The Order of the Arrow aspires to become the model for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Boy Scouts of America. The OA is developing resources to support youth leaders and advisers in integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion into their leadership. Check out our new DEI resource hub at oa-bsa.org/dei, which will be updated as new resources are made available.
Following a thorough review process, the National Order of the Arrow Committee has approved an update to Ceremony for the Ordeal, with changes to both the pre-Ordeal and Ordeal ceremonies that address recent membership updates, safety concerns, ceremonial continuity, and improves the overall candidate experience.
Details on this revision can be found on the Ordeal Ceremony Revision Summary of Changes page. These changes are safeguarded with an Ordeal safeguard.
With youth leaders being elected every year, there is often an abundance of institutional knowledge that is lost with leadership turnover. Moreover, many young leaders new to their positions wish they could seek out answers, ideas, and best practices from the experience of others. To give Arrowmen this opportunity, Section E13 and E2 of the Eastern Region teamed up to create an inspiring idea-sharing event called FORUM.
I spoke with Section E13 Chief Evan R. regarding his vision for the event and to gather an inside look at how it went. Evan was proud to share that,
Throughout the history of the Order of the Arrow, the process of combining two or more lodges into one has been a regular occurrence. The first lodge merger happened in 1924, nine years after the OA’s founding, in which Unalachtgo Lodge of Philadelphia become a part of Unami Lodge.
Lodge mergers are a complex endeavor. For the lodges involved, it can be easy to approach them with a sense of fear, dread, or even anger. To help mitigate these emotional reactions, the role of the section is of utmost importance.