OA Election Apr 4

Troop Order of the Arrow elections are coming up on April 4, the same day as Troop elections.

An annual election Committee from outside the Troop will visit us for these elections.

The requirements for becoming a member are:

1st Class rank

15 days and nights of camping, six of which must be in a long term camp (summer camp) over a two year period

Nomination by the Scoutmaster

Once, nominated as eligible, the entire Troop votes for him by secret ballot

He must have the votes of 50% of all the Scout who are in a attendance..

50%, or more, of the Troop must be present for the vote that night

All Scouts, whether an OA member or not, vote for all the candidates, selecting those who based on their sincerity and acceptance of the high ideals of Scouting, best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives.

Phoenix Patrol Scouts should be very close to their First Class rank by this time of the year by having all the requirements met since summer camp last year.

In addition to all the checked off requirements in the Scout Handbook, they are required to have been present on a total of (10) ten troop or patrol activities, compared to just five (5) for the Second Class rank.

All the activities should be hand written on his advancement page of the Scout Handbook as he completes them so as to recall them at the Scoutmaster's Conference and Board of Review. If he has completed all the checked off requirements in the Scout Handbook, he should contact the Scoutmaster for his Scoutmaster's Conference in order to complete his Board of Review (by calling the Troop Advancement chairman).

If he does not meet all the requirements for First Class by the election this year, he should be eligible by 2012.

The Order of the Arrow is referred to as the "Honor Society of Scouting," based not on academics, but upon service to Scouting and the Community..it is for that reason that he is selected not for what he has done, but for what he will be expected to do for life long service under the auspices of the ideals of Scouting.

The Order gives him a chance to experience Scouting above the 'Troop level through participation in OA service oriented activities that he would not normally experience on Troop outings. Most OA activities at the Council level include the participation of several hundred Scouts, at the Region level, more than a 1000, and at the National level, thousands.

The Order also sponsors nation wide experiences in all geographical locations throughout the United States. He will also have the opportunity not only for fun and adventure, but to volunteer for further leadership roles in the organization up to including Chapter and Lodge Chief.

When he earns his membership, he is permitted to wear the distinctive Order or the Arrow pocket flap patch on his uniform shirt. He must remain active in the in the OA and pay his annual dues of $8.00 per year in order to continue wearing the flap through the remainder of his Scouting career.

There are three levels in the Order of the Arrow..Membership, Brotherhood, and Vigil. Usually, 100 per cent obtain membership, 50-75 percent obtain Brotherhood, and fewer than 10 per cent obtain the Vigil Honor.

In 2010, It had been more than twenty years since any of our youth in the Troop obtained the Vigil Honor, except last year (2010) when both Eagle Scouts J Kunka and P Kidd were nominated at the Council level, elected, and awarded the Vigil Honor by the Greater Alabama Council's Coosa Lodge. The Lodge has more than 2,500 members.

Scouts should strive for membership in the OA, as it is often seen as logical companion of the Eagle rank, opening, in immediate future years, doors to interviews and promotions for their careers throughout their life times.

Troop 21, among 28 other Troops, is exceptionally active with the Nunne-Hi Chapter of the Coosa 50. Thanks to the efforts of P Kidd, J Kunka, J Ng, J and K Berry, and the support of their parents, they formed the Coosa 50 "pre-ordeal" team for the last three years for all the Lodge's Ordeals and competed for honors at the National Order of the Arrow Conference (NOAC) in Indianapolis, Indiana during the summer of 2009.

Thanks to P Kidd, E Kidd, S and S Hardy, and N Bolding, they have formed a ceremonial drum team and will perform at the up and coming District Camporee, the March American Indian Seminar at Camp Comer, the Section Regional Competition in Georgia at Camp Thunder, and perhaps the National competition at the 2012 NOAC, again in Indianapolis.

Information about the Order of the Arrow, our local chapter, and the Council Chapter, Coosa 50, can be found at the web site:Coosa50.org

Thanks for all your support and for encouraging attendance.

YiS Dan s "Delivering the Promise"