Over this past summer, members of Section G9 attended various Order of the Arrow High Adventure treks, each with a great story to tell.
Macey K., from Tahkone Lodge, had the opportunity to attend Order of the Arrow Trail Crew (OATC) at Philmont this past summer. She made history as part of the first all-female trek while simultaneously providing service to Philmont and going on a tremendous high adventure.
During Macey’s trip, they continued work on the new Mount Phillips Trail by building a switchback and cutting tread. One of the most extraordinary things that came with this was learning how to build trails. At OATC, she learned the principles of conservation and trail construction, as well as how to make these trails sustainable and environmentally friendly. Macey is hoping to work at Philmont next summer to continue conservation work at her favorite high adventure base.
OA High Adventure not only offers an opportunity for Arrowmen to provide service but also helps them meet new people from around the country that they would not have met otherwise. During the two weeks together in the backcountry, Macey made lifelong friendships.
“We have a big group chat together where we’ll just start a conversation because we will spit out something that reminds us of the trail crew,” commented Macey.
Creating lifelong friends and memories during OA High Adventure illustrates why it is one of the premier OA experiences. Some members of the crew even plan on meeting up at NLS. According to Macey, Arrowmen should “just get hyped” because if you are in a good mood, others will bounce off it, and your entire group will have a great time.
One of the reasons Macey chose to go on OATC was that she had been to Philmont before, and it was the most impactful and memorable Scouting experience she had ever had. She needed to go back.
“You’re going to leave a better person than what you came in,” reflected Macey.
That sentiment is shared by the hundreds of Arrowmen who have gone on an OA High Adventure trek. Registration is now open at registration.oa-bsa.org for experiences at all four high adventure bases.