Order of the Arrow for Females?

[Stosh]

My "bias" never enters the situation.  Previously I would get a request to come hold elections in the troop.  I promptly pass that request off to all of the PL's.  It is up to them to set a date for the election.  The last time a troop I was in as SM had an election, we had 4 patrols so I passed the information to the PL's and they had the SPL invite an OA rep in to do the election. 

 

The OA rep showed up in blue jeans and school sweatshirt.  The SPL rescheduled the election at a time when the OA rep could show up in a Scout uniform.  The OA rep never came back.

 

At the present, I have one patrol of of new troop where none of them are FC nor do they have enough nights of camping, but I pass the OA request for elections on to my PL.  It is up to him as to whether or not he makes the call.

 

All my boys know I am an OA member and wear the brotherhood sash at summer camp call-outs.  Yes, it's not proper, I haven't been paying dues for a year, but it is my way of keeping OA in front of the boys so when the time comes for them to be eligible, they will at least know what the program is all about, could get elected, and maybe make a difference in our local lodge to get it back on track. 

 

I make opportunities for my boys, I never take them away.  I would love to have one of my boys become Lodge Chief and bring it back to life.

[WRW_57]

Another late to the party question* ......When did adult female leaders start getting inducted into the OA?

Here at Chief Seattle Council I'm noticing some woman wearing the lodge flap at district and council events.

* away from Scouting for 40 years.

[WisconsinMomma]

See page one,  I have a link there. Women were welcomed to the OA in 1988. 

[John-in-KC]

Well, now it's late April.   We know now the girls youth program will be the same as the boys program, and that troops may be chartered as concurrent committee or two separate committees by the chartered partner. 

Do we have any updates on where the Order will go?

My one thought is "separate but equal" in the honor camping organization will see National fighting in the court of public opinion on a Title IX lawsuit. It may get thrown out of federal court, but it'll be a publicity struggle, and we all know how BSA has performed in recent court of public opinion battles. 

Now, if the suit is against a local council in a state court...and it's the right state...KATEY Bar the Door. 

ICS. 

[Hawkwin]

1 hour ago, John-in-KC said:

My one thought is "separate but equal" in the honor camping organization will see National fighting in the court of public opinion on a Title IX lawsuit

Title IX doesn't require things be coed or even equal, it only requires entities that receive federal financial assistance not discriminate on the basis of gender. Schools easily accomplish that requirement while still having a boy's only football team and a girls softball team, for example. I don't see how a person would even begin to have any standing to file a case under Title IX.

[Tampa Turtle]

I see this as a non-issue. There are women adults who are in OA (at least in my lodge and section) and now that females will become Boy Scouts I do not see how they can "bar" them. So many OA "old hands" are District and Council officials and ex-officials I do not see then bucking National. The rest (adult oversight, sleeping and bathroom accommodations) is just YPT logistics. 

[krikkitbot]

I heard it from the current national chief during a Q&A session that girls will be allowed into the OA. There was no hesitation in his response.  

[WAKWIB]

17 hours ago, Tampa Turtle said:

I see this as a non-issue. There are women adults who are in OA (at least in my lodge and section) and now that females will become Boy Scouts I do not see how they can "bar" them. So many OA "old hands" are District and Council officials and ex-officials I do not see then bucking National. The rest (adult oversight, sleeping and bathroom accommodations) is just YPT logistics. 

I totally agree with @Tampa Turtle.  It will be relatively simple to incorporate young ladies into the Order.  Most likely every Lodge has adult female Brotherhood and Virgil members who can provide oversight. There is nothing really daunting about the Ordeal that a girl can't handle. If she has met the requirement to be elected, she has all the skills and experience to go through the same Ordeal as the boys.  The integration of girls into the ceremonies and functions of the Order of the Arrow, Mic-O-Say, or any other Scouting auxiliary thing is just a case of a few adjustments, logistic considerations, and the direct involvement of adult female leaders keeping an eye on things.  Since, for the most part, the operations of these types of things rest in the hands of gifted youth and adult volunteers, I anticipate fine results. 

[an_old_DC]

Summer 2020 will be the end of an era, which is kinda sad.

Talked about this at a council-level meeting this morning. Interesting observation: of all the professionals and volunteers with a “what’s the big deal? Get over it attitude” , none of them were Arrowmen as youth. So basically, they cannot relate

[MikeS72]

14 hours ago, an_old_DC said:

Summer 2020 will be the end of an era, which is kinda sad.

Talked about this at a council-level meeting this morning. Interesting observation: of all the professionals and volunteers with a “what’s the big deal? Get over it attitude” , none of them were Arrowmen as youth. So basically, they cannot relate

As an Arrowman who did Ordeal, Brotherhood, and Vigil all as a youth member, I will admit it took a little while to get used to the idea of female Scoutmasters and female OA members.  I do not see the potential for girls to be eligible for election to be sad, but simply a natural evolution of bringing young ladies into the broader Scouting family.

[CalicoPenn]

I keep picturing Spanky and Alfalfa with their "He-Man Wom3en Haters No Girlz Allowed" sign.