Ordeal Membership

Ordeal membership:

Congratulations, you have made it! You have attained membership in the national honor camping society, the Order of the Arrow. The local branch of the organization is named Tamegonit Lodge. Tamegonit Lodge is based at the Theodore Naish Scout Reservation in the Heart of America Council.

To become a member of the Order of the Arrow, you must meet several requirements. They were: be approved by the your Scoutmaster; camp 15 days and nights, at least 6 of those days of long term or summer camp; be elected by the youth members of your unit; and finally, pass the Ordeal.

The Ordeal is a series of tests, that you passed in order to prove your dedication to the principles of the Order ... If you would like specific information on the tests, turn to the following page, entitled “The Induction Sequence”.

In the Order of the Arrow there are three degrees of membership. We do not have ranks or elevations. All Arrowmen are equal, as we are brothers. The first stage in the Order of the Arrow is Ordeal membership. This is the "joining stage", and should be only temporary. The second degree of membership is Brotherhood, "where an Arrowmen completes his induction, and seals his membership in the Order". Brotherhood is as far as most Arrowmen will advance. The third and final stage is the Vigil Honor. The Vigil Honor is only for those Arrowmen whose dedication to the Order goes far beyond his brothers. Only about 5% of our Lodge membership is Vigil Honor members. If you're interested in learning more about the Brotherhood and Vigil Honor, read on within the following pages of this handbook.

As an Ordeal member, you should be most interested in becoming a Brotherhood member, and completing your membership. The requirements are listed on the next few pages.

In addition to earning your Brotherhood, you should also get involved in the Lodge, possibly by joining an operating committee or helping your chapter. You can do this by contacting any lodge or chapter officer whose name and phone number appear frequently in the Tamegonit Torchbearer, our lodge newsletter. Yes! It's that easy! If you like, you may also turn to the center of this handbook for many other "Opportunities to Get Involved".

The Lodge has many things for you as an Arrowman to participate in; the only trick is for you to discover where you want to get involved. And if you become active, someday you may even become an officer of Tamegonit Lodge, a privilege few obtain.