rjcluvvt Posted May 28, 2006 Share Posted May 28, 2006 Our Lodge is in its thrid year of exercising a program called OA Everyday At Camp. Everyday we try to do something that will get the OA name out there and make the OA more evident inscouting. We haven't done anything to take over or replace the camp program, but something to supliment it. This year we are doing a service corps at our camp. An OA member on staff will lead wiling arrowmen from 4-6 to go about camp and do some service project. Those who attend every work session will recieve some sort of recognition . . . we haven't figurede that out. I was kind of curisous to see what other lodges do during their summer camp season Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John-in-KC Posted May 28, 2006 Share Posted May 28, 2006 The biggest single thing our Lodge does at summer camp ... IS HAVE A WORKDAY, ORDEAL, AND BROTHERHOOD CEREMONIES. Weds night ... Tapout from the visitor's night campfire. Arrowmen know what happens from there. Thurs AM, Ordeal members working to Brotherhood give Cheerful Service. Candidates do what Candidates do. Thurs PM, the Nemat hike and a Brotherhood Ceremony. Thursday after supper, Ordeal ceremony. We also provide a "walk-in" operation. Those who come on-property overnight, either for Brotherhood, to serve as Elangomats/Nemats/Runners have a home in one of our campsites. Various units pool water barrels, camp lanterns, pen/paper/envelopes, and a small cracker barrel. Fair enough? YIS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kichkinet Posted June 4, 2006 Share Posted June 4, 2006 Our council's camp is similar to Johns. We do just the ordeal though. On wednesday the canidates are called out and then the rest is known to the OA members. Then on Thursday the canidates do some type of service project with Elangomats. Then after that the rest is known to the OA members. We also have an OA Cracker Barrel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moxieman Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 Our Lodge hosts a service night every week during summer camp. Participants receive a service corp patch which changes every year. This summer, the Lodge is also offering the Brotherhood ceremony every week of camp for the first time in many years. For the past several years, one could only seal their membership during the Ordeal weekends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
featherbear Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 A neighboring Lodge to us holds a Brotherhood ceremony every week at Camp. On that day they also have an "OA Day" and encourage OA members in the camping Troops to wear their sashes. They hold a call-out that evening, and also hold a retirement ceremony for old Lodge button blankets. That really made a big impression on the campers... our Troop came home talking up a storm about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAKWIB Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 I'm seeing some great ideas here. When it comes to OA and summer camp "one hand washes the other" so to speak. The more that the Order is in evidence at camp, the more interest and excitement it builds in the first year campers, which hopefully means they keep coming back. And to promote camping is of course one of the stated purposes of our Order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gearshocker Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Something neat we have done the last two years at summer camp is a first-year icecream social. Basically, we get all of the first-year campers together and explain to them what the OA is about and what our purpose for existence is. Also, we explain what the different sashes represent in terms of honor level and tell them about the lodge flap. We point out the different projects we have done for the camp, too. This is all done before our call-out. It kind of gives the first-years a heads up about what will happen later in the camping week. It also instills in them more respect for the call-out ceremony. The whole when your day may come to be called out, you would want people to be respectful to you, so you should show respect for the ceremony of those to be called out this week. It has seemed to work quite well. Oh, yeah, then after us OA guys give our talk and answer any questions we're "allowed to answer", we give all of the first-years icecream. They enjoy it, we enjoy talking up the OA, and everyone is happy and sugar-buzzed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
local1400 Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Gearshocker, welcome to the forum. Im new myself and its great to get ideas from all around the country. Check every day and dont be shy. Jump in and let your pontification be heard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillis Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 We do a tapout at the campfire, but the actual ordeal is at a later date and time. We also have a Brotherhood ceremony on one of the nights to promote converting to Brotherhood. There is always an icecream social for all arrowmen after the Brotherhood ceremony. For lodges that do ordeals at Camp--how do you keep them seperate from other campers as to not ruin the suprise factor of the ordeal, and more importantly, doesnt doing an ordeal during camp mess up the kids' merit badge class schedule? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kichkinet Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 Hillis, our lodge keeps the Ordeal (private) by giving non-members activities to do while the event is taking place. Troops usually leave someone behind in charge and they go and enjoy camp as usual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoutldr Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 I have to agree, I think summer camp is too busy to also try to do an ordeal. "Callouts", (tapouts were outlawed years ago), happen at the campfire, but Ordeals are separate weekends, twice a year. There is so much that happens at an Ordeal, that I think the intended purpose of the Ordeal would be diluted and the candidates distracted in a summer camp setting. In our Lodge, the Ordeal weekend is also a camp work weekend for Lodge members...the Spring weekend is focused on getting camp ready for the summer. We also do the ice cream social thing one night at camp, where all Arrowmen wear their uniforms with sashes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcc41791 Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 Hi All. I am the Order of the Arrow Summer Chief this year at Bear Paw Scout Camp. I would have to disagree about it being to busy at camp to do your Ordeal. We have callouts and preordeal Tuesday nights and than the Ordeal and Brotherhood Wednesday and that night both ceremonies. We also do Ice Cream for all Arrowmen after the Ceremonies and new Ordeal orientation. Wednesdays at camp are free days for scouts to do activities they want all day so no merit badges. But it is different at our other camp. But we also have weekends each chapter does a spring conference where you can do your Ordeal or Brotherhood or at Fall Conference which the Lodge runs one. Does anyone else have an OA Summer Chief at their camps where they only work on the OA progarm and Camp on your Camp Staff? If so what do they do and what are ways to improve the program at camp? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kichkinet Posted February 13, 2007 Share Posted February 13, 2007 kcc41791, my lodge also has a Summer Camp OA Chief. His job is to oversee all OA activities at summer camp (Trail crew, Ordeals, Call-outs, and meetings mostly.) We do a Call-out on Wednesday night; this is the first chance for new scouts at camp to witness a Call-out and see what the Order of the Arrow is. By doing Ordeals and Call-outs at camp, it provides a longing for these non-members to be a part of this mysterious honor society. It also allows them to see their fellow scouts that they elected periodically during the day at camp. Doing the Ordeals and Call-outs at camp kind of advertises and recruits new members! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjcluvvt Posted March 2, 2007 Author Share Posted March 2, 2007 KCC, at our camp, our Camp Chief is appointed by the lodge, volunteering for the job while serving another position. my brother was camp chief and a FYC instructor. It was certainly difficult but not impossible. Our camp is playing the "underfunded" card to the point where we can't have a guy completely devoted to OA @ camp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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