2010 Spring Fellowship @ Camp Raven Knob...and a New Arrowman

Last weekend was Spring Fellowship for Order of the Arrow's Wahissa Lodge 118 at Camp Raven Knob where several hundred Arrowmen met for a weekend of cheerful service. The main focus was setting up tents in all the campsites preparing for summer camp that begins in just a few weeks.

This was a unique weekend because there was an unannounced Ordeal going on at the same time where 4 new candidates were participating in a 24 hour ordeal to be Arrowmen in the OA. As seen in the picture to the left, today I just completed decorating the arrow worn by one new Arrowman which I hope will be a long-time memento as he grows into a man during the coming years. If he can somehow hang on to it for 40 or 50 years, one day it will have significant meaning in a way unexpected far down his path in life. I woodburned his name and date of the Ordeal on the rear side of the arrow so that he'll never forget and I'm anxious to present it to him in a couple of weeks.



The picture to the right was taken just after the OA ceremony and if you look closely, the wood arrow that was worn during the 24 hour Ordeal is hanging around the neck of the new Arrowman in the center. If you're wondering why he's wearing a buffalo head dress then take a look at the other pictures just below.

The Indian on the left decided that it would be a great picture if the Scout was wearing his head dress so he put it right on his head and what a great picture that this will be for his scrap book! Although the ceremony where a Scout transitions into Order of the Arrow is quite secret, I can assure you that it's very impressive. The ceremony is usually held at a special spot deep in the woods but due to a violent hail storm this afternoon, we had to move it inside near a fireplace "campfire".

Throughout the weekend we had a great time of fellowship and cheerful service as Arrowmen worked together in cheerful service to prepare Camp Raven Knob for the 2010 session of summer camp. The various chapters worked together in groups and in competition to set up the most tents.

It was like a well oiled machine as gear lines formed naturally to shuttle beds, mattresses, and tents into their proper place. A lot of laughter, jokes, songs, and highly spirited attitudes from everyone made the day a fantastic experience to remember.

Normally at spring fellowship there is a carnival that afternoon but a very dangerous hail storm kept everyone safely confined in their campsites. By 8:00p.m. the storm had passed and everyone met in the dining hall until near midnight for a CrackerBarrell which included good food, fun, patch trading, and as you can see in the picture to the left, Native American dancing is always a highlight.

Camp is now set for a successful summer session and Wahissa Lodge has gladly done their part again.

Old Hickory Council 2010 Centennial Celebration

Whether it was finding a way to get 20 gallons of fresh water to campsite from the water buffalo or lashing together a 3-pole tripod strong enough to support a swinging Scout, the Old Hickory Centennial Celebration last weekend was 100% pure hands-on activity from sun-up to sun-down. In an era when hands-on learning is disappearing from our schools the Boy Scouts continue to offer a quality program where a boy can feel secure and safe just being a boy... and boys like to build, saw, swing, hammer, and whatever else that is involved with action and activity. The Old Hickory Council made this opportunity available once again last weekend for 1,400 council Cubs, Scouts, Venturers, and Explorers where a lot of kids chose outdoor activity over brainless video games and TV
.

 The event was held last weekend at the scenic and spacious Jomeokee park and campground which is also home for many area bluegrass festivals... but this weekend it belonged to us. Large spacious fields as far as the eye could  see surrounded by beautiful picturesque mountains, particularly nearby Pilot Mountain, is what made this an ideal location.

Through out the day the Boy Scout patrols, lead by their Senior Patrol Leader, competed with other patrols in  a full spectrum of events that included everything from using a crosscut saw to saw a log in half to working as a team to put up a canvas tent. Since Scouts is mainly a youth led organization I spent most of my time in the field at each station cheering on the Scouts and looking for opportunities to encourage teamwork and good sportsmanship.

One popular event and opportunity to score points working as a team was the crosscut saw competition. Believe me it's not as easy as it looks. To saw off a chunk of wood in the least amount of time possible, both sawyers had to work in almost perfect synchronization with the push/pull or the blade would easily bend and stop sawing. The fellow sitting on the log above the saw in the picture to the right did a fantastic job, all day long, patiently working with the boys and teaching them how to do it right. It's adults like this that are the true heroes!

If you look closely at the picture to the left you'll see a thin piece of twine stretched across the fire bucket. This was the fire building station where the kids competed to test their fire building skills to burn through the twine in the least amount of time possible.

The teams were timed on how long it took to burn the twine then their points were determined. Sometimes frustrations ran high when once a flame quickly went to smoke and cinders. The "Flaming Beavers" patrol in the picture to the left took almost 15 minutes to burn the twine but they never gave up.

As seen in the pictures below, another station was the tripod lashing where a patrol had to connect three pieces of bamboo then use a non-supporting knot to swing one group member off the ground. Kids absolutely loved this event perhaps because their contraptions resembled something out of the jungle. Best of all every member of the team was important to their success, because if they were using the best possible strategy they would use their smallest member to swing from the tripod. This activity generated a lot of group spirit and pride as the crowd cheered them on.

Another challenging event was found at the knot tying station. Each member of the patrol randomly drew a card that had the knot they must tie written on it. As seen in the picture to the right the Scouts could use their Scout handbook for reference but I only saw one patrol that had theirs. Knots included the bowline, two half hitches, taut line hitch, square knot, and a clove hitch. This event required some patience if your knot tying skills were rusty.

For a locally led Council event I was impressed with this Centennial Celebration where everyone had a safe, active, and very hands-on weekend. Other events included first-aid, map & compass, numerous games, fishing contest, and setting up a canvas wall tent. Once again the Boy Scouts of America has come through in meeting these critical hands-on activities that every boy should have the opportunity to explore.

Every troop had way too much fun finding creative ways to transport their cooking and drinking water about 200 yards from the water buffalo to their campsite. The group seen in the picture above must have collapsed 10 times from laughing so hard at their own efforts and at their hilarious water shuttling contraption.

Native American Day at Wake Forest University

This weekend the Department of Anthropology at Wake Forest University sponsored their third annual Native American Day for all Cubs, Scouts, and Explorers in the Old Hickory Council.

This was a great opportunity to participate in plenty of hands-on activities including atlatl throwing, blowgun shooting, flint knapping, wigwam building and Native American stickball which is a game that's over 400 years old called toli.

There were also several Native American craft and food vendors and Indian dancing on the grounds. Best of all, Scouts had the opportunity to work on their merit badge requirements for Archaeology, American Cultures, Indian Lore, and  Pioneering. Opportunities like this don't come very often so many thanks go out to the Wake Forest Department of Anthropology!

As seen in the pictures above and to the right, one of my favorite hands-on activities was found at the flint knapping station. Here you had the opportunity to get a feel for how Native Americans made the sharp stone tips used on arrows for hunting and for war. Excellent Wake Forest staff provided detailed instruction while simultaneously sharing some wonderful stories of Indian lore thus making the whole experience come to life in a very real way.

 Other hands-on activities included the opportunity for Scouts to use an atlatl thrower and a blowgun. As seen in the foreground of the picture to the left, a couple of Scouts are preparing to blow their darts in a bamboo cane blowgun at a deer target about 25 feet away. The next picture below shows the Scouts in action as the darts hurtle toward their targets.

In the background of the picture to the left can be seen Scouts receiving instruction as they prepare to sling spears toward a target using the Native American atlatl thrower.

We greatly appreciate the staff at the Wake Forest Department of Anthropology for sponsoring this great opportunity for area Scouts. Way too many kids today are stuck behind computer games and TV's or on the streets in trouble and this is the kind of hands-on activities that really make a difference in a child's life.

Camp Raven Knob: Spring Work Day Event

This weekend I participated with more than 100 Scouts and Scouters at Camp Raven Knob in the first work oriented event of 2010. This was an Order of the Arrow sponsored event by Wahissa 118  but as you can see from the picture to the right, PackMaster Nathan (in blue shirt) was also leading a very motivated group of his Cubs on a conservation project. These boys were too young to be OA members but these kids were a big help and welcomed partners for their cheerful service.

Friday night the rains fell extremely hard on the 3,200 acre Scout reservation but on Saturday morning the sun broke through for wonderful working conditions. As seen in the picture to the right my first crew helped clear several fallen trees that were left from the tremendous winter snowfall leaving trails blocked off everywhere.

Camp ranger Dave Whitfield had already cut up the trees so that we could haul them off the mountain for pick-up. By the way that is Raven Knob in the background so we had a beautiful backdrop in scenery as we cleared the brush and others dug holes for night lights, and erosion control on this trail leading to the Wahissa Lodge building.

As seen in the next picture the afternoon brought back more rainfall so many chores were brought inside. Below one crew is busy in the massive sized dining hall giving the floor the loving attention that it needed. Others are seen cleaning the air duct system that runs throughout the ceiling like a creeping creature from outer space.

Even with inclement weather shadowing our every move, the Scouts who turned out for this event are the cream of crop in my opinion. Unlike other OA events such as Conclave, Spring and Fall Fellowship, this was strictly a work day and a time for living up to the OA code of cheerful service to others. But when you're working together as a team for a cause greater than any one person, a lot of fun can always be found.

Firem n' Chit (Campfires & Fire Safety) Plus Some Carving

During the last decade there has been a move in our 1-12 schools for kids to be in class all day long where hands-on programs like woodshop class and action oriented classes such as physical education have been cut from the curriculum. The reasons for such cuts can be debated in another forum but it has been a sad decade for many children who are now receiving less than a well balanced education.

Although the students in our alternative wilderness school also attend classes throughout the day, the bedrock of our unique approach to education has always placed a strong focus on actual student experience with a hands-on approach. It is our goal that every student will experience at least one 2-3 week canoe trip during their 10-12 month attendance and they have weekly exposure to a very strong hands-on woodshop program in additon to Boy Scout adventure education classes. We continue to believe that this aspect of our program in combination with all our teachers dedication, has an undeniably positive effect on our students overall educational experience and our test scores just recently re-enforced this.

Today I led three scouting classes on Firem n' Chit training which has a focus on safe fire usage while camping. The training is a lot of fun which also leads to some interesting conversations during the class and when students complete the course which is about three 50-minute classes they will receive certification cards and official 2nd Class Boy Scout credits.

As seen in the picture to the left the kids in today's classes were especially excited to be here and they were also at different levels in progress so I didn't have to teach the same skills twice. The first class is an introduction to camp fires which included about 30 minutes of class time so I end it with some physical fitness activities to meet my goal of a hands-on/action oriented activity in every class. The second class is composed of a lively discussion on low-impact camping techniques, a comparison and demonstration of a variety of camp stoves, and fire building techniques.

During the third class I lead the kids on a very exciting fire building contest so that they can put to practice their new skills. They are divided into teams of two and lined up on "pads" under a piece of binders twine that was about 16" off the ground. First team to burn the twine in half were the winners. Teams have to gather dry tender, kindling, and fuel wood then patiently stack it in such a way that it could get enough oxygen to ignite, then stay lit.

This activity creates a great challenge on snowy/rainy January days and the kids love it. During my demonstrations I emphasize that lighting a camp fire should only take one single match if they did everything correctly. In addition to new skills learned the students must also work together as a team to be successful. That means effective communication before and during the contest will be crucial for a chance at success.

One of my scouting classes today had already completed all of the required course requirements and their fire building contest was held last week. I therefore began the class with a thorough review of all the material covered. One of the most effective teaching techniques when working with kids is the power of repetition so I also asked lots of questions as I demonstrated how to build another one-match fire. This time a lot more hands were raised as their knowledge of the subject had obviously increased.

After a 15 minute review I then led a carving class around our small campfire. The day was somewhat damp and the air a little "nippy" so the fire provided some warmth for our fingers while also creating a warm atmosphere for an otherwise balmy day. Some of the kids worked on carving their spoons while others worked on small totem poles and a lot of progress was made. Since this class has successfully completed this sessions course requirements, next week I'll probably take them on a short hike into the woods for another fire building review while demonstrating a few new skills. Kids eat up this kind of stuff and the hands-on element of my classes is a perfect complement to their other scheduled classes thus giving them a more balanced approach to a successful educational experience.

WIP: Designing OA Arrows- (Part 2 of 2)

WIP="Work in progress"

Although it's been a somewhat gradual process I have finally finished 40 arrows for this summers Order of the Arrow Ordeal and what an enjoyable project it has been. Somebody on another blog recently discussed what to do when the carving doldrums hit and you just can't seem to get started carving anything. That's a common condition that woodcarvers occasionally have to deal with and my solution is often to dig deep into the creative process and try to produce something original.

For me this usually means to start the project on the sketch pad until something "clicks" and then it's time to transfer it to the correct piece of wood. The 40 arrows, each measuring 8" long and cut from simple 1" pine stock, were to be a mass-produced project so I had to keep it simple to make so many arrows BUT I still wanted it to have that special hand-made feel to it. My overriding purpose going into this project was to produce an arrow that would symbolize each participants personal sacrifice to cheerfully serve others and I wanted it to be an arrow nice enough that they would hold on to it for a life time and one day look back upon that experience. Hopefully I accomplished those goals but only time will tell.

As previously mentioned I made the arrows from 8" long 1" pine stock and I chose boards with the softest knot-free grain that I could find. After transferring my sketched design to a piece of this wood I then cut it out on the scroll saw and used it for the template for tracing the other arrows. Next I took my "V" parting tool and carved all the feathers, letters, and arrow tip to give them a more 3-D effect. This was about as simple as a carving could get but it gave the piece that original hand-made feel.

I then took the propane torch and very, very lightly glazed the entire arrow with the flame giving it a slightly dark and aged look. This burnt effect made the arrow seem like it had been in battle by removing the solid "new" look of fresh wood. With the drill press I drilled three small holes evenly spaced from top to bottom for the lanyard and the center hole for the bead decoration. I completed the arrows by using my wood burning pen to inscribe "118" in the center which is our Lodge number, then using a thin acrylic red and yellow paint wash for the letters and the arrow tip. Finally I spray sealed the entire arrow with Krylon Acrylic Sealer. I then thought that I was done but decided to add a small piece of leather lacing in the center of the arrow with three beads of no particular colors. This addition really gave the arrows that "unique" hand-made feel that I wanted to achieve and giving each arrow their own distinct difference and look.

As you can see this was a very simple project and something that I myself designed. I can't wait to hand them out at the next Ordeal and perhaps in another 50 years these young Arrowmen will still have the arrow that I gave them long ago. Perhaps it will rekindle fond memories of days past by of a job well done and when their character was being shaped. THAT will be the ultimate hope of my gift.

WIP: Designing OA Arrows On A Freezing Winter Weekend (Part 1 of 2)

WIP="Work in progress"

Temperatures in the North Carolina mountains aren't rising above freezing for a three day block and it will be in the low teens tonight. As I stoke up the wood heater I've been reminiscing from last summer when I came close to passing out from the searing heat during my Ordeal. Man it was hot but I wouldn't trade that experience in Ordeal # 1 or serving as an elangomat in Ordeal # 2 for the warmest tropical beach in all the world.

I am very honored to be part of Order of the Arrow and this first experience last summer was quite a moving moment in my life as I had the opportunity to cheerfully serve others, then in the second Ordeal I helped lead a new group of 15 boys and adult leaders on their first experience. What an honor that was.

Now on the first weekend of 2010 (and a cold one at that) I have begun planning for this summers Ordeals. It is my desire to serve again as an elangomat in both Ordeals. An Elangomat is a friend to each candidate and also a Big Brother, so to speak. The candidates look up to you as a friend to help them through the rigors of sacrifice during their experience so that hopefully it will be as memorable and moving as my own was last summer.

With several months of time for planning I decided that I will design each of my candidates their own arrow as  seen in the first picture up top. Candidates are always given an OA arrow to wear during the duration of their Ordeal but I'd like to personalize the arrows for the members of my groups so I'll need to make about 30 total. I carved my own arrow from the rough-out provided then finished it later and I described it more here.

It is a high honor to be chosen for Order of the Arrow and new candidates should feel being a part of something much bigger than themselves. The arrow they will wear will be a lasting symbol of that experience when they sacrificed personal comfort while serving others and I hope that they will cherish it for many years to come.

For now it's a very cold winters night in January... time for putting another log on the fire, pulling up a chair and carving another arrow. It just don't get much better than that. Stay warm and keep on carving!

Soap Carving at Parent-Son Camporee

I don't often have the opportunity to participate with the younger kids in Scouting activities as most of my time is spent with my own Troops success. Fortunately every October the Old Hickory Scout Council sponsors two Parent-Son Camporee weekends at the 3,200 acre Scouting paradise in northwestern North Carolina known to us as Camp Raven Knob.

The Camporee is a great opportunity for the Cubs who are about 6 to 10 years old to have an excellent outdoor camping experience with their parents and Cub leaders in a safe, fun, and educational environment. They can test their skills at shooting BB guns, archery, and slingshots in addition to making a personalized walking stick, scurrying up a 30 foot climbing tower, fishing on the lake, or attend a soap carving class.

In the video above I have described my experience at leading the soap carving class where Bear Cubs had an exciting opportunity to earn their "Whittling Chip" cards and obtain their Shavings and Chips Achievement #19 in the Bear handbook.

This was the first Camporee that I've attended and I was immediately asked to lead the Whittling Chip class after the regular instructor canceled out for the event. The experience ended up being one of the most enjoyable experiences of the year for me! I was caught a little off guard when asked to lead the class during the first Camporee because I only had a couple of hours to prepare. I then had two weeks to prepare for the next class and as the video shows, I invented a very effective carving knife for the Ivory soap fashioned from Popsicle sticks which have a two inch blade on one end and a nifty scooper-scraper on the other end for detail work.

I also started the class with a 20-25 minute lecture, discussion, and question period on pocket knife safety, carving methods, how to sharpen a knife, and a show-and-tell on many different carving ideas. Once again I was so humbled and impressed with the respectful attention and participation of all the kids and parents during this pre-carving time. These folks, both young and old, were really interested in what I had to offer. I would also like to thank all of the parents and Cub leaders who were there with their Cubs which was the real key to their sons' successful carving experience after I had planted the seed.

All of the classes were a great success and I was impressed with the enthusiasm of the kids to make a unique soap creation of their own, some of which are showcased in the video. We went through 234 bars of Ivory soap during the two Camporees and including the supportive parents and leaders I estimated that a total of 350-400 folks must have attended the carving class and that's impressive when you consider that BB guns, archery, slingshots, and fishing were also on their minds.

In conclusion it was my goal for everyone to have a safe, a fun, and a new learning experience. Finding ways for kids to have a lot of positive experiences in a safe environment has become a tall order in a time where gangs, negative mass media, and broken families present a challenge like never before. If you're a parent and have risen to the challenge of putting kids first no matter what, then I commend you for ensuring the success and happiness of the next generation. You are the real heroes of this generation.

Parent/ Son Camporee Weekend

There wasn't a cloud in the sky last Saturday when more than a thousand scouts, scouters, cubs, and their parent(s) met at Camp Raven Knob for the annual Parent/Son Camporee. This event is specially planned for the smaller Tiger, Bobcat, Wolf, Bear, and Webelo Scouts between the ages of 6 and 10 so you can just imagine the the vast amount of energy that was raring to be released and this 3,200 acre Scout reservation fills the bill every time for that calling!

The main events and activities occurred on Saturday which included three VERY popular shooting experiences. The longest lines were at the BB rifle range and the archery range where your hand/eye coordination could be well tested. Safety is always the most important aspect at any shooting event and I was impressed with the attention given to being sure that there were no accidents and that every boy enjoyed these great activities. The third shooting event was at the slingshot range where target pans were lined up and personal instruction was given to each individual child on how to properly hold, load, and
shoot a real slingshot.

At other parts of camp there were many other activities offered which included two (yes TWO) climbing walls. Boys love to climb so not too many Cubs missed these great experiences as they "monkeyed" themselves to heights of 30 feet on the tower where they could press a wild sounding buzzard to signal their achievement and an applause from the by-standers. These kids felt like a million dollars with their achievement and all of the positive attention. Great stuff!

There were also hikes up a very steep trail to "The Knob" where one of the most panoramic views of northern Surry County was the reward. This was a somewhat difficult hike with a 900 foot elevation gain but the views were worth it as my video below shows with great clarity. Cubs earned a nice pin for their hike. See a video of the view that I shot during the day by clicking the video below:


Leading all of the events were about 35 Order of the Arrow Wahissa Lodge 118 members who take great pride in volunteering and making sure that these events are safe and successful . I enjoyed leading the Whittling Chip station where more than a hundred Cubs and probably two hundred parents and leaders attended my classes on soap carving. It was a great experience for the kids to try their hands at shaping a bar of Ivory soap and I had boats, canoes, crosses, names, fishes, and you-name-it as carving projects and they did a great job thus earning their Whittling Chip card. I greatly appreciated the help of scouts Chris and Noah who provided me with a lot of support.

Other events included making a personalized decorated walking stick, fishing in the lake, visiting the Scout Museum, and a great fur display and trapping demonstration by representatives from the North Carolina Trappers Association. The day was a great success an

Image via Wikipedia

d I anxiously await the next event.

Order of the Arrow: "Fall Fellowship"

Lots of stuff goes on at the annual Fall Fellowship weekend of the Order of the Arrow. Boy Scouts and Scouters came together from several northwestern North Carolina counties at my new home away from home Camp Raven Knob for a weekend of fun competition, fellowship, workshop meetings, Lodge elections, lots of good food, and a Saturday night auction.

Too bad that it rained steadily all day on Saturday but not even that stopped any event from it's scheduled time. The Scouts who show up for the Fall Fellowship are the best in their troops when it comes to scout spirit. Some of the games started inside but most of the competitive activities such as tug-o-war and erecting a tent were held right in the afternoon rain. The wet, the cold, and even the mud seemed to inspire even more energy from the participants which made it a lot of fun to be there.

While Saturday afternoon was mostly fun and games then followed by chapter meetings, speeches, campaigning and elections, the morning was filled with a lot of workshop choices that included Scoutmaster brainstorming sessions, Elangomat training, and Order of the Arrow history to name just a few. It was a great opportunity to soak in a LOT of wisdom from those who have already traveled this road thus generating only more enthusiasm to learn more.

Saturday night was greatly anticipated from my own point of view because this is when the annual patch auction is held. One of the first patches produced by Camp Raven Knob, circa approximately late 1950's fetched nearly $300.00 and the profits were split between the camp museum and the Lodge. Personally I bid on a 1948 edition of the Boy Scout Handbook and I got it for $20.00!

Also, since my troop works with at-risk youth we don't have a way to raise funds for memberships, rank & merit badges so I donated 5 woodspirit, Indian, etc. walking sticks to the auction to raise money for our troop. They only auctioned off one this night at $40.00 and the remainder will be sold at other upcoming Scouting events. Last year I donated five walking sticks that raised about $250.00 for our treasury.

2009 produced a great Fellowship and everyone left in high spirits.

Future "Arrowmen"

Order of the Arrow Ordeal Weekend #2 (and more carving!)

If you ever doubted the future generation of leaders, then you should have seen what I saw at the Order of the Arrow Ordeal #2 last weekend at Camp Raven Knob. In my recent posting of the last Ordeal on the weekend of August 22 found here, I earned my own membership in the Order through a weekend of "scant foot" and "arduous labor". This last weekend I was glad to return and serve as an Elangomat (leader) in a group of about 15 new candidates. I was very proud of the youth (and two adult candidates) in my group who definitely re-newed my faith in the next generation. They worked extremely hard and almost non-stop for more than eight hours then were up past midnight for a full day of work, cheerful service, and sacred ceremonial procedures for membership. They more than passed their test for becoming "Arrowmen" in the Order and I was very proud of them all.

Image via Wikipedia

Each year the Order of the Arrow Wahissa Lodge 118 (Boy Scouts of America) holds two Ordeals for new candidates to be considered for membership. This last weekend was the second and final Ordeal for 2009 and there were about 65 candidates who became new members. In another 10 months of continued service in their troop, active participation in the Order, and upon completing several other challenges they (we) will then have the opportunity to bring our membership "full-circle" thus progressing from Arrowmen to the Brotherhood.

Membership in the Order has it's privileges such as being welcomed to all the yearly events which consist of service to others combined with a lot of fun camaraderie among brothers, and probably more fun than anyone could imagine.

During the final ceremonies at this Ordeal I was also proud to wear my first neckerchief slide. I was determined to wear it this week so I started it last Monday and finished it just in time last Thursday.

It is a small totem pole boasting a bear, frog, fox, and a bald eagle towering proudly on top. As you can see in the pictures to the left it is very small at only 3" tall and a wing spread of 2".

When the carving was finished I attached the wings into a carved notch with wood glue and a small dowel rod. As you can imagine it was all very delicate work which required a lot of focus and careful handling but using basswood made the work both enjoyable and successful. The slide got a LOT of compliments at the Ordeal so I'm now working on a lot of other new ideals for neckerchief slides. What a great week!

Order of the Arrow Ordeal Weekend(and a little carving!)

This last weekend I spent one of the most arduous but tremendously rewarding weekends of my life participating in my Order of the Arrow ordeal at the 3,2oo acre Raven Knob Boy Scout Reservation. I was one of about 163 candidates to participate but I was probably the only one who was actually a candidate in 2008 but it took me a year before I was able to schedule my Ordeal.

Order of the Arrow is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America and is entirely youth led. Adults can also be elected by their troop as candidates but they can't hold elected office however we are encouraged to offer advice. I was greatly humbled and surprised while attending an Order of the Arrow ceremony last summer when with more than a thousand scouters present, my name was announced to come forward for tapping by the lodge Chief. I honestly had no idea nor did I expect such an honor so I hesitated for a few moments until I was convinced that I really did need to step forward. What an honor.

Due to various complications in my schedule I wasn't able to attend an Ordeal last summer but I made sure that I was there this last weekend for the first of two Ordeals offered in 2009. Ceremonies are sacred in the Order so I won't reveal what happened because (1) I can't and, (2) I wouldn't want to spoil this unique experience for another prospective candidate. I'll just say that it was an enormously meaningful and powerful experience that I will never forget. In a nutshell an Ordeal is meant to emphasize service to others and self-sacrifice.

During this day of sacrifice I managed to grab a few short moments to carve the arrow assigned to me and to be worn throughout the Ordeal. In the beginning it was just a simple cut-out on the scroll saw but I knew that I'd want to have a real memento from my experience to remind me of what I went through for many years to come. When I got home yesterday evening I completed the Arrow with some woodburning and painting, then I attached the Wahissa Lodge 118 lanyard.

This has been quite a weekend where I made a lot of new friends and I'm looking forward to serving for many years to come.