OA - how does an Adult get elected?

[LauraT7]

Hi -

 

I have been with my troop as a leader for over 4 yrs, very active with the boys and go on most of the campouts and summer camp with them.

 

We have an AWESOME group of boys who I am very proud to be associated with.

 

However, I have been EXTREMEMLY frustrated with the adults in our troop - over and over again, they mess things up with their petty crap. I would join another troop, except that my son is close to his Eagle and really does not want to leave his friends.

 

As I love to camp, and the main purpose of OA (as I understand it) is to promote camping and program within the district - I think I would enjoy being a part of OA (my son is not interested in OA at all)

 

The only adult OA person in our troop is a control freak who really doesn't want anyone else in the troop involved in OA - because it's 'his' area.

 

So how do I get past him? As I understand it, I do have the required training, nights of camping, etc.

 

A frustrated Scout Mom

[SWScouter]

Hi Laura,

 

Scouters do not get elected to the OA like scouts do. Instead, they get recommended. When a troop has an OA election, if a scout is elected, then one adult from the troop may be recommended to the lodge adult selection committee. Once an adult has been recommended by the lodge adult selection committee and approved by the Scout Executive, then that adult is a candidate for induction into the OA. If the troop has more than 50 active scouts, then two adults may be recommended and so on for each additional 50 active scouts. That is, one adult may be recommended for each 50 active scouts as long as at least one scout is elected for induction into the OA.

 

If you want to be recommended for induction to the OA, I recommend talking to the adults in your troop that will do the recommending and let them know your desire and why.

 

SWScouter

[scoutldr]

Adult membership in OA is often misunderstood. Adults who were not inducted as youth should be recommended, not based on their service record, or as a "reward" for service, but with an eye toward what they can offer to the Order. The adult role in OA is to serve as "adult supervision" for Lodge and Chapter events, and to serve as advisors to youth officers and committee chairs, in addition to providing strong-back labor and transportation for work days, ordeals, etc. In my opinion, an adult in OA who does not serve in one of these capacities, and merely walks around with a coffee cup or comes to meetings just to socialize in the back of the room is really just in the way.

[LauraT7]

Well, I guess that's my question, then -

 

If I have to be 'recommended' by the one adult in our troop who is OA - and he doesn't want any other troop adults in OA, I'm out of luck?

 

We do have boys elected to OA almost every year - but have NEVER had any adults, and this one adult was inducted as a boy. he is not married and has no kids in the troop himself.

 

or is it the general troop committee that 'recommends' adults to OA?

 

laura

 

BTW - scoutldr

 

"merely walks around with a coffee cup or comes to meetings just to socialize in the back of the room is really just in the way."

 

where did you get the idea that I even drink coffee? If i wanted to 'socialize' I could join the church's ladies alter guild.....

no - I want to be involved in some of the district activities - but I prefer to be outside and DOING stuff, instead of shuffling paper.... and most of the 'district' positions seem to involve phone calling and paperwork, not camp skills. OA seems to be more involved with the boys - which is what I prefer and am good at.

 

 

[mdutch]

Adults are selected for the OA by the troop committee. After your next youth election, you should talk to your committee chair and/or a member of the election team. You can also try calling the lodge advisor for you council if you still have questions.

[Trevorum]

You can also try calling the lodge advisor for you council if you still have questions.

 

That's what I'd sure recommend! If there are adults in a unit who WANT to participate/help in the OA but are not being considered for membership because of personality conflicts, the lodge (and/or chapter) advisor would probably be interested.

[SWScouter]

After thinking about this for a bit and reading the other responses, I think what you should do is propose to the troop's adult leadership that it is high time that it starts to recommend adults for induction into the OA when it has OA elections. Explain that the troop has not been taking advantage of this in years past and it probably should start. The OA is the BSA honorary society and service organization and there is no reason that the troop scouters shouldn't be able to become a part of it. Personally, I would not bring up the fact that you want to become a member, but instead that any worthy adult scouter in the troop should be considered.

 

I could not find anything on how a troop decides who to recommend to the lodge adult selection committee so I assume each troop can come up with its own procedure. Meamemg suggested it is the troop committee but I think it would be better for the troop leadership team (SM & SAs) to do it since they should be more aware of how the possible candidates interact with the boys and how he or she may be better able to serve the order. What I do know, is that this recommendation does not need to be made by members of the OA.

 

SWScouter

[morainemom]

"merely walks around with a coffee cup or comes to meetings just to socialize in the back of the room is really just in the way."

 

where did you get the idea that I even drink coffee? If i wanted to 'socialize' I could join the church's ladies alter guild.....

no - I want to be involved in some of the district activities - but I prefer to be outside and DOING stuff, instead of shuffling paper.... and most of the 'district' positions seem to involve phone calling and paperwork, not camp skills. OA seems to be more involved with the boys - which is what I prefer and am good at.

 

Laura,

I believe that comment was not directed at you. The view that many of the adults in OA merely sit in the back and drink coffee has been expressed quite frequently on the board.

 

I don't believe the one Scouter in your Troop currently in the OA can decide whether or not to submit your name as a candidate for the OA. I think the SM and the Committee members should meet and decide who is worthy of this great honor.

 

Maybe you could ask the SM if that is the correct procedure.

[EagleWB]

The adult application has about six sections to be filled out. Some general info, a section for the committee to fill in,what committees you might be interested in, Special skills or resources you could bring, the camping you have done, and why you feel you will be a positive role model for the youth. The application must be signed by Unit Leader and Committee Chair.

Follow the advice given by those above, talk to the SM and Committee.

[sitrep]

LauraT7:

 

Why does it matter if you are in the OA? The way I see it the OA is just a big popularity contest. I think it is terrible that there is some "special" group that only certain scouts can belong too. The BSA was just fine the way it was before the OA appeared.

 

[scoutldr]

So, Sitrep, how many years of experience did you have in the BSA prior to 1948?

 

Right, Laura, my comment was not directed at you, sorry if you took it that way. My point was that adults should be selected for reasons other than to "honor" them. Adults are needed to be advisors to the youth who run the organization. Every youth officer and committee chairman has an adult advisor. Other than that, they serve little purpose.

[eisely]

I too have seen nothing in writing about how a committee goes about nominating an adult other than how to fill out the nominating form and documenting that the adult nominee has met the requirements. I think that the reason for this is that such a writing does not exist. The person to talk to is your committee chair to be sure that adult OA nominations gets onto the agenda. You won't find this in writing either, but no single adult, particularly a current OA member, should have a veto power over a nominee. How the committee goes about making this decision is up to the committee. Usually this is not a problem because so few adults ever qualify that the only decision to be made is whether or not to submit a nomination at all.

[sitrep]

Scoutldr:

 

Were you around back then? I think not, so I doubt you can tell me that the BSA back then was lacking something so vital that only the addition of the BSA own secret society could make up for it. Can anyone tell me why the BSA really needs the OA, except for some people to better about themselves?

[ScoutNut]

Monday my son was talking to a boy at lunch about how tired he was from cutting trees in rain and snow showers all weekend. The boy asked him why he was doing that & he answered that it was a "Boy Scout thing". The boy then looked at him and asked "Ordeal or Brotherhood". Floored, because he had no idea this kid was a Scout, he told him he had done his Ordeal. Turns out the boy was Brotherhood. He slaps my son on the shoulder & says "Welcome to BSA's Slave Labor Forces"!

 

Now he WAS just kidding, but the point of OA IS "Cheerful Service" & promoting Council camping.

 

Not as a "secret society" to make people feel better about themselves.

[sitrep]

ScoutNut:

 

So you are really telling us that the OA is not a secret society? Let see they have selective membership and secret ceremonies. Even on this board they have their own forum that is only accessable to those with the proper password. How does an elite group further the aims of scouting?