Upping the Status – East boys use Mic-O-Say, a Boy Scouts status, to grow and reflect on their lives

Junior Chris Alka stepped out onto the sacred performance ring in the 95-degree heat, wearing his self-painted leather cloth, feathered headband, beaded choker and a small strip of bells. As he clapped his hands and did jump steps, his focus was drawn to his mom and dad, who watched him from a ring of benches before joining in on the dance. 

Alka was performing the ‘Dance of Joy’ to commemorate getting his Warrior — the highest rank within Mic-O-Say, an exclusive group within the Boy Scout community that you must go through multiple trials in order to become a member of. Alka and his fellow troop members practiced the dance for over eight hours in the blazing sun before performing as part of their trials. According to Alka, the dance is based off of the story of the person who created Mic-O-Say, someone who went through trial and betrayal in his life. 

“Learning the dance together as a bunch of guys who are tired and ready to go back to their campsite to rest was pretty amazing,” Alka said. “We just had a bonding moment where I realized this is family. This is what I’m here for.”

After dozens of campfires and four years of watching the older scouts do the “Dance of Joy”, it was finally Alka and the other scouts’ moment to become a Mic-O-Say — a tradition at Bartle Scout reservation, a 10-day overnight summer camp for Boy Scout troops in the Midwest region. 

Since it’s the highest ranking tribe at the camp, there are private spots throughout the campsite that only top-tier members are allowed to step on. Mic-O-Say holds three different ranks — Foxman, Brave and Warrior, which can be obtained at Bartle After a scout has attended camp for three years, he is eligible for Foxman — a title you can only obtain after doing a five-hour meditation and showing leadership. 

According to Alka, Foxman is the easiest of the three ranks. The real challenges come when the scouts go for Brave. They must go through six to seven days of trials, including fasting for 24 hours and staying silent for several hours at a time, while monitored by their troop leaders. 

“They say it gives you the time to think,” junior Evan Boyle said, who has also gone through the process. “The food is slowing you down and you’re not talking to other people, so it’s time to reflect on your life and who you are as a person.”

Boyle and Alka, along with 30 other Boy Scouts, were sitting at a campfire when the troop leader called upon them, telling them their time of silence has begun. The boys had to stay silent that entire night and into the next day, beginning their 24-hour fast after dinner. During the silence, they weren’t allowed to signal or motion to other members — they couldn’t even pick up their own plate at dinner. The next day they participated in different kinds of labor, picking up stones and creating paths in 90-degree heat for over six hours — all while keeping silent. 

“The hardest part of the whole process is not being able to communicate during the workday,” Boyle said. “You’re constantly moving around, and you only have a couple of people that are supervising you, telling you what to do.”

During this silent time, they have to create resolutions about their mom, their god, the people younger and weaker than them and their community, considering how they’ve been doing with each and how they can do better with each. 

“I realized I was growing up,” Alka said. “They would talk about how we needed to think about family and religion. It was the first time I really had to think about what was in my life.”

While they were given an introduction before the process started, none of them knew what they were going to have to do. The surprises that come with entering Mic-O-Say are sacred and are not to be communicated with people outside the tribe. 

“It’s definitely nerve-racking,” junior Alex Buck, who went through the process, said. “They tell you the day before a general idea of what you’re going to do but you don’t really know until you’re actually in there doing it.”

A year after receiving their Brave award, scouts go through a similar process to obtain the Warrior status. They must go silent again, but this time with a catch — they can communicate through what the scouts call plains Indian Sign language. They have to memorize around 60-70 words of Indian sign languages in order to pass their test, where they must say the Scout Oath and Law, create a sentence and be able to repeat five random words chosen by their troop leader. 

They also go through fasting and a workday, but to a lesser extent — less nights out and less periods of silence. The final step is creating their own Native-inspired attire to wear for the “Dance of Joy.” 

If they break their silence, break their fast or don’t show up for a task, they suffer the risk of not receiving their award. One mistake could cost them six days of work — and the boys don’t find out if they’ll actually receive their award until the closing ceremony. 

The ceremony marks the end of the whole process, where every scout who has already achieved Warrior Status gathers with the boys around a fire. The boys receive necklaces to show their accomplishments, before greeting the other campers and taking photos boasting their awards. 

“It’s like holding your breath underwater and then finally being able to breathe,” Alka said. “You’re done with it, you’re just very relieved. And you’re proud of yourself.”