Still recovering from Spring Ordeal this past weekend - I think I need another 2 days sleep. But what a weekend! It was the best Ordeal I’ve been involved with since I was inducted as an Ordeal member. Fantastic job by the youth, and the adults who support them. Everything was flawless. Well, not really, as anyone who has had to run a large event like this can attest to, but the few glitches were minor and easily overcome. Even the rain stopped Friday night to let us have the full Ordeal experience.

I am extremely proud of our chapter, its officers, and its members. People are going to get tired of hearing me say that I’m sure, but too bad They deserve to hear it, and be proud of themselves.

Next up is Goshen Bus Loading, cause I don’t think anyone from our Chapter is going to sectionals. I know I can’t. After that its new officer training, and then a fall chapter fellowship and then Fall Ordeal.

Well, Spring Ordeal is just 4 days away as I write this. Yesterday we had our last pre-Ordeal staff meeting and ceremony practice (thanks Moms for letting us use part of your special day!). I think we’ve got everything planned out. If we missed anything, its just the small stuff that we can deal with when it happens. At least I hope we can This will be my first big Ordeal since being made Chapter Advisor. So far we’re looking to have around 60-70 candidates and staff, and those are just the registered we know of. I know we’ll get lots of walk-ins, so we could see close to 100 before the weekend is out. I’m getting excited!

Well, our Chapter held officer elections at Spring Camporee. Despite what we thought was a good plan to get OA members out to vote, the turn out was lower than expected. One day we’ll figure out how to wrangle them in.

We did get a really good turn out for Brotherhood conversions, so I think we’ll make our 30% conversion rate this year. Not that I’m in it for the numbers - personally I hate that particular benchmark. But its what Lodge expects of us, so in Cheerful Service we go.

Spring Ordeal should be really exciting this May. This will be my first big one as Chapter Advisor. All the planning is beginning to fall into place. I’ll let you know how it goes come May.

Another successful OA election down. This one was weird, because I knew all these guys from my Pinewood Derby days. Nice to see they are still in Scouting though.

Finished our second OA election today. (This is where our OA guys go to another troop and conduct their OA elections.) It was pretty cool for me, because the SM for that troop was my Elangomat for my Ordeal. He also conducted the elections for our troop last year when I was elected. Boy Scout karma I guess.