Boy Scouts....Order of the Arrow

[stevej37]

Remembering back to some great times in the Scouts. The 'Order of the Arrow' was one of my best times...the 'Ordeal' really sticks in my mind.

Anyone else a member? Also..how many else made 'Eagle'?

[Sooner or later]

I was in OA. Only made it to Life.

I still have my OA sash and the Arrow I had to carve without a knife.

Initiation was quite an experience.

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by Sooner or later

I was in OA.
Initiation was quite an experience.

I wonder if those initiations would be allowed in today's world. They should be...a real learning experience.
I still have my sash also.

[Sooner or later]

Originally Posted by stevej37

I wonder if those initiations would be allowed in today's world. They should be...a real learning experience.
I still have my sash also.

I don't know what they do now.

We got there on a Friday afternoon and all was cool. After Friday evening meal we weren't allowed to utter a word or we would get a strike. 3 strikes and we were out. Saturday morning we were given a raw egg, one strip of uncooked bacon and 2 matches. That was breakfast.

We were then given a pine block to carve into the shape of an arrow. Had to grind it using rocks. Caught talking and they carved a notch into the arrow. I got 2. The first one was before the arrow was finished and I ground it away so I ended up with only one .

That night there were the fires. I think it was 3. We had to wear a loin cloth that we made at home and brought with us. We were taken to each one individually. At the 3rd one we were given an Indian name. Can't remember mine.

They then took me into the middle of a field and dumped me. No sleeping bag. No other clothes, just the damn loin cloth. They did supply a plasic ground cloth. Next morning (Sunday) they rounded us all up and had a final campfire.

It was quite a weekend.

[NutmegCarrera]

Things have "settled down" quite a bit since those days.
Eagle scout and OA member here. The ordeal (mid 1980's) did not seem so extrem. I do remember wilderness survival merit badge. For that, they dumped us in the woods with minimal gear. Told us to get a fire going. We did - and by the time they brought dinner (raw chickens - at least they weren't alive), the fires were all out. It was about 1am at that point. I remember rebuilding the fire, and then eating half-burnt / half-raw chicken. Followed by lots of critters coming for the leftovers.

I think if the Scouts of America (we aren't called 'Boy Scouts' anymore) did that today, there would be charges filed.

My son is currently a "Life" and working on his final merit badges - hopefully gets interested and committed to an Eagle project before the "Fumes" kick in. (PerFUME and Gas FUME). I have a narrow window.....

The most remarkable element of our tap-out ceremony was the lighting of the fire. One of the OA members shot a flaming arrow from somewhere outside of camp. Nailed the fire pit. Always thought that was pretty cool.

Happy 4th to all of you Scouts.

[Sooner or later]

Originally Posted by Sooner or later

I don't know what they do now.

We got there on a Friday afternoon and all was cool. After Friday evening meal we weren't allowed to utter a word or we would get a strike. 3 strikes and we were out. Saturday morning we were given a raw egg, one strip of uncooked bacon and 2 matches. That was breakfast.

We were then given a pine block to carve into the shape of an arrow. Had to grind it using rocks. Caught talking and they carved a notch into the arrow. I got 2. The first one was before the arrow was finished and I ground it away so I ended up with only one .

That night there were the fires. I think it was 3. We had to wear a loin cloth that we made at home and brought with us. We were taken to each one individually. At the 3rd one we were given an Indian name. Can't remember mine.

They then took me into the middle of a field and dumped me. No sleeping bag. No other clothes, just the damn loin cloth. They did supply a plasic ground cloth. Next morning (Sunday) they rounded us all up and had a final campfire.

It was quite a weekend.

Here is my notched arrow, sash, Philmont belt, and one of my three 50 miler patches.

[stevej37]

We had an authentic Indian dance group that was part of our ceremony. I can clearly picture the feathered wings that the performers wore around the huge fire. The make-up and accessories they wore...were awesome.
We were given no food, when left in the woods for the night. After being picked up around noon the next day...we were treated to a feast.

[RWebb]

both - it was mostly mental - scaring the kids

for OA Ordeal we got a raw egg and a match

[sprio]

Eagle with bronze palm; OA came a year later. Ordeal was a full day of building a stairway at summer camp out of old railroad ties - Silver Trails Scout Reservation in Michigan. Heard recently the council sold the camp to a gravel company.
Philmont in 1974; worked at scout camp in Maine in 1976, taught camping, cooking and pioneering.
Many fond memories of good times -
Still have all the memorabilia - badges, sash, neckerchiefs, even the merit badge cards. OA ribbon with silver arrow that hung from button on shirt pocket.

[Baz]

Good times!

[stevej37]

1965...I think. Receiving an award from a local insurance agent. The pic was used for a full page ad in Time mag for the company he represented.(Lumbermens of Mansfield) I'm in the middle.

[Sooner or later]

Baz, you were well prepared!

Scouting was great. I was in a very active Troop (143). We had nearly 100 kids in the troop with 40 or 50 at every meeting.

We camped one weekend a month. Rain or shine. Hot or cold. We went camping and hiking all over the local Wildlife Refuge. Scoutmaster, Sgt. Gomez, was terrific. A master campfire story teller. I know now that many of his stories came from the Twilight Zone. He had on story about Cortez and Indian gods. We would camp at the top of Elk Mountain. There was a boulder as big as a house that was split in half. We would build a huge fire in front of it and he would weave a tale about Cortez being in the exact spot where we were sitting and the gods split the rock in half with a lightning bolt which scared Cortez away. Seems like I was sitting there wide eyed just yesterday.

He would take the older kids out on rappelling weekends. Rope harness that we made that he called a Swiss seat. What a rush! We even made the news when we rapelled out of a Ft Sill helicopter.

He really pushed me to go to Philmont. "See that mountain? Imagine climbing one 10 times as high! You can do it!"

RIP Sarge!

[Mike Andrew]

Not OA or Eagle but some dam fine memories of scouting. Taught me a lot of useful outdoor skills and values that I use to this day and infused a love of the outdoors that has never waned. Our council had "Northwoods" camp just outside of Watersmeet, MI and I have very fond memories of my times there, building a bridge over the creek, paddling the Cisco chain and my initiation, to name a few. Oh, and the bears...

Also a very active troop with lots of campouts at the scoutmaster's farm, guns to shoot there, a rifle team and a pair of Bridgestone 90's to motor about on at his farm.

I find it a shame that scouting has dropped off so sharply. Don't think it was all due to pedophiles and lawsuits but that certainly did not help.

[brainz01]

Eagle and OA here, late 80s. Don't recall OA being that big of a deal - - I remember a big award ceremony with Indian characters and lots of fire and reverent silence. I believe I was at Philmont and the weather was nice but cant recall.

My stronger memory was failing at wilderness survival at summer camp in the German Alps (Dad was Air Force). Although the motto was Be Prepared, I attempted to overnight in 40 degree, rainy weather with nothing other than a pocket knife and maybe some rope. I was wearing all cotton: jeans, jean jacket (it was the 80s), and cotton shirt and sweatshirt. Made a crappy shelter, but everything was wet. Somewhere around 1am I was shaking terribly from the cold and threw in the towel. I had mild hypothermia and was borderline delerious. There were a bunch of guys that made it though. Key difference was that they built a teepee style lean-to around a big tree and all huddled around the base. Lesson learned was to use nature's umbrella to keep you dry. Seems obvious in retrospect.

I couldn't wait to be done with Scouts as a kid (it was work and not "cool") , but I respect the experience more than ever as a parent. I've got my older son in Scouts now and the younger one will follow. It's an amazing program and develops tremendous skills and character.

[Bob Kontak]

Only made it to Star but my buddies in the pic made it to Eagle. Newspaper article mentions both my dad and I but pertains to a camping trip to Southern Ohio.

These guys were goal oriented and I was lucky to have them as friends. Emir in the pic was my best friend. Mother Johanna, dad Osman, sister Miriam and brother Omar. They said they were Russian but I'm not quite sure. Arabian names?

[Baz]

I started off in Cub Scouts first - and made it to First Class in Boy Scouts before we re-located to Florida where they didn't really have their act together in our area wrt scouting. It was a shame.

But at least I did enjoy a few good years while still in Virginia.

I remember on one of our camping trips, a buddy was chewing on a wood match after he used it to lit a fire. He said the ashes were nutritional. I'll never forget all the little things like that you'd never experience outside scouting.

[Ziggythecat]

Star !...spent the last few days trying to remember that.

I have really fond memories of Boy Scout camp, building fences and making some version of beef stew with a flavor I don"t miss, but would recognize in a second.

That and the neighbor hood bully found out the hard way that he was allergic to poison ivy, and spent the 2 weeks trying to not scratch his dick...Karma sucker punched you good, Harold

[stevej37]

Our Scout Troop was big into winter camping here in MI. Pack some snow around the tent and it's very comfortable.
One time we were sent off for a 2 day winter campout and they gave us each a raw half chicken for food.
January in MI...the weather changed quickly. Blizzard-like winds led to no chance for a campfire to cook the chicken.
First (and last) time I ate a raw half chicken..Yumm!

[RKDinOKC]

Half the troop I was in were handicapped, mental and physical. The other half made sure they didn't get hurt. First thing you had to do in our troop was get your First Aid badge.

Once a guy had an epileptic fit crossing the top of a waterfall and went over. We had to pack evacuate him out to take him to the closest hospital to get the gash in his head sewed up. He was the scout master's grandson. Few years later he became the senior patrol leader. Later saw an article where he had been instrumental in getting some of the merit badge requirements change for handicapped scouts.

We went camping and hiking in all sorts of weather/seasons and had loads of fun.

Very challenging taking 50 mile hikes with a couple of guys in wheelchairs. Almost everyone got their mile swim patches including the handicapped.

OA tap out was done during summer camp on a lake shore at night. You were tapped out by indians thrown into canoes then paddled off into the darkness to start your ordeal.

[flatbutt]

On my bookshelf