Egwa Tawa Dee Lodge 129 Home PageImmediately:
____ Communicate Ordeal date to District Executive. Make sure he or she includes it in district section of council newsletter.
____ Reserve all facilities needed for Ordeal, including campsites, dining hall, activity shelters, etc. through lodge advisor and lodge staff advisor.
____ Read Manual for the Ordeal.
Four Months Before Ordeal:
____ Have ceremonies chairman and team members begin training.
____ Begin repair or construction of costumes, if necessary.
____ Decide whether or not to offer Brotherhood.
____ Recruit Ordeal officials such as Ordeal Master, Task Master, Head Elangomat, Grub Master.
Three Months Before Ordeal:
____ Recruit Elangomats, with at least one Elangomat for every 7-8 candidates you expect at your Ordeal, and a few backups.
____ Contact any other chapter chiefs whose chapters are holding an Ordeal at the same time and place.
____ Build Ordeal Fees, and confirm with Lodge Advisor.
Two Months Before Ordeal:
____ Publish Ordeal date, location, and fees in chapter newsletter and Lodge Nimat, and notify council office in writing.
____ Confirm that the Pre-Ordeal, Ordeal, and Brotherhood ceremonial teams will be there for the weekend.
____ Notify the Lodge Chief of progress.
____ Begin training Elangomats. Contact lodge inductions committee for information.
____ Prepare weekend schedule with help of chapter. If other chapters are sharing the Ordeal date and place, coordinate with the other chapter chief(s).
____ Arrange for qualified first-aider.
____ Notify lodge officers of anything you want the lodge to provide for your Ordeal, such as the lodge box, SOA books, and lodge planbook
____ Discuss chapter's Ordeal plans with camp ranger, director of camping and properties superintendant, and other personnel at Ordeal site, and begin discussing possible service projects.
One Month before the Ordeal:
____ Finalize all details and assignments for the Ordeal, including ceremonial characters and management teams.
____ Arrange for all props, candles, costumes, torches, kerosene, toilet paper for torches, bows, arrows, quiver, rope with loops, chapter planbooks, etc.
____ Inform lodge inductions committee how many new member packets the chapter needs.
____ Meet with camp ranger, director of camping and properties superintendant, and other personnel, preferably at Ordeal site. Discuss Ordeal plans, give preliminary attendance estimates, and provide copies of weekend schedule (with specific meals times). Review list of service projects and prepare list of the tools the chapter should provide for those projects.
____ Obtain official lodge list of all candidates for chapter. Confirmusing chapter copies of unit election forms, noting any discrepancies and resolving them with lodge membership chairman or lodge secretary.
Two Weeks Before the Ordeal:
____ Check conditions of ceremonial site.
____ Hold mock Ordeal ceremony.
____ Begin preparing registration list. Contact all candidates and key members who have not yet registered.
Final Week Before Ordeal:
____ Update registration list with all recent receipts.
____ Double check all preparations and confirm attendance of key personnel.
____ On Monday of the week of the Ordeal, provide separate counts of the number of members (not including Elangomats) and the number of candidates (adding Elangomats to candidate count) to the properties superintendant (if using council camp) or camp ranger and cooking crew (if using other location). Also provide the same information to the Lodge Advisor.
____ Confirm that ceremonial team is ready for Ordeal and that all props have been obtained and packed for the Ordeal.
____ Prepare new member packets for estimated number of candidates.
____ Arrange to receive and process all late receipts arriving at the council office. Confirm that no additional receipts are at the office on Friday afternoon.
Friday Evening of the Ordeal:
____ Perform registration, confirming that the following information (as a minimum) is recorded legibly for every candidate : Full name, complete mailing address including street address, city, state, zip code, phone number with area code, date of birth, age, unit type and number (e.g., Troop 326), chapter name, and all medical conditions and health restrictions. Inform each candidate about what equipment to bring with him or her, and where to store additional equipment.
____ Give cooks accurate registration count, with separate counts for members (not including Elangomats) and candidates (with Elangomats added). Confirm time and place of pickup for candidate food.
____ Complete plans for service project assignments.
____ Follow schedule, adjusting it when necessary.
____ Finish pre-Ordeal site preparation.
____ Break candidates into clans, complete clan rosters, issue Spirit of the Arrow (S.O.A.) booklet #2.
____ Conduct pre-Ordeal ceremony, with no more than 50 candidates in any one such ceremony.
____ Conduct Brotherhood call-out ceremony, if holding Brotherhood. Make a Brotherhood list, including name, chapter, and birthdate. Collect Brotherhood fees if not already paid. Confirm that all Brotherhood candidates were inducted at least 10 months earlier, and that all have current dues paid.
Saturday of the Ordeal:
____ Turn in to lodge secretary (or other lodge officer) a complete copy of candidate information (name, address, etc.).
____ Settle with lodge treasurer (or other lodge officer) about all money owed by the chapter to the council and the lodge.
____ After candidate information and financial information is provided, obtain from the lodge treasurer (or other lodge officer) the correct number of sashes, Ordeal flaps, O.A. handbooks, and any other supplies for which the candidates have paid.
____ If holding Brotherhood, provide a list to the lodge secretary (or other lodge officer) of the people who have completed Brotherhood. Arrange payment for their Brotherhood sashes with lodge treasurer (or other lodge officer). After this has been done, obtain the correct number of Brotherhood sashes from the lodge treasurer.
____ Conduct Ordeal ceremony, with no more than 50 candidates in any one such ceremony.
____ If holding Brotherhood, conduct Brotherhood ceremony, with no more than 50 new Brotherhood members in any one such ceremony. After the ceremony, update Brotherhood list with lodge secretary, if any changes are necessary.
Sunday Morning of the Ordeal:
____ Clean-up all areas of camp used during Ordeal, including all campsites and latrines used, pre-Ordeal site, Ordeal site, dining facility, meeting areas, service project sites, etc. The chapter chief and chapter advisor should not leave camp until all chapter members have left and entire camp has been cleaned.
Week Following Ordeal:
____ Prepare reports for lodge officers.
____ Send any "thank you" notes, as appropriate.
____ Prepare a list of notes which will be beneficial in the planning and operation of the next Ordeal. Provide copies to the chapter chief and advisor, lodge chief and advisor, and inductions chairman and advisor.
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