EXTENDED ELANGOMAT PROGRAM: ENHANCING AN EXISTING PROGRAM

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Hannah Todd
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1 49B EXTENDED ELANGOMAT PROGRAM: ENHANCING AN EXISTING PROGRAM Session Length: 50 Minutes Learning objectives: Understand the objectives and methods of the extended elangomat program. Explore some methods that may be used to enhance an existing extended elangomat program in the lodge. Learn how to evaluate the success of an existing extended elangomat program. Required Materials: Flipcharts Flipchart markers Power Point presentation file Video Clips of The Patriot TRAINER PREPARATION Type of Trainer The session trainer should be very knowledgeable concerning Ordeal management, including the elangomat program as well as the extended elangomat program. This is important as many questions about how the elangomat fits into the Ordeal process may arise. Please refer to the Guide to Inductions for assistance. The trainer should also be highly energetic, enthusiastic and leverage his past training experiences in order to create enthusiasm among the participants. Use of Resource Materials If the trainer decides to do use the PowerPoint presentation they will need another flipchart to write on for the brainstorming session, or develop another method for recording audience responses. Trainer Checklist prior to the session Study this syllabus Review support materials provided Prepare Flip Chart Order of the Arrow 49B 1 Boy Scouts of America

2 SESSION NARRATIVE Through this session, we will be exploring ways to enhance an existing extended elangomat program, often called a nimat program. (For this session, we will be using the term nimat to refer to the extended elangomat program. In Lenni Lenape, nimat means brother.) This session will cover ways to better utilize nimats in the lodge program, best methods for recruiting nimats, ensuring proper recognition of nimats, understanding the role of a nimat, and how to measure the success of your nimat program. Flip Chart to #1 Enhancing the Extended Elangomat Program / Title Stage Left Chart Trainer Tip: The session trainer should introduce himself and the topic. He should provide information on his Order of the Arrow experience, what lodge/chapter and city he is from and any other relevant items of interest. Although this session narrative is written in the first person, trainers should not read directly from the syllabus and work to develop their own style of delivery while maintaining the integrity of the content. Flip Chart to #2 Inspirational Quote Stage Left Chart Introduction: 3-4 Minutes Open the session with this quote: For, said he, who serves his fellows, is, of all his fellows, greatest! -- Chingachgook, from the Legend of our Order Use this quote to set the tone for the Nimat program. Explain that serving as a Nimat goes above and beyond what some might see as the duty of an Arrowman, but it is vital to the success and growth of our Order in years to come. Explain how your lodge s nimat program is currently structured and implemented, and that today you are going to offer some other alternatives to the way it is currently run. Flip Chart to # 3 Understanding the Nimat Role Stage Left Chart Flip Chart to # 4 BRAINSTORMING: Understanding the Nimat Role Stage Right Blank Chart Understanding the Role of a Nimat: 6-8 Minutes Ask the audience what they think the role of a nimat is in your lodge. List their responses on a blank flipchart. Point out that you are asking for a list of what a nimat s job is, not a list of characteristics or qualities. It s important to define who and what you re talking about before we go any further. Answers should include: A coach for new members, to give them direction from the end of the Ordeal until they seal their membership by attaining Brotherhood Membership. A teacher to new members, assuring that they understand the significance behind the Ordeal and it s process, the Obligation, the Admonition, the Handshake, the Song of our Order, and the Sign of the Ordeal such that they can meet all of the qualifications for Brotherhood membership. A friend and brother to a new Arrowman, to make them feel welcomed and to extend a personal invitation to attend chapter and lodge functions to get them involved. Order of the Arrow 49B 2 Boy Scouts of America

3 Trainer Tip: All of these responsibilities are vital to having a successful nimat. Be sure that each is discussed, as well as the reasoning behind it. Once you have defined the role of a nimat, then we all know what the job is that is being discussed. Flip Chart to # 5 Recruiting Nimats Stage Left Chart Flip Chart to # 6 BRAINSTORMING: Recruiting Nimats Stage Right Blank Chart Best Methods for Recruiting Nimats: 7-9 Minutes So where do nimats come from? The ideal situation would be for the elangomat of a clan to continue on and become the nimat of that same clan. But that is not always possible or desirable. What if the elangomat was not a good one? What if he was unable to be the nimat because he is unavailable for the next year? What if there were too many candidates in his clan for him to handle? All of those questions lead to the obvious answer: you need other nimats. Recruiting this type of person can be very difficult. Should you use the shotgun style of recruiting for getting new nimats that is asking a large group of people do you want to volunteer? What s wrong with using that method? You ll get volunteers using that method, but are you getting the type of people that you want? Instead, it s often best to use a one-on-one recruiting method. Ask your inductions committee for names of good people that meet your expectations of what a nimat is. Then directly ask them to serve as a nimat. This should be done in person, preferably face-to-face, but can be done over the phone if necessary. If you ask them by letter or , its very easy for them to say no or to simply ignore it. But if you ask them directly and give them a chance to ask questions and clarify exactly what you re asking, it s much more difficult for them to say no. There are some folks in the lodge that may not be willing to serve as an elangomat because they are unwilling or unable to go through the Ordeal experience again, but are more than willing to serve the lodge. Well here is their chance! Before you can recruit good nimats, you must first decide on what you want those people to be like. Ask the audience to list the qualities and characteristics that a nimat should have. Their answers should include: A Brotherhood member (you can t expect a nimat to help someone become a Brotherhood member, if they are not one themselves) Knowledgeable about the history and traditions of the Order of the Arrow and the Ordeal. Active in chapter and lodge, and attends chapter and lodge events regularly Organized and easily contacted (so the lodge can contact them about the status of a new member and so the new member can contact the nimat with questions) Age appropriate for the new member (a 14 year old new scout may not call on a 50 year old adult as easily as he would a 20 year old) Someone who could be an inspiration to others (by living the OA Obligation, Scout Oath and Law) Trainer Tip: Be sure that all of these qualities and characteristics are discussed, as well as the reason why they are important for a nimat to have. Remind participants that a nimat is someone that these new members are going to be in contact with for the next 1-2 years, that they are going to be the example of what the Order of the Arrow is to these new members, so we want nimats to set a good and proper first impression for new Arrowmen. The key to recruiting good nimats is simple: develop a good list (with input from many people, like your inductions committee), ask them directly (in person is best, not by letter), give them a job description of Order of the Arrow 49B 3 Boy Scouts of America

4 exactly what you re asking (in writing, so that both the potential nimat and yourself know exactly what you re asking), and give them the chance to ask questions (so that they don t say no!). Flip Chart to # 7 Utilizing Nimats Stage Left Chart Utilizing Nimats in the Lodge Program: 5-7 Minutes So you ve recruited a great group of nimats, now what do you do with them? One of the important points to remember with your nimat team is to not overload them with too much. Make sure they have no more than 8 new Arrowmen to keep track of for the next year. Many more than that, staying in touch with all of them will be very difficult. So how do you decide who s going to be a nimat for who? Should you group new Arrowmen by the clans that they served with at the Ordeal? Do you group them by chapter? Or by geographic location? Keep these things in mind: Grouping by Ordeal Clan: This can be a very effective and meaningful way if the nimat was also the clan s elangomat. Grouping by Chapter: If you divide your new Arrowmen after their Ordeal (and the nimat was not an elangomat at the Ordeal), then this may be the better way. In this method, the nimat would contact people that are local to him, and there is a better chance that the nimat would see each new Arrowman more often, such as district camporees, chapter meetings, etc. Keep in mind that a nimat should not replace an OA Troop/Team Representative or take over his job. It is the nimat s job to remind the new member of upcoming events, just like the OATR, but nimat only does it for the next year, and only to the point to try to get the new Arrowman active and to ensure that he can meet all of the qualifications for Brotherhood Membership. Promotion of events and reminders from the lodge and chapter should still be directed through the unit s OA Representative. Nimats should also become some of your best recruiters for the chapter and lodge. Because nimats should be working closely with 6-8 new Arrowmen over a year s time, they should get to know them fairly well. Through that relationship, the nimat should be able to suggest ways that these new Arrowmen can become involved on the chapter and lodge level. The nimat can make these suggestions to the new Arrowman as well as to chapter and lodge officers and advisers. Making sure that new members become actively involved in a chapter or lodge committee is another key to membership retention of these new members. Flip Chart to # 8 Nimat Recognition Stage Left Chart Flip Chart to # 9 BRAINSTORMING: Recognition Items Stage Right Blank Chart Ensuring Proper Recognition of Nimats: 6-8 Minutes Without proper recognition of the long and, at times, difficult tasks a nimat has, you will not retain these nimats for future service nor be able to recruit new nimats. Every lodge should have a unique and significant recognition item for those Arrowmen that successfully serve as a nimat. Keep in mind that you should reward those nimats that have successfully served. How do you measure that success? Maybe you have a necessary percentage of the new Arrowmen they are responsible for convert to Brotherhood membership. Maybe you should required that the nimat attend x number of lodge and chapter events during his term of service. Recognizing all nimats is vital, such as recognizing them at a lodge banquet or at a camporee in front of their fellow Scouts and Arrowmen, but you should give special recognition to those that have been successful in what you have asked them to do. So what is a proper way to recognize a nimat? Divide the audience into buzz groups and give them 3-4 minutes to answer the question What is an appropriate way to recognize nimats? and keep in mind that the reward should mirror all of the hard work and dedication that they put into being a nimat. Order of the Arrow 49B 4 Boy Scouts of America

5 Trainer Tip: Remind the groups their task is simply to come up with ideas for recognition, and that they should pay no attention to how much it would cost, how realistic it would be to produce, etc. Ask for 2-3 answers from each group and post them on a blank chart. Answers might include a special patch or special edition of the lodge flap, a special belt buckle, hat, golf shirt, plaque or award, special recognition dinner at a lodge event, recognition in the lodge and/or council newsletter, etc. Flip Chart to # 10 Measuring Success Stage Left Chart Flip Chart to # 11 BRAINSTORMING: Measuring Success Stage Right Blank Chart Measuring success of an existing nimat program: 6-8 Minutes This session is focused on the lodge that has a nimat program, but needs some direction in improving or enhancing their current program. Many lodges may already be using the nimat program, but are not reaping all of the benefits that should develop from the program. Start by asking those present How successful is our nimat program? Then ask the audience to list the expected benefits that a successful nimat program should provide. Answers should include: Higher retention rate of new members Increased Brotherhood conversion of new members More active members (because they should be more educated about the OA, what we do, and the opportunities we provide) Increase in number of elangomats and nimats in future years (because a new member s elangomat or nimat was an inspiration and example to them. Also, nimats should start to recruit other nimats). Trainer Tip: You should have the expected outcomes listed on a separate flip chart or PowerPoint slide ready for display following the audience s responses. Use the prepared flipchart to compare the responses. These are the expectations you should have of a successful nimat program. To achieve this level of success is difficult to begin with. You are asking members of your lodge who are volunteering to become nimats to commit to an additional 1-2 years of active service beyond the Ordeal, to help new members seal their membership in the Order of the Arrow. That is no small commitment. There is no easy way to do it either, except to simply ask. Without an attractive incentive for them to volunteer to serve, you will get little to no volunteers for the task. Conclusion: 3-4 Minutes A successful nimat program can be a very difficult to start, and can prove to be an equally daunting task to keep going strong. A dedicated inductions committee, and perhaps even a nimat committee, is necessary to keep a successful program going from one year to the next. The involvement of a committee for this program is necessary, if for no reason other than recruiting purposes having several people out looking for new potential nimats and having the right person to ask them to serve in this position. Once your group of nimats is recruited and you assign them 6-8 new members to mentor on the Brotherhood trail, there must be proper and significant recognition given to them to motivate them. Order of the Arrow 49B 5 Boy Scouts of America

6 APPENDIX: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Why do we need to recognize nimats in such a significant manner? Recognition of those Arrowmen who successfully serve as nimats serves a two-fold purpose. One is to give someone a reason to volunteer to be a nimat. You re asking an Arrowman to commit to an additional duty of mentoring and coaching 6-8 new Arrowmen for the next months until they seal their membership in the Order. That s a huge time commitment on their behalf, so they need an adequate reward. The other purpose behind a significant recognition piece is to give them an incentive to finish the job. They may volunteer just to get the patch, and then not finish the job. Awarding the recognition after a successful term in which they have performed what you have asked gives them incentive to actively mentor new members until they complete their Brotherhood Ceremony. Order of the Arrow 49B 6 Boy Scouts of America

7 APPENDIX: FLIPCHART SUGGESTIONS The following is a recommended list of flip chart pages that can be used for visual presentation. The Extended Elangomat (Nimat) Program For, said he, who serves his fellows, is, of all his fellows, greatest! -- Chingachgook, from the Legend of our Order Understanding the Role of the Nimat (Brainstorming) 1 Your Name Your Lodge/Chapter 2 3 Understanding the Role of the Nimat A coach A teacher A brother Recruiting Nimats (Brainstorming) Where do Nimats come from? Recruiting Nimats What are the qualities & characteristics of a nimat? Order of the Arrow 49B 7 Boy Scouts of America

8 Recruiting Nimats What are the qualities & characteristics of a nimat? A Brotherhood Member Knowledge of history & traditions Active Organized and easy to contact Age appropriate for group An inspiration! Utilizing Nimats Appropriate number of new members How do you assign new members to nimats? Nimat does not replace OATR Nimats are recruiters Recognizing Nimats What is an appropriate way to recognize nimats? Recognizing Nimats Requirements for recognitions item Does every nimat receive it? What about those that didn t achieve the goals set for nimats? When to do it? Where to do it? Measuring Success What should you expect from a successful nimat program? Measuring Success What should you expect from a successful nimat program? Higher retention rate Increased Brotherhood Conversion More active Arrowmen Increase in number of elangomats and nimats in future APPENDIX: SOURCE MATERIALS AND RESOUCES Guide to Inductions (No. 4997B) Order of the Arrow 49B 8 Boy Scouts of America

ORDEAL MANAGEMENT TRAINER PREPARATION. Order of the Arrow 34 1 Boy Scouts of America. Session Length: 50 Minutes

ORDEAL MANAGEMENT TRAINER PREPARATION. Order of the Arrow 34 1 Boy Scouts of America. Session Length: 50 Minutes 34 ORDEAL MANAGEMENT Session Length: 50 Minutes Learning objectives: At the end of this session, participants will:! Understand how to properly plan an Ordeal/ Induction weekend! Understand the offices