The Head Chief, or the Herald he may appoint, walks around with the standard, announcing that a Council is to be held, and all must come to Council.

The form used among the Ogallala is Neetah Kolah nahoonpo omneechee-yay nee-chopi. (My friends, give ear, a Council we hold).

For "assent" or "approval" we say How, for "dissent" or "no" we say Wah.

Opening Council with Omaha Tribal Prayer. (See page 145).

Roll Call.

Tally of last Council and report of Tally Chief.

Report of Wampum Chief.

Reports of Scouts.

Left-over business.

Complaints.

Honors awarded.

New braves.

New business.

Challenges, etc.

Social doings, songs, dances, stories. Closing Council.

How To Begin

Suppose that you have a lot of fellows that want to form a Band of Woodcraft Indians. They ought to be a gang that usually goes together, not less than five or more than ten, between 8 and 15, or 15 and 18 years of age. They should live near each other. It is no use taking in fellows that live in another town. With these you organize a Band.

This is how to go about it: Get a copy of the "book of Woodcraft" from your local book-seller or from Doubleday, Page & Co., Garden City, L. L, N. Y., and read or tell them the first few pages, the Laws of the Lodges, and the Life of Tecumseh. Talk it over and see if all are fully inspired with the idea. If they take to it, get some suitable man to act as your Old Guide, which means he is a man of good character and able and willing to give the time. He must begin by breaking you in as Indian Boys.

For this you qualify as follows:

Know the Indian laws, signs, and salute.

Have slept out three nights without a roof overhead.

Be proposed, recorded, posted for one Moon, if not in camp, or for Seven Suns when in camp, and then voted into the Band by that band (one blackball to exclude). Unless this is the foundation of a new band in which case it is enough if all are willing to accept the candidate as a founder without waiting.

Each then takes the pledge as given on pages 65-6, is enrolled as an Indian Boy, and is invested with the green badge.

While the fellows are preparing, it is well to think on what name the band is to bear. Turn to the pages given Totems and Calls for suggestions. You should use some animal or object that is easy to draw and not already used by a band in your region, preferably one or something, that belongs to your country. Do not hesitate to make little changes in the color, etc., of the design if you can make it more acceptable.

Thus you may wish to use the Wolf Totem because some of your fellows are good at howling, or the Hoot Owl because your leader has had some good lessons in hooting; but you cannot take them as they stand because there is already a Wolf and Hoot Owl Band in your region. All you need to do is to change the color, and make it the Black Wolf, Red Hoot Owl, etc., as you please.

For colors take two, three or four if you like, but two is the best combination.

Having got the Band together let them elect for one year a Chief, one of their number, the natural leader of the gang.

Let this leader get a blank book about 7x9, with about 200 pages in it, to be the Tally Book of the band. This he should either keep himself or appoint one of his band to keep. He should also appoint a Wampum Keeper or else take the office himself.