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Showing content with the highest reputation on 01/04/23 in all areas

  1. None of the Scouts in our troop thought the AI influence was a plus. They all thought regalia was a stupid joke. So, it really will depend on the Scouts you talk to.
    3 points
  2. That is the culture NOA has pushed from the Top down. I know a few years ago (won't give the exact year as it will dox) there was a push by the National Chief and National Vice Chief to eliminate the labor portion of the Ordeal and remove service from Fellowships/conclaves. You can probably guess how that conversation went... OA is more of a frat house under the guise of "leadership development" than it is a true service organization these days.
    2 points
  3. If no AI references, then it can't really be called the Order of the Arrow, can it? I don't know of any other group in American history that is associated with the use of arrows. I think the order has lost its way due to the influence of adults rather than the desire of the youth. It used to be something to aspire to. It was an exclusive club of sorts that only the best were elected to. Now, it's become just another thing between 1st Class and Star.
    2 points
  4. Yeah, it can go too far the other way, also, to where the local OA lodge is a quasi- Native American heritage preservation society. The purpose of the Order gets lost then, too... Too much focus on dance, drum, outfits, etc.
    1 point
  5. This Christmas Day, Peace On Earth. And be blessed to find Peace in your soul.
    1 point
  6. When National mandated the horrible Arrow of Light Ceremony, and the HA base commercial that they are calling a Cross Over Ceremony, they took away the ability for lodges and chapters to create meaningful ceremonies. Add to it the push to do away with Native American regalia/ A lot of old time ceremonialists like myself stated this would cause problems down the road as the ceremonies and ceremonialists who conduct them were the inspiring and encouraging symbolic force behind the OA.
    1 point
  7. Sadly it is just the trickle down of low scout numbers as scouts number of down 50% so would i would expect the OA number to be down the same or worse Added to the fact the the OA even with its attempts to rebrand its self is not that appealing to to todays scout. At best its get the flap and that's it never see you again. or its just an expected side stop on the train to Eagle. With the upcoming and ongoing mergers of councils and lodges OA will move to mainly to the Order of Adults trying to relive a past glories. I see a lot of disillusioned scouters when the childhood lodge
    1 point
  8. Speaking of deal breakers, for most of the team members it was the loss of being a part of something special, with a long proud history and traditions. Regalia was a big part of that. I think it started way back in about 40 years ago when the pre get rewritten and the Ordeal changed from being a test of willing candidates to a make believe self help weekend. One that no one was allowed to fail. Because "hazing". The complete rewrite of the Brotherhood ceremony with the loss of the Brotherhood Obligation which an average 15 year old could easily understand, for some philosophical rambling (how
    0 points
  9. Link please? I did not see anything about OA ordeal / regalia changes. It would not surprise me though. It's been discussed many times. OA ceremonies make many cringe with over-the-line cultural appropriation with caricatures that border on racism. I know the ceremonies are to honor native american culture, but obviously not everyone agrees with that view. Sadly, IMHO, it's time to remove native American references from OA.
    -1 points
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