Iowascouter

I am new to this forum so feel a little sheepish posting big right off the bat but I think there are several issues with Silver Tomahawk that haven't been properly expressed or represented. I am personal friends with Bill Dorrell who's narrative on Silver Tomahawk Lodge 80 through the creation and destruction of Ka-Ti Missi Sipi Lodge 37 during the initial merger of the SE Iowa Council and the Sauke Area Council I am very familiar with and feel it is a very good description of the synopsis. I have also read the narrative on the flyingmember website and while it is fairly accurate up until the latest merger, I feel there are a few notable inaccuracies in the text. If you look at Mr. Dorrell's text, what they did was to incorporate the MOS traditions into a program that was OA compliant, not to simply run a MOS program and pass it off as an OA program. The Silver Tomahawk program was NOT a MOS program, it was an OA program that incorporated MOS traditions. The LEC was youth and the Lodge Officers were youth elected each fall at a conclave. Adult advisors had no voting privleges at LEC meetings. The ceremonies contained all the pertinent OA touches, the legend, etc, they were very much centered around the meaning of the 4 fold ordeal and the 4 resolutions. On the flying member website (http://www.flyingember.com/mic.html) I think the The biggest shortfall that I see is in the more recent history update. The actual arrangement isn't that Silver Tomahawk split off from OA, leaving Camp Eastman devoid of OA, when Black Hawk Lodge 67 was formed, 2 chapters were created. These are Maheengun and Silver Tomahawk Chapters who's members basically consist of the old Lodge 136 and Lodge 80 members respectively. At Camp Eastman, there is now an OA chapter AND a separate Honor Society called 'Tribe of the Silver Tomahawk.' In general, those in the chapter are also in the honor society. The ceremonies have been in a state of ebb and flow since the merger and as of this fall, STC was running OA ordeal at fall conclave while the tribal ceremonies were run entirely during summer camp. Tribe of the Silver Tomahawk is no more MOS now than it was before, continuing to be headed up by a youth tribal executive committee and officers. Unlike the description, there is still OA at both camps. The picture on the website is of the LEC officers in 2000, this was still when Silver Tomahawk was OA Lodge 80. The main thing I notice prior to the update is that he refers to the paint stations as 'ranks' and this is incorrect. There are actually only 2 ranks in Silver Tomahawk (Brave/Warrior.) Also, two sites are mentioned that may have been at Camp Eastman in the distant past but I have never heard mention of, 'the point' and 'She-She-Be council ring' have not been mentioned in the 10 years I have spent attending and working in/around CE (I am inclined to ask around about them though.) Those pictured are wearing both log chains and OA sashes because at that time, Silver Tomahawk was a legitimate OA Lodge. Members of Silver Tomahawk (before the formation of L67 and currently) generally wear their log chains as part of their 'class A' as well as any time they are at Camp Eastman. Another post in this thread mentioned that there could be no easy correlation between the OA levels of Ordeal, Brotherhood and Vigil and the MOS positions. First off, vigil is only bestowed upon those that warrant nomination and are approved by the chapter and lodge nominating committee(s) and that is the way it should be. The rest is really much easier than it seems. The Ordeal year in Silver Tomahawk Lodge was also the Brave year. Upon complettion of a year as a Brave and the requirements of Brotherhood, the scout would be tested as a Brave (Camp Eastman knowledge, OA principals, Silver Tomahawk Traditions) and then promoted to Brotherhood in OA and the rank of Warrior. After becoming a Warrior, the scouts pass through the Warrior paint station progression much as they do in MOS based on the recommendations of their Troop Leaders and the approval of the Tribal Council their week of summer camp (made up of the officers and 1 older scout from each troop in camp, no adults voted on promotions.) There was no connection to Vigil from the Silver Tomahawk paint stations, if so deserved, any lower paint could be elected to Vigil just the same as any upper paint. Because all of the Silver Tomahawk Lodge 80 ceremonies were held during summer camp, the conversion and return rates were very good. The Lodge 80 ceremonies were very active with nearly all youth members in camp participating in one way or another during the callout on Wednesday nights or the Brotherhood ceremony (for callouts from the previous year) on Thursday night. If there are any questions that would be better answered outside the forum, feel free to email me kjmineart(at)yahoo.com Kevin Mineart Vigil/Sachem Black Hawk 67/Tribe of the Silver Tomahawk(This message has been edited by Iowascouter)