Treasure Island Camp Closed
Birthplace of the Order closed due to flooding, low attendance.

The Cradle of Liberty Council voted recently to close Treasure Island Scout Reservation. As posted on their website, "The Executive Board did not come to this decision lightly. The Council has been working diligently to keep the camp open since the two consecutive floods of 2005 and 2006. The cost of the camp, sharp decline in attendance since the floods, and the increasing environmental restrictions forced the board to reluctantly ratify the recommendation 35 to 1."
You can read the Council's full report here.

Four Bestowed Vigil Honor
By Ian Hanley, Lodge Vice Chief

On July 11th, four members of Madockawanda Lodge were called out at the Camp Hinds weekly campfire for the Vigil Honor. That night the Vigil was held under peaceful weather. This year’s Vigil Class included Lodge Chief Caleb Frederick, former Lodge Vice Chief and current OA Troop Rep Chair Stephen Molina, K-Valley Ceremonies Adviser Bunny Wiggin, and Casco Bay Chapter Adviser John Trott Jr.

The Vigil was followed Saturday morning by Founder’s Day service, in which 15-20 brothers built new picnic tables for Camp Hinds, and one shirtless Brother mowed the baseball field. It was a great event and I look forward to next year and would also like to suggest everyone be committed in any way they can in our Lodge’s effort hosting the 2009 Conclave. Remember, in an egg and bacon sandwich the chicken is involved but the pig is committed. BE THE PIG!

New Feature - Event Details

The Calendar page has just received a very useful upgrade - you can now find times, cost, and location for upcoming events right in the calendar. This feature was introduced to be similar to the Guide to the Ordeal Process page, but to extend its guidance to all members of the Lodge, not just new candidates. Right now, you can find detailed information on the upcoming 2008 LLD, get directions, and download a registration flyer to reserve your spot today! Go see!

ArrowCorps⁵ Review
By Andrew Rueger
Excerpted from Turtle Soup

On the evening of July 22nd, most of the 30 members of the Madockawanda Lodge contingent organized for service at the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming met at the Council Service Center in Portland. Our contingent included three brothers from Passaconaway Lodge and one from Chippanyonk lodge. Early the next morning we were off to the jetport for our flight. We arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah later in the day. After picking up our vans we headed north. On the way we had many views of Great Salt Lake and the Wasatch Range. Entering Idaho we traveled over the Snake River Plain to Idaho Falls. From Idaho Falls we traveled east over Teton Pass towards Jackson, Wyoming arriving there around 10 pm. We slept in a little the next day, but traveled north stopping to visit scenic sites in Grand Teton National Park like Jenny Lake, Jackson Lake and spectacular views of the Teton Range. In the park we also saw several moose and a bear. From there we traveled up to Yellowstone National Park (the world’s first National Park) where we had lunch at Lodge at Grant Village. After lunch we went up to Upper Geyser Basin and watched as Old Faithful did her thing. On the way back to the hostel, we saw a buffalo walking up the road. The next day we left early and went back to Yellowstone National Park. We visited Yellowstone Lake, the Mud Volcanoes, and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone stopping at both the Upper and Lower Falls. Between the Mud Volcanoes and Yellowstone Falls, we got caught in a buffalo jam as a couple of hundred buffalo held up traffic as they crossed the road in Hayden Valley. From there we went up to Tower Falls, another spectacular waterfall in the park. From there we headed to Mammoth Hot Springs with a side trip to Montana (only 5 miles away). On the way we saw several elk chilling by a river. Mammoth Hot Springs were awesome, but smelled really bad. From there we headed back to Old Faithful Lodge for dinner. Right after dinner we saw Old Faithful shoot off again. This time it was longer and higher than the previous day. From there we went to Midway Geyser Basin to see Grand Prismatic Spring. It was getting too dark to see the colors in the spring, but we were treated to a spectacular sunset. Traveling through the park we were also able to see fire damage from the fires of 1988.

Article continues in the July/October Turtle Soup!

You can also visit the National OA Website for a photo review of the project.