[15260] in APO-L
Re: As an Eagle must fly, so must we.
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Peter Caracappa)
Tue Nov 5 13:10:06 1996
Date: Tue, 5 Nov 1996 13:06:40 -0500
Reply-To: caracp3@RPI.EDU
From: Peter Caracappa <caracp3@RPI.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list APO-L <APO-L@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
In-Reply-To: <199611051649.LAA18560@mail1.its.rpi.edu> from "Ellen Kranzer" at
Nov 5, 96 11:39:59 am
> I've been told that there was a major re-write of the OA ceremonies done in
> the 60s by a group of APO brothers and that they based the OA ceremonies on
> the APO ritual. Anybody know anything about the history of the OA ritual
> for real. What I know is basically 'chapter lore' (brothers from my home
> chapter were involved in the OA rewrite). How old is the OA anyhow? Does
> it date to the beginnings of the BSA or did it come later?
>
Although I don't want to stray too far off the topic, I'll comment on this.
I can't say that I know anything about a rewrite by APO brothers, but the OA
ritual has stayed more or less the same since the early 1950s. The changes
that have occured have been primarily samantic (sp?) or based on legal or
health issues (for instance, back in the day, there was a ceremony where blood
was drawn and shared between the members -- that obviously no longer happens.)
As far as Ellen's question about the founding, the Order of the Arrow was
founded in 1915 (five years after the founding of the BSA). Being from a
lodge in the same section as Unami 1, I was able to see the lodge perform a
re-enactment of the origninal 1915 ceremony when we had the 75th aniversary
Conclave at Treasure Island (the camp where it was founded). Although it was
_very_ different as far as a lot of the symbology, the layout was still
similar - review of the challenges (some of which actually took place _in_ the
ceremony), explanation of symbology, and sharing of "secret stuff".
I don't know that there is a direct link between the ceremonies, I'm sure there
was one way or the other. Which came first, though, in its present incarnation
I don't know.
Peter
--
Peter F. Caracappa - "Oblong" "Cup-a-Cocoa"
caracp3@rpi.edu
Alpha Phi Omega Brother - Epsilon Zeta Chapter
Fall '96 Membership Vice-President (mvp@apo.union.rpi.edu)
-- "Reality is for those with no imagination"
