OA Election Question

[Khaliela]

As far as "selecting" adults go' date=' we have the opposite problem. The units know how to go about nominating an adult, but the OA advisers reject them every year. I know this has happened in our troop two years in a row as well as it happening in another troop also. Just because you send in an adult application doesn't mean that adult will be selected for OA.[/quote']

 

This doesn't make a lot of sense to me. If a unit has a scout elected, then the unit may nominate an adult. As of this year, for each addtional three elected scouts, another adult may be nominated. If the scoutmaster is not an arrowman and has been in that position for at least a year, he is automatically nominated. These nominations should be accepted by the chapter and lodge adviser at face value. In previous years, if at least one scout was elected then an adult could be nominated. Another adult could be nominated for each 50 active scouts in the troop.

 

Now the district may also nominate a small number of adults for the OA. District nominations are completely separate from unit nominations.

From what I understand, and I'm not in OA, this is only what the rep said:

The District doesn't nominate anyone. After the units have had elections and turned in their adult applications, the district committee decides which two applications, of all the adult applications from all the units in the District, will be forwarded to the lodge. Our OA person is also a member of the District Committee, so they choose which applications will be forwarded based on his input.

[jrush]

As far as "selecting" adults go' date=' we have the opposite problem. The units know how to go about nominating an adult, but the OA advisers reject them every year. I know this has happened in our troop two years in a row as well as it happening in another troop also. Just because you send in an adult application doesn't mean that adult will be selected for OA.[/quote']

 

This doesn't make a lot of sense to me. If a unit has a scout elected, then the unit may nominate an adult. As of this year, for each addtional three elected scouts, another adult may be nominated. If the scoutmaster is not an arrowman and has been in that position for at least a year, he is automatically nominated. These nominations should be accepted by the chapter and lodge adviser at face value. In previous years, if at least one scout was elected then an adult could be nominated. Another adult could be nominated for each 50 active scouts in the troop.

 

Now the district may also nominate a small number of adults for the OA. District nominations are completely separate from unit nominations.

I may be wrong, but it sounds to me as though your district committee needs to be re-educated as to their role in adult OA nominations.

 

Unless something has changed, it's one adult per 50 boys in the troop (or varsity team) if they had at least one boy nominated. The unit committee makes the nominations and the lodge approves them. According to national OA policy regarding elections/nominations, the district committee has nothing to do with it. I suppose it's possible that the lodge selection committee is the same people as the district committee, but they would be acting as members of the lodge, not the district, and that needs to be made more clear.

[SR540Beaver]

As far as "selecting" adults go' date=' we have the opposite problem. The units know how to go about nominating an adult, but the OA advisers reject them every year. I know this has happened in our troop two years in a row as well as it happening in another troop also. Just because you send in an adult application doesn't mean that adult will be selected for OA.[/quote']

 

This doesn't make a lot of sense to me. If a unit has a scout elected, then the unit may nominate an adult. As of this year, for each addtional three elected scouts, another adult may be nominated. If the scoutmaster is not an arrowman and has been in that position for at least a year, he is automatically nominated. These nominations should be accepted by the chapter and lodge adviser at face value. In previous years, if at least one scout was elected then an adult could be nominated. Another adult could be nominated for each 50 active scouts in the troop.

 

Now the district may also nominate a small number of adults for the OA. District nominations are completely separate from unit nominations.

jrush, you are correct about the unit committee nominating adults and the lodge approving them. That is the correct method for bringiing adults into OA. However, the number allowed has changed with this year. A non-OA SM with at least a year in the job is an automatic nomination. Beyond that, they can nominate 1 adult for each 3 youth elected. Seems crazy I know. I didn't like it at first. Still don't know if I do. The thinking is that many youth are not completing their Ordeal because the adult OA members in their units are not supporting them and making sure they get there. So to "remedy" that, they will increase the number of adults nominated each year to help ensure there are adult drivers to the Ordeal. I will say that having been a Chapter Adviser, there was no way I could provide transporation for the 30 or so boys in my district that were elected each year and they rarely had active OA adults in their units. Parents were not going to drive 2.5 hours one way on Friday night to deliver their son to camp and then turn around and go home and repeat it on Sunday. The solution we came up with a couple of years ago was to rent a school bus and charge $10 for a ride to camp and back. It did increase our number of boys completing their Ordeal. Even had some adults ride.

[King Ding Dong]

As far as "selecting" adults go' date=' we have the opposite problem. The units know how to go about nominating an adult, but the OA advisers reject them every year. I know this has happened in our troop two years in a row as well as it happening in another troop also. Just because you send in an adult application doesn't mean that adult will be selected for OA.[/quote']

 

This doesn't make a lot of sense to me. If a unit has a scout elected, then the unit may nominate an adult. As of this year, for each addtional three elected scouts, another adult may be nominated. If the scoutmaster is not an arrowman and has been in that position for at least a year, he is automatically nominated. These nominations should be accepted by the chapter and lodge adviser at face value. In previous years, if at least one scout was elected then an adult could be nominated. Another adult could be nominated for each 50 active scouts in the troop.

 

Now the district may also nominate a small number of adults for the OA. District nominations are completely separate from unit nominations.

I am not OA, but what is the point in severely limiting the adults in OA Membership ? If they don't want us, fine. I certainly don't want to join where I am not wanted.

 

I have been asked by some members if I am interested for next year. I have 13 BS camping nights since April, if you count IOLS.

[SR540Beaver]

As far as "selecting" adults go' date=' we have the opposite problem. The units know how to go about nominating an adult, but the OA advisers reject them every year. I know this has happened in our troop two years in a row as well as it happening in another troop also. Just because you send in an adult application doesn't mean that adult will be selected for OA.[/quote']

 

This doesn't make a lot of sense to me. If a unit has a scout elected, then the unit may nominate an adult. As of this year, for each addtional three elected scouts, another adult may be nominated. If the scoutmaster is not an arrowman and has been in that position for at least a year, he is automatically nominated. These nominations should be accepted by the chapter and lodge adviser at face value. In previous years, if at least one scout was elected then an adult could be nominated. Another adult could be nominated for each 50 active scouts in the troop.

 

Now the district may also nominate a small number of adults for the OA. District nominations are completely separate from unit nominations.

King Ding Dong, as I stated yesterday, the rules have changed on adult nominations. There has never been an effort to “limit†adults. The OA is a youth run organization and is designed for youth. Adults are advisers and nothing more. Adults nominated for the OA are approved by the Lodge basically on the merits of what they bring to the table in the way of resources to enable the youth. For many an adult, that means providing transportation. Don’t get me wrong, an adult still needs to meet most of the same requirements as a youth and it is still an honor to be nominated and we have all the rights and privileges of membership other than voting rights, but our purpose is different. Functioning correctly, the elected Lodge Chief and his Vice Chiefs run the Lodge. They hold regular Lodge Executive Committee meetings where they discuss business and make decisions. All Lodge functions such as Ordeals, Fellowships, camp service, etc, are planned and run by boys. Each boy in leadership has an adult adviser and when done correctly, that is all they do…..advise. It is not up to the adults to run anything. It is up to the adults to assist and provide support where needed. Adults are needed. On work days where we provide service to camps and are clearing brush, putting up fence, setting up tents, etc, it is the adults who can provide trucks, trailers, tools, etc to execute the plans the boys made. I don’t “know†of any nominated adult in my Lodge who has ever been denied. But simply selecting Joe Blow in your troop for membership in the OA because it would be a nice thing to do to honor him and get him a pocket flap to wear and knowing he has no intent of ever supporting the program is the wrong way to go. If an adult is nominated, the Lodge does have expectations that he will support the work of the Lodge. I can’t begin to tell you how frustrating it is as an Adviser to see adults nominated, complete their Ordeal and then never, ever see them again. Why is that frustrating? Because if they aren’t coming, the boys in their units aren’t coming either and they are missing out on a whole different level of scouting and leadership opportunities that would enhance their experience. We need adults, but it makes sense to limit it to adults who will be active.

[The Blancmange]

Slight change of direction, but I was wondering how common it was for lodges to reject adult nominations from units. In our lodge, as long as the nominated adults meet the basic requirements, they are accepted. I cant recall a qualified nomination being turned down. I was surprised to read the descriptions of lodges that reject significant numbers of adults. If it makes a difference, I am from a very small council/lodge.

[SR540Beaver]

Slight change of direction, but I was wondering how common it was for lodges to reject adult nominations from units. In our lodge, as long as the nominated adults meet the basic requirements, they are accepted. I cant recall a qualified nomination being turned down. I was surprised to read the descriptions of lodges that reject significant numbers of adults. If it makes a difference, I am from a very small council/lodge.

I've not seen it in our Lodge with one exception. We have a gentleman who very much wants to be in OA. To put it politely, he is one strange duck. His troop has yet to nominate him. He attempted to claim he was nominated and tried to register for Ordeal. We contacted the SM and committee chair of his unit to ask if they had failed to turn in the paperwork and they told us he had not been nominated. So, we didn't actually reject him, but left it to his unit leadership to deal with. He didn't show up at Ordeal.

[00Eagle]

Slight change of direction, but I was wondering how common it was for lodges to reject adult nominations from units. In our lodge, as long as the nominated adults meet the basic requirements, they are accepted. I cant recall a qualified nomination being turned down. I was surprised to read the descriptions of lodges that reject significant numbers of adults. If it makes a difference, I am from a very small council/lodge.

I don't think it's all that common. I've been in 3 lodges (412, 104, 43) and never saw it happen. On paper every lodge has an adult selection committee to review nominated adults. In most cases a steady stream of adults is needed to serve as advisors. They can't wait for all the aged out arrowmen to return.

 

The nomination process is usually rubber stamped, but I remember hearing one case on here where the lodge did kick back a lot of nominations and were then surprised no adults were nominated, as units stopped submitting paperwork just to have it rejected.

[Basementdweller]

As far as "selecting" adults go' date=' we have the opposite problem. The units know how to go about nominating an adult, but the OA advisers reject them every year. I know this has happened in our troop two years in a row as well as it happening in another troop also. Just because you send in an adult application doesn't mean that adult will be selected for OA.[/quote']

 

This doesn't make a lot of sense to me. If a unit has a scout elected, then the unit may nominate an adult. As of this year, for each addtional three elected scouts, another adult may be nominated. If the scoutmaster is not an arrowman and has been in that position for at least a year, he is automatically nominated. These nominations should be accepted by the chapter and lodge adviser at face value. In previous years, if at least one scout was elected then an adult could be nominated. Another adult could be nominated for each 50 active scouts in the troop.

 

Now the district may also nominate a small number of adults for the OA. District nominations are completely separate from unit nominations.

If everyone is a member then is stops being the National Honor society of scouting.

[SR540Beaver]

As far as "selecting" adults go' date=' we have the opposite problem. The units know how to go about nominating an adult, but the OA advisers reject them every year. I know this has happened in our troop two years in a row as well as it happening in another troop also. Just because you send in an adult application doesn't mean that adult will be selected for OA.[/quote']

 

This doesn't make a lot of sense to me. If a unit has a scout elected, then the unit may nominate an adult. As of this year, for each addtional three elected scouts, another adult may be nominated. If the scoutmaster is not an arrowman and has been in that position for at least a year, he is automatically nominated. These nominations should be accepted by the chapter and lodge adviser at face value. In previous years, if at least one scout was elected then an adult could be nominated. Another adult could be nominated for each 50 active scouts in the troop.

 

Now the district may also nominate a small number of adults for the OA. District nominations are completely separate from unit nominations.

The youth are still elected by their peers for the honor. Adult nominations are approved based on their ability to facilitate the program. OA is about the youth.