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MEMORIZE.TXT
6/18/92

This paper comes from "How to Organize and Prepare a Ceremony Team," written
by Ray Dyke, Ceremonies Adviser, Pellissippi Lodge 230, Copyright 1987-1992.
Copyright secured to prevent commerical use or resale.  Permission is hereby
granted for any OA or BSA organization to use, adapt, modify, revise, and/or
reprint, as long as it's distributed free.  I would appreciate a copy of any
adaptations you make.  Available as "MEMORIZE.TXT" on TransMountain Scouting
Computer Bulletin Board System (BBS).  Call 1-615-579-0214 with your modem.
Or, write to Ray Dyke, 5701 Rockhaven Road, Knoxville, Tennessee 37920-5921.



                         Memorization of OA Ceremony Parts

      When should parts be assigned?  Before you assign parts to anyone, they
all need some time to learn about all the parts, to learn the movements and
order of things, and to get accustomed to the idea of speaking in public.
This probably will come after you have held several meetings.  We suggest
that you WAIT and DO NOT ASSIGN PARTS until after you have at least 4 "walk-
throughs" of the whole ceremony.  This is hard for some people to understand.
Keep reading.

      What is a Walk-Through?  At your second meeting, a week or two after
your first meeting, you should have 2 complete ceremony rehearsals, using
different principals or rotating if you don't have at least 8 people.
Everybody needs to see the ceremony done 2 times, from 2 different points of
view.  If you have enough people, swap out entirely for round 2.  If not,
rotate so nobody does the same part twice.  You must hear each part done by
2 different people.

      With books in hand, WALK through the ceremony and READ the parts.  This
is really important.  You need to get the team members used to the physical
arrangements (movements) of the ceremony circle BEFORE they start memorizing
the parts.  REPEAT.  Do not ask them to memorize parts at first.  Just walk
through the motions and READ THE PARTS.  Insist on an exact reading, with all
the motions, gestures, expressions, and everything.  It's really important!

                       Motions are More Important at First.

      The reason for reading at first is simple.  The MOTIONS (logistics) in
the circle have as much symbolism as the words, and it's more important to
get these right from the beginning.  By doing this with BOOKS IN HAND, you
get them to work first on motions and expressions, without the embarrassment
of memory failure at the beginning.

      You also get a chance to hear how they speak, how they use expression
and gesture, and to see how they move, before you start getting committed to
certain people for certain parts.  It keeps your options open, and lets the
members begin to make some really informed decisions about which parts they
think they can do the best.  And everybody learns a lot about how the rest of
the team can perform.

      By the way, they begin the process of memorization (without planning for
it) as they do the "walk-throughs."  Since every principal needs a working
knowledge of all four parts, this time is never wasted.  In fact, it's
probably the best investment you will make.  Never rehearse without motions!

      If you have people on your team who have experience as one of the
principals, have them "walk-through" a DIFFERENT PART each time.  If they
already know Meteu, for example, they need to do the walk-through for Allowat
or Kitchkinet or Nutiket.  That way the new members of your team will feel
like they are not so far behind.

      And the old-timers can help to CRITIQUE the parts they know well.  The
team members (as a group) will be involved in deciding who gets which part
(later, of course) and they all need a chance to try different parts.

      This is the most important piece of advice in this paper.  Do your
      first 4 walk-throughs BEFORE you assign any parts for memorization.
      This takes at least 2 meetings, with 2 walk-throughs per meeting.

      By the time you do 4 "read-only" walk-throughs, you will have a very
good idea about who can do what.  Then you will be ready to think about which
parts might fit which members.  Also, members themselves can make a more
informed decision about which part they want.  If you have heard each part
delivered by at least 4 different people, you know a lot about how they
sound, and you can make the best coaching decisions.  It's really a lot
easier to pick the best man for each part if they are not all locked in
before you start.

                         You Need a Stage for Rehearsals.

      SET UP A REHEARSAL CIRCLE.  If possible, you need to set up a place that
can be used for all of your early rehearsals, so the members will get
accustomed to the physical situation.  If you can do your preparation
meetings at Scout Camp, consider using the actual ceremony ring from the
beginning.  If this is not possible, try to get a single place you can use
for all of your early rehearsals.  A large church meeting room or large
school classroom will be good.

      Equip your rehearsal stage with "props" like the fire area, candles,
sash display area, candidate entry point, etc.  Try to make it "FEEL LIKE"
the real circle from the very beginning.  The more you do to make this
rehearsal area REAL, the better you will prepare your team.  They can get
really comfortable with their preparation if the practice circle is
realistic.  Football teams usually have practice fields which are the same
size, with the same markings, as the real field.

                          Assigning Parts: 2 Parts Each.

      After you have done at least FOUR (4) walk-throughs with parts being
read by different speakers, you can then begin the process of selecting team
members for certain parts.  This could be hard to do, especially if everybody
wants to be Allowat Sakima.  But you have done it right, and nobody "owns"
anybody (yet).

      KEEP YOUR OPTIONS OPEN.  When you first begin to assign parts for
memorization, you need to assign each member two (2) parts, one primary and
one secondary.  Everybody on the team who is interested in a speaking part
should be assigned two parts in the first round of assignments.  If you have
8 people who are interested in speaking, give each one of them 2 parts to
memorize.  Then make sure everybody agrees that the final assignments are
subject to change after they have memorized both parts.  Don't promise
anybody a certain part until after memorization is complete (this will be
several meetings later).

      If you go through the FOUR (4) WALK-THROUGHS as suggested here, you may
be able to have a group discussion and decide informally who seems best for
each part.  Remember that everybody gets 2 parts right now.  Be prepared for
some hard feelings in this discussion, especially if you have several really
good actors in your team.  Think about this a lot before you do it, since the
way you conduct this discussion will have an impact on the group's morale,
for better or worse.  Be careful.  You can lose friends if you do this badly.

      What you are really doing is letting them BEGIN TO FOCUS on certain
parts, rather than making a final selection.  For example, you (and the
group) might think that "Joe Smith" will do best (right now) as Allowat
Sakima.  This could change, of course.  Give him Allowat as his primary part,
but also maybe Kitchkinet as his secondary part.  Ask him to work on
memorizing both parts, and make sure he understands that this 2-part plan has
a very important purpose.

      The purpose of "double parts" is to allow the member to make up his own
mind about which one works best (for him) after he has tried to memorize
both.  Some people think they want to be Meteu until they try to memorize it,
and then they might change their minds.

                       You Also Need "Understudy" Back-Ups.

      There is also another purpose for 2 parts each at first.  No matter how
well you plan, you have to BE PREPARED for sickness, schedule conflicts, and
other ugly problems that will mess up your assignments.  Having members who
know 2 parts is the best insurance against this.  It's just part of the job.

      By the time you assign these first-round double-parts, you have already
held at least FOUR (4) walk-throughs, and most of the team members will be
pretty familiar with all the parts.  Memorization is quite easy once you have
heard the ceremony 4 times, and 4 different people doing each part.  Walk-
throughs are the best way to help your members memorize, too.  So, let's talk
about BODY CUES.

                       Physical Motion is the Best Cue Card.

      One thing we have learned (the hard way): IT IS ALWAYS A BAD IDEA to sit
around in a group reading or reciting parts.  It's tempting to abandon the
walk-through approach, but you really need to make (and enforce) a rule that
all rehearsals will be walk-throughs.  If you don't, you will lose much of
the symbolic effect of inside-the-circle movements.  Physical motions are
also the best possible "cues" for memorized parts.  ...WHEN I GET HERE I SAY
THIS, AND THEN I MOVE OVER THERE, AND SAY THAT...  It really helps!

      In some lodges, it's become almost a tradition to sit in a circle, like
a bunch of Indian Squaws grinding corn, and wrap feathers and count rows of
beadwork, and sew and practice ceremony parts.  OK, ...everybody needs to
make their outfits, and such a waste of time when we could be memorizing...
WRONG!  You may get the words memorized, but what about the movements?  The
two are equally important.  Do them together. Let them work together for you.

                         Get Inside Your Character's Head.

      METHOD ACTING is well-known to most drama students, and has a very
important place in the OA ceremonies.  The actor needs to get inside the head
of his character, the CHARACTERIZE him, to develop a personality.  It's a
simple approach, and goes a long way toward improving the dramatic effect.

      The way to CHARACTERIZE a part is to develop a list of some personal
characteristics (mostly from imagination) about the principal.  Ask (and
answer) some questions, perhaps starting like this:

                            Method Acting Questions...

       1.  How old is he?  20?  40?  60?
       2.  Does he have a wife?  Some children?  How many?
       3.  Has he ever been in battle?  How long ago?
       4.  Does the rest of the tribe respect him?
       5.  Is he known as a leader, or is he a follower?
       6.  Which does he enjoy more: sunrise or sunset?
       7.  Is he wealthy with many possessions?  What are they?
       8.  Does he have higher ambitions?  What's his next job?
       9.  Is he really glad that the tribe is getting larger?
      10.  Does he remember when he first heard this ceremony?

      Actually, there are some questions that are MORE FUN and will probably
work better for most team members.  Use your imagination a little more, and
transfer your character to the present, like 1992.

      What Kind of Car does he drive?  What Kind of Music does he listen to?
      Does he have a Compact Disc Player, or a Cassette Player?
      Does he use a Computer in his school work or daytime job?
      What is his Opinion about the President (or Governor or Mayor)?
      What's the last Movie he saw at a theater?  Does he watch a lot of TV?
      Does he have a VCR at home?  What kind of Movies does he Rent?
      Can you tell what Brand of Shoes he wears?  Does he even care?

...You probably get the idea.  Think up at least 20 questions.

      There are many ways to describe a person.  The actor needs to develop a
detailed description for his character, so he can be prepared to use the
proper (consistent) facial expressions, manner, bearing, gestures, and so on.
ACT THE PART.  In one early rehearsal, during the 2-part per actor phase,
it's a good idea to have each actor share his FAVORITE CHARACTERIZATION with
the rest of the team, so the others can understand just who that is inside
the mysterious principal.  This process may lead to some important changes in
your character development, since each principal needs to be a part of a
group with three others.  It's also an effective way to get them thinking
about what they came here to do.

                          A Matter of OA National Policy.

      MEMORIZATION must be absolute.  Now, after more than 20 years with this
as a National OA standard, we probably don't even need to mention it.

      OA National Policy requires that all ceremony parts be given word-
      for-word exactly as in the book, without changes of any kind.  OA
      ceremonies have been developed and approved with respect to a large
      number or religious, cultural, and ethnic groups, including Native
      Americans.  Any local "creative" changes in ceremonies carry the
      risk of being offensive to some of our members, new candidates,
      and/or the Native Americans we have chosen to honor.  It is of the
      utmost importance that the ceremonies be memorized completely and
      faithfully, and spoken without books in the circle.

                               A Time for Technology

      One of the best ways we have found to memorize is to READ THE PART into
an audio tape recorder, and LISTEN carefully playing it back.  If you have a
video recorder, that might work even better.  With video, you can show
motions as well as sounds.  But let the actors do this IN PRIVATE before you
tape them in front of each other.  Most people get uncomfortable when they
hear (or see) themselves on tape, and they might need a chance to work this
problem out, alone, before going public with it.

      Some people have found it helpful to try to WRITE THEIR PARTS out on
paper, first by copying, and later from memory.  The skill of writing is not
always the same as the skill of speaking, and it is not appropriate to ask
every member to write his part.  But if this method works for you, use it.

      If you can get your best girlfriend to listen while you practice your
part, you have a very good relationship indeed.  If she will not listen, or
if you are afraid to let her know that this is what you do with your time on
Thursday nights, that also says something about your relationship.  If you
have to ask...

      Hold your first MEMORY REHEARSAL at the same place as the earlier READ-
ONLY walk-throughs.  Make sure that this is also held as a walk-through.  The
team leader (or adviser) can prompt, and books should be allowed.  In fact,
memorization should be viewed as a slow and gradual process, rather than
something that suddenly happens.  Some will not be prepared for the first of
your memory rehearsals, and you should be forgiving (at least once or twice).

                               Do Not Ever Practice
                              Without A Walk-Through.

      Always combine the logistics (movements) with the words, and never,
never separate them.  They must be treated as a single thing, and never as
two different things.  This may be a little more difficult at first, but it
leads to MUCH BETTER memorization and MUCH BETTER movements.

      At the second memory rehearsal, you will begin to find out who is
serious about doing an outstanding part.  The group will begin to develop
respect for those who are trying the hardest, and those who do not want to
spend the time will begin to fade out.  This should be expected, and that's
another good reason for having at least 12 members in your starting team.
There will be some natural fade-outs as people learn more about themselves.
If you start in January, you should be ready to start the ONE-PART-FOCUS
around the first of March...

                              Finally, One Part Each.

      "It's about time," says you, "to decide who's who around here."  Agreed.
Let's review for a minute.  First, you called 20 or more people and invited
them to come to a meeting.  Only 10 or 12 showed up, and some of them dropped
out.  But 2 or 3 more have joined up since, and you've held 5 meetings so
far.  The first meeting was for organization, but the next 4 were rehearsals,
and you have held at least 6 walk-throughs of the whole ceremony.  Everybody
has partly memorized 2 parts each, except for the 3 guys who decided to be
backstage helpers.  At this point, you have about 8 people who want to do
parts, and it's time to decide who's on the first string, right?  WRONG!

      What you need to do next is to focus on one part each.  You do not need
to decide who is the best Allowat (yet).  Each speaking member (all 8) should
get ONE MAIN PART to start polishing.  Hopefully there will be at least one
person willing to take each of the 4 parts.  If not, be the LEADER and fix
it.  The best possible outcome at this point is to have about two (2) people
for each part.  This is exactly the opposite of the first round.  It is not
necessary (yet) to decide who's on the first string.  That will sort itself
out in the next step.  What you need now is to let each person start to
specialize, so the memorization stage can proceed.

      After the second or third memory rehearsal, you can start thinking about
who might be BEST for the final assignments.  If you can, let this be a group
decision.  By the time you reach this point, the group should be comfortable
criticizing each other, and most of the "hard feelings" will have been
overcome.  Most ceremony teams that reach the second memory rehearsal have
"jelled" as a group and can make decisions in the best interest of the team
(and the candidates they are preparing for).  It's nice to remember the
candidates once in a while.

      Some of the team members will have "understudy" roles or will be
preparing for next year (or next month).  These need special encouragement to
stay involved with the team through the later practices.  The leader needs to
use great care in handling those who are not assigned to "main" parts, since
they are the future principals and can make or break next year's team.

      But, at some point, you have to decide who will go on stage and who will
not.  If you have followed the READ-Walk-through plan, this will be a much
easier decision, and will be accepted much better by all participants.

      NEW IN 1991...  This idea came up at the 1990 NOAC.  If you are going to
have multiple ceremonies in the same circle, as many lodges will do, you can
let "Jack" be Allowat in the first performance, and then let "George" do it
in the second performance.  Both get to be Allowat, and you have a back-up in
case one of them gets sick or decides to graduate from high school that
night.  That way, you never have to decide which one is "best," since both
will speak.

      Of course, someone will eventually have to decide who gets which part at
which performance.  A team that has worked together for 6 months can usually
do this without hardship, a few weeks before the first ceremony date.  If
there are disagreements, you (as leader) may need to get involved and make
some decisions, or work out some suggested compromises.  If you have to do
this, look for the plan that gets the BEST CEREMONIES.  The good guys will
probably accept it.


                              A Summary.

1.   Every lodge is different.  The ideas in this paper may not
     work for everybody.  Develop your own plan, and try to follow
     it through.

2.   The Ordeal Ceremony Manual is the authority for everything in
     the Pre-Ordeal and Ordeal Ceremonies.  The Brotherhood
     Ceremony Manual does the same for that step.  Read them very
     carefully.  Follow National Policy.

3.   Start early.  Your organizational meeting should be 6 months
     before the first actual ceremony.  More preparation time is
     better.  If you have LESS than 3 months to get ready, this
     paper won't help you much, since it takes a lot of time to do
     a ceremony right.

4.   Do not assign any parts at the beginning.  Assignment of parts
     is a complex three-step process, and happens after you have
     held several walk-throughs.

5.   A "walk-through read-only" is a ceremony practice session
     where the physical layout of the ceremony is all set up
     (staged) and everybody WALKS THROUGH and READS their parts.

6.   Before any parts are assigned for real memorization, EVERYBODY
     needs to perform at least 1 walk-through of EVERY principal
     part.  I mean that each and every person who wants a speaking
     part needs to practice all 4 parts in the "walk-through read-
     only" system.

7.   This will probably require at least 2 or 3 practice sessions
     (rehearsals) before you actually assign parts.

8.   Use audio or video recorders.  If you have video, turn off the
     sound the first time you watch it. Let people watch themselves
     in private before you show it to the group.  Watch gestures at
     first, and then pay attention to words.



From TransMountain Scouting BBS, Knoxville, Tennessee 615-579-0214