OA

[rldavis]

I am a 3rd year scoutmaster and Eagle Scout class of 1982. I have just completed Woodbadge training and last night at our Court of Honor I spoke to the troop about my vision for our future. (ticket) I have a son in the troop who is a Star scout and a younger son who is a Webelos 2.

I have hinted several times in scoutmaster minutes and in campfire conversations at my desire to be a part of the OA. It is acutally a part of my ticket to incorporate the values and ideals of the OA. I have several dozen books on the OA - its mission, its founders, its organization. I have searched this forum and found that others here suggest the scoutmaster be a part of OA. My son is being tapped out next month. I never had the opportunity as a scout to be a part of this, but I believe in it, and would like to work with my troop and incorporate OA into our activities. One of my ticket items is to work on the Hornaday award at the troop level - this would work great with OA activities. What should I do?

 

 

[ScoutBox]

Has your committee nominated you to the OA? When you send in your election packet for the boys in my Council you add can add one adult to the list. The Lodge approves this of course, and will then call out the adult. But there is a process.

[Tokala]

You can be nominated by the Troop committee when your troop holds an election for youth members. They must elect a youth in order to nominate an adult. You must meet the camping requirement that the youth must meet. Adults should be nominated for what they can do to help the Order or the Arrow and not as a form of recognition, reward or award. My Council has a committee which reviews the adult nominations and accepts or declines the nominees.

 

If a Troop has over 50 active Scouts, they can nominate two adults. Adults can also be nominated through the District or Council level.

 

You have multiple ways to be nominated, but rememebr it's for what you have to offer the OA as an adult. As A Scoutmaster, what you offer the OA is to keep the Arrowmen in your Troop interested and active in the OA. That's a strong enough reason for nomination and approval IMHO.

[SR540Beaver]

http://www.oa-bsa.org/misc/basics/

 

The Order of the Arrow membership requirements are:

 

-Be a registered member of the Boy Scouts of America.

 

-After registration with a troop or team, have experienced 15 days and nights of Boy Scout camping during the two-year period prior to the election. The 15 days and nights must include one, but no more than one, long-term camp consisting of six consecutive days and five nights of resident camping, approved and under the auspices and standards of the Boy Scouts of America. The balance of the camping must be overnight, weekend, or other short-term camps.

 

-Youth must be under the age of 21, hold the BSA First Class rank or higher, and following approval by the Scoutmaster or Varsity team Coach, be elected by the youth members of their troop or team.

 

-Adults (age 21 or older) who are registered in the BSA and meet the camping requirements may be selected following nomination to the lodge adult selection committee. Adult selection is based on their ability to perform the necessary functions to help the Order fulfill its purpose, and is not for recognition of service, including current or prior positions. Selected adults must be an asset to the Order because of demonstrated abilities, and must provide a positive example for the growth and development of the youth members of the lodge.

 

 

[emb021]

Someone who has been a SM for 3 years and has not been nominated would be seen as strange in my neck of the woods. We try to make sure that ALL SMs are in our lodge. Sounds like someone has been dropping the ball in your case. May be your committee, as they are the ones to elect you. I know in my lodge, we would have noticed a SM not in the lodge, and would have worked behind the scenes to help make it happen.

 

 

[SeattlePioneer]

I would suppose the Committee doesn't realize nominating adults is something they can do.

 

As a practical matter, once an election is held can the Committee nominate an adult at a later date if they have neglected to do so?

 

When I was Scoutmaster (1982-1987) thye troop had annual OA elections but I had no knowledge that adults were eligible. I think it was my second year that I was surprised and pleased to be called out at Camporee along with Scouts in my troop.

 

So what practical steps can rldavis take to correct this over site? Should he contact the lodge adviser or chat with the Committee Chair? What specific action should the Committee Chair take?

[eisely]

As mentioned above it is a pre requisite that the troop elect at least one candidate during the annual cycle. Assuming that you have been having regular elections to OA, and you meet the camping requirement, the person you need to talk to is your committee chair. You should have received an election packet from the OA for your troop. There should have been an adult nomination form in that packet.

[00Eagle]

emb021 wrote "Someone who has been a SM for 3 years and has not been nominated would be seen as strange in my neck of the woods. We try to make sure that ALL SMs are in our lodge. Sounds like someone has been dropping the ball in your case. May be your committee, as they are the ones to elect you. I know in my lodge, we would have noticed a SM not in the lodge, and would have worked behind the scenes to help make it happen."

 

and

 

SeattlePioneer wrote "I would suppose the Committee doesn't realize nominating adults is something they can do."

 

I just encountered this situation. I'm new in the area (and to the lodge and council). I hung up my class A's in the closet for 4 years and my OA sash was put away for ~8 years. I came back in as a UC in November and the first unit I was assigned was the troop in my town. Before assigning me, the DistCommish warned me that he had to intervene in a SM-Committee dispute that almost led to the SM's resignation. When I first met the troop I didn't see any flaps around but learned they had jsut held the first election and ordeal in years so not everyone ahd a flap sewn on. But the SM wasn't OA because no one told the committee they could send one adult (troop size = 21). The committee is now informed and will either nominate the SM or the only ASM.

 

In short have your friendly commish (if you have one) inform the committee about adult OA nominations (and other adult recognitions).

 

[SR540Beaver]

eisley is correct. Different Lodges have different election cycles. Back in the day, elections were held at summer camp, along with a call out and then Ordeal. Some Lodges still do that, some don't. We go on a calendar year basis, sort of. The desire is for the chapters to conduct elections in the 4th quarter of the year for the coming year. We hold Ordeals in May and August. If a troop is slow in responding to our request to come do an election, we can technically come hold an election up until a week or so before the May Ordeal. We've experienced a large number of no troop responses for this year, so we've been having to follow up with them to get elections done. In fact, we have one tonight. Now, as to adults being nominated after the fact, that also depends on the lodge. We actually send the troop a packet of info including the adult nomination form by email and also bring a packet with us to the election. My experience is that most troops never got around to getting it filled out to give to the election team at the election. We have to follow up with them to see if they are going to nominate an adult or not. We ALWAYS recommend that the SM be nominated if he isn't a member. We actually have some who tell us they don't have time......but I've discussed that in another thread before. So, check with your lodge or chapter election team and see if nominations can still be turned in for this year. If so, your committee needs to complete the form and submit it. While you may want to be in OA, you can't nominate yourself and fill out your own nomination.

[Eagle92]

IF the troop has been having elections AND no adults knew the process for nominating an adult, then that is an issue with the OA chapter's election team. That should be something that is discussed. I know I have personally picked up nominating forms from troop CC's so the unit's adults would eb surprised when Called Out.

[SeattlePioneer]

Based on what's been posted, it sounds like rldavis should mail or e-mail the form for nominating an adult to OA to the Troop Committee Chair along with his interest in being nominated.

 

If I were an OA Chapter leader I'd do whatever I could to get that nomination processed as soon as I received that nomination form, even if it might not come in when it was desired.

 

I wouldn't be at all bashful about expressing my interest in that nomination. As explained by OA leaders in this thread, it is highly desirable to have Scoutmasters as OA members.

 

As I think about it now, I remember being pleased to be nominated. But I don't recall making it a point to nominate other adult leaders after I was nominated in subsequent years. I never thought about that until now. Perhaps the Committee Chair was paying attention to that. If not, I would have benefited from being reminded about that by OA Chapter leaders.

[Crew21_Adv]

Fellow Scouters and Arrowmen,

 

 

Adults are usually nominated, if they will be a benefit to the OA program.

 

At face value, it sounds/reads like rldavis would be a benefit.

 

There is a ratio in the guidebook, at least one youth arrowman must be elected to obtain an adult nomination. A troop may nominate 1 adult, per every 50 Scouts in the troop. I.E. If a small troop has 1 SPL, 1 PL and 8 Scouts, they may nominate 1 adult. If a large troop has 101 Scouts, they have the possibility to nominate up to 3 adults.

 

Not only should the Troop Committee be made aware of the procedures. But I would state that the Lodge/Chapter Election Committee may need to be trained as well. An Election Committee are usually 2 or more Youth Arrowman, being escorted by an adult Arrowman. The Election Committee (mostly youth arrowman) should be visiting the Troops and Scoutmasters to conduct the election. Even the youth Arrowman should be aware of youth elections and adult nomination procedures.

 

So sadly, if the Troop Committee is unaware, possibly the actual OA Election Committee may be unaware or untrained.

 

Good Luck rldavis and hope to see you at the council fire some day!

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21 Adv

[Papadaddy]

I would be so brash as to fill out the form FOR them, before handing it to the Troop CC. Could be they don't know many of the details asked for on the form and if all they have to do is approve and sign it, your chances may be better. Being nominated as an adult is not so much an "honor" as it is a means to guarantee that there are enough adult advisors to mentor the youth who are elected to the OA. Owning a vehicle and possessing camp work skills is also a plus

[AJR2305GDC]

OK, so a little twist to the situation ...

 

Our SM was a member of the OA in the '80s, an ordeal member who still has his sash. How can he go about re-entering the lodge?

 

Thanks

[Eagle92]

Contact the chapter or lodge, fill out the registration and pay his dues. And if he has any cards or records bring them as well just in case.

 

Unfortunately we had a guy try to say he was not only an Arrowman, but a Vigil member to boot. When national stated they had no record of him as a Vigil, he stated he was Brotherhood instead, getting confused. Probelm was when asked about his Ordeal, he couldn't remember a thing.