Order of the Arrow - Tisquantum Lodge

This summer, Tisquantum Lodge will be sending a group of youth and adults to participate in the largest service project ever to be completed by the Boy Scouts of America. We will be helping out at the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. All participants must be fourteen or older.

We will be leaving the morning of June 20^th. We will be driving down to the Washington D.C. Area, in 15 passenger vans, where we will spend the night. We will arrive at the site on June 21 ^st. For information about the the event, see the information page attached to this sheet. We will be leaving the site on June 28 ^th, where we will be driving to the Washington D.C. Area again to spend the night. We will be arriving back to Massachusetts on June 29 ^th.

The final cost has not been set for this event, but we expect at the most, it will cost $600. This fee includes the participation fee, transportation, lodging for two night of travel, and all meals during the trip to the site. To reserve a spot, there is a down payment of $200 by February 1 ^st. The spots will be filled on a first come, first serve basis. The second payment of up to $400, will be due on May 1st.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Brad Gappa at ctas02360@aol.com.

More Information:

George Washington and Jefferson National Forest were administratively combined in 1995 to form the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. The two National forest contain nearly 1.8 million acres of public land, representing one of the largest blocks of public land in the eastern United States.

The Jefferson National forest is comprised of lands located in Virginian (690,106 acres), West Virginia (18,526 acres) and Kentucky (961 acres). The George Washington National forest is comprised of lands located in Virginia (956,222 acres) and West Virginia (108,858 acres). The total combined George Washington and Jefferson National Forest are 1,646,328 acres in Virginia; 123,384 acres in West Virginia; and 961 acres in Kentucky.

The size and the location of the forest make it an excellent center for outdoor activities. The forest covers over 1.8 million acres and 140 miles along the Appalachian Mountains in northwestern Virginia and in eastern West Virginia. Most of the forest is in Virginia and within a day's drive for 54 million people.

Recreation is a key Resource as hikers, picnickers and campers pursue their interest surrounded by the natural beauty of the forest. Popular water sports include swimming, fishing and boating. Many visitors enjoy the forest scenery while driving over the mountain and valley roads.

The climate is relative mild, but varies considerably because elevations that average between 1,000 and 3,000 feet, with some peaks above 4000 feet. Average daily temperatures range from a minimum of 20 degree to 26 degrees F in January to a maximum of 80 to 86 degrees F in July. The average rainfall is 38 inches a year, including and average snowfall of 15-20 inches a year.

The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests has to operational districts; James River District located in Covington Virginia and the Warm Spring District located in Warm Springs Virginia. Both have unique features, the James River District offers the traditional National forest operation, protected lands with a diverse variety of flora and fauna; the Warm Springs District leans more toward the recreational opportunities for it's user, i.e. a lake, fishing, boating, swimming, picnicking, a fully operational marina and over night camping.

Base Camp
ArrowCorps⁵ participants and staff will be utilizing National capital Area Council BSA Goshen Scout reservation as base operations. Goshen is one of the largest active Boy Scout Camps in America hosting 900 to 1,000 scouts per week in a summer camp experience. ArrowCorps ⁵ participants will stay in camp style tents; eat in dining halls, and other facilities. Check out Goshen By going to web page ( will forward later).

Project Description

Projects for the two districts are unique to its operations. The James River District will offer participants the opportunity to construct a new five-mile horseback trail system. While the Warm Springs District will require arrowmen the chance to construct a much-needed trail from the park Marina to its beach about a mile in distance, refurbish minor trails and clear campsites of invasive plant species.

Recreation & Activities

The Washington / Jefferson National forest is located in an area that offers a wide variety of recreation opportunities. They range from white water rafting, mountain biking, horse back riding, fishing, Historic Appomattox Court House, Mr. Jefferson home, Monticello, Stonewall Jackson house, or just sitting around base camp telling tall tales.

You can also visit http://event.oa-bsa.org

--
Andrew Ewing

For more info, see the form here http://www.tisquantum.org/ac5.pdf

http://www.tisquantum.org/ - Official Tisqantum Lodge Order of the Arrow Web Site.
Webmaster - Ken Hede