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Rescinding a Nomination


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My troop's Exec Committee voted to nominate me (an adult) for OA last summer. (Someone slipped and told me.) From what I found out later, my name went on the form during the troop (boys) election process at summer camp, but was accidentally left off the tap-out list, so my name wasn't called during tap-out.

 

After the tap-out concluded, our SM chased down the ceremonial team, pointed out the error, and asked them to come to our campsite and tap me out there. Unfortunately, nobody knew I'd gone to the showers, so I wasn't there when they arrived and they left. I came back, they dramatically tried to apologize, and I less dramatically decided to go for a walk and clear my head. (There wasn't any shouting or anything like that.)

 

To make this long story short, the SM and CC got upset that I wasn't there for the OA team, and a week later, after no communications from the SM or CC, I got an e-mail from the CC (including the DC and chapter advisor) telling me that my nomination had been "rescinded".

 

Is "rescinding an OA nomination" possible? I wouldn't mind so much, but one of the Scouts active in OA has expressed a desire to have me on board to help the chapter.

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Adults have to be nominated and then those nominations have to be approved by the Lodge. Contact the Lodge Secretary and ask if you are on the list of this years candidates. If you are, you are. If you are unable to contact the secretary, contact the Lodge Adviser and explain the situation and ask his advice.

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They were upset because you had gone to take a shower and weren't in the campsite to receive an honor you weren't aware of? Surely there's more to this story.

 

FWIW, you don't have to be "tapped out" or "called out" (the preferred term) in order to be inducted. That's a common misconception.

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>

 

 

 

Ummm. His Scoutmaster put him on the list of Scouts eligible for OA election.

 

Frankly, until I read this post it never occurred to me as Scoutmaster that some Scouts may have been elected but might not be notified if they weren't present to be called out.

 

I'm suggesting that there were other possible explanations for not being notified other than malice by the Scoutmaster. #1 on that list would be that it would be an OA responsibility to notify those elected to membership, not that of the Scoutmaster.

 

I see that the OA DID in fact get around to that, if somewhat tardily.

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SP,

 

Yep! We are in the process of notifying candidates right now. We hold elections in the 4th quarter of the year. Some troops elect to tell their scouts immediately following the election. Others pick a different time. Some wait for the call out which we did two weeks ago. The candidates get a packet of information at call out. For the candidates and/or troops who are not at call out, we hand deliver the same packet to their candidates at their troop meetings. That is happening this week. Knowing that at least half of those packets will never make it home, we are mailing the same info to their home address and emailing it as well. Our candidates can never say they didn't know. Oh yeah, their email addresses will be subscribed to our chapter website and the same information will be posted there and on the district websie as well.

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Lug Nut and Fellow Arrowmen,

 

Greetings!

 

 

I can only take a guess. But I expect there may have been a clerical error, between the election team and your troop committee. Only one thing caught my eye, when you stated "my name went on the form during the troop (boys) election process...".

 

Some lodges develop their own Unit Election Report, but there is a standard form available in the OA Guide for Officers and Advisers and the OA Guide to Inductions. These pubs have the Unit Report with the youth candidates form in the publication, but I do not see the adult nomination form in these guides.

 

Adult nominees do not go on the same page as the youth candidates, but onto a seperate form/page (see link below). Is it possible due to a clerical error within the troop, your name went on the wrong form? Thus your name and nomination was missed during the adult nomination review.

 

http://www.oa-bsa.org/resources/forms/OA-Election-Forms.pdf

 

I do not know the dynamics of your troop, council, chapter and lodge; but possibly your committee finds it easier to tell you the nomination is rescinded, rather than attempting to petition to correct their (possible) error and allow you to be reviewed later by the Lodge adult reviewing committee.

 

I don't know if this defines what has happened with your nomination. But taking a guess, since you stated you were placed on the wrong form.

 

Good Luck and I hope you serve your Troop well; and hope someday soon you will serve the Chapter, Lodge and Council equally as well!

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21 Adv

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About the only "more to the story" was that I haven't been on the best of terms with the SM and CC for a while, though I've been with the troop longer than they have. I really didn't expect the nomination in the first pace. I'm a stickler for following BSA rules and guidance, and they're the helicopter parent/tiger mom/Webelos 3 variety and they don't like it when I question their motives or actions that don't comply with BSA guidance and such.

 

It's unfortunate that these leaders lacked the skills, confidence and maturity to work out a problem through communications.

 

Lesson learned!

 

Thank you all for your advice and insight.

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Is that the National Boh "Land of Pleasent Living"? If so, welcome to the vitual campfire from anudda Ol' Line Stater.

 

Sorry to hear of your complications. Sometimes, "life gets tejus, don't it?"

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Is there any other "Land of Pleasant Living"? Is there a better state to live in than Maryland, "America in Miniature"? Mountains, plains, coastal areas, lakes (albeit man-made), rivers, the bay, the ocean, the Home of the Star Spangled Banner, etc. and birthplace of me! How sweet it is in the "Old Line State"! :-)

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