EFFECTIVE CEREMONY PERFORMANCE

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EFFECTIVE CEREMONYPERFORMANCE
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AWAKE MY FRIENDS!

• These are among the first three words that
  Nutiket speaks at the Ceremonial grounds of each
  respective lodge. Since these are the first words
  that every prospective Arrowman will hear, repeat
  them here too!

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Setting the Table

• Its dusk out and you stand with the only things
  that will
• carry you through your nightly journey. You
  have seen 15
• blazes in some form or fashion and before you,
  you see four young men dressed in Indian attire.
  What is to happen next is still a mystery to you.
  Perhaps you heard the voices of those four as
  they invested before the Ceremony. Perhaps you
  stood in anticipation as they rendered the
  opening rights of the Ceremony declaring their
  acknowledgement that Some have been found but
  you werent quite sure what that might mean. The
  ceremony that awaits is still a mystery to you.

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A stroll down memory lane

• What was your first memory of that ceremony?
• What do your chapters do to make that experience
  unique?
• What did the Characters do to make that an
  exciting and unique experience?

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The Induction Sequence

• Election The member is selected by his fellow
  scouts, the ones who know him best, to be a
• candidate for the order. This is also a chance
  to promote the order and what it means.
• Call Out The candidates are recognized publicly
  for being elected. This could be for many scouts
• the only exposure they get of the Orders
  ceremonies. The Call Out can make a huge
  impression
• on potential future members if done right.
• Pre Ordeal Ceremony The ceremony introduces the
  candidates to the principles of the
• order, and what they will be doing to come to
  part with those values.
• The Ordeal The candidates complete the tasks
  given to them during the pre-ordeal ceremony.
• This is a time to reflect on their own personal
  values, and to have the orders values instilled
  in
• them. This is where the candidates learn to be
  Arrowmen through experience.

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The Induction Sequence

• Ordeal Ceremony The candidates become members
  of the order and take the obligation to a life
• of cheerful service. During this ceremony, the
  new members learn of what they have done over
• the course of the weekend, and what it means.
• New Member Orientation Here, the new members
  receive instruction on what the Order is,
• and how it functions. They should be given time
  to meet with their chapters, and given the
• opportunity to begin to understand how they can
  take part in the OA. This is one of the most
• important parts of the induction because this is
  what will set the Arrowmen up for success by
• giving him an opportunity to do something.
• Journey to Brotherhood During this time, the
  member learns more of the customs and raditions
• of the Order and practices them in his daily
  life. He participates in the sessions of the
  lodge, and
• lends a helping hand.
• Brotherhood Ceremony Once the member has
  completed the necessary requirements, and feels
• he is ready, he may participate in the
  Brotherhood ceremony. This is a time to learn
  even more
• about the order, and reaffirm his obligation, and
  commit to a role of leadership within the lodge.

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First Things First

• Now that all have gone through the ceremony and
  have an
• idea of whats going on, its time to provoke
  thought. Before
• one can effectively perform a ceremony they must
  realize the
• purpose of the ceremony. It would be hard for a
  professional
• athlete to excel in their respective sport if
  they did not know
• the rules of their sport. While some
  ceremonialist can
• perform excellent ceremonies without ever looking
  in the
• Guide to Inductions, this training cell can be
  used to educate
• them on the broader picture. Ask the following
• What is a ceremony?
• What is the purpose of ceremonies?

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Who are we personifying?

• This stage in the game may be review for more
  seasoned
• veterans or brand new for the newest of ceremony
  team
• members and advisers. The record must be set
  straight
• and the members must know the basic
  characteristics of
• the characters of which they are personifying.
  Knowing
• the true characteristics, nature, tasks, and
  goals of each
• character will give them a better idea of how to
  personify
• them at ceremonies time.

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Each of the Principles is unique, both in their
position and duties within the Lodge, and also by
their regalia.
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• Allowat Sakima, the mighty chief, symbolizes
• service. From him you accepted the Obligation
• of the Order.
• Kichkinet is your guide in the Ceremonies.
• He symbolizes helpfulness and friendliness.

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• Meteu is the Medicine man of the group. He
• represents brotherhood, and reminds us of
• our need to Love One Another.
• Nutiket is the guard of the circle. He upholds
• the tradition of cheerfulness.

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Playing the Part

• Is a ceremony more like an actor on stage or a
  teacher in a classroom? What is the purpose of
  ceremonies? Right, to communicate the meaning of
  the Order.
• Is a ceremony more like a classroom or like a
  play? A ceremony is more like a teacher
• in a classroom than an actor on stage. Actors
  entertain, but teachers provide knowledge.

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Playing the Part

• Can you have a little bit of both? Certainly, but
  if the theatrics are distracting from the meaning
  then you are failing. To quote an old training
  maxim
• Teaching is only effective when learning takes
  place. Ceremonies are only effective if the
  Orders meaning is communicated.

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Playing the Part

• So, what does all this mean? The most
• important job of a ceremony is to deliver the
• meaning of the Order. This means that
• performers must be loud enough to be heard,
• slow enough to be understood, and emphatic
• enough to keep attention.

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Speak Up

• When we talk to our family members and friends we
  have
• at times been asked to speak up because of
  inaudibility,
• and speak clearly because we cant be understood.
  We
• have also learned the art of personifying certain
  moods in
• order to accomplish a task or to convey an idea.
  Most
• know exactly how to speak and what to say when
  they
• are petitioning their parents for certain objects
  or
• opportunities. The same arts must be learned when
  
• conveying points in a ceremony.

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Pace

• When we talk to each other we go at a pace that
  is
• unacceptable for ceremonies. Why do ceremonies
• have to be so much slower than teachers in a
  classroom
• or a casual conservation? Well riddle me this
  How often
• do we talk in metaphors? Candidates need time to
• process what is being said to them. They need
  time to
• figure out that the brighter fire is within them
  or why
• exactly do they have to be silent. A slow
  ceremony with a
• few emphatic pauses allows the candidates to make
  
• sense out of what is being said.

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Emphasis

• This is the one area that separates great
  ceremonialist from average ones.
• As pointed out earlier, if it distracts from the
  overall messages in the
• ceremony then it is not a good idea. Each
  principle character as discussed
• earlier has certain traits and values that they
  represent. They each have
• certain tasks that they must impart. Thus,
  gestures to help visualize these
• traits and tasks are opened and encouraged.
  However, the gestures that are
• employed must make sense. Gestures are not sign
  language, there is no need
• have a gesture for every single word that is
  said. However gestures that are
• employed to help signify a bigger theme are
  widely successful. Gestures
• should flow with the language and the persona of
  the character. This goes for
• everything from facial features to hand motions
  to movement.

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Gestures

• There is no gesture guide to show which gesture
  to do at
• what time. A lot of these gestures are going to
  come as
• you dive into the character. As you study their
  traits and what
• they represent. It is a good idea to see how
  others do it. Now
• all ceremonialists are not created equal but some
  have really
• good ideas and it can be a learning experience to
  see others in
• your craft. Ultimately a lot of time in practice
  will best serve
• the task reciting the words and figuring out
  which gestures
• would best fit the part and how the ceremonialist
  can employ
• the movement into the performance.

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• Quick thoughts on gestures
• Practice in front of a mirror avoid the
  arms-crossed and fig-leaf positions.
• Use a video camera.
• Draw out the part, then try to gesture the
  pictures.

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The Four Ms to performing Effective Ceremonies

• Memorization
• The performer must learn his part. And this goes
  beyond just memorizing it.
• The performer must be able to deliver the part
  during the ceremony.
• around reciting as a memory check it needs to be
  flawless because once the
• performer starts doing it during the ceremony and
  his nerves kick in he needs
• to be able to recall that information. It needs
  to be second nature. It needs to
• be a part of the performer himself because on top
  of the nerves the
• performer also needs to be loud enough, slow
  enough, and emphatic enough
• for there to be meaning. So, there are the three
  elements of a good
• ceremony that performers must accomplish in
  addition to their lines. The
• brain can only do so much, so, get the parts
  engrained.

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• Meaning
• The performer needs to be aware of the
  significance of his part
• because if he is unaware there is no way he can
  convey it. What role
• does my principle play? What are his challenges?
  What is his
• personality? What do the totems represent? Why am
  I giving this
• challenge? All these questionsand moreneed to
  be answered
• before the part can be effectively delivered.
  People in the theatrical
• world would call this the subtext of the part. We
  memorized the words
• first and now we memorize the meaning.

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• Motions
• The performer needs to find appropriate hand
• motions that are significant without creating a
• distraction. Simple gestures go a long way, but
• good performances find the balance between
• nothing and too much.

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• Make them cry
• This is the performance. This is when the passion
  of the
• ceremony meets the other three for a synthesis
  that results in
• a meaningful presentation. A good ceremony
  invokes
• powerful emotions which should have powerful
  results. What
• is takes to make them cry is almost indefinable.
  It comes from
• the performers confidence which can only be
  achieved if the
• first three steps are completed. At national
  conference, this is
• called transcendence.

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Memorization Techniques

• Chunking
• When you look at the ceremonies like
• the pre-ordeal and so on you will notice that
• they are divided into sections. Going from
• punctuation to punctuation rather than line by
  line
• will give the ceremonialist a complete thought. A
  
• series of sentences related to the same idea is a
• chunk, and can be delivered more naturally like
  
• we talk in real life.

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• Recitation
• Once you have learned the part, recite it. Recite
• it when you are playing cards with friends.
• Recite it when you are on a hike with your scout
• troop. Recite it while youre in the shower.
• Recite it before you go to bed. Recitewell I
• think you get the point.

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• Make a tape
• Record an mp3 on your computer while you
• read the text how youd like to deliver it.
  Later,
• listen to the recording to help you remember
• the words. This can also be done with video to
• combine audio with visual cues such as gestures.

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Conclusion

• Weve covered the purpose of ceremonies.
• Understand the importance of knowing and
• effectively presenting your character.
• Understand how to personify your character
• through voice, presence, and motion.
• Discuss different effective learning techniques
  for
• ceremonies.

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