| Firecrafter | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Owner | Crossroads of America Council | ||
| Location | Indiana | ||
| Country | United States | ||
| Founded | 1920 | ||
| Website http://www.firecrafter.org/ | |||
Firecrafter is a service organization within the Boy Scouts of America. Formed in 1920, the Firecrafter Organization mainly operates within the Crossroads of America Council, Indiana, but has been known to exist in other areas including Illinois and Texas.
Before the United States entered World War I, Francis O. Belzer was named the first Scout Executive of the Indianapolis Council in 1915 (known as the Indianapolis and Central Indiana Council from 1934 to 1942). With Scouting's early emphasis on athletics instead of Scoutcraft skills, many different ancillary programs were piloted throughout the United States to reinforce Scouting skills and its core values. One such program in place was the three-tiered rank system at Daniel Carter Beard's Culver Woodcraft Camp. Seeing a need for a new program in Indiana, in conjunction with Stanley L. Norton, assistant executive, and Rex Pruitt, Scoutmaster of Troop 46, Belzer created the Camper and Woodsman ranks in 1919 at Camp Chank-Tun-Un-Gi, located near Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis. The program was a success throughout the 1919 camping season, so Pruitt, Norton, and Belzer set out to create a third camp rank for the following summer. [1]
The "third and highest" rank was introduced, unnamed, in 1920. The first group of four young Woodsmen completed the requirements. It was custom to recognize the new Camper and Woodsman rank recipients at the last campfire of the camping week, and when it came time to recognize the four Scouts, they were not mentioned. As the ceremony concluded with Norton's Scoutmaster's benediction, the four Scouts were instructed to remain behind. As the rest of the campers went back to their tents to retire for the evening, those four Scouts, along with Belzer, Norton, Pruitt, and P.D. Hoelscher (the camp's physical director) became the first to take Firecrafter's Unknown Test.
A fourth honorary camp rank, Minisino, was introduced in 1921 to recognize those who went above and beyond in service to Scouting and Firecrafter itself.
At one point in time, many Midwestern councils had a Firecrafter program in operation. After the adoption of the Order of the Arrow on a national level, many of these programs were closed completely or merged into the Order's program. It was the only honor camping program in the Central Indiana Council until 1972, when Central Indiana Council was merged with Delaware County Council, Whitewater Area Council, and Kikthawenund Council to form the new Crossroads of America Council. Concerned Firecrafters and Arrowmen met to settle their differences, and both programs were allowed to continue.
Before 1972, all Firecrafters wore a pocket flap patch on the right pocket, indicating where the member was from within the council. He also wore a 3-inch pocket patch on the right pocket, indicating his Firecrafter rank. After the merger, the Order of the Arrow was given exclusive use of the pocket flap, while Firecrafter kept its use of the temporary patch position on the pocket itself.
Firecrafter today exists in Central Indiana, Southern Illinois, and Texas. The Central Indiana Firecrafter Organization exists in Crossroads of America Council (Indianapolis).
A Southern Illinois Firecrafter organization around the Flora, Illinois area operating separately of the Crossroads Fire organization which conducted a ritual as recent as 1997, who plays an important role in the history of Firecrafter today.
Throughout 1997 and into 1998, there were discussions between various Council Committee members, advisers, and members of the Crossroads Firecrafter organization (on an informal basis only) to formally recognize the Southern Illinois Firecrafter organization and join the two Fires into one. This was not accomplished due to several major differences between the two associations:
While Indiana members were invited to the Southern Illinois Rituals between 1993 and 1997, their direct involvement in the induction process there was strictly limited to an observation role only, and the invitations and knowledge of the Illinois ritual were controlled by a small group of Indiana Firecrafters. This group ensured that only Indiana Firecrafters who were willing to comply with the unspoken "no participation" rule were permitted to make the trip to Flora for the Ritual.
In 1999, there were several conditions added to the Minisino Code which explicitly prohibited the wear of Southern Illinois insignia at Crossroads functions or even within the Crossroads boundaries and considered violations of the policy punishable by a council Minisino Disciplinary Committee, a controversial body composed of the Council Chief, the Council Minisino Chairman, and the Council Minisino Adviser. The 1999 Minisino Code revision made a few other changes to the Minisino program without approval by the Council Committee, specifically to administrative succession and the nomination and approval of adults for Minisino. The changes were written by the Council Chief, the Minisino Chairman, and the Minisino Adviser, without comment from any other members of the organization. This led to a temporary crisis within Firecrafter and an overhaul of its governing documents.
These amendments, coupled with changing attitudes towards females in Scouting, particularly female Scouters, led to major review of the Firecrafter Constitution and By-Laws, including the Firecrafter Code and the Minisino Code. The 2000 revision of all four documents clarified inconsistencies in the administration of the program, made all language gender neutral, and provided for Firecrafter's growth into the next century.
Firecrafter is divided into two Cub Scout ranks, three Boy Scout ranks, and one honor. Each rank is established so that advancement through the system is a process of building upon knowledge that a scout learned in their last camp rank and increasing their skill in scoutcraft. It is also designed to teach the scout personal responsibility and serve as a tool to encourage advancement and attendance at summer camp.
The process for becoming a Firecrafter as a youth often serves as one of Scouting's many memorable events. After earning the Camper and Woodsman ranks, a young man is often encouraged to candidate for Firecrafter in their third year at summer camp. They are prepared for their candidacy by other youth and adult Firecrafters in their home troop, who instruct the candidate on what is expected of them throughout their candidacy and after they become a Firecrafter.
At summer camp, a young man declares their candidacy for Firecrafter by notifying the Firecrafter Coordinator, or Consul of the Fire, of their intentions. The Consul adds the candidate to the list of candidates for the week and issues the candidate their requirement card, handbook, and fire-by-friction log. On Sunday night of camp, the candidate takes part in an induction ceremony, which explains to the candidate the expectations that they will be held to during the next week. The candidate is then free to complete their requirement card as they see fit. All candidates meet once a day for a full field uniform inspection and brief candidate's meeting with the Consul. Three major events are part of the candidate's card. Most often, these are the events which will hold a Scout back from completing their card:
The most important requirement of the Firecrafter candidacy at camp is Requirement #1. All ranks in the Firecrafter system share this requirement, and it is most important at this step in the program:
In this requirement, the Scoutmaster is given the ultimate and final decision as to whether the young man will be permitted to undertake the Ritual. The Scoutmaster usually makes this decision in consultation with the rest of the Firecrafters in the unit after the Friday evening activities in camp, but this is not required.
If the candidate is not successful in meeting the first twelve requirements by the time the unit leaves camp on Saturday morning, the candidacy is terminated and the candidate is not invited to the Firecrafter Ritual. Should the candidate complete his requirements card, and it is properly endorsed by the Firecrafters in his unit and the Consul, the candidate will be invited to the next Ritual for examination and induction and face the Unknown Test.
The Ritual is, simply put, a period of testing, a period of reflection, and a period of induction. In keeping with the standards of Scouts BSA, the Ritual is safeguarded and not secret, and there is nothing contained therein that would challenge a young person's ideas or place them in danger or harm. Hazing is not permitted or tolerated during any part of Firecrafter's program.
Since the creation of the Council Committee in the early 1960s, it has become tradition to hold two rituals every summer; The Mid-Summer Ritual which usually lands in July, and the Grand Ritual which is held in mid to late August. Although the Council owns four camps (Krietenstein, Belzer, Kikthawenund, and Ransburg), Krietenstein and Belzer are no longer usable for the Firecrafter Ritual because of a lack of space for both candidates and staff. Before Crossroads of America Council sold Red Wing and Bear Creek, and the unusability of Krietenstein and Belzer, there were general rules that developed. Before 2022, Belzer was the site for the Grand every 5 years on significant Anniversaries. Before they were sold, Red Wing and Bear Creek served as primary locations for the Mid-Summer Ritual because they did not interfere with summer camp activities at the camp, though Belzer was the site for the Mid-Summer Ritual in 2010. Should the Council Committee decide to host the Mid-Summer Ritual at one of the operating summer camps, portions of the Ritual are held in a part of camp widely secluded from campers that weekend.
The Mid-Summer Ritual is generally the "dress run" for the larger Grand Ritual in August. Usually, less than seventy-five candidates participate in the Mid-Summer Ritual, with the bulk of candidates (sometimes well over a hundred and eighty) participating at the Grand Ritual.
Council, Flame, and Ember officers are also elected at the Grand Ritual. Adult Alumni Association officers are elected on Friday night at the Alumni meeting, with youth officers elected on Sunday morning.
Being that Firecrafter is a Scouting organization, it follows standard organization of a BSA Council. Troops operate their own Firecrafter programs supplemented by Firecrafters both in their own troop and experienced camp staff members during long-term summer camp. Members are organized at the district level into Embers. Different embers close in location consist of a flame. There are three Flames which comprise the Fire, or Council. Officers of Firecrafter at the Ember, Flame, and Council level comprise the Firecrafter Council Committee, the policy-making body of Firecrafter. Any youth member of the Boy Scouts of America that has earned a camp rank of Firecrafter is a member of the Firecrafter Organization, however, most events that take place are for those who hold the Firecrafter rank.
Adult volunteers and professionals above the age of 21 who were not members as youth may become Firecrafters upon nomination by a Firecrafter and become members of the Firecrafter Alumni Association. Those members who were inducted as youth keep their rank upon their 21st birthday and likewise become part of the Alumni Association. However, all members of the Alumni Association are required to pay yearly or life dues; youth members do not pay any form of yearly dues whatsoever.
Members generally continue to participate in Firecrafter for their entire lifetime. There are former youth officers that have become adults that serve as officers in the Alumni Association or as advisers to the Council Committee. Justin 'Sox' Scott who was a former youth Council Chief served as the Firecrafter Council Advisor until 2021.
Being that Firecrafter is a camp rank organization, many different traditions have been started and continued from generation to generation, and these traditions have contributed to the identity of Firecrafter, making it a unique part of the Scouting experience in Central Indiana.
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