By Joe Donahue
Does your lodge or chapter conduct ceremonies specifically for Cub Scouts? Do Arrowmen from your area have a way of making Arrow of Light presentations or Webelos-to-Boy Scout transitions special? Do you perform an opening or closing ceremony at Cub Scout day camp or Webelos resident camp?
The national OA sub-committee for Unit, Chapter, and Lodge Support is collecting ceremony scripts, photos, and videos from across the nation. Once gathered, these will be compiled and published as a "Best Practices" resource on the OA website.
John Rotruck, a member of the sub-committee and an inductions and ceremonies subject matter expert for this project, says that questions from around the country have come in about how to best approach these ceremonies.
"The goal of this project is not to create a standard ceremony, but a set of good ceremonies that meet the guidelines for public use," Rotruck remarked.
Leading this project is Sara Seaborne, also a member of the sub-committee. She is supported by Rotruck and past Central Region Chief Mike Gray.
Rotruck highlighted the fact that as Scouting's National Honor Society, we can have a powerful impact on inspiring Cub Scouts to pursue the trail to Eagle Scout. "The overall effort from the OA to help recruit and retain Cub Scouts, and ultimately have them cross over into Boy Scouts, helps support the BSA strategic plan and the OA strategic plan," Rotruck said.
Any scripts, along with supporting photos and video footage of your ceremony team, can be emailed to @email. Questions about the project can also be directed to @email.
Revised 5/26/2014