LodgeChief

I have been to two NOACs, the one in 2004 and the one in 2006. In 2006 I served on staff working in the Radio doing the morning shows and the Pre-Show Shows in front of the Breslin Center at MSU. I had a blast both times. It is truly one of the highlights of my Scouting career. There is something to do for everyone there. I dont think that there is anyone who goes to a NOAC and is miserable the whole and wanting to come home. The next NOAC is at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. The rooms are air-condidtioned, which is a plus over the non A/C rooms at MSU. I am looking forward to it

For those in favor of having Lodge Position patches for youth officers, I think we may have some ammo. Venturing has recently put out a Council Venturing President position patch. If they can have one, so can we. Here is the link where I found it. http://srventuring-bsa.org/newsite/

I am having a very difficult time getting people to attend the Lodge Executive Committee (LEC) meetings. We have tried different attendance policies and they are either not followed or they are taken advantage of. Does anyone have any thoughts as to what I should do to get people there. I am starting to get some pressure from the Lodge Adviser to get them there and I dont know what to do. I am going to discuss it with the LEC members as to what they think but I would like some input from people outside of the Lodge. Thanks.

You do not have to be present to be elected. Since there is no campaigning allowed there is no real reason to be there. The boys who are eligible should be known to the troop anyway since there is a rank and camping requirement. Most of the time they do not find out that they are elected until they are at the call out ceremony anyways. Secondly, the SM decides who is on the ballot because one of the eligibility requirements is that they have SM approval and then they may be voted upon. These are all National Policies and Lodges cannot override them with there own rules on this matt

As it has been previously mentioned, a unit must have at least 50% of the registered active youth present. As long as they are registered they get a vote but may abstain. From working with and knowing members of the National Committee, the official definition of registered active youth are those youth who are on the troop's charter and dues paid. Hope this helps. Lodge Chief

I concur, it is 18. I know this from working at camp. All of the instructors on staff must have the blue merit badge card signed by someone 18 and over. This summer I remember signing quite a few as I am 19.

To answer the question, it is ultimately the Scoutmaster's decision as to whether or not the troop has OA elections. I highly recommend that you let the boys decide though, kinda get their input on it. Like many people have already said, if the boys do not want to do it, they're not going to. The OA is Scouting's National Honor Society and from what I have seen in my council, the program is diminishing more and more within the troops. If you have interested boys that want to do some OA functions and possibly bring back good information about the Lodge, then by God, SEND THEM!!! I cannot stress

Kichkinet, What I think he meant in saying "rolled out" is that they started that particular program. It is just a phrase used to say get started and such.

The answer to the question would be no. Crews are not permitted to hold OA elections. It wasn't until the late 80's or early 90's that women who were ASM's were allowed to be in the OA. I know some people who sit on the National Committee and we were talking about youth female venturers be allowed into the OA. They said that it had been brought up at a Committee Meeting and it was shot down immediatly. I do not think that youth female venturers would be a good addition to the OA mainly because of the point that Old Grey Eagle brought up. They would eventually be the youth leadership and the OA

It is up to the SM to determine who is eligible for the OA at the time of the election. That means that if he thinks someone has qualified for the camping requirement for instance, then they have met it. In my troop, camping is under the stars or in a tent. From the definition from webster's, i do not think that a cabin is a temporary shelter. Again, it is the SM to tell the OA election team who has met the requirements and who is eligible. The OA doesn't go any further than that. They take the SM's word for it. Hope this helps.

Thanks, I hope it works out. It is going to be fun. If there is anyone from Lincoln Heritage Council that wants to go, we have about 20 seats left.

The SR6N Conclave is in a little under 3 weeks away. It is going to be at Camp Currier in Eudora, MS of the Chickasaw Council, based out of Memphis, TN. I am going to run for Section Chief and I have been out politicing. I hope it goes well. I am also the Quest for the Golden Arrow Chairman. It is for sure going to be a fun time.

I don't think that he is trying to add more honor to the Vigil. Every Vigil Honor member receives a triangle device upon completion of their vigil. I think that what he wants to do is eliminate the device and change it into a knot. The only knot that the OA has is for those members that have earned the DSA award. I see nothing wrong with changing the device into a knot. It's so that egos are boosted, because you are already wearing the device to signify you are a vigil member. You're not creating "more" persay because the device is already there. That's just what i think. Maybe you should writ

In my Lodge, and in most Lodges that I know of, a unit must have an election team present to have an election. The reason being that the election team is trained in National Policy concerning elections and also that there is no conflict of interest with troops doing their on elections. There is also a video from National that you are supposed to show when you do an election. Also, an election report must be turned in so that the Unit Election Committee can update their records and be ready for the call-outs and the Ordeal so that we can be sure that the people going through their Ordeal were p

That is correct. Once someone has gone through their Ordeal and they are registered with a unit of any kind or with the council or district, they are still members as long as their dues are paid to the lodge.

What do you use the Ordeal bread for?

In the lodge that i am a member of, the unit election teams show a video from national that explains what the oa is and how important it is. Most troops have preprinted ballots that the SM made with the eligible people on it. It usually works and we have pretty good results.

Proud Eagle, I got that same information from our Section Adviser (yes we are from the same section! ) Anyways, none of that is official. I think all of it except for the 1:1 ration is safe to assume. The NOAC website should be up shortly. Yours In Service, Lodge Chief

Ok, mtc trader, I am a little confused by your post. Are you from Lodge 235 or 111? I am assuming that you are from Wa-Hi-Nasa because your message board username is "mtc Trader" I am assuming that you are from Middle Tennessee Council. You wrote 235 man, I didn't know what that meant. You also wrote "go Wa-Hi-Nasa", that's great, good for you. Second, in no way am I being a "punk". I am mad at no one. I was angry at the situation and I was frustrated with the Section Chief at the time. You having the best lodge, which ever one it may be, had nothing to do with it. Third, I am definitely not u

Thanks, I kind of like the smoothie delight one.

I am the chairman for my section's quest for the golden arrow for conclave. I am looking for some good ideas for this. So those familiar with it please give me some ideas that may have worked at your conclave. Thanks.

I do not feel that female youth should be members of the OA (since this is what the post was originally about, I thought that I would get back to it). I agree with everybody who said and supported that it is a Boy Scout program, not venturing. I think that if Venturers want to have an honor society or something extra curricular from their unit they should start one. Also, there seemed to be some confusion about membership. If an adult is only in a crew, they are not eligible for the OA. If a Cub Scout Leader is only in cub scouts, they are not eligible for OA. They either have to be in a troop

Just a note to ScoutDad2001, "once elected to the OA, you are a member for life." This is not entirely true. According to the Guide for Officers and Advisers, there are no honorary or life memberships in the OA. You do not have to be elected again, you just have to pay your dues. The same thing goes for the scenario in which you do not pay your dues for years, once you pay your dues back to the lodge, youre back in. Just letting you know.

Sorry, I am a little behind, but as far as updating bylaws, I think that the boys and some scoutmasters get together and work on it. That's what my troop does and it works. After they are updated the PLC approves the changes and then the Committee takes a look at it.

I will only be making $100 a week. But there are people that are making less than me. I have more experience and I have worked with the camp director before so I think that may have helped.