Joe Hyer

(Article written by Joe Hyer for the 2002 Conclave Chronicle)

After being Section Chief, I moved on to college, spending 2 years at George Washington University in Washington DC, and getting a BA in English Literature/Creative Writing from Pacific University in Oregon in 1994.  I then took a year off to play and be a ski bum.  I worked at a ski/sporting goods store for a year, and decided to go into business for myself.  In February of 1996, we opened The Alpine Experience ... which moved to its permanent location in Downtown Olympia in October of 2000. Now, I operate the store, as well as a new travel-specific store ... and in my spare time, enjoy climbing/mountaineering, skiing, traveling, and reading and writing.

My first Conclave was 1986 at Camp Thunderbird, and I attended every conclave through 1991, when I was Section Chief.  We also attended the National Conferences in 1988 and 1990.  Highlights?  There's too many to recount.  From staying up all night to get the 'Conclave Chronicle' published, to staying up all night to get the Saturday Night show ready, to staying up all night just to sit around and talk ... I remember a lot of sleepless nights.  I remember a lot of quick changes of outfits, getting ready for dance or ceremonies competitions, and some amazingly funny botched ceremonies.  I remember arguments at the council of chiefs, and moments when we thought we'd never get anything done.  And then, somehow, we did.

I think perhaps the memory that sticks out the most is Conclave 1990, held at Fort Flagler, and the re-dedication ceremony we held for the 75th anniversary of the Order.  We thought the ceremony sent out to us was kind of silly, so we wrote our own.  I recruited the youngest Arrowmen at the conclave (Jason Bippert of Tillicum, if I remember right) to play the part of Uncas in our ceremony.  There's always something magical about a well staged ceremony, but that night was even more special for some reason.  I'd been up the whole night before getting ready for Saturday, and most of the week before getting ready for Conclave.  I was elected Section Chief the next day ... but it was that night that sticks out in my mind, more than any other.  Nearly three hundred arrowman, re-dedicating themselves to the principles established so long before.  That's something to be proud of.

Last Updated: 04.21.2002