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.

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.

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. The ritual is discussed in detail within this Wikipedia entry.
• Minisino is the honorary camp rank of Firecrafter. Minisino is a Miami Indian word meaning "Tried and Proven". The requirements for the Minisino Honor are known only to Minisinos and Minisino candidates, and they are subject to the same safeguards as the Firecrafter Ritual, the Order of the Arrow Ordeal, all Order of the Arrow ceremonies, and the induction and examination process of the Vigil Honor.

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.

External links

Firecrafter: Official Website