FSK of 470 Chapter Ordeal This Weekend

[JosephMD]

Just letting off a little steam, not in a bad way, just, brain going a mile a minute and felt like typing.

 

102 candidates were elected or nominated by troops in our district. 

about 65 attended the call out, a little less than I would have liked but still pretty good for a stand alone event that didn't have a camporee attached

 

we have 76 candidates registered for the ordeal, that is more than I can remember from the last couple of years.  my estimate was only for 75, so, I'm short a lodge flap and handbook.  Fortunately, I have a couple of leftover sashes.

 

133 total registrations when you add the cook crew, ceremonies team, brotherhood candidates, Elangomats, and general staff

 

The stress is really coming from the government as the ordeal is at a national park and the rangers would have to remove us Saturday morning if the government shuts down.  But the news of the hour makes that seem a little less likely.  

 

With so many candidates, the ceremonies will have to be done multiple times.

 

I know it is what we advisers do, but putting teenagers in charge of a $7500 budget is still hard to wrap my head around.

 

It's going to be great!

[NJCubScouter]

The stress is really coming from the government as the ordeal is at a national park and the rangers would have to remove us Saturday morning if the government shuts down.  But the news of the hour makes that seem a little less likely.  

 

Apparently the government will not shut down this weekend but could still shut down NEXT weekend.  So it looks like you picked the right weekend.     Best of luck with your event.

[Oldscout448]

I don't suppose we could convince the rangers that if they are not getting paid they shouldn't work.  So just go on home guys and let us be.  Might work.

[NJCubScouter]

I don't suppose we could convince the rangers that if they are not getting paid they shouldn't work.  So just go on home guys and let us be.  Might work.

 

Good luck with that.  The rangers probably WOULD get paid, probably for just long enough to make sure everybody else is out of the park.  Or maybe all the way through, to make sure nobody sneaks back into the park to hold an unauthorized OA ordeal.     They would call it "essential services".

[Col. Flagg]

I wonder if they shut down if they will spend millions on new "closed" signs or use the ones printed up last year?

[JosephMD]

Well, the government didn't shut down and that was an awesome ordeal! 

 

The best part is that I almost have the budget closed out as well! 

 

74 new arrowmen + 15 brotherhood, 134 total participants!

 

There are a lot of great folks that made this Ordeal happen, youth + adult. 

[SR540Beaver]

Just curious why you did Ordeal in a national park instead of your Scout camp where you could provide service to your camp? Also, do you run into any issues with the general public interfering in your activities?

[Oldscout448]

The council camp is a four plus hour drive, kinda hard to get there at a reasonable hour on Friday night.

[hendrickms24]

As Oldscout448 stated that would be hard to do and Our Lodge promotes service outside scout as well as for scouting.  We have been doing ordeal there for 42 years.  

The rangers just love what we do for them. 

[JosephMD]

Just curious why you did Ordeal in a national park instead of your Scout camp where you could provide service to your camp? Also, do you run into any issues with the general public interfering in your activities?

 

As has been mentioned, our primary council camp is about 4 hours away, very difficult to do a drop off camp out for the weekend.  We have another, smaller camp closer, but there are only so many weekends and it is often booked.  They do get in one or two chapter ordeals though.  I think we would actually have more issues with the close in scout camp's other weekend tenants than we have with the general public at the national park. 

 

I think it would be awesome to have an ordeal at our council's large scout reservation, I just don't know how it would work with the logistics.  That being said, it is also great to be out doing service to the public as well.  Noted above, this was the 42nd Ordeal at this park, very roughly, around 50,000 hours of service.  Something just feels good about that!

[John-in-KC]

Thoughts, long after the fact, in case someone else runs up on this:

 

- Property not BSAs always carries a risk of closure at the 11th hour.  It may be miniscule, it may be large.  Our role as advisors is to stay on top of the news, and have a Plan B.  Had the park closed, and had you stayed on it, the rangers could have arrested all of you for federal trespass.

 

- Scouting happens in the outdoors.  There's always a chance of wildfire.  Again, it may be miniscule, it may be large.  At a minimum, have a plan to account for and evacuate all concerned.  At a maximum, you'll have to implement it.  A negligent death suit would be a budget buster for most Councils, even with insurance.

 

ICS.