Learning, fun all part of Boy Scout conference at MSU

EAST LANSING – Johnny Pries had just gotten down from trying out a simulated ice climbing wall, made with hand and footholds on a piece of plywood.

It was “really hard. You need a lot of grip strength,” the Wausau, Wisconsin 15-year-old said.

It was also a challenge, the kind he gets from being a Boy Scout and a member of the Scouts’ national honor society, the National Order of the Arrow.

Pries is one of 15,000 Scouts and adult leaders on the Michigan State University campus this week for the National Order of the Arrow’s 100th anniversary conference, which runs through Saturday. They’ve come for learning, leadership training, ceremonies and just plain fun.

Although the conference, known as NOAC, has just started, Pries said he’s already inspired.

“(NOAC) makes me want to do more in Scouts,” he said. “I want to take a leadership position and get more people active.”

A grassy area to the east of Harrison Road has been transformed into “Adventure Central,” with everything from different climbing walls to an obstacle course to a zip line. Scouts began Tuesday morning with a 10-kilometer run.

Ryan Cummings, 16, of Wilmington, Delaware gave steer roping a go and successfully lassoed the “head” (it was a plastic mold attached to a bale of hay) after several tries.

“I never tried it before, so I figured I might as well. I didn’t think I’d get it,” he said.

Like Pries, it’s Cummings’ first time at NOAC. He said he’s enjoying meeting fellow Scouts and discovering what they have in common. He also said the experience has renewed his commitment to Scouting.

“It’s a great way to be part of something bigger than yourself,” Cummings said.

The leadership lessons of Scouting and OA make their mark, said Taylor Bobrow, 20, of Chesapeake, Va., who has been involved in Scouting since age 7. Bobrow is a youth leader at the conference.

“I can honestly say Scouting has played a significant role in my development as a person and has really shaped where I want to take my life in the future,” he said.

“The unity, the brotherhood and the excitement felt here during our national conference really gives us the energy to move forward until we gather again.”

Scouts at NOAC are from all 50 states and several countries, including Germany and Japan, spokesman Scott Scheffler said.

To become an OA member, Scheffler said, scouts must achieve the first-class rank, have a knowledge of first aid and generally be an experienced camper. They must also be recognized as a leader.

“It’s really about servant leadership and giving back to those who chose you” in your troop and in your community, Scheffler said.

NOAC attendees will carry out a conference-wide service project on Friday, helping the university test out its emergency drills and warning systems.

The conference’s impact will be felt across the community. Since it’s the centennial, attendance nearly doubled from the 8,000 participants who came to MSU in 2012. Many adult leaders are staying in area hotels, Scheffler said.

Among those welcoming the Scouts to town is East Lansing Mayor Nathan Triplett, who attended two NOACs as a youth and is a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow.

"It’s great to see so many scouts out and about in our community, and it’s an honor for East Lansing to host this centennial celebration of cheerful service. It’s made me nostalgic for my time as a youth member of the OA,” he said.

Contact Dawn Parker at (517) 377-1056 or at dlparker@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter at @arwen22266.