The Order of the Arrow Ceremonies are very near and dear to many Arrowmen’s hearts, mine included. In an effort to observe and preserve the traditions of the Order, I recently had the pleasure of reaching out to Jay Dunbar via email. Jay served as a Chief in Na Tsi Hi Lodge back in 1968. He received the Vigil Honor in 1968, was Area (Section) Chief in 1971, and received the Distinguished Service Award in 1977. As a member of the Ceremonial Advisory Group he authored our current pre-Ordeal Ceremony (1979), and subsequently our current Brotherhood Ceremony, which became official in our centennial year (2015). He is also the author of the booklet ‘The Drum: a training aid for ceremonial teams’ and a card game called Or-Deal, designed to simulate planning for a successful Ordeal weekend. He even saved the OA program at Forestburg from being discontinued while serving as Lodge Chief and FSR staffer. After we connected and shared our passion for the ceremonies, he mailed me some historic texts, including older versions of the pre-Ordeal, Ordeal, and Brotherhood ceremonies, The Drum, and Or Deal: The Card Game. I’ve been living by the moral lessons found in the tales he wrote for quite some time now, long before I ever even heard them. And now that I truly understand them on a deeper level, I believe I always will. One cool fact I learned: it turns out we both share the same favorite principal in the ceremony. Jay Dunbar actually coined the term principals. He’s also the creator of The Brotherhood Hike. In fact, some of the imagery in that ceremony is inspired by what you can see, hear, and feel at Forestburg. And if you’ve ever been to Forestburg, you know how powerful that is. In the Order of the Arrow, we often refer to each other as either Arrowmen or Brothers. We’re all brothers in the sense that we click, we’re alike in many meaningful ways. I mention this because, in the emails Jay and I wrote to each other, we addressed one another as Brother. This is significant because we had never met, yet we opened up to each other as Brothers, sharing our memories and thoughts on the ceremonies that make them feel truly personal. They speak directly to you, especially while leading in Scouting. Jay, I’m truly grateful we had the chance to connect and share our thoughts and feelings about the tales you wrote. It really is something special. I encourage all Ordeal members who are eligible for Brotherhood to take the opportunity. Not only that, it’s one of the most meaningful experiences you can have, especially by doing it at Forestburg. Personally, I’ve found that I become great friends with other Arrowman very easily. So again, I encourage you to become a Brotherhood member, not because we want to boost our numbers or anything like that but because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to share something special with others that will stay with you forever. See you on the trail, Thomas O.
Brotherhood: A Deeper Understanding
