OA election re-do -- policy advice?

[Trevorum]

I need some advice.

 

Our OA election was scheduled for February 27, and I previously confirmed this date with the Chapter advisor. We made a special effort to ensure a quorum at that meeting and we had our ballots pre-printed, but the election team never showed up.

 

In quick consultation, we decided to proceed with the election because the chapter tap out is at the end of March and our troop calendar for March was already full (troop elections, Court of Honor, shakedown for Camporee). The election was proctored by a youth member of our troop and we had no problems.

 

We considered the election to be a success, but I was told last night that proctoring our own election was a violation of policy and we might have to re-do. If so, I'm not certain when we'll be able to do this in advance of the tap-out.

 

Can someone shed light on this issue for me? Thanks!

[SWScouter]

Trevorum,

 

I just took a peek at the "Guide for Officers and Advisors" (see http://www.main.oa-bsa.org/resources/pubs/). The election process is described on pages 22-28. From my perusal, I think the main reason an election team is needed is to ensure that the proper election procedures are followed. For example, was a unit election report filled out? I would think that if you and the youth member can meet with the election chief and ensure that yes, the proper procedures were followed that the election should stand. If this can't be done, then I think the election would not count. I would also have a frank talk with the election chief on how your unit was depending on the election team to show and if they had, this whole mess would not have occurred.

 

Good luck,

SWScouter

[nldscout]

Who says that the election is no good?

 

We have done them this way before with no problem so I guess it depends on the chapter.

 

If the chapter advisor says its no good then I would challenge him why he didn't show up the first time, that you did it properly, and if he still was obstanenate, then appeal to the Lodge Chief, Lodge advisor and the Chief of Fire.

[MaScout]

In the past, it was okay to handle your own elections. However, it is a new rule for this year, (and is supposed to be nation-wide) that you need to have the OA election team present for it to be a valid election. I don't know the reasoning behind this, but I do know it is a new ruling.

 

That said, I would have a very serious talk about how you were relying on them, and the fact that there was not a team present falls on THEM, not your unit. You fulfilled your part in getting a quorum there. They failed to show up.

[frank10]

If the local OA can't get their act togeather enough to send an election team as scheduled, I wouldn't bother having the election at all. Why bother sending your best scouts to a weak program.

[Trevorum]

Thanks to all for your comments and advice. I have now spoken to the Chapter advisor on this and he sees no problem with the way we handled it. whew! He apologized on behalf of the election team we had scheduled. IMO, it's a strong program, but it's also a boy-run program and glitches are bound to occur.

[nldscout]

Trevorum

 

One way to cure this in the future is get your troop OA members to be a part of the Election team.

 

[Trevorum]

Good point, but we already serve. The way our chapter does it, OA members in Troop A will serve as election team for Troops B, C and D, while members in Troop B will serve as the election team for Troops A. E, and F. The Chapter Chief coordinates the teams. I think Troop B just had a schedule mis-communication with the Chapter Chief.

[LodgeChief]

In my Lodge, and in most Lodges that I know of, a unit must have an election team present to have an election. The reason being that the election team is trained in National Policy concerning elections and also that there is no conflict of interest with troops doing their on elections. There is also a video from National that you are supposed to show when you do an election. Also, an election report must be turned in so that the Unit Election Committee can update their records and be ready for the call-outs and the Ordeal so that we can be sure that the people going through their Ordeal were properly elected. In my Lodge and most Lodges that I know of, if an election team doesn't do the election the election is void and the scouts cannot complete their Ordeal. We try to catch this at call-outs or even before then. But I have to agree with Ma Scout, I think that this is National Policy. So, in my opinion the elction would be void, and would have to be redone.

 

~Lodge Chief

[nldscout]

Chapter Chief,

 

If the Chapter screwed up, why should troop and boys suffer. If Trevorum OA guys do elections in other troop where was a rule broken except a local policy to keep everything above board and unquestionable.

 

The R&R only say the election must be carried out under lodge/chapter control. Thats as little or as lot as the lodge cares to make. Fot those of us that are in widespread rural district an election team may only be one OA rep with OA guys from troop rounding it out.

[John-in-KC]

A Scout is Courteous. If I recall correctly, Arrowmen are Scouts and Scouters! If there's legitimate reason, and the Chapter made good faith effort to contact the SM/OATR, then work through it.

 

If, however, the election team goofed or "blew it off", it is the obligation of the Chapter to make the recovery, with minimum inconvenience to the Troop, IMO.

 

At a minimum, the OATR should get a "let's fix this pronto from the Chapter Chief. If an apology is due the Troop from the Chapter, then the OATR should get it and "we'll (the chapter) fix this pronto!" from the Chapter Chief. If the OATR gets "dead air" from the Chapter Chief, it's time for the SM to drop a comment at the feet of the Chapter Adviser, asking for support, now, please.

 

If neither the youth nor the advisers are willing to support, SM has options of

- Asking UC/ADC/DC for support as a PROGRAM issue

- Asking COR to request support from the District Chairman (the Chapter Adviser works for the Chairman on the District Camping Committee ex officio).

 

There's more than one Scoutmaster and Adviser minutes inside Trevorum's little conundrum... flexibility, courteousness, getting the job done, ad infinitum...