Elangomat Stories

[{"id":108,"title":"Proto-Elangomat","content":"No one in my lodge had heard of the Elangomat program. Going through the Ordeal with the candidates was unknown.\n\nAttending an Ordeal as a member, I forgot my tent. Embarrassed, I pretended I didn\u2019t want to use a tent. \nThat I wanted to sleep alone like a candidate, without a tent. \n\nNext Ordeal, I remembered to bring my tent. But decided it was fun to go through the Ordeal. So again I slept alone, without a tent. And worked alongside the candidates.\n\nWhen my lodge learned of the Elangomat program, they declared me their first Elangomat and put me in charge of the program. My example helped. We had no difficulty finding volunteers."},{"id":111,"title":"They Took Me Off Silence","content":"Two candidates were talking to each other incessantly when they were off to the side. Probably knew each other, and it was just natural. I took them aside,. pointed out that they had taken ME off silence and I did not like that. Gave them the choice to quit. That this was voluntary. They could stay in the air-conditioned mess hall, eat, and relax. They looked at me in horror. Nodded violently sideways \u201cno\u201d. I smiled and said, \u201cOk. You get to start with a clean slate.\u201d Shook each of their hands with the Scout handclasp. Turned and walked away from them; I did not \u201ccheck on them\u201d. At a later OA event, one of them identified me as \u201cthe guy that told us how important this was to him\u201d."},{"id":113,"title":"The Last Hour","content":"As Elangomats, we know when the work stops. The candidates do not; they are never given schedules. I believe that how I conduct myself that last hour, how hard I work when so very worn out \u2014 that is what is remembered. I remember an Ordeal when we were pulling up weeds in the overgrown Rangers Compound. It was about a half hour left. I sat down to rest, held up my water bottle and drank a little so they would do likewise. It wasn\u2019t easy to get up and return to work. I did so without even looking back. They joined me. I\u2019m glad I got up rather than ending early."},{"id":142,"title":"A Chapter Chief that Changed","content":"Our lodge had chapter-level Ordeals back then. After my chapter adopted the Elangomat program, I started attending the Ordeals of other chapters, setting the example as if I were an Elangomat, even though they were not using it. \n\nAt one Ordeal, the Chapter Chief took me aside and told me to stop doing the tests with the candidates. I guess he was offended by it not being the tradition he was familiar with. He even said he would have me kicked out of the activity. I remained silent and went back to work. He may have realized that his advisor might not support him.\n\nAt his chapter\u2019s Ordeal the next year, the same thing happened again. He was past chief, of course. But he insisted that he would not put up with this anymore. He was certain that the chief and his advisor would remove me. I told him they couldn\u2019t. He became angry. I pointed out that I was the lodge ceremonial chairman now, and my duties included attending the chapter Ordeals. I was spreading the Elangomat system as a part of my duties. He left without further comment.\n\nA few months later, he was bragging that he had been one of the first Elangomat supporters."},{"id":260,"title":"Only One Pressure Washer","content":"I had 3 candidates. Our primary tasks were to pressure wash two of the largest buildings in the center of camp. And remove the leaves and pine needles from their gutters. That kept 3 out of 4 of us busy. One to climb the ladder for gutter duty, one to spot the ladder for safety, and one to use the pressure washer. The pressure washer was tiring, so switching off was fine.\n\nBut I soon realized that we would finish the gutters before washing the buildings and their sidewalks. This would leave only one person working and the others waiting for their turn. There are always the fallback projects: cutting down undesired plants and picking up sticks and trash. But we needed more. So I looked around the area and saw a small hidden shelter that needed much work. Later, when we were running low on work, I led one of the candidates there and started cutting plants and removing cobwebs. This became her project, something she would remember. \n\nBy the end, they had caught the essence of the Order. Time on the pressure washer, the most tiring task, was coveted."},{"id":302,"title":"Teaching About Poverty","content":"As a little girl, I grew up in poverty in a foreign country. We moved to the U.S. At first, we lived in poverty here. I will never forget the poverty, ours and so many others. We worked hard, became successful, and I became a naturalized citizen. \n\nAs an adult Scouter, I took my Ordeal last year. This year, I was an Elangomat, and my daughter was elected to the Order of the Arrow and took her Ordeal. As we drove home, she asked me what the four tests meant. This was my answer.\n\nThe night alone shows what it is like to be homeless. The hard work and scant food tell us what it is like to live in poverty. The silence shows how those at the bottom are ignored, never heard."},{"id":309,"title":"The Restart","content":"We were removing the weeds from a primitive campsite that had become overgrown. We had built huge piles of weeds and sticks. But the candidates had become exhausted, so we all rested. Time to get back to work. My assistant and I got up. But they just lay there. This was a critical point. My assistant seemed ready to do the obvious thing: to gesture at this candidate to do this, that candidate to do that. I nodded no. We started, just the two of us, carrying the collected material to the road where it would be loaded into a truck. We worked while they watched. Finally, two got up and helped. Then the rest of them. It worked. The Ordeal restarted."},{"id":310,"title":"I Do Not Like to Talk as an Elangomat","content":"They have something called the morning talk. I\u2019m supposed to read this page that tells the candidates what the tests are. They heard it in the ceremony last night. They just got a Spirit of the Arrow booklet that told them again. And they will learn from me, my example. But I suppose that it is good to make real sure that they know. But I don\u2019t like to talk as an Elangomat. I prefer to use gestures or write notes when something needs to be communicated. We were walking past a campsite of Arrowmen. I pulled one aside and got him to read it instead."}]