Boy cannot be present for ordeal.

[John-in-KC]

OGO,

 

You have the minimum correct. Complete the Ordeal, pay dues.

 

The Order offers much opportunity for an array of teens! It's a great retention tool to Scouting.

 

Encourage your youth to do more than just the minimum!

[acco40]

meameg is correct. From the Guide to Officers and Advisors:

Boy Scouts, Varsity Scouts, or adults

remain candidates until completion of the Ordeal and

Ordeal ceremony. If this period of candidacy exceeds one

year, the candidates name will be dropped. To become

candidates again, they must be elected/selected again.

The executive committee of the lodge may extend the

one-year limit if a candidate is ill or there are other

unusual circumstances.

 

Ordeals are done at various types of events depending on lodge customs (i.e. our lodge does not do ordeals at summer camp but does once in the fall and once in the spring).

 

Scoutmasters have the option of informing Scouts immediately after an election or may simply wait until the Scout is "called out" (my preference). No, a Scout does not have to be called out to "attend" an Ordeal. The lodge should have a listing of Scouts "elected" (and not elected) immediately after the election.

 

[kb6jra]

CRW, the problem with events of the troop and lodge intersecting is easy. The OA asks each member to honor his commitment to his unit first, lodge second. The OA enhances the Unit's program, it doesn't take away from it.

 

I hope your son finds an amicable solution to this. He should at least try for dispensation for him and the others affected by the lack of communications.

 

Regarding keeping the election a secret. It's a wonderful thing to see the face of a boy that is honored without warning. Since your son makes all of the outings, and the call-out was to happen at an outing, the SM was probably just excited to see the look on the boys faces when they were tapped out.

 

If he's only 14 I wouldn't sweat it too much if the extraordinary plans fall through. Next year just be prepared with the ordeal dates in advance, as stated earlier it's public info usually on the council's calendar.

 

Good luck

 

[ASM915]

CRW,

From the little inof presented, it sounds like the SM dropped the ball. As stated in other posts, some Troops notify the Scouts immediately of their election. If the Troop is like ours, and likes to keep it a secret until tap outs, the SM should at least notify the parents so they can make appropriate plans for their Scout to be present at Tap Out when ever it is held, summer-camp or another weekend activity. We had one family that was on vacation the week before summer-camp. Their plans were to return early the week of camp, but because they were made aware of the honor, they made sure they were in on Saturday night so the Scout would go to camp on Sunday with the Troop.

 

Because of our Councils camp honors program, our lodge runs two Ordeals a year (unlike my old Lodge that ran an Ordeal every Friday night whiel summer-camp was running). They running one this weekend, and another the first weekend of next June. This helps out the Scouts that are in fall or spring sports. Sometimes the June date may interfere with Graduation.