| Congratulations! Your son has been elected to be a candidate for membership in the Order of the Arrow. Upon completion of his Ordeal weekend, he will have all the rights and priviledges of all arrowmen in our Lodge. What is the Order of the Arrow? The Order of the Arrow (OA) is Scouting's National Honor Society. It was founded in 1915 by Dr. E. Urner Goodman and Carroll A Edson at Treasure Island, the Council camp for the council in Philadelphia, PA. Units hold elections where Scouts are selected based on their adherance to the Scout Oath and Law. Requirements for eligibility are at least First Class rank, 15 days and nights of camping within 2 years prior to the election (must include 1 and not more than 1 long-term camping experience), and Scoutmaster approval. |
| What to Expect The Ordeal is a vital part of the induction process of the Order of the Arrow. The Ordeal provides a time for a Scout to reflect upon his experiences within Scouting. These reflections will hopefully broaden his experiences and reaffirm his love for Scouting. During the Ordeal experience, a "candidate" is required to:
The entire experience is designed to teach significant values. Ordeal weekends are filled with many activities, all of which are safe and fully supervised in accordance with BSA Policies. There are hundreds of thousands of OA members, all of whom have participated in an Ordeal. The Ordeal experience is one that no Scout will ever forget because of the honor that has been given by being inducted into the Order of the Arrow. |
| Cost for the weekend Ordeal registration is $45.00 - includes insurance, all meals, current lodge dues, an OA Handbook, an Ordeal sash, and a lodge flap (all registrations are encouraged to be done online at www.nentico.org) |
| What will he need to bring?
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| When are the Ordeal Weekends offered? May through September as indicated on the Lodge calendar Where do I go? Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation, 1929 Susquehanna Hall Rd., Whiteford, MD - report to Camp Saffran - OA Pavilion, unless noted otherwise on the registration. When is check-in? Friday evening at 7:00 pm When is checkout? Sunday morning at approximately 10:00 am What should be done after the Ordeal? Once a candidate has completed an Ordeal he becomes a full member of the Order of the Arrow and Nentico Lodge 12. |
| He is encouraged to: - Check out the OA Jumpstart site HERE - Attend a local Chapter meeting - Come to a Lodge event as indicated on the Lodge calendar (Fellowship, Picnic, Banquet, etc.) - Convert to Brotherhood after 10 months - Research OA history and information on the following websites: Nentico Lodge 12 nentico.org Section NE-6A ne6a.org Northeast Region northeast.oa-bsa.org National oa-bsa.org |