Candidates from various districts met at Ockanickon Scout Reservation (OSR) from Friday, April 21 to Sunday, April 23 to be inducted into scouting’s national honor society, the Order of the Arrow (OA).

To become a candidate of the OA a scout must first obtain the rank of First Class, while maintaining steady attendance with their own troop events. If these qualifications are met, a candidate can then be voted into the OA by his peers. Once elected as a candidate, that candidate will have to participate in an ordeal. During an ordeal, candidates are required to perform a variety of tasks while maintaining cheerful service and following other special limitations. The purpose of the Ordeal Week is to challenge a scout to test himself when put in several different situations.  

At an Ordeal people will see many things. The main factor everyone will notice is cheerful service. Most of the Ordeal Week will be spent in service so viewers will see a variety of tasks being completed. One candidate at the event, Billy Angerer, said, “The ordeal was a different kind of task, one that tested my abilities, but in the end was something I am grateful for having the chance to complete.” After completing the ordeal, candidates become brothers and can then participate in a variety of other services.

One big factor of the OA is service. The Order of the Arrow is an organization that relies heavily on service to others. During Ordeal Weeks candidates will provide services to the camp that he resides in. Some of these tasks include: Putting up tents for summer camp, digging out fire pits, cleaning and maintaining the dining hall, and even fixing old adirondacks. With all of the OA services, it makes it easier for the camp staff to provide good programs for the OA in return the following summer. Although many of the tasks required are labor intensive, they do have their benefits. When asked why the service was important to the candidates, Angerer replied, “It allows us to show our willingness to provide and help out where needed.” This cheerful service is what the OA focuses on, and seeing candidates so willing to aid the efforts strengthens the lodge in the end.

Along with service, the OA offers a variety of other events for Arrowmen to participate in. Some of these events include: Fall Fellowship, Conclave, and the National Order of the Arrow Conference (NOAC). One brother, Andrew Stillman, who attended NOAC stated, “It was a time like no other. I got to engage in many activities with my lodge that I would never have the opportunity to anywhere else.” Along with these events, after completing your ordeal, brothers have the opportunity to come back and help out many new ordeal candidates. One way this can be done is by being an elangomat. An elangomat’s job is to guide a candidate through their ordeal weekend with the goal of completing their ordeal at the end. The other opportunity brothers have is the ceremonies team. As part of the ceremonies team, brothers will work through the American Indian Affairs (AIA) program and can do things like being torch bearers, drummers, or participating in the actual ceremony itself.