First ceremony

[Oldscout448]

Today was the first time that Standing Bear Productions LLC, did an Arrow of Light ceremony.    The cubs, siblings, and parents loved it and the CM asked us back for next years crop.  They had an little speech planned which introduced us as OA,  but we asked them to omit that part.  

[Eagle94-A1]

Troop ______ did their first Arrow of Light Ceremony last night for my youngest son's pack. Like your pack, everyone loved it. The entire ceremony was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. 

On a different note, I NO LONGER HAVE ANY CUB SCOUTS!  Now whenever he asks me a question, I get to say, "Go ask your patrol leader."

Edited February 26, 2019 by Eagle94-A1

[Eagle94-A1]

Well there is at least one OA chapter ignoring the new mandate. Got word that the OA chapter will continue to do their district AOL and Cross Over Ceremony that they have done for a number of years.

[WAKWIB]

17 hours ago, Eagle94-A1 said:

Well there is at least one OA chapter ignoring the new mandate. Got word that the OA chapter will continue to do their district AOL and Cross Over Ceremony that they have done for a number of years.

Where there is a will, there is a way!  
My advice to the chapter you mention, is keep whatever they are up to off of social media.
Also, while "in ceremony" the team should just be scouts doing a presentation. No need to wave the OA flag to have a good production.
Kids will catch on that it's a thing that older scouts do and they will, on their own, connect the dots that it's Arrowmen involved.

[Eagle94-A1]

Well it got interesting this weekend. I have another troop working on Indian Lore. They sang at the council Webeloree last night, while I did the ceremony in my Southern Straight Dance  regalia..  Prior to doing it, I had one of the lodge officers from my chapter approach me asking  about the regalia I was using, what ceremony, etc. Then he tells me that the SE found out about the troop that did my youngest son's AOL Ceremony, was extremely upset, and chewed out the OA chapter DESPITE BEING TOLD THE CHAPTER HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT! (emphasis) . I told him, and his father later on, that if the SE has an issue, tell him to contact me about it. Later on I told the same lodge officer to leave the campfire circle while I and the troop's singers were practicing so that there would be no assumption that the OA  had anything to do with it.

The Scouts did great, and had several compliments. Webeloree Chief told me he wants everyone back next year. Told him only if the SE allows it. I am not going to get the Scouts in trouble. 

On a different note, several people told me it was different only seeing one person dressed in regalia doing the ceremony.

Finally, I talked to my old Associate Adviser, who is still around. Both talked about  how the changes over the years to elections and now the no regalia for AOL and CO ceremonies is destroying the OA. While Cheerful Service is the Heart of the OA, American Indian Affairs was the soul of the OA that inspired and motivated folks. Both of us do not see the OA lasting a lot longer, at least in our neck of the woods.

[Eagle94-A1]

EDITED" CO for Cross Over, not Call Out. although the word I heard is that they are the next ceremonies to lose Native American Regalia.

 

 

[sst3rd]

Eagle94-A1,

Call-Outs are only done with the new approved national OA Call-Out Ceremony script, and only in scout uniform. That was executed last year, but no, I don't have the exact date or documentation to prove it. Only that our lodge made the announcement sometime last fall, and our chapter advisor announced it at our October chapter meeting. I already have appropriately dismissed all of our chapter's native American regalia, equipment, and music, to the sky.

sst3rd

[Eagle94-A1]

14 minutes ago, sst3rd said:

Eagle94-A1,

Call-Outs are only done with the new approved national OA Call-Out Ceremony script, and only in scout uniform. That was executed last year, but no, I don't have the exact date or documentation to prove it. Only that our lodge made the announcement sometime last fall, and our chapter advisor announced it at our October chapter meeting. I already have appropriately dismissed all of our chapter's native American regalia, equipment, and music, to the sky.

sst3rd

LOVELY. This is the first I heard that. Looks like I need to start collecting all of my regalia that I have been allowing the chapter to borrow for these years.

 

[HashTagScouts]

Sorry, but you were told incorrect information.  NO change has been officially made to the 2017 Guide to Inductions.  Details of discussions have been coming out, but not all are firmly accurate.  Regalia has only been taken from Cub ceremonies.  Other changes that are still being discussed are guidelines on regalia use (must be regionally appropriate), no longer can scouts be shirtless, females may participate as principals (except for AS, which must remain male), etc.

[sst3rd]

HashTagScouts and Eagle94-A1,

Then my lodge advisor lied, but that's where I took my orders from (of course not anymore as I no longer am a member).  Sure, all Pack ceremonies from the OA are gone (AOL and Crossovers). But I was informed that all OA Call-Outs use the new approved national OA Call-Out ceremony script, no exceptions effective immediately. This was last fall. I no longer have access to that script, Eagle94-A1. Sorry. It was lame.

To all you teams that are hanging on, the spirit's gone. But I will wish you the best. I have other things to do, as I keep reminding myself that I'm a volunteer.

sst3rd

[HelpfulTracks]

On 3/31/2019 at 5:09 PM, HashTagScouts said:

Sorry, but you were told incorrect information.  NO change has been officially made to the 2017 Guide to Inductions.  Details of discussions have been coming out, but not all are firmly accurate.  Regalia has only been taken from Cub ceremonies.  Other changes that are still being discussed are guidelines on regalia use (must be regionally appropriate), no longer can scouts be shirtless, females may participate as principals (except for AS, which must remain male), etc.

Some of it has been solidified, in fact I am not sure what has not been, other than the option of black robes. I don't think that has been made official.

Regalia must be based on your local tribe before next NOAC. Females may participate as principals, unless doing so would be objected too by your affiliated tribe (I cannot remember what the option is then - it wasn't an issue for my Lodge). As far as I know there is no exclusion for females being Allowat either. At least none were discussed at NOAC, other than if it is an issue with your local tribe. In fact I am pretty sure they said that females could participate in any role. 

[JosephMD]

I probably wouldn't be here today but for my tap out in 1990.  I don't remember the words, other than that they were powerful and moving, I remember being called, I had no idea, and two Indian runners racing up the isle to get me, I ran / was dragged with them to the chief, and got my firm taps.  I had no idea what this OA thing was all about, but that experience told me what I needed to know, that this was something special, a big deal, extraordinary, and I wanted to do it, whatever it was.  Young kids aren't listening to the words, like me, they won't know much about what all of this means.  Then you'll ask them to come out to an ordeal, why should they, they won the popularity contest, right?  Is it me, or are they trying to accelerate the program's decline?  

[MikeS]

Glad to hear that the non-OA/Scout affiliated entity “Standing Bear Productions, LLC” is catching on! So long as it is presented as a stand-alone non OA/Scout entity, I believe it should work as the “work-around”.

That said, it’s even more important now to do the proper research into your local tribe’s culture and traditions and ‘get it right’.

A note on females as Principals. I agree that Lodges should follow whatever local tradition is. In my neck of the woods, you could indeed have a Medicine Woman as well as a Chiefteness, but never a Guide or Guard.

One of the issues however, is that the Lenape names for the Principals, particularly the Chief and Medicine Man are specifically masculine and refer to a male. I’m pretty sure National has not taken that into consideration.

For those who may be wondering, in Lenape a female chief (even though traditionally this is not part of Lenape culture – i.e. no female chiefs), is “Sakimachque” (saw-kee-MAW-khkway). The ‘kh’ is like “ch” in German “Bach”. “Great Chiefteness” is "Kitakimachque" (kee-taw-kee-MAW-khkway).

A female shaman/Medicine Woman (which do exist in Lenape culture) is “Metewechque” (m’-teh-WEH-khkway).

The “-chque” ending marks the feminine and is equivalent to “-skwa” in other Algonquian languages. This ending was misinterpreted by the English who thought it meant simply “woman” and became Anglicized into the now pejorative “squaw”. OK – lesson over 😊