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Campers & Parents » What's the Skinny?

September 14, 2009

Σκηνων Αδελφοι,

Hopefully that’s Greek to you. Σκηνων Αδελφοι or “skanon adelphoi” is an old Sigma Alpha saying that means “Brothers of the Tent”. Back in the day when brothers would shake hands (with extra pressure from the thumb, of course), they would whisper it to one another.

I remember hearing that phrase my first or second year on the council and vaguely thinking it was pretty cool, though perhaps belonging to a different time when secret societies were in high vogue. I never really knew what it meant, but had the sense that it served as a reminder that we, as brothers, were part of something special. The actual meaning of “Brothers of the Tent” is obscure, and why the early members of the Sigma Alpha coined it I don’t know, though I suspect its etymology is biblical. The Israelites carried the משכן (mishkan) or “dwelling place” of the divine presence from the time of the exodus from Egypt until settling in Jerusalem. משכן is often translated as “tent of meeting” in English, and tabernaculum in Latin, from which we derive the word “tabernacle”. In many Roman Catholic churches today the tabernacle often has curtains which imitate the old “tent”.

The “tent of meeting” was a place of profound religious ritual, a restricted place for only certain “brothers” of the faith, the dwelling place of a sacred presence and its guardians. The idea of early campers using “skanon adelphoi” or “brothers of the tent” to imbue membership in the Sigma Alpha with a deep metaphorical meaning does not seem too far fetched to me. Perhaps that’s reading too much into it; maybe Mr. Ned, Teddy Jackson and Fuzzy Kneeland could only hold meetings in a tent for the first few years, or maybe it was a reference to camping!

Occasionally I would hear someone mutter “skanon adelphoi” in my early years at camp, but the phrase dropped from my radar until Chris Reigeluth used it as a closing in an email he sent me. I instantly liked it and started using it to sign-off messages to various camp friends, though I couldn’t put my finger on why I enjoyed employing it so much. It is clear to me now that I appreciate using skanon adelphoi because it is layered with meaning. First, it is less ubiquitous and stale than typical closings like “Talk to you later,” or “All the best” or “Cheers”. While I still use those from time to time, skanon adelphoi conveys a greater sincerity. Second, it is a reminder that we are brothers. Not brothers in an ancient religious sense, nor brothers in an elitist, separate sense. We are not chosen for the Sigma Alpha anymore; instead we choose. That ownership, that striving together after the common goal of our best selves, that bond based on shared experiences makes us brothers. Third, it is a subtle reminder that this brotherhood lives well beyond our time on the hillside – where it matters most. As brother Archon Ex-Officio once said in 1986, “We are at Pasquaney to leave it. And once we leave it, to live it: To take what we learn to other places and people – to serve them.” The Sigma Alpha is about this service, first to the Pasquaney community, and then to our communities at home. Cumulatively, skanon adelphoi is a little refresher of my Pasquaney spirit.

That spirit is a living thing which must be nurtured over time in order to survive. We are all now “boxed up in the city” for the duration of “the long activity period”. For some of us that period may last a number of years before we can revisit the hillside. Whether it is closing an email with “skanon adelphoi” or carrying your pin in your wallet, think now about the small ways you can remain committed to your best. Sow the thoughts, acts and habits to reap the character and destiny you desire. Technology has made it easier than ever to remain in touch with friends in far away places; just recently I sent brother Hoop Archon a message in China. But technology does not replace initiative, effort and follow-through – those are up to you. Begin today by dropping someone a line. You now have a cool closing phrase – what more motivation could you ask for?

Skanon adelphoi,

MHH