I am brand new to Scouter.com and find it quite interesting. I was inducted into the OA in 1954 as a youth and was active until 1961. Then I took a long "vacation" and reinstated my membership just three years ago. To say that I felt like Rip Van Winkle would be an understatement. So much had changed that it was hard to digest it all and, at times, somewhat hard to accept the changes. That said, I am once again happily enscounced in the Brotherhood of Cheerful Service!
One of the subjects of this forum is the "friction" between a Scout's duty to his troop and his duty to his lodge. Believe it or not, that problem has been part of OA history since its very inception. In fact, the acceptance of the OA into the BSA was stalled until 1948 in part due to that friction.
In our council that friction has led, I believe, to a fairly inactive OA and that is a shame. The balance lies in what a boy leader wants to do with his Scouting career and how his adult leaders see the potential for growth in his unit versus the OA. The OA offers opportunities on the regional and national level that are far beyond what a Scout can experience in his troop and council alone. The excellent leader among boys can find so many wonderful challenges and experiences in those arenas, that I think it is the duty of his unit leadership to encourage the local OA to be active and to offer opportunities to the very best of our young leaders.
It is a sacrifice to encourage your very best to think beyond the unit. It is also a powerful growth tool and that is what much of Scouting is about. When I look back on my youthful experiences as a leader, I see my OA experience as having been very, very formative and I give thanks to the adult leaders who encouraged it.
OA and adults
in Order of the Arrow
Posted
Hi,
I am brand new to Scouter.com and find it quite interesting. I was inducted into the OA in 1954 as a youth and was active until 1961. Then I took a long "vacation" and reinstated my membership just three years ago. To say that I felt like Rip Van Winkle would be an understatement. So much had changed that it was hard to digest it all and, at times, somewhat hard to accept the changes. That said, I am once again happily enscounced in the Brotherhood of Cheerful Service!
One of the subjects of this forum is the "friction" between a Scout's duty to his troop and his duty to his lodge. Believe it or not, that problem has been part of OA history since its very inception. In fact, the acceptance of the OA into the BSA was stalled until 1948 in part due to that friction.
In our council that friction has led, I believe, to a fairly inactive OA and that is a shame. The balance lies in what a boy leader wants to do with his Scouting career and how his adult leaders see the potential for growth in his unit versus the OA. The OA offers opportunities on the regional and national level that are far beyond what a Scout can experience in his troop and council alone. The excellent leader among boys can find so many wonderful challenges and experiences in those arenas, that I think it is the duty of his unit leadership to encourage the local OA to be active and to offer opportunities to the very best of our young leaders.
It is a sacrifice to encourage your very best to think beyond the unit. It is also a powerful growth tool and that is what much of Scouting is about. When I look back on my youthful experiences as a leader, I see my OA experience as having been very, very formative and I give thanks to the adult leaders who encouraged it.
YIS
Wisumahi