A troubleing OA Election Team Situation - Did we do the right

For years I have helped a group of OA youth in my troop to assist with our
Chapters OA elections at this time of year. I never had any problems (and
even mused that I really did not need to even be there) until last night. My
JRSM (also Chapter Vice Chief), ASPL (Chapter Secretary) and one of my PL
leaders (Brotherhood member) acconmpanied me to another troop meeting across
town. I get a kick out of touring other scout huts and chating with the
Scoutleaders (while prodding them to attend Roundtables of course) but a
situation came up last night I was unprepared for.

I had thought the new election policy would get us in some trouble, but after
their usual excellent job of presenting the program and showing the OA films
it was time for a vote. Five scouts were elligable for the election, and
three were elected. As soon as I showed the results to the Scoutmaster (we
never announce them to the troop but make them wait for the tap out at next
months Camporee) he broke out in a cold sweat and begged me to change the
results to include another scout (who's father is a good friend of mine & a
County Commissioner and very active in the council). Relations between this
Scoutmaster and the scouts family are apparently strained and this veteran
Scoutmaster did not want to relive last years phone battle with the parents
when this same troop failed to elect this same scout to the OA. They were
really pushing me to fudge the results and I was momentarily stunned, not
sure what to do but felt very uncomfortable about changing the results.

I huddled with my election team scouts, explained the situation, and, with
the arrival of three late arriving scouts, we decided to again fully explain
that each scout had up to five votes but could withhold a vote from anyone
not deserving the honor. We redid the ballots and the results were the same.
The same three elected and two scouts were not. After having to put
everyone through this a second time I gave a don't push it glance to the
Scoutmaster and quickly took my scouts out of the meeting. Had I not been
there, I can only guess what this Scoutmaster and his Assistants would have
done to my election team members.

I guess right now I don't have quite as much respect for that troop as I did
before, I, as well as my team members, feel proud that we did not make a
politically expedient change to sooth internal adult relation problems in
this troop, and now see the need for an adult on hand with every election
team to deal with these kind of situations. We did everything we could to be
fair and still maintain election integrity. I would be interested in hearing
any other views on other ways we might have handled this situation. I also
wonder if I should mention this to our Chapter Chief and Advisor. This is
overall a very active troop (they are going to the Sommers Canoe Base this
June) and I don't want to stir up a hornets nest for them.

Thanks for letting me vent on this. I usually help others out with their
questions on this forum and rarely have one of my own to share but I know
that there are no better group of Scouters to hash these kinds of problems
out than Scouts-L and AOL Scouting Forum.

YIS,

Ed Henderson
Assoc. Towaliga Chapter Advisor of Ini-to Lodge 324
Scoutmaster BSA Troop 12

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