OA Chapter is about k-putt

[ASM915]

Kahits, Congrat's no keeping your son interested and involved in the culture. We're in the process of researching the family (great grandmother was a fullblood from the Cherokee Confederation. Not sure of which tribe yet).

As for OA, if your son meets the nomination requirements, see if the troop elects him in. His Cheerful Service can be through the Ceremony Team run by IA (Indian Activities).

They might need an advisor, dad. He'll have to have the maturity to walk quietly until others see his attributes, skills and gift. When they do, they'll come to him for advice. If he goes radical over something he see that isn't correct, change will come very slowly. I know. My 20 y/o is just now calming down.

OA does their best but some are naive to the our ways. OA has come a long way. They require teams to use regalia, dance and song from their region after researching the styles and receiving permission from the proper tribal affiliation. OA has major competitions that your son would do well in.

Do you have other scouts and venturers that dance and sing. Maybe they can recharge the chapter. See my first post.

Another site you might be interested in is the www.aisi.com. Wish you and your son the best. Feel free to contact me.

[ASM915]

Kahits, Congrat's no keeping your son interested and involved in the culture. We're in the process of researching the family (great grandmother was a fullblood from the Cherokee Confederation. Not sure of which tribe yet).

As for OA, if your son meets the nomination requirements, see if the troop elects him in. His Cheerful Service can be through the Ceremony Team run by IA (Indian Activities).

They might need an advisor, dad. He'll have to have the maturity to walk quietly until others see his attributes, skills and gift. When they do, they'll come to him for advice. If he goes radical over something he see that isn't correct, change will come very slowly. I know. My 20 y/o is just now calming down.

OA does their best but some are naive to the our ways. OA has come a long way. They require teams to use regalia, dance and song from their region after researching the styles and receiving permission from the proper tribal affiliation. OA has major competitions that your son would do well in.

Do you have other scouts and venturers that dance and sing. Maybe they can recharge the chapter. See my first post.

Another site you might be interested in is the www.aisi.com. Wish you and your son the best. Feel free to contact me.

[kahits]

Thanks,JinKC.. I asked one of my female leader contacts, who's son is the Chapter chief, about the age of the boys, and she felt they should be closer to 15 to do OA. I guess there is no shortage of opinions either way. I will look closely at the OA standards for all of the boys as a part of this process. When it comes to this decision I will keep it open until the chapter election team arrives.

 

[John-in-KC]

Kahits,

 

From my vantage point, one of the advantages of a Chapter, and a Lodge, is that those boys who find the troop too confining can find homes: To practice leadership, to demonstrate service, and sometimes, to make friends.

 

The disadvantage, to me, of joining later (15-16) is that informal groups are starting to set up, and arriving boys may find themselves marginalized for a while. The boy joining earlier gets to get his hands dirty and feet wet.

 

In the end, though, the Order is what the youth make of it. I, for one, am really happy all these years later I undertook the Ordeal and then the Brotherhood.

 

ICS

[kahits]

JinKC,

Even though my question to one of my crew committee members, whos' son is the current Chapter Chief, came back as a suggestion for him to wait until he was at least 14 going on 15 to be elected, I am realizing that is probably one of the reasons the chapter is so poorly attended and functioning right now. They need to get better participation from other troops, and I see that. I don't know what the status of the chapter adviser is going to be, but I think our small, old, troop can help, even with a scout or two for now. In a way our troop may be too confining, with most of the older scouts not active, and only showing up at meetings to touch base on the status of their eagle requirements, and not even bothering to stay for the meeting. This is all before my arrival, even though I am now the SM, but as many have said, the future of this troop is the new boys who are coming in. If they vote both boys into the chapter, I would like to see both dads go in as well, which would include myself. The other dad was elected to OA as a youth, but moved out of state and never completed ordeal. He is former military (Desert Storm Apache pilot), now a US Federal agent/pilot and I have learned to respect where he comes from, even if he can be a bit of a drill sgt. on campouts. I think if my son were to commit to what is required to be a member of the chapter, he would do well, even at his age, to vastly improved the ceremonies they are required to do, and it would inspire the next wave of our new scouts to do this, as soon as they are ready. With the chapter being dominated by a single troop, yet only a few who show up for meetings, this will create a trend away from that, and possibly help to stem the slide that has been occurring for many years now. They have been offered help with regalia and they have not taken the offer, and there is certainly no talk of a dance team. Something is just not working, and it is my hope that we might be able to help. I know my son can. He is a very old soul, and the most cheerful, yet reverent young person I know of.(This message has been edited by kahits)

[John-in-KC]

Kahits,

 

I think you'll find you're generally allowed one adult member per year. I believe that is OA election policy nationwide.

 

My brothers in service, can you confirm this?

 

That said, there are exceptions, particularly if your unit cannot furnish 2-deep leadership for a Lodge function (and if your Council, as our does, requires specific 2-deep leadership for activities).

 

If the Chapter Chief and Chapter Advisor make activities fun, then Arrowmen will come. I've seen that time and again. Activities need not be camping related; they can be pure fun or even Good Turn for America related.

[Cubmaster Randy]

Where did an age requirment come up? I thought the requirments were 1st class, the nights of camping, inluding a week of long term and a SM rec.

i took my ordeal at summer camp between the 7th and 8th grades. I got involved in my chapter and when I went to High School, I knew a lot more kids from other troops.

[CalicoPenn]

To confirm what John-in-KC has already stated, your unit will be allowed to recommend one adult for membership in the OA to the Lodge Adult Selection Committee this year if you have less than 50 boys in the unit, provided that you have eligible boys for election into the OA and hold an election this year that results in at least one boy being elected to the Order. If you hold an election this year, and no one is elected, you can't recommend an adult for membership. If you have 51 to 100 members, you can recommend 2 adults, 101 to 150 members, 3 adults, and so on.

 

As for age - there are no age requirements for the OA. Anyone who gives you an opinion on what the minimum age should be is giving you just that, an opinion, and that opinion holds no weight of regulation.

 

The requirements are simple. Be a registered Boy Scout; have approval of the Unit Leader before the election; hold, at a minimum, the rank of First Class (at time of election); and finally, experience 15 days and nights of BOY SCOUT camping (note - it says Boy Scout camping - that means camping with the Troop (or other BSA group) as a Boy Scout - NOT the family camping trip to the Smokey Mountains or wherever), within the 2 years prior to election (if you can fit in all 15 days in one year, thats fine), with one, and no more than one, long-term resident camp of 6 days and 5 nights approved and under the auspices and standards of the Boy Scouts of America (Boy Scout Summer Camp, BSA High Adventure trip, Troop Summer Camp/High Adventure Trip with approved trip forms). That's all there is - note, no minimum age requirements.

 

Please keep this mind when having elections though. You are electing members to the National(Camping)Honor Society of the BSA. Thats all. These boys are being recognized by their peers for the service they have done for their troops while camping. You are not electing members to serve the OA, or to represent your Troop at OA functions. Don't think of these elections as opportunities to help make changes in your local chapter. I really dislike folks denigrating OA members as just "patch and sash" collectors because the boys don't participate in the OA. People who make those claims don't truly understand what the Order of the Arrow is all about. The OA makes it quite clear, the first duty of OA members is to their own units! There are many boys that do give plenty of their time to the OA - they may become Chapter and Lodge officers, and committee chairs. Most of the time, these Lads are coming from fairly strong units where their time away from the unit working with their Chapters and Lodges don't hurt their own units, or are older "adult" members of their Troops while still remaining eligible youth members of the OA. Any Chapter or Lodge Adviser worth their salt would gently steer an active OA member back to helping their unit as a first priority if that unit is struggling to get things done.

 

Here is the real question to ask of an OA member in your Troop that is not active within the Chapter and Lodge - is that Scout serving as a primary cheerleader/promoter for Scout camping within your unit? If he is, then he is doing the number one job the OA requests of it's members. If he isn't, then he should be reminded what that patch on his left pocket flap signifies.

 

The OA is your units opportunity to recognize worthy boys in your unit, no matter what age they may be. Keep that as your primary focus, and the rest will fall into play. If the boys become more active in the OA, thats great. If they don't, thats great too (especially if they are active in promoting camping within your own unit).

 

CalicoPenn

aka

Ni hil i so hin

Vigil Honor Member

Order of the Arrow

[flmomscoutw3]

FB, I just read your post and the replys. I hope things have had a chance to turn around since Feb. If the CA is saying out loud that he is thinking of quitting I hope he did. That is the time for new adults to come in and advise. I will be eligible for brotherhood at the fall fellowship, so I am quite new to OA. What I have observed from the most successful chapters is POSITIVE adults.

This last weekend at summer fellowship we had 60 youth in attendance with our current chapter which included 9 ordeals, 4 brotherhoods, 6 elegamats. My boys and I will be moving to a new chapter this fall when we change troops after summer camp. Our new chapter had 2 youth and 2 adults in attendance, but after speaking with the CA I feel good about the move. He tells me they have 10-15 active youth, most were on a troop camp out this weekend. The CA is very positive and looks forward to every meeting to see how the cheif and vice-cheifs follow thru with their meeting plans. Even though the chapter is small the lodge is large and very active. Is your chapter involved with the lodge? Others have said get the lodge involved, but how about encouraging the youth to get involved in the lodge as well.

 

our chapter cheif is young, but excited and looking forward to a year of cheerful service and fun. The troop we will be joining has 3 members who were tapped for OA, but have not been able to do the ordeal. They are planning on going during the fall fellowship. I will be going thru brotherhood at that time and am looking forward to my sons being a part of this chapter and seeing what they can bring to it.

 

Stay positive and the youth will pick up on that. A chapter does not have to be large to be effective.

 

Keep on Scouting

flmom