Smudge Pot Party
01-23-2005

           Have you ever wondered how the OA makes those little burning cans for ceremonies?  This past weekend, we got to show some of our Yanush members how it is done and we all had a blast too.  Making smudge pots is a multi-step process that is fun, safe and ensures a quality experiance during OA ceremonies.


           The first step is to get an empty aluminum can, or in our case, a used up smudge from an old ceremony, and clean it out(above left, Nathan DeLamar) so that it can be 're-charged'.  Most smudges can be cleaned by heating them up over a stove or fire and eventually the contents can be simply dumped out or pulled out with a pair of pliers.  Next, we melt wax over the stove(above center) and drop in some moth balls.  The moth balls will disolve into the parafin and the mixture will help the smudges light.  Ofcourse the wax has to be broken up a bit before we can melt it as Stacy Harkey(above right) demonstrates.


           The cans are stuffed with cardboard(above left, Andy Kooiman) which is cut(above center, John Sepulveda) to not excede the top rim of the can.  The cardboard,for which some people found another use(above right, Antoine Craft), is the fuel source for the smudges, while the wax slows down the fire, allowing them to burn for several hours.


After stuffing the smudges with cardboard, the cans are filled with ground up bits of cedar, which is will serve as the ignition and mask some of the naphaline smell that the smudges produce.  The last part of smudge pot making is to fill the cans up with the wax and naphaline mixture(above left, Clifton Greenwood).  When the wax cools, everything will be nicely solidified inside the can and easily transported and the adults(above right, Lloyd Duty, Bonnie Darnell, Ken Meaders, and Ken Darnell) can look on with satisfation that a good job is done.

After all the smudges were done, we practiced our flag ceremony which will present for Ross Perot, Jr. and the North Trail District at the annual dinner this friday.  All in all, the smudge pot party was a big success.  We all enjoyed fellowship and good food, provided by Mr. Thompson, and some of us learned something new about the Order of the Arrow.

Other Images from The Smudge Pot Party
(click on thumbnails to enlarge)