two proposed By-Law resolutions and the current version of the By-Laws so you can see what changes are being proposed before the LEC discusses and votes on the resolutions at the next meeting.

Current Lodge By-Laws:
Uh-Tō-Yeh-Hut-Tee Lodge Bylaws

Proposed Resolution 1:
Lodge By-Law Change Resolution 1
Amendments adopted by LEC on 9/17/2020

Proposed Resolution 2:
Lodge By-Law Change Resolution 2
Amendments tabled by LEC due to various proposed changes to the resolution.

Section Conference now November 20th – 22nd @ Camp Shands

Carson

Section S-4, North Florida Council, and Echockotee Lodge have postponed S-4 Section Conference 2020 to November 20th – 22nd in response to the current situation regarding COVID-19. The event will still take place at Camp Shands. For those unfamiliar with Section Conference, it is a weekend long event that is hosted by a different lodge in our section (S-4) every year. There are great seminars and trainings to help grow the lodge in addition to lodge vs lodge competitions. Yearly events include the kings cup (lodge history exhibit), ceremonies evaluations, trainings and seminars, American Indian Activities, lodge vs lodge games, best all around lodge, and more. It is a great opportunity to meet people from all over the state and bond with your brothers in a weekend long fellowship event. This an ongoing situation and more changes may occur involving the event. For more information and updates regarding Section Conference 2020, visit http://www.sections4.org/

UPDATE: This event has since been moved Online. The date is now November 21st