OA Wilderness Voyage Awarded
USFS Highest Volunteer Service Award
The US Forest service has awarded the Order of the Arrow Wilderness Voyage program the 2003 Chief's Volunteer Award for Youth Volunteer Service.
This is the highest volunteerism award the US Forest service can present to a youth organization. The award citation notes the "exemplary service and efforts" contributed by the OA Wilderness Voyage.
Nobody would have thought in 1999 that a new program that started with just 71 participants would advance within five years to achieve such a result, but the enthusiasm and hard work of the OA Voyage participants and staff have led to this national recognition.
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from left to right: Nick Digirolamo (2003 National Chief), Doug Hirdler (General Manager, Northern Tier), Tim Babb (Asst. OA Voyage Director), John Pierce (Trails and Volunteer Coordinator, US Forest Service), Phil Vanderwerker (Asst. OA Voyage Director), Brian Seeton (OA Voyage Director), Dan Segersin (OA Voyage lead adviser, National OA Committee) |
The OA Wilderness Voyage program, based on the very successful OA Trail Crew program, has helped to rebuild and restore portage trails in the Boundary Waters Wilderness Canoe Area (BWCA) of northern Minnesota. Some of the trails that have been worked on date back to the old fur trading days. Most others date back to the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC), part of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal program of the 1930's. The staff and participants past and present are proud to be part of this legacy.
Since the program's origin in 1999, the Voyage has completed a total of five and a half miles of trail work. Over 300 participants and 50 staff members have been involved during the past five years.
None of this work could have been accomplished without the help and support of many people inside and outside of the OA and Scouting. As director Brian Seeton noted, "All the staff would like to thank the United States Forest Service for their support, guidance, and training as well as nominating the Voyage for the award. We would also like to thank Northern Tier National High Adventure Base for allowing the program to use the Sommers canoe base, their equipment, as well as the management's support and enthusiasm for the program. Lastly we would like to thank all the past staff members, participants, and advisers along with the National OA Committee. For without all the work and support of these people, the program would not have happened at all."
Lead Adviser Dan Segersin added, "Congratulations to the outstanding team of youth and young adults who created the vision of the Voyage. On behalf of the National OA Committee and our partnership with Northern Tier and the US Forest Service, congratulations and thanks!"
If you would like to be a part of this great experience in the future, download an OA Voyage application and send it in.
Revised 10/19/03
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