TWO WIPIT MEMBERS SELECTED TO RECEIVE DSA AT NOAC

The Distinguished Service Award (DSA) was created in 1940 to honor members, youth and adults, who have rendered distinguished and outstanding service to the Order on a sectional, regional, or national basis. It is the only award in the BSA which is presented to youth, volunteers and professional Scouters. The award is presented at National Order of the Arrow Conferences. Since 1940 only 1,019 persons, including the 2018 Class of 54 recipients, have been selected to receive the Distinguished Service Award, making it nearly as rare as the Silver Buffalo Award. Up to this year, 24 members of our lodge have received the DSA (you can see the list on the NCAC web site under OA). The two local members receiving the DSA are Kyle Raffensperger and Sven Rundman. Kyle M. Raffensperger served as the Amangamek-Wipit Lodge Chief from 2012 to 2013 and as Section NE-6A Chief from 2013- 2014. He went on to significant service 2013-2015 as a NOAC staff member and was deeply involved in the Northeast Region Arrow Tour effort to celebrate the 100 th Anniversary of the OA throughout the region in many lodges, councils and venues. He was a NEXT event Crew Chief during 2015-2016 and served on the 2017 National OA Service Corps as an Associate Adviser. Kyle holds the Eagle Award, the OA Vigil Honor, the Founders Award, the lodge Servant Leadership Award, the lodge Key 3 Award, is a James E. West Fellow and was selected as an OA Centurion member of the lodge in 2015. Sven J. Rundman began his national service to the OA in 2008 when he was the Safety Lead for ArrowCorps5 at the Bridger- Teton National Forest in Wyoming and carried out a similar role for the first week of SummitCorps at the New River Gorge National River in West Virginia in 2011.He has been a member of the National Events Subcommittee of the National OA Committee since 2016 and has led the safety service at national OA events since 2009. His safety and OSHA expertise have allowed him to support the OA and all of at National in 2005, 2010, 2012 (Shakedown), 2013 and 2017. He has served on and Camp School staffs, taught safety at the and serve as the District Chairman in Aquia District in NCAC. Sven is a Vigil Honor member of the OA, a Fifty-Year Veteran of the BSA and holds the Scoutmaster Award of Merit, the District Award of Merit, the Silver Beaver and the Silver Antelope. Congratulations to these two great Arrowmen.