Suit Up for Ceremonies

Ceremonial Costume Critique Introduction

The goal of 2015 National Order of the Arrow Conference Costume Critiques is to improve ceremonial presentation and to maximize the quality of the induction experience for the candidate. Since the purpose of these critiques is purely educational, there is no need for costumes to be elaborate to participate. Inexperienced teams should be able to significantly improve their appearance by participating in the evaluations. More experienced teams will benefit as well by receiving suggestions from the highly qualified staff.

Please note that costume critiques are separate from the competition portion. A team does not have to enter the competition in order to participate in the critiques. For rules and regulations for competitions, please refer to the competition guidelines.

When participating in the Costume Critiques or Competition, your team will appear in front of NOAC staff evaluators. Critique sessions last approximately 20 minutes; leave time to change in and out of you costumes. The evaluators will make comments and suggestions about the costumes, and will provide a written summary for your use.

Costumes will be critiqued on a series of categories, similar to those used for competition judging. These include: Adherence to national policy; Appropriateness for a single region or tribe; Material usage; Effective use of headwear, accessories, and props; and General presentation and maintenance.

Since only the costumes are being critiqued, youth presenting the costumes are not required to be ceremonialists, but must be under 21 years of age.

Costume critique sessions will be held in the afternoon during the conference, in coordination with the ceremonies performance evaluations. No appointment necessary; but leave enough time to change in and out of you costumes, in addition to the time for the critique itself. Check the final schedule for specific times.

Last revised on March 10, 2015