Odd Year in OA

[4CouncilsScouter]

Just curious how other chapters, lodges, and sections are going so far in 2017,

 

I feel this year has been a struggle for OA leadership in my local area. Lodge officers were a stretch to be found, and lodge committee chairmen are dropping like flies.

 

My district's chapter is having very little luck with unit elections. They are also talking of cancelling or significantly scaling back their Cub Scout service project that they've done for 10+ years now due to a lack of youth volunteers.

 

On the national level, I know Operation Arrow is still only 2/3 full with about half a year left before national Scout jamboree.

 

Is the problem just local? How is your chapter/lodge/section going so far this year?

[desertrat77]

Not much interest in my part of the country (rural OK). 

Edited February 4, 2017 by desertrat77

[Hedgehog]

Things seem good.  Going to my third election this Friday with our Troop's election the following week.  Several Troops have not had elections in the past.  Our chapter meetings have a handful of kids, but they have a lot of fun.  Our Lodge numbers are good and finances are great.  

[HelpfulTracks]

Things seemed to have picked up in my area. Winter banquet was packed, many crossovers and elections going on. The calendar is packed with conclave, fellowships, ordeals and celebrations. There is talk of a big camping outing for Cubs put on by the lodge this year and tons of service projects.

 

I think it is cyclic and varies by area though. Some years are just better than others. 

 

Hopefully leaving Helpful Tracks

[JosephMD]

Our chapter shrank a bit last year.  Well, the combined numbers of two chapters that merged mid year shrank a bit last year.  Perhaps the disjointedness of the chapter merger cost us some membership.  We will work on our chapter retention and growth this year and see how it goes.  That our lodge grew, that means some chapters did well enough to make up for our losses.

 

Our troop elections so far this year seem to be going well, with many troops electing multiple scouts.  12 elections so far, 40 scouts with 17 elections to go, if the trend continues, this could be a really big year.  Of course, our chapter is the size of some lodges, so, it could be apples and oranges to compare.

 

I'm not sure if we are doing anything particularly different with the elections, maybe, there are just more scouts eligible in the troops this year than last due to the requirements change, I haven't really crunched the data to that level.  The new national video is a little better than previous ones I think.  And the chapter emphasizes leadership, additional camping opportunity, and service as key reasons that one would want to be a part of the OA. 

 

Our cub scout pack exposure will be pretty big this year compared to years passed, I think we have 6 arrow of light ceremonies on the schedule.  The chapter also hosted a webelos in the woods style camp out where the OA staff were showing some sash, and performed an awesome ceremony that was still on the minds of some of the adults at the next round table.

 

One problem with having a big year, is that, a lot of those scouts will age out together, so big up years will lead to big down years later on.  They don't all stay involved, that's just the way it is.

[Col. Flagg]

We had eight elected out of 21 eligible. The problem is that once they complete Ordeal there's just not a lot going on in the Lodge, so it becomes yet another thing to be involved in. Since many of the Scouts are over subscribed at it is, OA does not get much traction other than getting elected, completing Ordeal and wearing the sash. That's pretty prevalent where I live. I wish it were not.