By Corey Painter, 2004 Cahuilla Lodge Secretary

One of the founding principles of the order of the arrow is to provide service to the community and Cahuilla plans to do just that. There are many ways in which Cahuilla members provide service to the community and camps. Cahuilla has created a where to go camping guide for local areas, helped prepared Emerson for Conclave, conducted local arrow of lights and calling-out ceremonies, and provided service for our two local camps. Both Emerson and Helendade have received services during vigil reunions, ordeals, OA summer days and work weekends. These services range from clean-ups, removing dead wood caused by the bark beetle, setting up camp for summer camp and other task that need to be done.

The ordeal weekends are a great time where Cahuilla provides services to its local camps. OA members work alongside the new candidates to clean up the camps and to improve the camps so that future scouts can enjoy the camps for all that they are worth. Every year, Cahuilla holds four ordeals, two at Emerson and two at Helendade. The first two ordeals have already been completed with great success and expectations are high for the next two ordeal weekends.

Emerson Spring Ordeal
Projects completed this year included cutting and stacking dead wood from the Bark Beetle epidemic and unstacking/assembling tent platforms for premier campsites at Camp Emerson Summer Camp.

Helendade Spring Ordeal
Projects completed this year included painting and cleaning buildings, clearing campsites and getting ready for Camp Helendade's Summer Camp Programs.

Emerson Summer Ordeal
Projects are still in the planning stages.

Helendade Summer Ordeal
Projects are still in the planning stages.

These are only the first two ordeals of this year, there are two more left. The next ordeal will be held at Camp Emerson on August 20 - 22, 2004. Remember, don’t forget to register ahead of time.

For more information on the ordeals visit http://snakepower.org/events/ordeals/index.html

Every chapter this year will be picking a week in which they will go up to one of the camps and perform a service project. This is a great opportunity not only to improve our camps but also to show off the OA and all the great things we do to scouts that are attending these camps. Every chapter is encouraged to send up lots of representatives and to have a great time.

O.A. At Summer Camp - Camp Emerson
In Progress - The O.A. is providing weekly projects for 6 weeks at Camp Emerson.

O.A. At Summer Camp - Camp Helendade
In Progress - The O.A. is providing weekly projects for 3 weeks at Camp Helendade.

For more information visit http://snakepower.org/events/summercamp/index.html

The vigil reunion provides a time where all vigil honors can reunite, catch up on old times, and provide service to the community. The next vigil reunion will be held at Camp Helendade on November 19-21, 2004. For more information contact the vigil honor reunion adviser, Chris Manning

For more information visit http://snakepower.org/events/2004vigilhonorreunion.html.

To encourage old members to help out, Cahuilla has an elangomat program that encourages members to go through the ordeal again so that they may help the new candidates. Another encouragement is that fact that going as an elangomat is FREE.

For more information on the elangomat program visit http://snakepower.org/programs/elangomat/index.html

The conclave service weekends last year were an amazing success. Emerson was cleaned up and all the equipment was set up like the tents in order for the conclave to go on. It was through all of your hard work that Cahuilla was able to prepare Emerson for the 2003 Conclave. Thank you for your hard work.