This was the best thing I saw at the National Order of the Arrow Conference

Full disclosure: I’ve been an employee of Scouting America for more than two decades, and until last week, I’d never attended a National Order of the Arrow Conference.

Anyone who’s ever attended NOAC won’t be surprised to hear that it was everything I’d heard it would be, and maybe even a little bit more.

NOAC is the primary national gathering of Arrowmen — the name given to members (boys and girls) of the Order of the Arrow. It’s typically held every two or three years to celebrate the Arrowmen’s ties of brotherhood and to give them the opportunity to grow together as cheerful servants.

This year’s event was held in Boulder, Colorado, on the campus of the University of Colorado, with the theme of Seek New Heights. As I witnessed firsthand, NOAC is both functional and fun.

There are training sessions for both youth and adults covering a wide variety of topics and skills that attendees would find useful both within and outside of Scouting. There are also discussion panels designed to give Arrowmen the opportunity to talk with each other about their experiences in and outside of Scouting.

There are sports and games, and STEM and robotics activities. There are physically challenging activities like mountain biking and BMX, and there’s the opportunity to rest and relax inside a real mockup of a space capsule.

But the best thing I saw, the one thing that stood out to me above everything else: NOAC is an event led by youth, and let me just tell you, the kids are all right.

“You belong in Scouting”

At the Community Spaces event, I met Lailah, the youth leader of the event, and her team of volunteers, each dedicated to leading discussions about how we can all ensure that everyone feels welcome in Scouting.

The whole team — made up entirely of youth — was great. There was Corey from Toledo, Ohio; Paige from Scranton, Pennsylvania; Andrea from Miami, Florida; and Jayden from St. Peters, Missouri.

Jayden, from Troop 381, was serving as the youth lead for the Scouts with Disabilities community space. He told me how they provide games and activities for Scouts of all abilities, including a “tranquility base” for anyone who might be feeling overwhelmed.

When I asked Jayden what his message was for youth with different abilities, he said it better than I ever could have: “You belong in Scouting.”

As I spent the rest of the day walking from event to event, seeing Arrowmen — boys and girls — having the times of their lives, I kept thinking of what Jayden said, and how it’s true for all of us, regardless of our age, race, religion or gender.

Putting it a slightly different way: “We all belong in Scouting.”

Roger Krone, president and CEO of Scouting America, echoed Jayden’s words and challenged NOAC attendees and all members of the Order of Arrow to invite their friends to join Scouting this fall.

“Our country needs Scouting. Families need Scouting. And they’re just waiting for you to ask. So let’s invite them to join!,” he said.

Inspiration everywhere you look

It was also great to have the chance to talk to representatives from several of Scouting America’s partners — organizations from a variety of areas who share the same goals as us: encouraging kids to get off the couch, challenging them physically and mentally, and helping them become the very best versions of themselves.

At the USA BMX Foundation tent, I met Matty Cranmer, a professional BMX rider who has developed a passion for not only participating in BMX, but in sharing his love of the sport with youth. At the U.S. Navy area, I met a petty officer who’s also an Eagle Scout who told me how his time in Scouting helped prepare him for a job in the military.

I made some new friends at Blue Origin Club For The Future, a nonprofit dedicated to giving every child the opportunity to excel in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts and math; Drone Sports Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring students to reach their potential in STEM and related fields through the sport of drone soccer; and USA Skateboarding, which sent some skateboarding experts to not only teach Arrowmen how to shred, but also to help them learn about the science behind their sport.

But maybe the highlight of my time in Boulder was the honor of watching the NOAC opening ceremony. Led entirely by the OA’s youth leadership, the event was a celebration of Scouting, of the Order of the Arrow, and, indeed, of the friendships that can exist between us all.

It had plenty of jokes and laughs, but it also featured as stirring a rendition of the National Anthem as you’ll ever hear, followed by chants of “USA! USA!” from the youth and adults in attendance.

National Chief David Gosik had the task of delivering the opening remarks in front of several thousand people and, boy, did he nail it. Gosik talked about his memories of past NOACs, and his journey from being one of the youngest Arrowmen in attendance to now being one of the leaders of the whole thing.

Then, just like Jayden in the Community Spaces area, David said something that stuck with me for days after.

“In all that you do, do it with love,” he told the audience. “When you change someone’s life for the better, which I know you will do, do it with love.”

I have to admit, my eyes watered up a little bit hearing that. Must have been the dry mountain air.

The kids are all right, indeed.

Photo by Andrew Simpson