Ever hear of this policy

[Eagle92]

Ok spun off another thread. but someone mentioned this policy in refence to nominating an adult from a unit:

 

Your troop must attend 50% of the Chapter meetings/Lodge or

National OA functions so that you can have an adult nominated

in 200_.

 

Ever heard of such a thing before or is a lodge adding requirements? nothing in the GO&A or G2I.

[shortridge]

Just as a unit cannot add requirements for rank advancement, a lodge cannot add requirements for membership.

 

Besides, that's an incredibly silly rule just on the face of it. You're cutting off your nose to spite your face, limiting the pool of potential adult members available to serve and advise based on an entirely arbitrary measurement.

 

I hope this is a misinterpretation of some rule somewhere, and not a real policy.(This message has been edited by shortridge)

[scoutldr]

YOur Lodge cannot do it, but the Supreme Chief of the Fire can.

[shortridge]

scoutldr -

 

I don't want to become one of those rules-spouting bubbleheads, but I'm wondering what your source is for that information.

 

Like Eagle92, I'm not finding any reference to the SCF's authority to impose additional requirements on unit nominations. He or she approves individual adult selections, sure, but saying that a troop or team's OA members have to be active at a certain level is adding requirements.

 

As a purely practical matter, it could also severely restrict a unit's ability to rebuild a dormant OA program at the local level. If youth members don't have an adult member in their troop or team to look up to, bounce questions off of or hitch a ride with, the odds that they would attend even 50 percent of functions drops dramatically.

[jtswestark]

It says 'Your troop must attend', would that mean one person from the troop in attendance or some other measure? We don't attend OA functions as a troop, they're not troop functions.

This sounds like another urban legend to me.

[ney_a_ti]

This is sadly a policy of my lodge. I have inquired about he purpose in this requirement, and I have been told that the purpose is to increase attendance at chapter meeting and lodge events. However, having attended quite a few of my chapter events, they are pretty sparsely attended. I would assume that the other Chapters in my lodge are pretty similar. Yet I still see many adults being inducted in the lodge. My troop has not always participated in the required 50%, and we have never had an adult nomination declined. I have a feeling that the rule is not enforced consistently or even routinely.

[scoutldr]

Shortridge, I should have prefaced my comment with "in my opinion" or "as far as I know"...in fact that caveat is implied for EVERY post here, since this is not an official BSA site and none of us speak for the BSA.

 

AFAIK, the "no adding to the requirements" applies only to the Advancement program, which is mandated by National. I believe I've read elsewhere in this forum that the SE (aka SCOTF) can do pretty much whatever he wants, as long as the Executive Board agrees.

 

Back to the question, I would go to the Lodge advisor and ask for a reference..."Sorry, where is that written so I can take it back to my troop committee." Bet he can't produce it.

[shortridge]

IMHO, if the OA has an established, written policy, it has to follow it.

 

The only exception would be if an exception were written in to the policy - along the lines of "The Supreme Chief of the Fire may impose additional requirements or waive requirements for XXXX at his or her discretion."

 

Even the SCF has to follow the rules except in extreme circumstances, or what would be the point of having them?

[Eagle92]

Ok here's mt $.02 worth.

 

1) This policy violates national policies, as expressed in both the Guide for Officer and Advisers and and Guide for Inductions, and needs to be rescinded. Either the lodge chief, adviser, staff adviser, or SCotF needs to do this by fiat.

 

2) This lodge's policy doesn't make any sense because who usually drives youth to OA functions: adults in the lodge. Without adutls, how do chapters survive?

 

I can see how a chapter can falter with this type of policy. The chapter I am in now once had a vibrant history with lots of adults and youth involved. Well as usually happens youth age out, go to college, move. etc, so the adults provide a degree of stability and leadership. Over time the adults started to become over extended in Scouting, and became inactive. There went rides to functions, there went examples to the new members of how the OA is supposed to be, and chapter came to a point where only 3 Arrowmen attended an Ordeal, and 1 Arrowman attended the lodge banquet.

 

We turned things using a variety of methods, but the biggest one was getting adults involved. We are now picking up, and keeping new members. The adults are doing what they are supposed to do, advise, and are even acting like kids themselves. The funniest thing I've ever seen was two adults trying to outdo each other in clearing trail!

[John-in-KC]

Want successful Chapters and Lodges?

 

Have good program

 

Attendance and support of events depends on the quality of events in the past. Garbage out=Garbage back in. Quality out=quality back in.

 

My $0.001 (the bailout got me)

[NeilLup]

I believe that this policy is exceedingly unwise.

 

However, since adults are only nominated for OA membership and the final election/confirmation occurs by the lodge, if they wish to impose such a requirement at the lodge level, they are probably within their rights to do so. In doing is, as another poster has said, they are truly cutting off their nose to spite their face.

 

But that won't happen until the current adults decide they will leave. Then there won't be anybody to replace them. But that won't be their problem.

 

I would hope that the Supreme Chief of the Fire gets involved and changes things

[shortridge]

Correct, the SCF or designee approves all adult nominations. But this rule doesn't create qualifications for individual membership - it imposes an additional requirement on units at the start of the process.

 

For induction, those who know you best selected you. This flies in the face of that.

[scoutldr]

When I was a youth, my parents drove me, or I got a ride with a friend who had a license. When I became of age, I drove myself, and gave others a ride. Never was it considered a Troop (or Post)activity, and if my Leaders were OA members, we just met them there. Same with Ordeals, Fall Fellowship, Conclave, etc.