tap out timing

[kahits]

I understand that. From what I have seen, even the callout ceremonies include touching of candidates, when their name is read. They still have runners going and getting them, and this is from several of our, larger, chapters.

[VigilEagle04]

So yeah, call-outs are optional. We do our elections in the spring, and actually have our deadline set for April 1 usually. We try to achieve 100% unit visitations by then, lodge goal and all that. It gives us enough lee-way for the camporees in May. That's where we do the first call-outs, and we do one each week at camp as well. The Scouters have to know, as they are responsible for signalling to the team who is to go up.

 

We have our own ceremony, as do most. It's always fun at camp because we actually bring the ceremonialists in by canoe. It's a great effect seeing the torches skirting across the lake during the campfire. Anyway, tap-outs may have ended in 1989, but we did them up until at least 2001. I know I was tapped out in 1999. Now, we didn't tap hard, it was very light (unless you were like me and knew the person doing the tapping very well, in which case, it was hard). Then the name was called out after that.

 

We have a habit of little things like that, but we've always been selective about it. If the principal knew a candidate, they'd have some fun. Be it tap-outs, Ordeals, or Brotherhood ceremonies.

[clemlaw]

>>>>but without the physical abuse that was sometimes prevalent in the glory days.

[vigil2010]

Hello brothers,

where im from our council does the call out "tapout" at summer camp. where on thursday we have are elections in the morning and the ceremony that night, we have a staff member come up to our camp site to take the vote, where him and the SM goes over who has been elected then that night all the troops in camp meet in the parade field then in slience walk to the call out line where the ceremony starts, during which the runners would do there runs and calling were an arrowmen would stand behind the canidate getting called out so the runners would know which scout/ scouter was getting called out and that arrowmen would escort that canidate to his camp site to grab his pack and head to the council ring where the canidates gathered before they headed off to the pre-ordeal ceremony after all the canidates were called out then someone would read off all the names of the canidates choosen

[SeattlePioneer]

Circa 1983 or so, I remember tapouts were conducted by my district at Camporee.

 

My troop had held the elction (more selective than now) several weeks in advance and I filled out the paper work to submit the names of those elected.

 

The tapout was conducted by OA members in Indian costumes, who came around to each troop. An award of an oyster shell on a lanyard constituted the tapout. I was probably more surprised than anyone when "I" was tapped out! At the time I didn't realize that adults were eligible, and someone had taken the trouble to conceal my selection --- I still don't know how that was managed!

 

Anyway, I found it a considerable challenge to keep my mouth shut during the Ordeal....

 

 

 

 

Seattle Pioneer

[acco40]

In pre-modern times, when I as a youth, a tap-out was not a tap out. It was not a hand coming down on the shoulder, it was an open palm thump to the chest. It really wasn't painful but as they say, the anticipation was the killer. The OA "thumper" would go down and look at each Scout eye to eye. The Scout had no idea if he was going to be "tapped out" or not. Two OA folks were behind the Scout because most tap-outs would knock the Scout over.

 

In a different state & council and most importantly century, the call-out goes something like this. The troop holds an OA election. At the conclusion of the election the Scoutmaster announces if it was "successful" or not. Success is defined as "someone" was elected. No info on how many or who is released. I kept that info to myself. I may share it with the parents (or not) if I knew that they wanted to be present during a call-out ceremony. The actual ceremony would take place, preferably at summer camp, with runners behind the Scout, and the Scout "tapped-out" by touch to the shoulder. The runners would hurriedly lead the Scout on-stage.

[Gunny2862]

We as Adults have to remember that our YOUTH members see things very differently - and after going thru the stress of what may be the first time they've ever been voted on for selection to anything, It may be very important and have a deep impact if they feel it resolved by Call-out/Tap-out while the tension is still there from the election. However, if forced to wait 2-3 months or more to attend the "Special" ceremony they may no longer care. Until the next election anyway when they are usually disappointed they didn't get it done last time.

 

While delayed gratification is something they should definitely learn, I'm not sure the election cycle Call-out gap is the the place for them to learn it. If there's a single day between elections and the call-out ceremony my guys wear me out trying to find out what(if anything) I know about their election/selection results.

[SeattlePioneer]

Hello Gunny,

 

 

My experience with this as a Scoutmaster was thirty years ago, so perhaps I'm dated.

 

 

But at the time, it was announced and understood that the tap out would be during Camporee, a few weeks from when the election was held.

 

I never had anyone pester me about who was elected.

 

Perhaps those likely to be elected were more likely to plan to attend the Camporee because of that.

 

But units are different and no doubt expectations can vary. If a unit decides they want to announce elections results right after the election, I would certainly have no objection to that.

 

The tap out method I described above in my post was a good one though. It lent prestige and gravity to the selection process and OA membership in my experience.

[Gunny2862]

SeattlePioneer, I in no way am trying to denigrate anyone else's experience, and am glad yours was great!

However I can only comment from my own - which is solely as a Scouter and Brotherhood member.

But whether and how the Council and the local Chapter choose to provide Election and Tap-out/Call-out experiences is not something I can control - only comment on.

YiS

[MikeS]

In our lodge, we heald the elections in January and the Call/Tap-Out was at the Klondike in mid February.

 

Scouts were not told whether or not they were elected; they found out at the Call/Tap-Out. I think telling results behforehand defeats the entire purpose of the Call/Tap-Out.

 

About midway through the ceremony, Chief called out the names, Candidates came forward and were met by Medicine Man who stared into their eyes, looksed them up and down and then administered a firm, "tap" on the upper right arm (while his hand was in the Scout Sign so it would not be too hard a tap). The Candidate was then taken by the arm and told stearnly (in Abenaki) to "Follow me!" where he was led to a spot where all the Candidates were lined up. Once there, the was told (again stearnly and in Abenaki) to "Stand here!".

 

In speaking to a few of the Candidates afterwards, the thought of any "abuse, hazing, etc.: did not even enter into their minds. It did leave a meaningful impression on them and the Call/Tap-Out was very well received by "powers that be" in the Lodge.

 

It was only one tap as you're per the proper "progression", you're not supposed to use the same sequence of tapping as in the Ordeal.

 

Klondike was not the best time to have it - I would have much prefer a Fall Camporee as it would allow for a more options (there's only so much you can do in New England in mid February with 3 feet of snow on the ground )