Rendezvous has been the foremost Wauna event since I, or practically anyone else in the lodge, can remember. Every year, the lodge puts on an incredible event with a creative theme, fun activities and trainings, and excellent food. It has been the event that everyone raves about being so much fun, and the one that also encourages people to attend other lodge events to experience the fun to be had at them. Though Wauna has an incredible legacy for its annual Rendezvous, this year definitely stood apart from the rest.
This year’s Rendezvous started with a very novel idea: a fashion-themed event. That one idea cascaded into one of the greatest Rendezvous Wauna has ever seen! Starting on Friday night, members flooded into the Discovery Lodge at Camp Meriwether where, after checking in, they were given the opportunity to design and decorate a blazer for their chapter chief to wear on the runway Saturday night. All of the members jumped at this opportunity, and created fun and unique blazers for their chapter chiefs. Some were blingy (one chapter took all of the rhinestones available), some were daring, some were dripping with paint! With that done, the members enjoyed a wonderful cracker barrel and shuffled off to bed.
Saturday morning, members participated in a myriad of workshops including making obsidian knives , mallets, and paracord bracelets, and weaving baskets. As fun and exciting as that sounds, it was nothing compared to the afternoon and evening at Runway Rendezvous! In the afternoon, the options for activities were seemingly endless. From rock climbing and tomahawks to rifle shooting and jeopardy, there was something there for everyone. During this time, chapter members were also out seeking Wauna Bucks which would buy them clothing items to dress a lodge officer of their choice for the evening show. The aforementioned show was like none other I had seen before. Our stage was modeled after a runway, and when the chapter chiefs and lodge officers went up to strut their respective stuff, the whole lodge exploded into a cloud of smiles, laughter, and cheers. After the first half of the show, now section chief, Mason Lewallen, and lodge chief, Nathan L., gave out the lodge’s awards to the most dedicated and virtuous members of the lodge, concluding with the Vigil Honor Call Out, in which eight of Wauna’s most dedicated members were called out in front of the lodge, recognizing them as the Vigil Candidates for 2024.
Runway Rendezvous was a truly amazing and unique event. The chairman, Julian Anderson, did a wonderful job with the entire event. As a member of Wauna La-Mon’tay, I hope that Runway Rendezvous sets a precedent for equally unique, elaborate, and enjoyable rendezvous for the future.
