OA Membership

[Owl62]

An eligible Scout or Scouter, who was elected (in the case of youth) or nominated (in the case of adults) and did go through the Ordeal are then mumbers of the OA.

 

My question is, what about later, when the Scouts or Scouters are in units or positions that are not eligbile for for election / nomiations and go through the Ordeal. Examples would be:

 

A Boy Scout, who was elected, and completed the Ordeal and was an OA member; but then drops his membership as a Boy Scout and joins a Venturing Crew (or even an Exploring Post). Is this young man eligible for continued membership in the OA assuming he complies with other OA membership requirements (dues, etc)?

 

A Boy Scout adult leader, who was nominated and selected, and completed the Ordeal and was an OA member; but then drops his membership as a Boy Scout leader and registers as a Cub Scout, or Venturing Crew adult leader. Is this person eligible for continued membership in the OA assuming he/she complies with other OA membership requirements (dues, etc)?

 

A former member of the OA (youth or adult, who previously met all membership requirements), but who discontinued membership in the OA but who is registered in a Scouting position in the BSA. Is this person eligible for continued membership in the OA assuming he complies with other OA membership requirements (dues, etc)? If so, do they rejoin the OA at their previous OA membership level (Arrowman, Brotherhood, Vigil)?

 

Thanks.

 

[ASM915]

Owl,

As for the last circumstance, usually the Lodge will except you back open arms. They did me after a 25 year hiatus in Scouting.

[scoutldr]

When I reentered scouting as a Den Leader, I also renewed my membership in the OA lodge. All I had to do was fill out the form and send in a check.

 

The only situation you mention that I would have doubts about is the Exploring example...since Exploring is a part of Learning For Life, and not the BSA.

[Gold Winger]

I clicked to read and there were no replies so I started to type my response and noticed that two people already answered. Rats! There went my chance to show off.

[CalicoPenn]

There is one requirement for continuing membership in the Order of the Arrow, said membership only available through the Lodge of one's council: "All members of the Lodge must be registered members of the Boy Scouts of America".

 

Cub Scout Leaders, Venture Crew Members and Leaders, Boy Scouts and Boy Scout Leaders, District & Council Volunteers, even Merit Badge Counselors, are all registered members of the Boy Scouts of America (or should be). If you were a member of an OA Lodge at one time and find yourself registered in a the BSA again, you can pay your dues to the Council's Lodge (if you have your last membership card, bring it with) and become a member again - doesn't matter if you aren' involved in a Troop or Crew. Explorers and Explorer Advisors are not registered members of the Boy Scouts of America since Explorers are now part of Learning for Life and not the BSA, so are not eligible for membership in the Lodge.

 

As for membership level, you would rejoin at your previous membership level. If you were an Ordeal member, you would register as an Ordeal member, etc, etc. Once you have earned or been honored with a higher membership level (you can earn the Brotherhood level, you can only be honored with the Vigil level), you can't lose that membership level.

 

CalicoPenn

[Owl62]

I thought that Learning for Life, which Exploring is a part of, is part of the BSA???

 

[Dizzy ona cliff]

Beyond membership in the BSA and paying your dues, one must also continue to abide by their obligation to the order through service and concern for the welfare of others. Those who work with Cub Scouts and take youth camping fulfill this duty well even if they are rarely able to participate in lodge activities.

[Gold Winger]

LFL is a subsidiary of BSA, a hair splitting disctinction but one nonetheless.

 

 

[kb6jra]

Once an Arrowman, always an Arrowman. All that is required is current registration in the BSA and current dues with the lodge.

 

For the sake of argument, if you were a member of a LFL group, and you wanted to be active in your lodge, then you would need to register either with a unit or at large with the district in order to be elegible as a memeber of the chapter/lodge. After that it's all about paying your lodge dues and get to serving.