They cannot talk for 24 hours. They are al- lowed very little food, do laborious work and sleep alone in the woods for a night, with only a few essentials to survive.
This is how Devin Callahan, senior, and Jordan Grommet, junior, became members of the Boy Scouts of America’s secretive society, the Order of the Arrow (OA).
Callahan said he was elected into the OA by his fellow troop members in 2006. Grom- met and Callahan describe this society as an exclusive branch of Boy Scouts accepting only boys who have gone above and beyond in scouting.
“To help young men by giving them addi- tional encouragement and to commit them- selves [to] giving community service,” said OA Historian Ken Davis about the OA.
These Boy Scouts must be first class rank, and most are eligible by ages 12 -13. They also must have camped outdoors for 15 days, six of them consecutive (summer camp, camp- ing trip, etc.). During this process, called the Ordeal, a scout must obtain the majority of votes from his troop to be qualified for the OA. This ceremony announces the candi- dates who have been elected by their fel- low troop members to attempt the series of tasks that lay ahead to become part of the
OA. After that, they go through a nationally approved ceremony.
The next part of the membership process is secretive.
“We try not to publicize them too much,” said OA Historian Nelson Block of the soci- ety’s ceremonies.
Callahan said boys are not allowed to share what they experience during the Ordeal. They must not tell the secrets of the ceremony out of honor for the OA. Callahan also said the boys are taken away from their troop and not allowed to talk for the rest of the night until the following day when they are permitted to return from the ceremony.
The ceremony involves a show containing four Native American characters: the main chief, a guide, a guardian and a man who tells about the maker of the legend, David said.
“[The legend is that] there was a time when Delaware Indians needed to [recruit] vil- lages to fight off enemies. [They asked them- selves] who will go and help me to organize our people?…When they put down the threat from enemy tribe, [they] thought, ‘Wow, this is cool,’” Davis said.
After the legend has been told, candidates undergo a series of challenges.
“Guys are put out to sleep on their own, and keep silent so they can think about the experience they are going through,” Block said. “Food intake is limited so they cannot focus on themselves [but] focus on the task [at hand]. The next day they spend doing work at camp.”
Although the Ordeal may be challenging, many find it rewarding.
“[The Ordeal] is very inspiring…some parts are in rhyming and beautifully written. Very inspiring over the campfire,” Block said.
Once the ceremony is successfully com- pleted, the new members must take part in other Boy Scout ceremonies as part of their duties for OA.
Duties include participating as actors dressed up in Native American costumes in cross over ceremonies for Boy Scouts and the induction ceremony of the OA.
More than 1 million scouts and leaders have all gone through this process to become a member of the OA throughout its 97 years in existence. In 2015, this secretive but honorary society will be celebrating its 100th anniversa- ry according to Block.
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Concerned Scouter • Oct 7, 2012 at 3:58 pm
This article does not represent the order of the arrow, this makes us sound like a bunch of weirdos who burn eachother with hatpins. Doesn’t shed the right kind of light on this program