Opportunities to members of Troop 56

Order of the Arrow - Black Hawk Lodge 67
The Order of the Arrow (OA) was founded by Dr. E. Urner Goodman and Carroll A. Edson in 1915 at the Treasure Island Camp of the Philadelphia Council, Boy Scouts of America. It became an official program experiment in 1922 and was approved as part of the Scouting program in 1934. In 1948, the OA was recognized as the BSA's national brotherhood of honor campers and became an official part of the national camping program of the Boy Scouts of America. Today, the OA is recognized as Scouting's National Honor Society. In 1938, Maheengun Lodge #136 was chartered under Saukee Area Council. In 2003, Maheengun Lodge merged with Lodge 80 to become Black Hawk Lodge #67. To become a member, a youth must be a registered member of a Boy Scout troop or Varsity Scout team and hold First Class rank. The youth must have experienced 15 days and nights of camping during the two years before his election. The 15 days and nights must include one, but no more than one, long-term camp consisting of six consecutive days and five nights of resident camping, approved and under the auspices and standards of the Boy Scouts of America. The balance of the camping must be overnight, weekend, or other short-term camps.

We have several members of our troop in the Order of the Arrow. We always have a member on the Lodge Executive Committee representing Troop 56. Members can also run for an officer position, or turn in an application to become a committee chairman or a member of any committee.
Elections for induction into the Order of the Arrow are held in May every year. Scouts are elected to the Order by their fellow troop members, following approval by the Scoutmaster or Varsity Scout Coach. The public call-out ceremony is held on Thursday night during Summer Camp, this is where the election results are announced. The public call-out ceremony put on by the Order of the Arrow is worth coming to.

NYLT - National Youth Leadership Training
Members of Troop 56 ages 13-17 can attend the National Youth Leadership Training offered at Saukenauk Scout Reservation every summer to approximatly 40 youth scouts. NYLT is youth run, and is the best training offered in the Council. During the week, the Scouts learn about the patrol method, communicating, counseling other youth, proper troop meetings and what a Patrol Leader Council is.

Wood Badge (Adults only)
The Wood Badge or Woodbadge is awarded to adults in Scouting upon completion of their Leader training by their respective Scout association. The award itself consists of a pair of small wooden beads, one on each end of a leather thong or bootlace, and is worn around the neck. It is presented with a taupe neckerchief bearing a tartan patch of the Maclaren clan and a braided leather woggle (neckerchief slide), but the award may be worn with or without the neckerchief.
Wood Badge recipients are called Wood Badgers or Gilwellians and are members of the 1st Gilwell Scout Group, thus the uniform neckerchief, based at the home of Scouting at Gilwell Park in the United Kingdom (UK). The 1st Gilwell Scout Group meets every first week-end of September in Gilwell Park for the Gilwell Reunion, where all attending Wood Badgers wear their beads and Gilwell neckerchief. Wood Badgers are generally held in high esteem throughout the Scouting world, as the award of these beads recognizes significant achievement in leadership and direct service to youth.
Additional beads can be awarded upon service as Wood Badge trainers, or to be worn as part of the uniform when fulfilling specific roles within Scouting.

National Boy Scout Jamboree
A National Scout Jamboree is a gathering, or jamboree of thousands of members of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), usually held every four years and organized by the BSA National Council. Referred to as "Jambo", or "the Jamboree", Scouts from all over the world have the opportunity to attend these jamborees, considered to be one of several unique experiences that the BSA offers. Since 1981, the U.S. Army has allowed the BSA to use Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia as the home location of national Scout jamborees. A jamboree is held for ten consecutive days and offers many activities for youth participants and the 300,000 members of the general public who visit it. It is considered to be Scouting at its best.

High Adventure
Get out of the house and into the excitement offered at one of the BSA's High Adventure Bases! You've got three choices: a unique aquatic quest at the Florida Sea Base; a canoeing or winter camping challenge at the Northern Tier; or a wild west backpacking expedition at the Philmont Scout Ranch.

Take a hike! The mountains of New Mexico in Philmont Scout Ranch offer the adventure that you have always dreamed about. Backpacking, rock climbing, western lore, living history, and the views from peaks over 10,000 feet tall will make memories that last a lifetime.

Make a splash! Head to the Florida Keys and dive into an amazing Florida Sea Base adventure and wade into more excitement than you ever though possible. Snorkeling, SCUBA, boating, and beach camping are among the many possibilities.

Don't miss the boat! One of the most beautiful, and remote parts of North America offers a unique opportunity for Scouts. Canoeing, hiking, fishing, and winter camping in and around the beautiful lakes of northern Minnesota and southern Canada await you at the Northern Tier.

High Adventure is a chance to try something you may never experience again. So take adventure to the limit. You'll never forget it.