OA Dance team

[kahits]

I'm curious what the total duties are for youth who are chosen for the OA Dance team? Apparently they travel around the site putting on performances, but are there other things they are needed to do?

[emb021]

I was part of the OA Indian Village at the 2001 Jamboree. So this is based on my experience then. Things may be different for 2010.

 

We were all on duty every day, but 2 which we had off.

 

The morning we all danced in the arbor at the village. Afternoon was spent in another tent doing craft demos (basically most of us were doing stuff on our outfits, allowing people to drop by and chat with us on what we were doing).

 

We also ran the Indian Lore merit badge, so we had a 4 day rotation, where by a group of us were responsible for helping out with Indian Lore merit badge on certain days. (basically, 3 days of doing dancing/craft work, 1 day of working merit badge, then a day off, repeat).

 

2 days we had an evening Pow Wow. 2 other days, we had to all pile into buses to go do dancing at other locations (there are many regional show areas around the Jambo).

 

In 2005 (I wasn't part of the village that year), it looked like they made some changes to the merit badge side of things, as I saw they had various model villages setup for different cultural areas (Southeast, Eastern woodlands, plains, pacific northwest, etc).

 

[BadenP]

emb021

 

As a stickler for the rules as you are I hope you realize a youth member is not eligible to be a "Indian Lore mb counselor", "we ran the Indian lore merit badge", nor is any member of the lodge just because they belong to the OA.

[BDPT00]

I didn't notice anything incorrect about emb021's statement. Are your denying that they should/could have run the merit badge? Sure sounds reasonable to me. In fact, I think it's a great idea.

BDPT00

[emb021]

BadenP-

 

For your information, the OA Indian Village DID run the Indian Lore merit badge at the 2001 Jamboree, and AFAIK, at the 2005 Jamboree. I did not get into details as to who was doing what (ie, who was being an official MB counselor), or who was signing things off, but the OA members, both youth and adults, were involved in this.

[BadenP]

emb021 & BPDT

 

I did not say it wasn't a great idea for the OA to assist with indian lore, but the BSA rules, which you two love to throw back at me all the time, clearly does not allow a youth to serve as a mb counselor and sign off requirements period, or even an adult just because he is an OA member. The adult has to possess the qualifications/expertise in the field they are counseling, OA membership alone does not meet that criteria.

[Eagle92]

BP,

One thing to remember, in the OA a person is a youth until 21, so a GAS (Gray Area Scouter, i.e. 19-21)can be a MBC.

 

Emb and BDPT,

Out of curiosity, how difficult is it for a youth or an adult to get onto OA Indian Village staff. I was told it is fairly difficult.

[BadenP]

Eagle

 

I am 99% sure you are incorrect about a "GAS" being qualified as an mb counselor in any area, and even if that was so, which I seriously doubt, membership in the OA alone does not qualify anyone youth or adult to be an indian lore mbc. Besides much of the Indian lore presented in and by the OA is full of cultural errors and innaccuracies. It makes for a nice show but is hardly a true representation of the Indian culture, or qualifies an OA member to be a mbc for the subject.(This message has been edited by BadenP)

[NE-IV-88-Beaver]

REQUIREMENTS FOR MERIT BADGE COUNSELORS

 

To qualify as a Merit Badge Counselor, you must:

 

* Be at least 18 years old.

* Be proficient in the merit badge subject by vocation, avocation, or special training. (see below)

* Be able to work with Scout-age boys.

* Be registered with the Boy Scouts of America

* Complete and submit the BSA Merit Badge Counselor Information Form (No. 33405), indicating which Merit badges you wish to counsel.

 

As a Merit Badge Counselor, you must agree to:

 

* Follow the requirements of the merit badge, making no deletions or additions, ensuring that the advancement standards are fair and uniform for all Scouts.

* Have a Scout and his buddy present at all instructional sessions.

* Renew your registration annually if I plan to continue as a Merit Badge Counselor.

 

When you register as a Merit Badge Counselor, you may choose to work only with a specific unit or units, or with all units.

Proficiency in the subject:

 

* Vocation: Is this subject in line with your job, business, or profession?

* Avocation: Do you follow this subject as a hobby, having more than a "working knowledge" of the requirements?

* Special Training: If not, do you have any special training or other qualifications for this subject?

 

The above information is copied from USSSP: http://scoutmaster.org/usscouts/boyscouts/mbcounseling.asp

 

I don't see anything in the above requirements that would preclude an 18 year old OA member from serving as an Indian Lore Merit Badge Counselor. Being proficient is what is required, not to be a recognized expert in the subject.

 

[dg98adams]

chosen?

 

The lack of our lodges dance team is not because of competition....

[BDPT00]

OK, so now we're down to that 1% that remains. Any questions?

Nobody stated (except BadenP by negative inference) that all Arrowmen are qualified to counsel Indian Lore merit badge. That's the same as assuming that all Arrowmen are dancers. They're not. Some are. The OA put on dancing demonstations.

The statement was that the OA ran the merit badge. Did they not? Were they not qualified? Somewhere in that statement, did somebody say that a non-qualified 16 year old did anything at all regarding a merit badge? Did anybody say anything about a true representation of the Indian culture?

I must not have read the same thing you did.

I'm sure you'll find an interesting and insulting way to justify your 99%. Good luck.

BDPT00

 

 

[Eagle92]

BP,

At 18 I not only became a ASM, I was also registered as a MBC. I taught Swimming, Lifesaving, Rowing, and Canoing MBs because I was a certified BSA Lifeguard AND a YMCA Lifeguard Instructor, back when they still taught the "hand to hand combat." Please do not knock the KSAs of 18-21 yos. Heck don't knock the KSAs of some of your older scouts as I have seen some do excellent jobs teaching the specific outdoor skills. I have even recommended that some of the older scouts working at my local summer camp help teach IOLS at camp to #1 train adults in the basics, #2 show adults what can happen when you allow Scouts to grow using the patrol method, and #3 to show the adults how the youth are being taught in the MB classes, and #4 keep the scouts teaching the class on their toes

 

As for OA members not being qualified to teach IL MB, if you are a dancer and/or singer you definately will be, and if you do ceremonies depending upon how serious you are you can be. While some lodges do have problems in AIA, some don't. If one truly gets into Native American Dance or Singing, they will be spending more time going to powwows, learning traditional crafts needed to make regalia, learning the origins of the dances or songs, culture, etc. And while the Plains look is common for ceremony teams, some teams do conduct research into local nations and go that route.By the time you are finished the research and make the correct, period, regalia, you will know enough to teach the MB, at least in your neck of the woods. Heck one chapter I was with did an IL MB seminar in which the recipients received a partial as a fundraiser While I did supervise and teach part of the class, the youth did the bulk of the work. No complaints about the seminar, and again folks earned a partial.

 

Back to my question now for those in the know, is it true that OA Indian Village is one of the hardest areas to get assigned to? I've been told that it helps if you attended a few NOACs and/or conclaves, and develop a good rep.

[emb021]

"Out of curiosity, how difficult is it for a youth or an adult to get onto OA Indian Village staff. I was told it is fairly difficult."

 

Its pretty difficult. More so if you're an adult, as they want more adults then youth. It took me a couple of jamborees before I could get on staff (I tried in 93 & 97 without success). You have to be pretty knowledgeable about a dance style, have a dance outfit, and be able to do craft work. What was frustrating for me was that my area is southeastern culture (seminole/creek). There aren't that many who are knowledgeable about this area (am one of only a handful who instruct it in my section), and even fewer who wanted to be on the OA Indian Village staff, but it was still hard for me to get on staff. When I did it in 01, I think I was either the only one, or there were maybe one or two others, but I don't recall.

 

So to answer your questions BadenP, ALL the members of the OAIA were knowledgeable enough to be MB counselors. Because you had to be knowledgeable about indian lore just to be on the staff, this was why they had us to the badge. However, I think only certain adults could sign off on the badge. But this was 8-9 years ago, and I can't recall all the details.

 

 

[emb021]

"is it true that OA Indian Village is one of the hardest areas to get assigned to? I've been told that it helps if you attended a few NOACs and/or conclaves, and develop a good rep."

 

Yup.

 

It took me a long time to crack the AIA group at NOAC/Jambo. You have to get known by the right people, show your stuff at conclaves and maybe get asked to help out at NOAC. Once I did I was able to do AIA staff at a few NOACs & Indian Summer and do Indian Village.

 

Then the AIA group decided they didn't like me and kicked me out. Go figure.

 

[Eagle92]

Emb,

Thanks for the heads up. Looks like I better start saving up $ now to attend NOACS in addition to jambo in the next couple of years.

 

Also in addition to SE area being a "demand", any others?Know a good bit on Houma culture and colonial period relations.