Ordeal Planning

Sample Schedule:
FRIDAY
1700 2000
1900
2000 2030
2045
2200
SATURDAY
0700
0730
0800
0900
1200
1230
1330
1345
1500
1600
1645
1700
1815
1830
1945
2045
2100
2200
SUNDAY
0700
0715
0750
0800
0845

Candidates and members arrive at Camp Lions. Check in at Gregson Center.

Candidates proceed to Burton Center. Members sign up for service assignments.
Members assigned campsites by chapters.
Dinner for OA members. Elangomats report to Burton Center for tasks.
Candidates arranged into clans; members proceed to ceremony ring for PreOrdeal Ceremony. (Class A uniform and OA Sash required for members.)
First Pre-Ordeal Ceremony. Second ceremony begins 15 minutes after first
ceremony.
Taps
Candidates wake up.
Candidate Breakfast (in clans)
Members and Candidates assemble in Parade Field for the posting of Colors.
Member announcements and breakfast in Dining Hall.
Cheerful Service begins.
Candidate food transported to clans.
Candidate lunch. Members lunch in Dining Hall.
Cheerful Service Resumes.
Members seeking Brotherhood report to Burton Center.
Brotherhood Walk begins. (Class A uniform and OA Sash required.)
Brotherhood Ceremony begins. (Class A uniform and OA Sash required.)
Cheerful Service ends. Clans return all tools to Burton Center. Candidates
change into uniforms.
Members and Candidates assemble in Parade Field for the retiring of Colors and
announcements. (Class A uniform and OA Sash required.)
Candidate and member dinner in Dining Hall.
Members gather for first Ordeal Ceremony. (Class A uniform and OA Sash
required.) Candidates line up.
First Ordeal Ceremony begins.
Second Ordeal Ceremony begins; first ceremony has clan pictures taken.
Second ceremony has clan pictures taken.
Cracker Barrel and Lodge Job Fair.
Taps
Reveille
Scouts Own Service at Chapel (Class A uniform and OA Sash required.)
Members assemble in Parade Field for the posting of Colors and
announcements. (Class A uniform and OA Sash required.)
Breakfast in Dining Hall.
Lodge meeting and Jump Start in Dining Hall.
Chapter meetings after Jump Start. New Member Packets distributed at chapter
meeting
Clean-up assignments given out at chapter meetings.

Timelines:
Four Months prior to event :

Event Adviser selected by Lodge Adviser.

Event Chairman selected by Vice Chief of Operations, with approval of Lodge Vice Chief and
Lodge Chief.
Event Adviser and Event Chairman meet and discuss plans.
Event Chair begins work on patch design, menu, and event schedule with input from Adviser,
Lodge Cook Crew, Ceremonies Team Chair, Service Chair, Elangomat Chair, and Vice Chief of
Operations.
Event Adviser submits camp use permit to council.

Three Months Prior to event:

Event Chair presents proposed event menu, patch design, and schedule to Event Adviser.
Event Chair develops a communications plan for the event.
Event Chair contacts all Lodge Chairmen, Chiefs and Chapter Chiefs to ensure that they will have
a presentation ready for the Saturday night Job Fair.
Event Chair makes arrangements for Scouts Own Service Sunday morning.
Event Adviser forwards patch design and schedule to Lodge Adviser.
Event Adviser contacts event medic to ensure the weekend is covered
Event Adviser contacts Cook Crew Adviser to ensure the menu is acceptable.
Event Adviser contacts Ceremonies Team Adviser to ensure that scheduled times are acceptable
and that ceremony team is available to Deliver Candidate meals.
Event Adviser develops emergency action plan with input from Lodge Adviser, Camp Medic,
Camp Ranger, and Elangomat Adviser to address (at a minimum) inclement weather, medical
emergencies, lost missing youth.

Event Weekend

Event Adviser and Event Chair work together and with Elangomat Chair, Ceremonies Chair, Cook
Crew, Service Chair, Medic and Camp Ranger to fix issues as they arise to ensure a smooth event.
The schedule needs to be followed as closely as possible to minimize confusion. Changes will be
a major cause of friction with the members that came out to perform Cheerful Service.
Friday Night
Event Adviser ensures that schedules are delivered to Gregson Center prior to Member Check in.
Event Chair checks on arrangements for Scouts Own Service Sunday morning. (Make Sure
Chaplain/Chaplain Aid is available and prepared)
Event Chair assists Elangomat Chair with Clans.
Event Adviser ensures that there is a plan for the Clans in event of inclement weather, what
constitutes inclement weather, where the clans will be moved, who will make the decision and
who will convey the decision to the Elangomats.
Event Adviser and Chair both need to know where the clans will be bedded down.
Saturday
0630
Event Chair Checks on Clan Breakfast arrangements
0700
Event Chair Checks with Advisers and fellow chairs for any announcements that will
need to be made after colors.
0730
Event Chair Ensures that colors detail and flags are available for colors.
0845
Event Chair works directly with Service Chair and Elangomat Chair with Service
assignments.
1130
Event Chair makes sure that Candidate Lunch is on Schedule and adequate plans are
made to deliver food to the Clans

Throughout Afternoon, Event Chair should stay in close contact with Elangomat and Service
Chairs to ensure that the Clans are fully engaged and supplied with water.
1600
Event Chair Checks with Advisers and fellow chairs for any announcements that will
need to be made after colors.
1615
Event Chair Ensures that colors detail is available for colors.
After this point, the evening will take care of itself if adequate preparation and planning were
made.

Sunday
0700
Event Chair makes final checks for Scouts Own Service.
1000 (ish) Event Adviser makes arrangements with Camp Ranger for camp walk through after the
majority of members have departed.
TBD
Event Chair and Adviser walk through the camp with the Camp Ranger to ensure that the
camp is left clean. Event Chair and staff stand by to correct discrepancies.

Post Event

Event Chair develops a report for the Lodge Executive Committee with input from the relevant
Chairman and Advisers to be presented at the first LEC Meeting after the event.

Responsibilities
Event Adviser:
The Event Adviser is a volunteer approved by the Lodge Adviser. The Lodge Adviser has placed a great
deal of faith in your ability to execute this mission. If you run into any issues or have any questions at all
regarding how to proceed with any stage of the event, your first course of action should be to notify the
Lodge Adviser as quickly as is reasonably possible.
The Order of the Arrow is a youth run organization. Every decision and every action that can be made by a
youth should be delegated to the Youth Event Chairman. Your primary job is to ensure that the youth is
working within BSA and Order of the Arrow, policies and guidelines, and to provide advice when the youth
is not sure where to go for information. To the greatest extent possible, you should be a yes man to the
youth, only saying no if any plans stray from Scouting ideals.
To keep the event flowing smoothly, you need to communicate with the other Lodge Advisers to assure that
no one is blindsided. It is a youth run event, but as the Adviser, you should ensure that your chair has not
missed any steps.
In addition, you will be taking care of issues that require an adult, e.g. the camp use permit and checking
out with the ranger.

Elangomat Chair
The Elangomat Chair is in charge of the Candidates until they become Arrowmen. In this capacity he shall:

Ensure that there are enough Elangomats to cover the clans.

Ensure that there are standby Elangomats in case of illness or an Elangomat wants to take part in
the Brotherhood Walk.
Organizing the Candidates into clans.
Know the location of all of the clans at all times.
Selecting a site for the clans to camp on Friday night.
Have a contingency plan for the clans in case of inclement weather.
Ensure that the clans are fed
Ensure that the clans have access to water throughout the day of Cheerful Service.
The Elangomat Chair should work closely with the Service Chair and keep the Event Chair fully informed
of any issues, especially an issue that could impact the schedule.
The Elangomat Chair should have at least one assistant to help with record keeping.
At the end of the event, the Elangomat Chair shall provide a report to the Event Chair which will include
the number of Candidates that took part in the Ordeal, details of any issues that came up during the event
and any suggested improvements for future events.

Service Chair
The Service Chair shall develop a list of tasks to be completed at the Ordeal. The list should provide
valuable service to the camp and also keep the Candidates fully employed during the hours of cheerful
service.
Prior to the start of Cheerful Service, the Service Chair shall ensure that any tools needed for the project
which he has planned are readily available and serviceable.

Friday evening the Service Chair should be at the Gregson Center during member check in hours to recruit
members for jobs on Saturday.
Saturday morning the Service Chair should be stationed in the Burton Center with the Elangomat Chair and
the Event Chair before 0900 to ensure that they are ready to begin providing projects to the clans and
members at 0900.
The Service Chair should have at least one assistant to act as Quartermaster during the event for tool
accountability.
At the end of the event, the Service Chair shall provide a report to the Event Chair which will include the
total hours of service hours performed by the lodge, a list of tasks completed,, details of any issues that
came up during the event and any suggested improvements for future events.