Youth:

Unit leader approval. To become eligible for election, a Scout must be registered with the Scouting America and have the approval of their unit leader prior to the election. The unit leader must certify their Scout spirit (i.e., their adherence to the Scout Oath and Law and active participation in unit activities). The unit leader must also certify that the nominee meets all specified requirements at the time of this annual election. 

Unit elections are permitted in Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Sea Scout units. The Order of the Arrow membership requirements are as follows:

• Be a registered member of Scouting America.

• Have experienced 15 nights of Scout camping while registered with a troop, crew, or ship within the two years immediately prior to the election. The 15 nights must include one, but no more than one, long-term camp consisting of at least five consecutive nights of overnight camping, approved and under the auspices and standards of Scouting America. Only five nights of the long-term camp may be credited toward the 15-night camping requirement; the balance of the camping (10 nights) must be overnight, weekend, or other short-term camps of, at most, three nights each. Ship nights may be counted as camping for Sea Scouts.

• At the time of their election, youth must be under the age of 21, and hold one of the following ranks corresponding to the type of unit in which they are being considered for election: Scouts BSA First Class rank, the Venturing Discovery rank, or the Sea Scout Ordinary rank or higher, and following approval by the Scoutmaster, Crew Advisor or Sea Scout Skipper, be elected by the youth members of their unit.

• Adults (age 21 or older) who meet the camping requirements may be selected following nomination to and approval by the lodge adult selection committee.

  • • • • Adults (age 21 or older) who meet the camping requirement may be selected following nomination to and approval by the lodge adult selection committee. (See Adult Membership Qualifications Below)

Scouts With Special Needs:

The Order of the Arrow is committed to including Scouts and Scouters who have special needs because of a disability. In the case of special-needs troops, election teams should follow the same procedures, keeping in mind that any Scout who is classified as a youth member of a Scouts BSA troop, Venturing crew, or Sea Scout ship regardless of age, will be considered a youth (voting) member. All other membership requirements remain the same.

Adult Membership Qualifications:

Each year, upon holding a unit election for youth candidates that results in at least one youth candidate being elected, the unit committee may nominate registered unit adults, 21 years of age or older, to the lodge adult selection committee. The number of adults nominated can be no more than two-thirds of the number of youth candidates elected, rounded up where the number of youth candidates is not a multiple of three. In addition to the two-thirds limit, the unit committee may nominate the currently serving unit leader (but not assistant leaders), as long as he or she has served as unit leader for at least the previous 12 months. Recommendations of the adult selection committee, with the approval of the Scout executive, will be candidates for induction, provided the following conditions are fulfilled:

1. Selection of the adult is based on the ability to perform the necessary functions to help the Order fulfill its purpose and is not for recognition of service, including current and prior achievements and positions.

2. The individual will be an asset to the Order because of demonstrated abilities that fulfill the purpose of the Order.

3. The camping requirements set forth for youth members are fulfilled.

4. The adult leader’s membership will provide a positive example for the growth and development of the youth members of the lodge.

Scheduling a Unit Election or Visitation is done via an Inductions Module provided to us by the National Order of the Arrow. 

We are NO LONGER able to accept requests via email, verbal, or postal for OA Unit Elections, or OA/Camp Visitations. ALL Requests, and Unit Election Data must go through the new Inductions Module.

Starting Mid-February Unit Leader's and Committee Chairman of Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Sea Scouts Units will start to receive emails with a unit specific request link asking them to schedule their yearly Order of the Arrow Unit Election (or Visitation). 

These emails are sent from no-reply-382@lodgemaster.oa-scouting.org about every 15 days as the request link is only valid for 14 days. 

• Please Check your Spam or Junk Folders.

• Please understand these email reminders are program-based automatic reminders sent by the Inductions Module.

• These emails are not to "spam" or pressure you, but as with your unit's re-charter requirements, the Lodge does have its own set of re-charter requirements that we need to complete. One of our re-charter requirements is to make sure we have connected with every unit and if possible have had an in-person visit for the year.

If your Unit has not received an email by March 1st, please email us at unitelections@ahcoa165.org so our admin team can take a look

We ask that when you submit your request under the Special Notes Section: Please add how many scouts are in the unit - this is important, so the team has enough ballots.

CLICK HERE for a walkthrough of the request portal (If Needed).

Lastly, if you wish to Decline a Unit Election and an OA Visitation/Camp Presentation for the year, you must do so via email at unitelections@ahcoa165.org, as the request portal does not have an area to decline a visit at this time.

• When making your request to decline you must state the reason for declining both a Unit Election and an OA Visitation/Camp Presentation as this information has to be recorded in order for the system to turn off the automated reminders. 

In preparation for your unit’s Order of the Arrow Election, we’re providing the following information to help conduct a successful election.

• To ensure a successful election, please announce the date in advance to your unit members so they will be sure to attend that day. Remember, at least 50% of your unit’s active members must be present to conduct an election.

• Before the election, please use the Submit Link or Excel Sheet from the Election Preparation Email to send us the list of your units the eligible Scouts. 

  • A Walkthrough on how to use the Unit Portal: Adding Eligible Youth Section can be found here.

  • If using the Excel Sheet please email it to unitelections@ahcoa165.org Subject: Unit (Type/Number/Designation) Eligible Youth Data 

    • Please Note the Lodge Requires ALL of the following Fields:

      • • First Name

        • Middle Initial (Only)

        • Last Name

        • Suffix (if applicable)

        • Gender

        • Date of Birth

        • Scouting Member ID Number

        • Rank or Award 

        • Full Mailing Address

        • Scouts Email

        • Parent or Guardian Email 

        • Home Phone Number with Area Code (if applicable)

        • Scouts Mobile Number with Area Code (if applicable)

        • Parent or Guardian Mobile Number with Area Code (if applicable)

• This is part of the Inductions System, this system is to insure we have completed Candidate Information Forms, Unit Election Report and Unit Election Ballots ready for your Units Election, as well as being able to run Scout Verifications after the Election. 

• Also, due to the number of units and candidates, this helps our communications team in recording member contact information in our database as newly elected Candidates (13 and Older) will be invited to join a the OA Member Portal that will help them on their Induction Journey. 

  • • For members who were not elected their information is removed from the database and they will not be contacted, but their information will remain on printed election paperwork. 

If you need to reschedule the election or have any questions, please contact us at unitelections@ahcoa165.org or at any of the email addresses listed in the emails that have been sent out. We’re happy to address any concerns or answer any questions you may have.

A Member of the election team will reach out via email or phone to verify the information provided and check to see if the Unit has any questions 

A Unit Election Team Comes to the Units Meeting (usually try to be their 15 minutes early to be able to setup and finalize any last-minute things with the unit.

The Elections Team will then give a quick overview of the Order of the Arrow and a Camp Promotion Presentation then hold the Election following the Guide to Unit Elections and other National Publications

The Election Team will then count the ballots and go over the results with the Unit Leader in private. 

Announcement of Results:

National Rule - Announcement of results. As soon as the election is completed, the unit leader may or may not choose to announce to the entire unit the names of members who have been elected. Often, if the unit will be participating in a call-out, the announcement of results may be postponed until the call-out. The names and addresses (plus additional information the lodge feels is necessary) are listed on the election report form. OA team members sign the form and mail it to the specified address immediately following the election.

Please Note: 

The Lodge has voted to change this rule on a local level due to problems in the past with units not announcing elected candidates:

• Candidates who were elected MUST BE announced following the election and all paperwork must be given to the Scout/Parent or Guardian.

• Announcements can still be done during a Court of Honor or Call-Out event for the "public" but again the unit must announce the results the day or night of the election.  

Paperwork:

The Election Team Member will finalize the Election Paperwork and get any needed signatures, as well as verify all Elected Candidates Information.

• All Non-Elected Scouts data is deleted from our database after results have been entered, but their paperwork still needs to be turned in with the election paperwork. 

After an Election Team Member has verified the Elected Candidates Information the Member will give the Scout and Parent/Guardian their Congratulations Letters and Spirit of the Arrow Book One will be given to the Scout. The Member will also let them know that they will also receive a welcome email and an invite to our OA Member Portal (if they are 13 or older), after the election data has been entered and verified. 

ALL Paperwork (Election Report, Youth Contact Information Forms, and Ballots, Plus the unit contact update form (if filled out), and any Arrowmen contact information update forms) is to be put together in a document envelope for the Elections Team Adviser and labeled with the unit information.

Adults are now nominated AFTER the Elections Team Adviser has received the paperwork and all the election has been approved.  

The Elections Team passes the Paperwork onto the Unit Elections Team Adviser and he or she enters the data into our Inductions System and verifies the Election. (This May take up to a Week to get and another Week to enter into the system depending on the time of year)

Once the Election has been verified the Unit will receive an email from no-reply-382@lodgemaster.oa-scouting.org to confirm results and provide adult nomination information.

Adult Nominations:

As Stated during the Election Adults are now nominated AFTER the Elections Team Adviser has received the paperwork and all the election has been approved. 

Adult Nominations are done via a custom form that is sent as part of the Unit Election Recap Email. 

A Walkthrough on how to use the Unit Portal: Adult Nominations Section can be found here.

Units SHOULD NOT INFORM the adult of their nomination, nor should they publicly announce the adult nominee, until a reply from the Lodge has been given. 

Once an Adult Nomination is submitted to the Lodge Unit Election Team, the nomination is sent to the Lodge Adult Selection Committee for review. 

This Committee is made up of Adult Arrowmen and is a mix of both male and female members, and The Council Scout Executive. 

During the review process, the selection committee looks for the following things: 

• Is the nominee is registered in the Allegheny Highlands Council?

• Does the nominee meet the camping requirement as indicated on the nomination form?

• The adult’s ability to perform the necessary functions to help the OA fulfill its mission and purpose.

• How the adult will be an asset to the Lodge?

• Will the adult be a positive role model for the youth?

OA membership is NOT a recognition for service either past or present nor is it a reward for achievement or position. 

ALL Adult Nominees must receive the approval of both the Lodge Adult Selection Committee and the Scout Executive. 

Notification of Candidacy for Adult Nominees will come directly from the Lodge.