Firecrafter - All About All

Firecrafter

Firecrafter is a service organization within the Crossroads of America Council, Boy Scouts of America. Formed in 1920, the Firecrafter Organization is dedicated to providing service to Scouting and to the three cardinal values of Friendship, Leadership, and Service. Firecrafter mainly operates within the Crossroads of America Council, Indiana, but has been known to exist in other areas throughout the Midwestern United States. The organization celebrated its 85th anniversary in August of 2005.

All members of Firecrafter subscribe to and work in support of the Firecrafter Creed:

• We believe that leadership ought to be fostered and its high trusts and responsibilities cultivated.

• We believe that a Scout becomes a better Scout when he exhibits unselfish friendship to others.

• We believe that Firecrafter's service to Scouting aids both the Firecrafter and every scout in building better character and citizenship.

History

With the post-war explosion of youth and camping following World War I, Francis Oliver Belzer (or F.O. Belzer) was named the first Scout Executive of the young Central Indiana Council in 1915. Belzer noticed the three-tiered rank system in place at Daniel Carter Beard's Culver Woodcraft Camp. Belzer wanted a program to move emphasis from athletics to scoutcraft skills, so 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.

In the summer of 1920, the "third and highest" rank was introduced, unnamed. Four young men of Woodsman rank completed the requirements that year, and during the closing awards ceremony at camp, they thought that they would be recognized in all due form and fashion. The ceremony concluded with Stanley Norton's instructions to those four Woodsmen to stay behind and the Scoutmaster's benediction. As everyone else filed back to camp to retire, Belzer, Norton, Pruitt, and P. D. Hoelscher (the camp's physical director) put the four to the "Unknown Test" and Firecrafter as it is known today was born.

Recent History

Firecrafter mainly exists today only in the Crossroads of America Council. Units that visit Crossroads' long-term camp, Ransburg Scout Reservation, also have youth and adult members active in their troops. A charter has also been extended to the Sagamore Council (headquartered in Kokomo, Indiana) to conduct summer camp operations as of June, 2005. Candidates from Sagamore will attend the Crossroads Ritual. There is also rumored to be a Southern Illinois Firecrafter organization around the Flora, Illinois area operating separately of the Crossroads Fire organization as recently as 1997 or 1998, and perhaps through today. There has been talk of unifying the two associations in recent past, however, this has not been accomplished due to the fact that the Southern Illinois organization operates without a charter from and unsanctioned by the Okaw Valley Council.

Rank System

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 boy learned in his last camp rank and increasing his skill in scoutcraft. It is also designed to teach the boy personal responsibility and serve as a tool to encourage advancement and attendance at summer camp.

• Webelos Camper is the first Cub Scout camp rank of Firecrafter, designed to be the introduction for a First-Year Webelos Scout to Boy Scouting. It is administered at either a council day camp or Webelos Adventure Camp by staff Firecrafters to a group of scouts.
• Webelos Firelight is the second and final Cub Scout camp rank of Firecrafter, designed to serve as a foundation for the Arrow of Light and the young man's transition into Boy Scouting. It is only administered at Webelos Adventure Camp as the last requirement is to participate in the Spark of Interest Trail, which introduces Firecrafter in true form. Firelight is the most recent rank added to the Firecrafter rank system.
• Camper is the first Boy Scout camp rank of Firecrafter. Camper is designed to supplement and support the programming for a young man's first year of camp. It is a basic review of the Tenderfoot requirements and introduces the new scout to long-term camp.
• Woodsman is the second Boy Scout camp rank of Firecrafter. Woodsman is designed to give the young man a taste of Firecrafter at its best, as well as serve as a review of Second Class requirements and reinforce Firecrafter's core values to him. Woodsman is slightly harder than Camper, naturally. The scout must build a fire which will burn for fifteen minutes without the addition of any new wood and with only two matches. He must also be able to tie several knots used around camp, and fix a meal for himself without using utensils.
• Firecrafter is the third Boy Scout camp rank. Firecrafter is the mountain top experience for the third year camper in which his attentiveness to the core values of Friendship, Leadership, and Service will be put to the test. Firecrafter requires preparation before camp - a scout must have several elements of his candidacy planned prior to that point. It is designed to encourage a Scout to continue up the mountain to Eagle, and therefore, serves as a critical element of any Scouting program within the Crossroads of America Council. A young man has five days to complete the Firecrafter card, and the requirements provide a learning experience unique to each young man's characer and skill level. Firecrafter carries with it several prerequisites: the scout must be 13 years of age, he must hold First Class rank, must have earned Camper and Woodsman, and he must not be 21 years of age by the time of the Firecrafter Ritual. There are several requirements for Firecrafter that serve to provide long memories for the Scout. He must make a fire-by-friction unassisted, pass five successive uniform inspections, and plan, lead, and execute a campfire program of specified format and design. At the conclusion of the in-camp candidacy, the Scout is invited to attend the inductions weekend, the Firecrafter Ritual, which is similar in form and fashion to the Order of the Arrow Ordeal and is discussed briefly below.
• Minisino is the honorary camp rank of Firecrafter. Named from a Miami word meaning "Tried and Proven", a Minisino is a Firecrafter selected for the honor based upon his service to Firecrafter and to Scouting. As the beginning to the Minisino crowning ceremony states, "To him alone, by his service, devotion, and achievements, proves himself worthy of high trust, comes recognition. Many have aspired, but the Gifts of Manitou are precious and descend only upon those who most nearly meet his requirements..." The specific requirements for the honor are known only to Minisinos and Minisino candidates, but it is publicly stated in the selection ceremony that the candidate is on trial for two camping weeks to prove himself to the Minisinos in camp and his fellow Scouts.

Becoming a Youth Firecrafter

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 his third year at summer camp. He is prepared for his candidacy by other youth and adult Firecrafters in his home troop, who instruct the candidate on what is expected of him throughout his candidacy and after he becomes a Firecrafter.

At summer camp, a young man declares his candidacy for Firecrafter by notifing the Firecrafter Coordinator, or Consul of the Fire, of his intentions. The Consul adds the candidate to the list of candidates for the week, issues the candidate his requirement card, candidate's 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 he will be held to during the next week. The candidate is then free to complete his requirement card as he sees 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 his card:

• Building a fire-by-friction, unassisted, which must burn for fifteen continuous minutes.
• Leading a campfire program, a form of campwide entertainment featuring skits, songs, stunts, a Scoutmaster's benediction, and a major theme.
• The Firecrafter overnighter, where the Scout must demonstrate basic First Class Scout skills in preparing for an overnight camping trip.

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:

Understand and demonstrate the high standards of Firecrafter in personal attitude and example, showing respect for your fellow campers and your environment. Discuss the ideals of Scouting and Firecrafter with your Scoutmaster.

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.

Firecrafter Ritual

The Ritual is, simply put, a period of testing, a period of reflection, and a period of induction. In keeping with the standards of the Boy Scouts of America, the Ritual is safeguarded and not secret, and there is nothing contained therein that would challenge a young man's ideas or place him in danger or harm. Hazing is not permitted or tolerated during any part of Firecrafter's program.

Organization

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. A group of Embers form a flame at the section level. 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.

Identity and Traditions

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.

• Firecrafters have a unique signature used for Firecrafter and Scouting business. Any person that holds the rank of Firecrafter is permitted to sign their name with three capital X letters immediately following: John Scout XXX. Further, Minisinos are permitted to sign their name with an underlined M immediately before their name: M John Scout. The signatures are often used on documents relating to Firecrafter only.
• Part of the Woodsman and Firecrafter rank requires that the candidate build a fifteen minute fire. At the conclusion of the fire, all Firecrafters present sign the candidate's card as witnesses to the candidate's ability. After the card is signed, an ember from the fire is used to burn two holes in the side of the card for Woodsman candidates, and three holes in the middle of the card at the fire-by-friction requirement for Firecrafter, as an attest to the candidate's completion of the requirement.
• The campfire program requirement for Firecrafter entails a grading process at which the candidate's program is critiqued. Three candles are used during this process. If the candidate is successful, the graders will sign the candidate's card and then seal their names with wax. It is also tradition to present the candidate with a wax ball from the three candles used, signifying Friendship, Leadership, and Service.
• As part of the induction process, Firecrafter candidates are usually guided to the final step of induction by members of their Scouting unit or members of their own family. It is considered bad taste for a candidate to be guided during this step by a complete stranger if a friend is present at the Ritual.
• In the earlier years of the organization, the new Firecrafter was presented with a leather backing for his Firecrafter pocket patch called a rounder by his guide at the induction ceremony. Usually made of two pieces of leather laced together with colored lace and a fob for attaching to the right pocket button of the field uniform, the rounder's lace generally identified where the new Firecrafter completed his candidacy. In present-day Firecrafter, the candidate usually either picks the colors of his rounder, it is made for him by a fellow Firecrafter, or his troop wears the same colored rounder.
• Still pertaining to the patch rounder, Scouts or Scouters who are close to the new Firecrafter or helped him or her attain the rank are usually expected to sign the back as a sign of welcome and passage into the organization.
• As Firecrafter was and is a camp based organization, the different Crossroads camp staffs maintain their own separate identity within the organization and usually compete with each other on a regular basis. Higher ranking Council officers and officer candidates are usually affiliated with a camp staff (or Fire) organization, leading to fierce but healthy competition between the Ransburg and Belzer Fire organizations.
• Members of the Ransburg Fire usually gather immediately after the induction ceremony at the Firecrafter Ritual and carry out their own traditions. Normally, these traditions include singing of the camp hymn and various spirit chants.
• Adults selected for the Minisino Honor are almost always crowned (officially recognized) immediately following the end of the induction ceremony at the July (Midsummer) or August (Grand) Rituals. It is custom to name the oldest new adult Minisino as the 'Baby Minisino' and bestow upon them a baby's pacifier for wear at events throughout the year.
• There is a Ritual flag that is flown during the inductions weekend, and the senior members of the Ritual staff (Chief Trail Guide, Assistant Chief Trail Guide, Ritual Coordinator, and Adult Chief Trail Guide) sign the flag as a mark of their service to Firecrafter. However, this is a more recent tradition dating back to the 1970's or 1980's.

External links

Firecrafter: Official Website (http://www.firecrafter.org/)