By Gerald Fraas
Over the course of the Order of the Arrow's entire history, many individuals have come and gone. Some have given years of service to Scouting and the Order itself, and received the Vigil Honor from the lodge to recognize this dedication to the OA principles. For any lodge to lose a dedicated member is a tragedy, and Tamegonit Lodge has gone about honoring those they have lost; it represents a solution that keeps the fire of the Vigil Honor burning.
As a year progresses and life passes, word often spreads about those who have passed away. Within the Order, word of a deceased Vigil honoree often makes its way to the very top of the lodge leadership within days. In response, many lodges send their condolences or perform the Broken Arrow Ceremony upon request, but Tamegonit Lodge goes one step further and honors the recently deceased Vigil in another fashion: they integrate the honoring of a deceased Vigil into the induction of a Vigil candidate.
Fire plays a large role in all honors of the Order of the Arrow, and all ceremonies involve a fire of sorts. Before the Vigil candidates of Tamegonit Lodge begin their journey, the Vigil honorees gather for a brief remembrance of the recently deceased Vigil members. In the past, the names of the recently deceased Vigils were simply read out loud. However, in a recent change to this tradition, the names of the recently deceased Vigils are now inscribed onto triangular planks. The planks are placed into a ceremonial fire as their names are now read. With a simple twist to a simple tradition, the depth of this tradition has become truly symbolic.
The ceremonies of the Order of the Arrow rely greatly on symbolism. In Tamegonit Lodge's recently evolved tradition, the symbolism has expanded from being simple a thing of tribute to being a reference to the relationship of brotherhood and fire. Every lodge faces the situation of losing their members in passing or in tragedy, and Tamegonit Lodge has managed to create a tradition that both serves to tribute the fallen and inspire their future leaders for years to come.