2020 Vigil Honor Class

This past weekend, 10 dedicated Unami Lodge members kept their vigil at Resica Falls. These model Arrowmen were selected due to their contributions to the lodge, their units, our camps, and the council. Congratulations to all of the members of the 2020 Vigil Honor class!

Pictured Above, From Left to Right: Riley Metzler, Alex Ziemba, Melissa Sirken, Ted McDonald, Chris Smith, Anthony Glass, Luke Clancy, Heather Filer, Dan Lyons, Austin Groeber

Luke Clancy - “To Be of Intention”

Brother Clancy has been a familiar face at service weekends and Roosevelt Chapter meetings since his induction in the lodge. Luke was elected to serve Unami, One as its secretary in 2019 and has assisted in the planning of the Pow-Wow in the Park, but his real interest has been the annual Lodge Leadership Development event, which he has planned on two separate occasions as Leadership Development chairperson. Brother Clancy’s intention for Unami Lodge, One remains positive, and his presence is always unmistakable.

Anthony Glass - “The Kindhearted”

There is one word that anyone who spends even a brief amount of time with Brother Glass quickly zeros in on when describing him: kind. Regardless of when or where Anthony sees you, he will always greet you with a smile, a hello, and an inquiry about you; he has brought this kindness to his roles in the lodge, which has made him especially effective as honorsmaster at Resica Falls, as Events Committee chairperson, lodge treasurer, and as Membership Committee chairperson, where his generous spirit makes new members feel welcomed and involved from the moment they join our lodge. Brother Glass’s dedicated service and kindhearted nature make him an ideal candidate for the Vigil Honor.

Austin Groeber - “Teller of Tales”

Brother Groeber’s passion for the customs and traditions of both the Order of the Arrow and the Lenni Lenape stands out amongst his fellow Arrowmen. Austin has represented the lodge in Native dance and drumming competitions with skill and enthusiasm, ensuring accuracy of representation for the Indigenous history he and others seek to present. As a long-tenured ceremonies chairperson of Unami, One, Austin has efficiently organized our ceremonial teams on multiple lodge weekends and for competition at section conclaves, leading them to recognitions of excellence on several occasions. Brother Groeber himself is a zealous ceremonialist, delivering his lines with exquisite precision to tell the tales of the Order to our ever-growing Brotherhood.

Riley Metzler - “Scribes with Joy”

A bright and cheerful disposition are the hallmarks of Brother Metzler’s character and his service to Unami Lodge, One. No stone was left unturned as Riley sought new ways to energize our membership through the planning and execution of exciting lodge weekends as the Events committee chairperson, as well as part of several other lodge operating committees. As lodge secretary, he has diligently noted the meetings of our lodge during turbulent times, helping to ensure that, despite the fact that the Lodge Executive Committee now meets virtually, its meetings are no less effective. Whether in person, or miles away, Brother Metzler scribes the record of our lodge’s triumphs, trials, and tribulations with great joy.

Alex Ziemba - “Fuels the Reaction”

Brother Ziemba’s time as a member of the Resica Falls camp staff has brought him closer to our lodge. As a leading member of the camp’s STEM staff, Alex has emerged as both a talented instructor of the most technologically-oriented badges offered at camp, and as the caretaker of the Richards Arena for all shows and campfires. This camp service has evolved into talented contributions to the Communications committee of Unami Lodge, One, a realm which requires high-quality output on an almost daily basis in support of almost every area of our lodge. Whether teaching Chemistry merit badge or overseeing a lodge marketing campaign, Brother Ziemba’s passion for Scouting fuels a reaction in those whose lives he touches.

Heather Filer - “To Knit Us Together”

Brother Filer has a love of life that is matched by her love of Scouting, and which she broadcasts to all whom she encounters. Much of Heather’s energy in Scouting has been expended working with the council’s National Youth Leadership Training program, ensuring that young people are trained, and Wood Badge, ensuring that they have trained leaders to guide them. Heather is also a regular volunteer at the Continental District Klondike Derby, where her ruddy face is always plastered with a smile, and she has served for several years as an adviser with the lodge’s Events Committee. Regardless of where she is found, Brother Filer’s ardor and cheerful disposition help to knit us together into a more cohesive whole.

Dan Lyons - “Willing Camp Servant”

Brother Lyons has been a presence at Resica Falls for far longer than he has been a member of Unami Lodge, One. Inducted into the Order of the Arrow as a member of Sakuwit Lodge 2, Dan then became a member of Ajapeu Lodge 2 before joining Unami, One in 2017. Immediately upon joining our lodge, Dan was appointed to chair the Service Committee, which he has led (both as chairperson and as adviser) ever since. Whether it is as the quartermaster director or shooting sports director, on a lodge service weekend, campmaster weekend, or just a weekend in general, one is hard pressed to find a brother serving camp more willingly – or fervidly – than Brother Lyons.

Ted McDonald - “Pathfinder”

Brother McDonald has served Scouting in the greater Philadelphia area for decades. From his time as a lodge officer of Delmont Lodge 43 and member of the Big Springs Camp staff, to his tenure as a Cubmaster and Scoutmaster, to his time on the Cradle of Liberty Council Executive Board, Ted has shown that his only goal in serving the Scouting program is to ensure that young people have a transformatively positive experience. Currently in his seventh year as Cradle of Liberty’s Camping and Properties Committee chairperson, Ted has stewarded both our physical camps and our camping operations through one of the most difficult periods in our history. In all he has done, Brother McDonald has proven himself to be a pathfinder worthy of our emulation.

Melissa Sirken - “She Who Sculpts”

The traditions of Unami Lodge, One run deep in Brother Sirken’s family; Melissa is the third member in two generations to be called out for the Vigil Honor as a member of our lodge, but she has been a fixture at lodge events and at Resica Falls far longer than she has been a member of the Order. Melissa’s service has taken various forms, including as a longtime camp staff member, and as the lodge’s Camp Promotions Committee adviser. In both her personal life as an art teacher and in her life within Scouting, Brother Sirken helps young people to reach their full potential and, in doing so, sculpts a better future for all.

Chris Smith - “Ever Ready”

Few members of Unami Lodge, One provide the kind of dedicated service to virtually every area of the Scouting program as does Brother Smith. Chris has spent innumerable hours at troop campouts, district and council events, lodge weekends, Unami-hosted section conclaves, and summer camp putting on innovative programs and coming up with creative and effective solutions to problems that may have others stumped. This dedication has translated to Chris’s current service as the Continental District Commissioner and as an adviser for the lodge’s Membership Committee, fervently giving his time and energy for the betterment of council and lodge. No matter the irksome task or weighty responsibility that is laid before him, Brother Smith stands ever ready to get the job done.