Ittawamba Leaves

About the Order of the Arrow

The Order of the Arrow (OA) is Scouting’s National Honor Society. The fourfold purpose of the OA is:

To recognize those campers – Scouts and Scouters – who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives, and by such recognition cause other campers to conduct themselves in such manner as to warrant recognition.

• To develop and maintain camping traditions and spirit.

• To promote Scout camping, which reaches its greatest effectiveness as a part of the unit’s camping program, both year-round and in the summer camp, as directed by the camping committee of the council.

• To crystallize the Scout habit of helpfulness into a life purpose of leadership in cheerful service to others.

Order of the Arrow Elections

Once each year (calendar year or "Scouting" year), a chartered Boy Scout Troop may hold a unit election to elect members of their troop to become members of the Order of the Arrow. Both youth and adult Scouts and Scouters can become members of the OA. New members aren’t elected only by the OA members in your troop; everyone in the troop votes (thereby insuring that Scouts are elected mostly by people who are not OA members). If you troop has no active OA members, that’s fine. A unit election team, trained in the latest OA election policies, will visit a regular troop meeting at your invitation to conduct the election for you.

Youth elections are normally held at a normal troop meeting, and take about 20 minutes to complete. In order for an election to be held, at least 50% of your youth members must be present (based on your current chartered troop membership) – if less than 50% are present, the election must be rescheduled. Only elections conducted by an official OA election team trained by Colonneh Lodge will be considered valid. Members of your own troop cannot conduct an election for your troop.

The requirements for election for youth members (in the OA, a ‘youth’ is anyone under the age of 21; this differs from the BSA ‘youth’ which ends at the age of 18) are as follows:

1. Must be under 21 years old at the time of election.

2. Hold at least the First Class Scout rank (this includes Assistant Scoutmasters over the age of 18 but under the age of 21; they have to have earned First Class before their 18th birthday).

3. In the past two years, have completed fifteen (15) days and nights of camping under the auspices of the Boy Scouts of America. The fifteen days and nights of camping must include one long-term camp of six days and five nights, and the balance of the camping must be short-term (1, 2, or 3 night) camps.

4. Have these requirements certified by the Scoutmaster, and be given a general endorsement of the candidate’s Scout Spirit by the Scoutmaster, BEFORE the election is conducted.

5. To be elected a youth candidate must receive half or more votes of the number of ballots turned in to the election team.

6. If elected a candidate must complete the Ordeal in the same year as he is  elected.

How to nominate an adult for membership in the Order of the Arrow

As long as the unit successfully elects one youth member to the Order, the troop then may also nominate (not elect) an adult for membership. Large troops may nominate one adult for every fifty youth members registered in the unit. Where youth membership is given by his peers as a recognition for service, adults are nominated and accepted if their membership will enrich the Order of the Arrow experience for the youth, or provide some service to the Lodge, the Camp, or the Council. Adult membership should not be given solely as a recognition or honor.

The requirements for election for adult members (in the OA, an ‘adult’ is anyone 21 years of age or older; this differs from the BSA ‘adult’ which starts at the age of 18) are as follows:

1. Must be a registered and active member of the Sam Houston Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America at the time of nomination.

2. Must be at least 21 years old at the time of nomination. Both males and females are eligible.

3. In the past two years, have completed fifteen (15) days and nights of camping under the auspices of the Boy Scouts of America. The fifteen days and nights of camping must include one long-term camp of six days and five nights, and the balance of the camping must be short-term (1, 2, or 3 night) camps.

A separate Adult Nomination Form exists for adult Scouters. At the end of a successful election for youth, the Election Team will give the Troop Committee Chairman an adult nomination form. The nomination form is completed in full and returned to the election team or the Chapter Adviser. Only nomination forms that have been signed by the Chapter Adviser will be considered by the selection committee. The Lodge Adult Selection Committee  will review the form and make a decision on the adult’s nomination. Please remember that nomination does not ensure approval. If approved, the troop will be notified so that they can decide how they will inform the candidate. Adult candidates need to complete the Ordeal within one year, same as a youth member.

To Schedule a Unit Election…