Ordeal Inductions -
Beginning on the Trail
Perhaps you were just elected to become a member of
Illinek Lodge. If so, congratuations! You are about to begin a journey that we
hope you will enjoy for a lifetime. The first step of the Ordeal will bring you
an understand of what we consider our cornerstone of purpose - Brotherhood,
Cheerfulness and Service. At your Call-Out, you met Scouts like yourself
dressed in traditional regalia of the Native Americans of our area. They
represent principles you will be introduced to as you progress through the
Ordeal induction weekend. Pay close attention to their words and actions. For
now, know that a friend was with you from the time you were called out. He will
accompany you through the Ordeal until you have completed it successfully.
At the Call-Out ceremony, after you were lead away from the council
fire, you were given a packet of information. This packet is critical. There
was a small booklet which you were encouraged to read later that evening after
you returned to your campsite. Read it again before coming to the Ordeal
weekend. Follow the instructions in the packet carefully and be sure to sign up
early for the Ordeal weekend you prefer to attend. Bring the items listed.
Arrive at the appointed time and check in with the staff. I'm sure you have
other questions. Some must remain unanswered for now. But if you have concerns
please contact us or review the information that we have provided below. We
look forward to seeing you.
What is the "Ordeal" all about?
Older Scouts talk about how hard the Ordeal is. Is it that tough?
Is the OA a "secret fraternity"?
What can parents know to be better informed?
Can parents or non-OA members attend the ceremonies?
How long after election do I have to complete the Ordeal?
What should I bring / not bring to the Ordeal weekend?
Do I pay "dues" to be an OA member?
What will actually happen at the Ordeal?
When can I complete the Ordeal induction?
Once I complete the Ordeal, how do I get involved in things?
What is "Sash and Dash" disease and can I get it?
Question: What is the "Ordeal" all
about?
The Ordeal is a structured activity that teaches
through participation, principles which the Order of the Arrow is founded upon
- Brotherhood, Cheerfulness and Service. In the process, ideals important to
strengthening your understanding of leadership are introduced. Much symbolism
is used, hence the Native American attired individuals you met at the Call-Out.
Through the ceremonies these are explained. As you participate, pay close
attention to the actions and words of the ceremonial team.
During the
Ordeal, you will perform four challenges. If you have completed First Class
rank (and you had to in order to be elected to the OA) and have helped your
unit with typical service projects, then you will have no difficulty with these
challenges. Expect to work hard! It is a time to test yourself against the
standards of the Order of the Arrow and to affirm the confidence placed in you
by your unit when they elected you.
Question: Older Scouts talk about how hard the
Ordeal is. Is it that tough?
Sometimes older Scouts might make
up stories about what happens during the Ordeal partly to frighten younger
Scouts or to make their own experience sound more exciting. There is no hazing.
It is true that you will work hard, perhaps getting dirty, maybe raising a
blister or two, and find yourself mentally challenged to complete the four
challenges. This is no different than perhaps the difficulty you may have had
in mastering map & compass, learning to swim, or completing a five mile
hike. But throughout the Ordeal, you will notice that there are OA members
working side-by-side with you. These are friends, who have volunteered to go
through the Ordeal again just to help you to be successful. You can do
it!
Question: Is the OA a "secret fraternity"?
Mystery can stimulate interest and help to build pride in an
accomplishment that not all Scouts achieve. Knowledge of all the details can
lower expectancy and dull the experience that awaits you. Put another way,
would you really enjoy a blockbuster movie if they showed the ending first? Of
course not. For that reason, the Ordeal introduces information in an order that
builds upon what you know and creates an air of excitement.
But the OA
is not a secret society or fraternity and we do not support hazing in any form.
We are a part of the Boy Scout program and must abide by all of its rules and
policies for Youth Protection. The official position of the BSA states: The
Order is not a secret Scout organization, and its ceremonies are open to any
parent, Scout leader, or religious leader. There is an element of mystery in
the ceremonies for the sake of its effect on the candidates. For this reason,
ceremonies are not put on in public. The ceremonies…are not objectionable
to any religious group. While major religious groups may not have found
anything objectionable to our ceremonies, we recognize that each individual may
have strongly held beliefs and could be concerned about some specific element
of a ceremony. If after reviewing the ceremonies and discussing their
implementation with one of our adult leaders, you have such concerns please let
us know. We will work with you wherever possible to accommodate these religious
concerns in the same manner as we would accomodate a Scout with a modification
based on a physical limitation based on their individual needs. Periodically,
for example, an individual has to leave on Saturday night after the induction
ceremony in order to complete religious duties on Sunday morning. In such a
case, things normally done on Sunday after the non-denominational worship, are
provided to the new member before they leave on Saturday evening.
Question: What can parents know to be better
informed?
Candidates should share this website and its content
with their parents. Encourage them to talk to your unit leader, to contact our
Scout office, and / or the Lodge Advisor. We will be happy to answer any
questions that they have and address any concerns. They can rest assured that
the Order of the Arrow is a Scouting activity.
On Friday evening
before the Ordeal begins, the Lodge Advisor will hold a "Parents Meeting",
typically about 8:00pm. During this meeting we will provide details about what
will occur and how the four challenges are performed. A brief video will be
presented showing what occurs during the Ordeal and afterwards. If your parents
would like to see this video ahead of time, contact the Lodge Advisor to make
arrangements to view it at our Council Service Center. We will be available
before, during or after the Parents Meeting to address any concerns. The Lodge
Advisor also has the text of the ceremonies available and will be happy to
review it with any concerned parent, unit leader or religious leader.
When searching the internet for information about the Order of the Arrow,
please be careful about relying upon unauthorized or biased websites. Some
sites purport to explain "secrets" when in fact they are either outdated by
decades or are false in their explanations. Others make outlandish claims and
are intentionally negative or extreme in viewpoint. As with any website of
unknown origins, some of the authors of these sites either do not know what
they are talking about or for whatever personal reasons chose to present
incomplete and false information. The only sites that we recommend are this
site and the national oa website at www.oa-bsa.org.
Question: Can parents or non-OA members attend the
ceremonies?
The pre-Ordeal and Ordeal ceremonies are not like
a more common Court of Honor or awards program. They are not public
presentations but neither are they "secret". Parents or other truly interested
adults are welcome to learn more about our ceremonial practices. The text of
ceremonies is available for review simply by contacting our Scout office or the
Lodge Advisor. In some cases video is also available. As a practice, Illinek
Lodge provides a parent orientation meeting on Friday evening before the Ordeal
weekend begins. One of the video which explains the Ordeal in detail is shown
and the ceremony text is available for review on request. If parents or other
adults wish to physically witness the ceremonies, they are welcome to do so. We
simply ask that you let us know as much in advance as possible. Younger
children however should not attend so as to not distract from the atmosphere we
strive to build. We will escort you to the location of the ceremony where you
can discretely observe, and afterwards, be available if possible to answer any
questions.
The induction ceremony is open to all Order of the Arrow
members. If a parent, sibling or other relative is currently or has in the past
been an OA member they are welcome to attend. (If you are not currently
registered we encourage you to do so soon! You can register either at the
Council Service Center, or Friday evening before the Ordeal.)
In order
to avoid distractions, we do not allow recording devices, video cameras and
still cameras to be used during ceremonies.
Question: How long after election do I have to
complete the Ordeal?
You have one year from the date of
election to complete the Ordeal induction. We offer three opportunities
each year to be inducted. One in late May / early June, primarily for
candidates called out in May at the Spring Camporee. Two others are offered in
early August and early September. We strongly encourage you NOT to wait
until the September Ordeal.
If you cannot complete the Ordeal within
one year of election, you must be reelected by your unit. Remember, most units
have their elections before June.
Question: What should I bring / not bring to the
Ordeal weekend?
If you were called out by our lodge you
received a packet of instructions. If you were called out out-of-council at a
summer camp other than Camp Bunn, your leader should have given you this
packet. It contains instructions and a detailed list of what to bring.
Briefly, you need a tent (or find a buddy to share with), and personal sleeping
gear, ground cloth, work clothing that could be damaged with paint or stain,
sturdy shoes or boots, gloves, a hat, personal hygiene items including soap and
a bath towel, complete scout uniform and a small pack or bag to carry gear (no
suitcases). You will setup your tent, but you will not be camping there
on Friday night! Keep your raingear, ground cloth and sleeping bag together
ready to be carried with you when the Ordeal starts Friday night. If you wish
to purchase items from the lodge trading post allow a small amount of money for
this purpose.
Clothing should be appropriate for the weather (remember
that poison ivy and ticks are common). Of course bring required medications and
check them in with the medical officer Friday evening.
Things not to
bring:
If you are under age 18, cell phones and car keys must be surrendered
at check-in. Those over age 18 will be asked to turn off their cell phones or
put them in silent mode for the duration of the Ordeal. You are encouraged to
turn in cell phones and car keys to reduce the chance of loss (we seem to have
one of these lost at every Ordeal!)
Saturday evening after the
ceremony is "fun time" with a large cracker barrel for all. If you want to
bring board games to share, put them in a large bag sealed and marked with your
name and check them in at the Ordeal HQ when you arrive Friday night.
Question: Do I pay "dues" to be an OA
member?
Yes. When you are inducted your first year's dues are
included in your Ordeal fees. Our lodge year runs from September 1st through
August 31st of the next year. Dues are currently $12.00 and should be paid to
the Scout office or at an OA event in August or September (you can do it
earlier if you wish). OA dues are not part of your Boy Scout dues which
are collected by your unit during re-chartering. You must pay OA dues annually
to be an active member of our lodge and to participate in activities. These
fees pay for newsletters, various activities, and chartering of the lodge with
the National organization.
Question: What will actually happen at the
Ordeal?
You will sign in Friday, pitch your tent, change into
work clothing and keep your pack and sleeping gear handy. You will be broken up
in to groups lead by an OA member who will be with you throughout the Ordeal.
He is called an "Elangomat" a word that means "friend". Parents will
participate in an orientation session after which they leave and the Ordeal
begins. You will be led to an initial ceremony where what is to come will be
explained. You will be asked to willingly accept the challenges and to do your
best to meet them. From there you will camp.
Saturday you will have a
light breakfast and begin various service projects with your group under the
leadership of the Elangomat. You will have a light lunch and continue on
various projects in the afternoon. Throughout Saturday, you will be asked to
live up to the challenges and to honestly perform them. Late on Saturday
afternoon, you will be released from your group to go shower, clean up, and
change to your full Scout uniform. In the early evening, you will attend the
induction ceremony where you will become a full member of our Order and receive
your Sash.
Saturday evening is free time to visit with new friends,
play games, watch movies, relax and if you wish, ask questions about the Order
and to clarify anything you did that you didn't quite understand.
Sunday morning after breakfast, we have a brief non-denominational religious
service, explain in more detail what you did and why, introduce you to Illinek
Lodge activities, give you information about future opportunities and show you
how to make your "lodge totem" which you have no earned the right to wear.
You must be present from Friday evening through Sunday morning
to complete induction. You cannot leave Saturday to attend school events for
example. If there is a conflict you must plan to attend an Ordeal where you can
faithfully and completely perform the Ordeal.
Question: When can I complete the Ordeal
induction?
In the coming year, Illinek Lodge will offer three
opportunities to complete the Ordeal and to become a member. These are:
Question: Once I complete the Ordeal, how do I get
involved in things?
Read your newsletters that come by mail
and sign up early for events. Come to the monthly membership meetings,
sometimes called the "LEC" or "Lodge Executive Committee" meetings (the LEC is
for everyone!) Keep the lodge calendar handy and contact the officers if you
are not sure what is going on. Attend the next section conclave. Check this
website regularly. Training events are also fellowship events. These are for
youth and adults alike. Find a fellow OA member in your unit, and invite them
to come with you. Like anything, you have to put something into your OA
membership to get much out of it.
Question: What is "Sash and Dash" disease and can
I get it?
Unfortunately, "Sash and Dash" disease is a real
affliction that sometimes infects new Ordeal members. Its symptoms are much
like the similar "Flap and Flee" syndrome. Early warning signs are:
Infected members often are heard to make statements like, "I earned my
OA"; "I have other things to do"; "All the OA does is work". In its more
advanced stages, Ordeal members may express a lack of appetite after ten-months
of membership to complete the Ordeal and achieve the "Brotherhood" membership.
In the most advanced stages, having never participated in any OA activity,
having become totally uninvolved, the patient will simply do nothing and never
pay their lodge dues after the first year.
"Sash and Dash" is easy to
avoid and is readily treatable. First, a member should take a healthy attitude
and get involved early. Even occasional exposure to lodge activities can boost
the immune system and reduce the chances of this disease occurring. An early
warning sign is the statement, "Nobody asked me to get involved or to help.
Nobody called me." When this occurs, the best course is to show up at the next
event, and get involved. In many cases, we have confirmed reports of suffers
being quickly cured just by having a buddy ask them to come with them to the
next lodge activity.
Fun is the best prevention technique we have
discovered.
Avoid "Sash and Dash". Get out and have some fun. Get
involved with the Order. Get your sash dirty!