Q. Mr. Chairman,
I have a question regarding unit elections. We all know that Scouts are elected into the Order of the Arrow by their peers and that the elections are not to be based on popularity, but on how they demonstrate Scout spirit everyday of their lives and on the example they set for their fellow Scouts. However, we also know that that is not always the case and that sometimes the election becomes a popularity vote. Scouts that truly deserve to be members are passed over because they might not be the "cool kid" or are not that popular.
As a Scoutmaster, do I have the right to have a Scout called out that is truly deserving and eligible, but was not elected by his peers? A few years ago, our previous Scoutmaster was told that he had the right to do this, but recently I was told we do not. I have a Scout that was not elected by his peers, but he is without a doubt worthy of being in the OA and would do the OA a great honor.
Yours in Scouting,
Cliff
A. Cliff,
Thank you for your note and for your question. And thank you, too, for your service as a Scoutmaster. It is the most important job in Scouting. I hope to return to that role once I am able to lay down these national duties to which I am committed in the OA.
As to your question: after the Scouts have spoken, the Scoutmaster cannot not adjust the results of the election.
The Scoutmaster's time to guide the boys to a good election result comes in the months (and years) prior to the actual election night. However, as a Scoutmaster for a generation, let me suggest to you that the Scoutmaster is not an ineffective or inconsequential actor on this stage. Let me tell you how I have approached the annual OA election cycle for years. Frankly, I was never disappointed with the wisdom of the voters.
Below is a rough calendar of how I counted down to my troop OA elections, starting with 12 months out, then to 11 months, etc. Our troop model won't work for every unit, but could serve as a template to ensure that the boys understand what they are being asked to do and grasp the solemn responsibility they have as voters. A part of communicating these lessons is our job as leaders to teach them about the responsibilities of citizenship.
12 months prior to the election
- Have the elected and inducted Scouts return from the Ordeal; ask them to wear their new sashes and give them a moment in the spotlight.
- Meet privately with the Scouts who were elected and the OA troop representative and review what they think they heard, saw and learned.
- Meet separately with the newly inducted adults (with the ASM adviser for the OA troop rep). Add in some longstanding adult members. Review the role of the adult in the OA.
11 months prior to the election
- Schedule and conduct a casual Scoutmaster conference with the Scouts who were not elected and explore the reasons for that. If they want to become members explore ways they could show better scout spirit and get on a path to show leadership in the unit.
10 months prior to the election
- Have every Scout in the troop attend the local OA crossover for Webelos who are joining the troop. Have each one shake his hand and welcome the new Scouts in earnest. Really stress the importance of making the new boys feel at home; have the OA members wear their sash to the crossover ceremony.
9 months prior to the election
- Meet with the patrol leaders' council; have the OA troop rep show them the chapter and lodge calendars and work to ensure that no troop events are scheduled in conflict with the OA events in the coming year.
- Put an OA election on the troop calendar.
- Hear a report from the OA troop representative about the events the OA has planned during the next year.
- I also made sure that any Scout who wanted to attend ANY OA event had both a RIDE and the financing in place to participate.
8 months prior to the election, at your court of honor (hopefully twice per year)
- The OA troop representative gets up to give a report on activities, perhaps with a slideshow.
- Invite a local chapter/lodge leader to speak about events.
- Recognize members publicly.
- Have OA troop representative present calendar of events for the parents.
7 months prior to the election
- Connect summer camp promotion with OA success. Be sure the Scouts see and recognize what the OA does vis-à-vis summer camp. Work hard to get every boy to summer camp. At camp, be sure OA members participate in the OA activities (for us, a Wednesday night cracker barrel and ice cream social). Be sure to explain to all the Scouts "where the OA kids went." For Scouts with 10 months of service, be sure they go through Brotherhood at camp.
6 months prior to the election
- Review camping nights with the Scouts at a meeting focused on the outdoor program. Pass out a sheet so they all know their record; let them know that the election is in 6 months.
5 months prior to the election
- Have a night themed: Service to Others and ask each patrol to propose a service project for the whole troop. Have the Scouts vote on the project they want to conduct. During your Scoutmaster's Minute at the end of the day, talk about cheerful service and add that, "this is what the OA does."
4 months prior to the election
- Talk to the Scouts about scout spirit, why it is a part of every rank advancement, and why it is a threshold matter for election into the OA.
- Ask the Scouts to come prepared at the next meeting to give examples of Scout spirit they've witnessed. Give them plenty of time to speak about what they've experienced.
3 months prior to the election
- Review the requirements for election to the Order of the Arrow (if the troop has an ASM for OA to support the OA troop rep, have them talk about it). If the troop does not have an adult in the position, find one to fill the role. Give examples of Scouts in the troop who have been active and show the boys the Unit of Excellence Award materials if the troop has not yet earned it, plus the ribbon if they have. Explain the requirements. Stress again the importance of Scout spirit.
2 months prior to the election
- Confirm the election date with your chapter or lodge election team. Tell the Scouts it is coming up and when. Be sure it is on troop calendar and to announce that only those present can vote. Display OA memorabilia; ask all the Scouts to bring in and have a "show and tell" with their patches, photographs, and stories.
1 months prior to the election
- Show the Scouts the ballot which will be used. Be sure the parents can see it via the troop website. Draw their attention to it. With many sets of eyes on it, errors can be found before the election, not after it!
Many times a Scout is overlooked because the others may not know him or his accomplishments. To offset this, some Scoutmasters announce the youth's rank, number of nights of camping and service hours as the names are read for the election. Others include similar information on the ballot of names. My technique was to print the individual Scouting record of each candidate, listing his name, grade, rank, number of merit badges, summer camp years, camping nights, leadership positions held and special awards or events attended. Regardless of the procedure used, the purpose of this is to help the unit members know something about these data points concerning the candidates before they vote.
In Summary:
I made the OA election a year long process of encouraging the Scouts in the troop to participate in the Order's activities, of education and always made sure a youth member got up and explained when the event was being held, and ensured that our patrol leaders' council had a copy of the chapter and lodge calendar to avoid conflicts. This calendar exercise alone put the OA events front and center in the minds of the troop youth leaders once a month.
Beyond talking about the OA and lodge events, I would follow up the OA troop rep's presentation at a court of honor by telling the troop why the OA did these things. Often, I would include discussions of service and the concept of servant leadership in my Scoutmaster's Minute.
Then, six weeks before the election, as soon as our youth scheduled the chapter election team to come to my troop, I would begin a series of short comments in each meeting or campout describing the OA and what it was about. It went like this:
Six weeks out:
Bring in a copy of James Fennimore Cooper's book, The Last of the Mohicans and explain that the OA had roots in great American literature. See what they know about it.
Five weeks out:
Show a video I compiled on the movie…and take questions about the Delaware Tribe…Get out a map of the Great Northeast and show the range of the Delaware.
Four weeks out:
Introduce the concept of service. Bring in my 1914 handbook and show the Scouts the chapter on chivalry and let them see the original drawing of a boy helping an old lady cross the street.
Three weeks out:
Remind them of their slogan, Do a Good Turn Daily, and see if any kids have examples of ones they might share with the group. Ask them to be sure to do this in the coming week.
Two weeks out:
Talk about the OA and ask three or four Scouts who are members to speak for a few minutes each about what to look for in a member, drawing on the above. Ask the Scouts to give you specific examples of acts of kindness that have been performed by our troop members. Include as many Scouts in this as you can. You can suggest that they also consider those squeamish or awkward kids who you believe may be overlooked, but you feel are worthy. Scouts will know if you are honest in this or if you are campaigning, so just speak from your heart as the kids do most of the talking about their fellows.
One week out:
Specifically, talk with them about the ballot, post the draft ballot so all can see and be sure they go to see the troop advancement committee member present, if we do not show them as qualified, when they think they may be. Address the "popularity contest" aspect of the election as something to avoid, and call more on their higher angels to identify each person who lives the Scout Oath and Law in the meeting.
Election night:
Introduce the election team and reiterate the purpose of the OA. Explain that the OA is the only organization in Scouting where the non-members choose the members, and reinforce that I have authorized this ballot because I believe these Scouts are qualified and worthy of consideration as examples of those who live by the Scout Oath and Law.
Of course, every situation is different, but over the years, our troop chose a wide range of Scouts, but I was never disappointed. We ended up with five lodge chiefs being elected from our troop in 23 years, three section chiefs and a national chief.
I made it a year round education process, so I never was tempted to have to adjust the will of the boys after the election. I spent my time guiding their thinking as to what would serve the troop and the OA best. It worked all year long.
Thank you for your service to America's youth in the most important job in Scouting: Scoutmaster.
Ray