What does Order of the Arrow do?

[SWdenleader]

Scouter community,

  My young Scout is very interested in the Order of the Arrow and apparently wants to join. The troop leadership doesn't know much about it and I know even less. Apparently, they can arrange an election(?) where scouts can join and may do so soon. So we may be going down that path.

 My question is; what exactly does the OA do? All the info online just speaks like a mission statement but it doesn't really help a parent know what they are getting into. Is it like a title the kids earn or is there more involvement? Are the kids still in the old troop or do they "graduate" to OA? Are there separate meetings, in addition to the troop meetings? Are there additional outings and other activities? Hopefully, get my point, I'd really like to know what we may be getting into and how much addition effort it would be.

 

Thanks in advance!

Edited September 27, 2023 by SWdenleader

[DeaconLance]

Yes the Order of the Arrow has seperate events for its members.  Aside from the Ordeal weekend required to become a member no other events are mandatory. At the Ordeal level a Scout is being recognized by his troop as an exemplary Scout worthy of recognition by the OA which is Scouting’s National Honor Society.  The Scout is expected to continue giving exemplary service to his unit and pay his lodge dues.  Lodges will have service and fellowship weekends for members and Sections (groups of several lodges) will have a yearly Conclave but these are opportunities not obligations.

[InquisitiveScouter]

23 minutes ago, SWdenleader said:

Scouter community,

  My young Scout is very interested in the Order of the Arrow and apparently wants to join. The troop leadership doesn't know much about it and I know even less. Apparently, they can arrange an election(?) where scouts can join and may do so soon. So we may be going down that path.

 My question is; what exactly does the OA do? All the info online just speaks like a mission statement but it doesn't really help a parent know what they are getting into. Is it like a title the kids earn or is there more involvement? Are the kids still in the old troop or do they "graduate" to OA? Are there separate meetings, in addition to the troop meetings? Are there additional outings and other activities? Hopefully, get my point, I'd really like to know what we may be getting into and how much addition effort it would be.

 

Thanks in advance!

https://www.scouter.com/topic/33307-elections-for-dummies/

 

[InquisitiveScouter]

3 minutes ago, DeaconLance said:

Yes the Order of the Arrow has seperate events for its members.  Aside from the Ordeal weekend required to become a member no other events are mandatory. At the Ordeal level a Scout is being recognized by his troop as an exemplary Scout worthy of recognition by the OA which is Scouting’s National Honor Society.  The Scout is expected to continue giving exemplary service to his unit and pay his lodge dues.  Lodges will have service and fellowship weekends for members and Sections (groups of several lodges) will have a yearly Conclave but these are opportunities not obligations.

Not quite...

The Scout is expected to go back and serve his unit.

Whether he chooses to serve the lodge and join in all those other lodge activities is just that... his choice.

Election to Order of the Arrow, and completion of the Ordeal carries with it absolutely no obligations to the lodge itself.

You are an Arrowman for life.  You are only a lodge member year to year as you pay your dues.

Unfortunately many do not agree with this philosophy.  But that is another thread 😜 

Edited September 27, 2023 by InquisitiveScouter

[KublaiKen]

I would encourage your Troop's leadership to reach out to the OA chapter absolutely as soon as possible. I say this for a few reasons:

1. They can do a presentation to your Troop explaining what it is and what it does so that the Scouts can be thinking about whom they would elect.
2. Any requirements for membership that are lacking can be made up before the election.
3. You don't miss your chapter/lodge's election window if they have one.

[FireStone]

Look up ScouterStan on YouTube, he's got a lot of OA videos, I think one is specifically geared towards parents and getting to know what the OA is.

[mrjohns2]

29 minutes ago, FireStone said:

ScouterStan

I couldn’t stand his video or 2 on uniforms since he has at least a few items out of compliance with standards. Plenty do, but they don’t make a video. He also didn’t point out what he had wasn’t standard. 

[BetterWithCheddar]

OP: The OA is an honor society for Scouts, much like NHS is for high school students.

A scout must be elected by their troop and then perform a day of service as a sort of initiation (referred to as an "Ordeal"). If your son's troop does not hold a regular OA election, your troop leadership must arrange for one to be held. If they are unsure of where to start, I suggest someone reach out to your local professional (probably a "District Executive") or your Unit Commissioner (an experienced volunteer who acts as a liaison between troops and the District).

OA is not intended to replace your son's troop experience. Rather, it's more of an add-on that will allow him to connect with older scouts and enrich his time in Scouting. My own experience with OA as a youth was mainly positive ~ I appreciated the recognition and enjoyed connecting with other older scouts year-round (many of whom I served with on the local council camp staff).

Like many Scouting programs, I'm sure his OA experience will greatly depend on 1) the quality of volunteers running the local program and 2) the quality of the Scout families in your area with youth participating in the OA.