This handbook provides information on Order of the Arrow unit elections to both members and non-members. It can be distributed to unit leaders and others who want to know the policies regarding unit elections and how unit elections are conducted.

Once each year (calendar year), a chartered Boy Scout Troop or Varsity Team may hold a unit election to elect youth members of their troop or team to become members of the Order of the Arrow. (Both youth and adult Scouts and Scouters can become members of the OA, but only youth members are elected.

OA Unit Elections Once each year, a troop, crew, or ship, may hold a unit election to elect youth members of their troop, crew, or ship to become members of the Order of the Arrow. Both youth and adult Scouts and Scouters can become members of …

Scheduling OA Elections. The local OA Lodge determines the time of year for elections and schedules a visit with each scout unit. The goal is to complete all elections before summer camp. Elections are conducted by a 2-3 man team from the lodge during a unit meeting.

What is the Order of The Arrow? The Order of the Arrow (OA) essentially functions as Scouting’s National Honor Society. OA members consist of select Scouts that have excelled at living the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives.

All unit members, including non-OA members, elect those Scouts who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives to become OA members. In this way, membership is controlled by the youth in their own units and not by those who are already Arrowmen.

Each year, members of Scouting units are selected by their units for membership in “Scouting’s Honor Society”, the Order of the Arrow. Youth are elected by other youth in their unit from a list of eligible members provided by the Unit Leader. “Youth” in the OA is under 21 years of age.

• The responsibilities of both the OA unit election team and your unit in the election process; and • Answers to some frequently asked questions (FAQs) which you may find helpful.

Each Boy Scout Troop, Crew, and Ship with qualified Scouts is urged to hold an election in their respective Unit. The date of the election is selected by you as the unit leader. Elections are to be held between January 1 and April 30, 2024. The unit election can only be conducted by a Chapter Unit Election Team. The results

This handbook provides information on Order of the Arrow unit elections to both members and non-members. All content in this handbook is taken from the Inductions Handbook. Two-deep leadership for all OA activities must meet the requirements of Scouting’s Barriers to Abuse, found at www.scouting.org/Training/YouthProtection.aspx.