The Importance of Elections

[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?

[sst3rd]

This can be corrected by the Scoutmaster approving OA candidates for the Troop election, at a higher level. Our Lodge has put pressure on Scoutmasters to raise this level, and if needed, to ask non-active OA members at all levels, to remove their lodge flap and pack away their sash.

 

sst3rd

[SemperParatus]

I guess I'm getting a little hung up on this 'spiritual maturity' concept. The OA uses native american legend and symbolism to add an air of mystery to the ceremonies. This is all pretend - I think everyone realizes that. The basis of the OA is joining together in cheerful service - again this is not a complicated or high level concept; it is taught and modeled since cubs and even earlier for many families. I am sure there are those who attach some great mystical power to OA, but most people see it for what it is - an association of scouts who have been recognized by their peers and have the opportunity to be of service to those around them. It was created by a young camp dude looking to provide an avenue to recognize outstanding campers during a week of summercamp. Since then, it has grown and added tradition but make no mistake...there is no great mysterious spirituality about it. IMO the 'spirit' aspect comes into play by providing a scout with the opportunity to understand himself a little better and his relationship to others. If the OA is for only those scouts that have this understanding already (and who can really discern that), then I am afraid no one would be eligible. A life of unselfish service is a never ending journey, always beginning with a first step and is not without detours and deadends at times. For some the OA is that first step, for others it is a reminder of lessons already known. I have known more than a few 'spiritually mature' scouts in the religious sense that have completed their Ordeal and have done no more. They fully comprehend the concepts of the OA (which are very similar to the concepts found in the Book of James) and do indeed, live a life that includes unselfish service to others. They just choose not to participate in OA events for other, 'non-spiritual' reasons. The main reason given is that they don't have the time between family, church, ministry teams, school, sports and scouts. They would probably make the time if the OA offered engaging programming at the local level, but with few exceptions, it does not. While I believe the national programs are of some value, a new Ordeal candidate must be engaged locally first. That is where the arrow is missing the mark.

 

Like you, I have seen scouts not take the Ordeal seriously. However, I cannot chalk that up to the lack of 'spiritual maturity' of the scout. Ordeals are not taken seriously when the purpose and meaning of the Ordeal is not adequately explained and comprehended at the outset and when elang***** fail to uphold the vows and perpetuate a slave labor mentality.

 

 

[9muckraker7]

"They fully comprehend the concepts of the OA (which are very similar to the concepts found in the Book of James) and do indeed, live a life that includes unselfish service to others."

 

That's all that matters, and that's all that the OA asks of new members. I respect those scouts who do take the ordeal seriously and try to apply the ideals and lessons learned in their lives. Being of Ordeal membership in the OA does not call for involvement in the lodge, but rather to bring the lessons learned back to the arrowman's troop and/or daily life. The sad thing is that there still are many scouts who think their whole ordeal was a joke and simply brush it off as some horrible slave-labor weekend that was completely unnecessary. Perhaps this was the lodge's fault in not providing a good ordeal or new-member "jumpstart" program. However, I still believe that there are still many scouts out there who are just wrongly elected to be in this order, and who do not really respect or understand the ideals of unselfish service and brotherhood. In that case, i agree with sst3rd in that they should not wear the lodge flap or the sash.

[OldGreyEagle]

Perhaps the OA and its weekends would be more readily accepted, and more youth would take to "it" if the weekends didnt have a component of the older youth competing to see how little work they could get away with. This may not happen everywhere, but in Lodges where there is ordeal apathy, I wonder how strong the role modeling of the older youth is of getting out there and doing work?

[EagleInKY]

OGE - Good point. I think that's something that OA'ers need to take to heart.

 

We're having our elections tonight. At our last PLC meeting, I spoke about the tradition and honor of the OA. I explained what it was about (this is the first election in our troop). I talked about cheerful service and explained a little about the ordeal. Of course, one of our younger PLs quickly added that he hoped he would never get elected, it sounded like too much work to him!

 

I think the point is that some scouts reflect on their ordeal and realize that they have not been living a life of cheerful service. Many come back more open and willing to help than ever before. Others, who look at it as slave labor, never get the point and will probably continue to work to avoid work.