Nacha Nimat Lodge

            This weekend marks the conferring of ordeal membership in the Order of the Arrow upon your son. This is an achievement that comes with great respect and obligation. For this reason, We congratulate you and your son!

            The Ordeal is enigmatic for those who have never partaken in it. For your understanding of the Ordeal and to clear up its esoteric qualities, is the reason why this letter is produced. The Ordeal is often misconceived by new ordeal members and in turn it gives them a negative connotation of this almost 100 year tradition. The Ordeal is a path for your son in which he resolves to master every challenge presented to him faithfully. There are 4 main challenges that are presented during the weekend. The first is to eat nothing but the scant food he is given. He will learn by fasting, sacrifice, and self-denial to the subordinate desires to the spirit’s higher purpose. Your son will have a scant breakfast and lunch on Saturday. The breakfast consists of a slice of bread, a hard-boiled egg, and a fruit drink. The lunch consists of a slice of bread, a slice of cheese, and a fruit drink. Exceptions to this rule can be made for medical reasons.

            The second challenge is to strictly keep a pledge of silence. His directions will be the whispers, urgings, and promptings, deep within his heart and spirit. Your son will have to remain silent, starting tonight and ending tomorrow evening. He is allowed to speak during an emergency or when absolutely necessary and only to his elangomat.

An elangomat is the name given to those Order of the Arrow members whom guide your son along with his fellow candidates through the Ordeal.

            The third challenge is to spend the day in arduous labor, working gladly, not begrudging. He will seek to serve, and thus be faithful to the ideals and purpose of the Order of the Arrow. On Saturday, your son will take part in service projects to help the camp. Your son will be assigned to a project that is appropriate for his abilities, age, and physical fitness. At no time will your son be placed in any dangerous situations.

            The fourth challenge is to tonight, beneath the heavens, sleep alone upon his groundsheet. All of his strength will be required to face the isolation which a leader often faces. This challenge is a symbol of the loneliness that can result from being a leader. It challenges him to gather his strength and to push through such periods of isolation. In the event of inclement weather, your son will be placed in a sheltered lean-to.

            These tasks are not intended to be coercion or deleterious and will not be. Every member of the Order of the Arrow has taken these challenges. Your son is not alone. We all have been through an Ordeal and understand the difficulty of such an event. However, we have learned to recognize the benefits of it, and am glad for enduring it. The Ordeal has a different meaning to each candidate who completes it. But most Arrowmen would agree the Ordeal is not a formality to obtain a patch and a sash. The physical tests are deeply significant universal symbols.

            The Ordeal is an adventure of the spirit-a time of deep searching and high resolve-a unique opportunity to experience all the richness and warmth of brotherhood. Your son needs this experience not only for his own benefit, but also because his Obligation will require unusual devotion to the work of bringing the spirit of the Order back to his own troop.

            The benefits of such a challenge are numerous. As far as personal gain, your son will emerge a better, stronger leader. He will know how to endure the rigors of strong leadership. He will have a better sense of personal spirit, achievement, and goal. Being a member of the Order of the Arrow is also recognized by colleges and helps with being accepted. If your son continues with the Order, he will have the chance to become part of the leadership that runs it. The Order is a youth run organization all the way to the national level. Your son will have the chance to run for positions like Lodge Chief and Section Chief. If your son becomes Section Chief, he will have the chance to run for Region Chief or National Chief. The National Chief gets to meet the President of the United States when he proposes the Order of the Arrow annual report. Any of these positions as chief, look outstanding on a college resume, some, even better than Eagle Scout. If your son does not wish to be a Lodge officer, he can still participate in committees, such as the trading post, ceremonies, the Native American dance team, elangomats, etc. (For those who don’t know, the Native American dance team travels to different cub scout packs where they do Native American dances, story telling, and participation dances. It’s fun and educational. For more information on the dance team, go to www.nachanimat.org.)

            Besides leadership opportunities, your son will have different high adventure opportunities offered to him as well. Such high adventure programs include OA Ocean Adventure at Florida Sea Base, OA Trail Crew at Philmont Scout Ranch, and OA Wilderness Voyage at Northern Tier. These programs parallel the regular program offered to troops, but are far much cheaper. For more information on these high adventure opportunities, visit www.adventure.oa-bsa.org.

            In addition to all of these great opportunities, the Order of the Arrow holds an event called NOAC (National Order of the Arrow Conference) which is the second largest Boy Scout event next to the National Jamboree. At a NOAC, thousands of Arrowmen from around the world gather at a college campus for one week during the summer. There they participate in awesome activities, see stunning shows, make new friends, and enroll in training seminars. NOAC, described by people who have gone, is an unforgettable experience.

            There is not enough room in this letter to explain every opportunity, detail, and benefit offered by the Order. If you’re interested in finding out more, you can go to the national website, www.oa-bsa.org, or to the lodge website, www.nachanimat.org. If you still have unanswered questions, feel free to contact Mr. Breslauer at (914) 513-4378, or by email, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . We will be sending you and your son more information concerning events after his Ordeal. During the weekend, your son will be given a list of upcoming events in the lodge. Registration forms for these events can be found on the lodge’s website.

            Once again, on behalf of the entire Nacha Nimat Lodge, I wish to congratulate you and your son!

                                    Sincerely,

                                    Lodge Key 3