9muckraker7

acco40 wrote: "Yes, I was disappointed in the fact that many of the boys in our troop thought their Ordeal ceremony was more slave labor than anything else. I think part of the problem is most boys are way to lax on who gets elected as Ordeal candidates." I agree. There are scores of scouts who make their Ordeals and never return to the OA only because they just didn't take the ordeal seriously. This, I believe, is because they simply aren't "spiritually mature" enough to undergo the ordeal, and their fellow scouts wrongly elected them. The question now is...what can we possibly do to correct this?

Thanks

There is a boy in my troop who is planning his eagle service project. It involves painting the outside of a building of a local community organization. The organization that is benefitting from his project has offered to provide the paint that will be needed. The scout who is planning the project was a bit hesitant to accept this offer, but he could not find anything in the eagle project workbook that states that the organization benfitting from his project cannot provide the materials for the project. So, this raised a question: Can the organization who benefits from the project provide such a large chunk of the materials necessary to complete the project?

I got a couple... EVERYTHING is waterproof until it gets wet. Overpacking is useless and unnecessary until you run out of clothes. "Put this pot of water on the fire" may have adverse implications especially when said to younger scouts.

ahh.. here there it is...page 20 of the guide to inductions... "The ceremonial principles should not reveal their names until they issue the series of challenges at the ordeal. Therefore, it is inappropriate to use the names ******[censored because this thread isnt safeguarded]********** in call-outs. If the characters are referred to by name, it would be more appropriate to call them chief, guide, etc."

I would think that the guide to officers and advisors or the guide to inductions produced by national would have a statement addressing this. I'll look around to see if i can find it; i remember reading it somewhere.

An OA lodge jambo patch would be a great fundraiser for your lodge, but please do not see the patch as being just that. Try to make the OA jambo flap SPECTACULAR, not only to generate more sales, but also to represent your lodge. OA flaps are popular to those who collect them; there are MANY people--scouts, scouters, and non-scouters alike--who collect OA memorabilia. There are probably about as many people who collect/trade CSP's (or JSP's?) as there are people who collect/trade lodge flaps, regardless of whether the event is a NOAC or a Jamboree.

The Admonition is definitely found on the jumpstart website. A lot of other cool things are found on that website that prove to be quite beneficial for newly inducted ordeal members.

My prayers are with you and your family.

I think that certain things need to be explained to teenagers of today's youth who do not think highly of scouting and consider it to be "uncool." The truth is that many go on to make these assumptions about the organization without knowing anything at all about it: they do not know about the outdoor program; the concept of youth-leadership; some do not even know what an eagle scout is. These misinformed people are sometimes influenced by stereotypical images of scouting used for comedic purposes (that notorious SNL skit "Canteen Boy;" some animated sitcoms; etc.) and because they do not know anything more about the organization. Meanwhile, the kids whose parents introduced them to scouting when they were 8 years old had come to love it, and they stayed in the organization for many years after, earning the arrow of light and some time after that, become eagle scouts. These scouts were introduced to scouting at such an early age that they did not really care about others' opinions of them as much as today's adolescents do. It is so much easier to just recruit younger scouts (by means of their parents mostly) than to change the mindset of older scouts; I think we've been putting too much focus on recruiting younger scouts for some time now, while ignoring the fact that many adolescents do not know a thing about scouting...perhaps it is up to the scouts on the individual basis to promote scouting in such a way and to recruit their friends who know nothing about scouting...perhaps it is up to the individual scouts to put a good name out for scouting, to be brave in the face of adversity, and to be loyal to the organization they are part of.... (This RAMBLING has been edited by 9muckraker7)

There are also Power Point Presentations corresponding to training sessions at the past NOAC. They do not have specific information; they're just outlines for a training syllabus or something. I forgot where on the web to find them but they're out there somewhere. I downloaded "creating a super-troop program" and "Patch-collecting 101."

Very interesting story for the night.

I don't really think I completely answered the question in my last post. The OA's purpose is fourfold: "To recognize those campers -- Scouts and Scouters -- who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives, and by such recognition cause other campers to conduct themselves in such manner as to warrant recognition. To develop and maintain camping traditions and spirit. To promote Scout camping, which reaches its greatest effectiveness as a part of the unit's camping program, both year-round and in the summer camp, as directed by the camping committee of the council. To crystallize the Scout habit of helpfulness into a life purpose of leadership in cheerful service to others." Does it need any further explanation than that? The OA is there to INTENSIFY the scouting experience by instilling in the minds of scouts an in-depth undertstanding of the ideals of scouting. It's there to help not only the arrowmen, but also non-members to understand what scouting is all about. Aside from all the sentimental, ceremonial, and FUN stuff, there's also the idea of the lodge being completely youth-run. This is an excellent leadership experience for all youth arrowmen who are a part of it. Then there is also leadership training sessions that the OA offers, on the lodge (LLD course and other lodge sessions), sectional (training sessions at the section conclaves), and regional (the National Leadership Seminar) levels. All of this offers the unique opportunity for arrowmen both to share ideas and experiences with and to obtain advice/leadership-methods from other experienced arrowmen. Proud Eagle mentioned "a chance to get together with some of the best Scouts and Scouters in your entire council"...this is an OPPORTUNITY to learn from others' experience, and to share your experience with them. You can apply this newly acquired knowledge and experience to improving your troop program. As an ordeal member of the Order, that is your first and only obligation: to serve your unit.

NOT A TON OF FUN??!!! NOT FUN?!!!! WHAAAA??!!! Calmsi1ence, I want you to get involved with your lodge and come back in exactly one year and try to say the OA is "not a ton of fun"! Go to a fellowship weekend your lodge is having! Go to your Section Conclave! Go to the next NOAC and TELL ME THE OA IS NOT FUN! THE OA IS GREAT!!!! See, the best thing about the OA is that while the majority of lodge functions are geared towards having fun, the service opportunities are also meant to be fun: through brotherhood and cheerfullness. This is what the OA teaches a scout to realize, and if you really grasp it, you will experience joys which many other people who aren't accustomed to the concepts of the OA never will. The opportunities the OA provides for its members are unmatched. The OA offers its members a chance to spend two weeks at Northern Tier for $100, Philmont for $150, and Sea Base for $250! There are so many other opportunities for scouts in the OA: to make new friends, to provide service to scouting, to HAVE FUN! To ask the question "why should one be in the OA" is just like asking "why should one live the scout oath and law in one's everyday life". The crux of the Ordeal membership of the OA is providing service to your unit: to be an exemplary scout, and a friend to all. The purpose of the OA is to strengthen the ideals of scouting.

I do not have a link to the article, but I will provide the link from where I got that text and its citation. It should suffice. http://snopes.com/military/isabel.htm There are citations at the bottom of the webpage which read: Associated Press. "State and Regional News." Texarkana Gazette. 24 September 2003. Texarkana Gazette. "In Our View: Tomb of the Unknowns." 23 September 2003.

Maybe this isn't quite a Scoutmaster's minute, but it's worth posting. From the Texarkana Gazette, 2003: Here Rests In Honored Glory An American Soldier Known But To God. So reads the inscription etched into the white granite tomb that marks the resting place of America's official unknown soldiers. The Tomb of the Unknowns remains one of the United States' most revered sites, a permanent reminder of this country's commitment to honor those who died fighting for its freedom. Last week, that commitment was upheld in a way some people might not have even noticed or even thought about. When practically every government employee in Washington was beating a hasty retreat to avoid the aftereffects of Hurricane Isabel, a small group of men decided their commitment to duty, honor and country was more important than personal safety or comfort. Tomb Guard Sentinels, the elite soldiers of the 3rd U.S. Infantry regiment chosen to act as guards at the Tomb, opted to sustain their constant vigil at the Tomb of the Unknowns rather than flee the oncoming bad weather. To them it was a matter of honoring their personal and professional obligations to the men and women who served before them and who serve now - and obviously do not have the luxury of serving their country only when skies are blue and the sun shines down upon them. Although the Tomb of the Unknowns is watched over by Tomb Guards 24 hours a day, 365 days a year regardless of weather conditions, to have soldiers so duty-bound as to ignore their own personal well-being is an example of real patriotism and a real reminder of the sacrifices made to secure the principles of liberty.

VAordeal wrote: " Although the new scouts usually know all of the kids in my troop because our pack & troop are chartered by the same school, they do not vote. They dont get a vote because they ususally vote for the nominees that they know personally. " Isn't there some rule against placing such voting restrictions on OA elections?

The scout parishoners of my church are encouraged to wear their uniforms to mass (Roman Catholic). The alter servers picked to serve mass are scouts and instead of wearing the white albs they wear their scout uniforms. Scouts are also the ones to do the readings at mass. There is really nothing coordinated by my troop; however, the troop whose charter is that church in my town usually coordinate the scout participation in that mass...volunteers do not need to be from that troop, just a member of that parish.

That was truly inspiring. It brought a tear to both my eyes (That's not just a figure of speech either!). This story really made my weekend.

Also, at NOAC this past summer there was a euchre tournament for a lot of patches. Each participant in the tournament (there were about 100 in all) needed to "buy in" with two lodge or council flaps. The winner(s) got all the patches.

Some scouts in my troop who are avid members of the OA play poker for OA patches. Because these guys are great friends and of a mature age, they seem to have a lot of fun doing this and there never really are any bitter feelings.

A SCOUT IS GOOD. So simple, yet so appropriate. But if you all want a more specific response: Persistent sounds good. A good word that comes to mind would be "active," but that seems to have too broad a range of applications. Yeah, persistent would probably be my choice (although hungry does have its uses...). Maybe careful could be of some value. I've seen many a scout get hurt or hurt someone else because he wasn't careful in what he was doing or saying. Is there a word which sums up an overall concept of striving for self-improvement? Not perfectionism, but something else...like constantly striving to better live the points of the law to be a better scout.

AMEN!

Ahhh...the good old arguments of culture vs counterculture... There will be no resolution to these arguments, only that culture usually seems to triumph, and most people are happy.

See this is the great thing about having a God to whom I can pray...there is no need to try to understand things like this because I can pray that God will decide what is right and help us all to be just in our actions and policies, and I have faith that everything will work out for the better. From my experience, having good faith and being optimistic really helps one appreciate life and be an overall better person.