The Guild of Induction Experience Designers (the GIED) is a think tank of Order of the Arrow members who develop induction programs. We are independent, unofficial, and have no official relationship with the National OA Committee or any part of the Boy Scouts of America. So NONE OF THE MATERIALS ON THIS SITE ARE OFFICIAL. We are all Vigil Honor members, deeply interested and involved in the induction, but have a variety of experience and expertise.
Link to more information about the GIED
New! WE CREATED INTERNATIONAL CEREMONIES
Throughout the Order of the Arrow’s history, it has been believed that the OA can only be used by the Boy Scouts of America (aka Scouting America). The founder of the Order, Dr. E. Urner Goodman, actually corresponded with Baden-Powel, the founder of world-wide Scouting, considering the possibility of other Scout associations adopting the Order of the Arrow. But because of the heavy dependence on American Indian lore back then, they concluded that it didn’t fit in countries without American Indians.
But the principles and methods of the OA aren’t based on Indian culture. They are universal. They were right, however, that the OA requires a backdrop of primitive culture to convey the primitive roots of its experiences: the physical tests of the Ordeal, the symbolic tests of the Brotherhood, and the Vigil.
So using a universal primitive cultural background that we call “An Ancient Hunter“, we have found a way to go international.
Visit AncientCircleOfTheArrow.org to see what such ceremonies look like.
LEGEND OF AN ANCIENT HUNTER
Cave painting of an ancient hunter
WHAT DOES OUR PRINCIPLE OF “BROTHERHOOD” MEAN? IS IT EXCLUSIONARY?
OUR PROPOSED OA MEMBERSHIP CEREMONY – NEW (AND TRUE) LEGENDS, NO FALSE CLAIMS
Years ago the National Order of the Arrow Committee indicated that a review of the role of Indian lore in the OA was being conducted. It was even being openly suggested that Indian lore might even be completely phased out of the Order. We now have a partial answer. Any use of Indian lore in a lodge is dependent on the lodge having a written agreement with a local tribe.
However, we have seen nothing yet regarding the existing Indian lore in our ceremony texts. Our legends state that the Order of the Arrow is associated with an actual pre-existing Native American brotherhood. This is not true. In response to this issue, we previously created alternative induction ceremonies and proposed them to the Committee.
Monograph on Indian Lore in the OA
It is the purpose of this paper to review the Order’s history with Native American culture and detail potential issues remaining to be addressed.
Link to: Monograph on Indian Culture in the OA
See also: Why Indian Lore?
Our Obligation is Misunderstood
Are you ready to learn something about our Obligation? Click here!
Comparison of Our Proposed Legend of the First Elangomat
with the Order’s Original Legend
Ideals of the Elangomat System