OA FAQs  from the National OA Web Site

Q: Who decides what camping activities qualify for the camping requirement needed for election to the Order of the Arrow?

A: With the camping requirement, as with all other eligibility requirements, it is the Unit Leader's job to interpret whether a Scout has met the requirement.

As stated in the Guide for Officers and Advisers (#34997A, 1999 revision, page 20):
"Unit Leader Approval.  To become eligible for election, a Boy Scout or Varsity Scout must be registered with the Boy Scouts of America and have the approval of his unit leader prior to the election.  The unit leader must certify his Scout spirit (i.e. his 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."

Other than defining the length of time needed for a camping activity to be considered a long-term camp*, the National Order of the Arrow Committee leaves the interpretation of the camping requirement to the unit leader.

A "long-term camp" is one consisting of at least six consecutive days and five nights of resident camping. A "short-term camp" is anything less than that.

Q: I have a question about Unit Elections. For the camping requirement of six consecutive days and five nights of resident camping does the camping have to be at a Boy Scout owned and operated camp, or can it be a troop long term campout allowed by the council?

A: The exact wording of the camping requirement can be found in the current printing of the Guide for Officers and Advisers (#34997A, revised 1999). This book sets forth the official policy of the Order of the Arrow on this topic. The pertinent passage, on page 20, says:

"… long-term camp consisting of six consecutive days and five nights of resident camping, approved and under the auspices and standards of the Boy Scouts of America."

It does not say that the resident camp must be at a Boy Scout owned or operated facility. If the national Order of the Arrow committee had wanted to say that, they would have. The language used was very carefully composed. If a troop runs their own long-term resident camp, "under the auspices and standards" of the BSA, it qualifies. The BSA does have very explicit standards for a resident Boy Scout camp, requiring much more than just a week long campout. Your local council camping people can provide more information on what the current standards are.

Some of the confusion may be caused by an error in the current Boy Scout Handbook, which stated the camping had to be at "a local or national council facility", but that is incorrect.

Q: What are the requirements for an adult to become a member of the OA? I realize that the rank requirement is not an issue but do they have to meet the rest of the requirements that the boys do?

A: The requirements for adult membership are given on page 21 of the "Guide for Officers and Advisers," #34997A, Revised 1999.

In general, the adult qualifications are different from the youth requirements. Adult selection is based upon their ability to perform the necessary functions to help the Order fulfill its purpose, and is not for recognition as an honor. Selected adult Scouters must be an asset to the Order because of demonstrated abilities, and must provide a positive role model for the youth members of the lodge. Read the section of the guide mentioned above for details.

A copy of the adult requirements can also be found in Appendix 1 of the OA Troop/Team Representative Support Pak.

Q: I went through my ordeal last year, but never got a membership card. Since then I have moved, and would like to know how to make sure I don't lose my OA membership.

A: Once a Scout goes through his Ordeal, he is a member of the Order of the Arrow for the rest of his life (as long as he is registered with the BSA). As he moves to new councils, he needs to connect with the local OA lodge at each place to continue his active membership.

There are no Order of the Arrow membership records maintained at the national level. Each local lodge maintains its own records.

You should contact your current council's OA Lodge Adviser. (If you do not know who that is, contact your council service center and ask them for his name and number.) Explain the situation, and you will probably be able to establish your membership based on the information you have and any other items that you may have (such as an OA sash, pocket flap, etc.)

If necessary, you may have to contact your former Council to see if they can forward any records they may have of your membership.

Q: I was inducted around 1962 and then became a Brotherhood member while in a Scout troop. I am now interested in Scouting with my son, and would like to know how to verify my membership in the OA.

A: There are no Order of the Arrow membership records maintained at the national level. There is also no national policy on how long local lodges and councils should maintain old membership records for the OA - some may have records that date back to 1962.

It would be worth checking with the council that services your old troop to see if they have any records of your membership. If not, your current council's lodge probably would accept an old OA membership card or certificate as proof of your induction.

If you don't have a card and can't get a hold of the old records, try contacting your local council's lodge adviser. You will probably be able to establish membership based on the information you have and details you may remember of your Order of the Arrow experience as a youth.

Q: I was inducted into a lodge in the 70's as a Scout. I have recently become an assistant Scoutmaster and I would like to add a lodge patch to the pocket flap of my uniform. Do I still belong to the original lodge or do I now belong to the local lodge? Where do I look to buy the appropriate lodge patch?

A: Once a Scout goes through his Ordeal, he is a member of the Order of the Arrow for the rest of his life (as long as he is registered with the BSA). As he moves to new councils, he needs to connect with the local OA lodge at each place to continue his active membership.

You are no longer a member of your original lodge. You should become a member of the lodge in which you currently have your Scouting registration. Generally, all you need to do is to pay your dues in your new lodge.

You should contact your current council's service center. Explain the situation, and they should be able to tell you how to pay your dues and acquire a lodge flap. They can also put you in contact with the local lodge leadership, so you can become an active OA member.

Q: When I was a Scout as a boy, I was in the OA and went through my Ordeal and Brotherhood. I am now an adult leader in my son's troop. Am I automatically in the OA (in other words, is OA a lifetime membership)? Or do I have to start all over with another Ordeal, and so forth?

A: Once a Scout goes through his Ordeal, he is a member of the Order of the Arrow for the rest of his life. OA membership does require a person be registered with the BSA, so if you left the Scouting program for a while, your OA membership would lapse as well.

However, once you renew your BSA membership, even in another council, you can also resume your OA membership at the same level you left it. In your case, you would still be a Brotherhood member.

You will need to connect with the local OA lodge to pay your dues and continue your active membership.

You should contact your current council's OA Lodge Adviser. (If you do not know who that is, contact your council service center and ask them for his name and number.) Explain the situation, and you will probably be able to establish your membership based on the information you have and any other items that you may have (such as an old OA sash, pocket flap, etc.)

If necessary, you may have to contact your former Council to see if they can forward any records they may have of your membership.

Q: What is the cutoff age for youths and adults in OA Activities?

A: For Order of the Arrow participation (events, elections, etc.), a youth is anyone under age 21. Adults are those 21 or older. This holds true for everything except housing status at events, where adults are defined as 18 and older (see more below).

Note that this does NOT change the BSA youth protection policies, which define Boy Scout youth as those under 18, and adults as those 18 or older. These policies still apply to all OA activities.

So individuals at OA activities really fit into one of three categories:

    * Those under 18, who are youth for both OA events and BSA policies
    * Those 18 to 20, who are youth for OA events, but are adults for BSA policies
* Those 21 and older, who are adults for both OA events and BSA policies

This requires careful arrangements for housing, facilities, etc.

Q: As a 15 year old, I went through the OA Ordeal. Now, as an adult, I am a den leader for my son's Cub Scout den. Can I wear the symbol of the OA on my den leader uniform?

A: Once a Scout or Leader goes through his Ordeal, he is a member of the Order of the Arrow for the rest of his life (as long as he is registered with the BSA). As he moves to new councils, he needs to connect with the local OA lodge at each place to continue his active membership. Generally, all you need to do is to pay your dues in your new lodge.

Once you have paid your dues and are an active member again, you can then wear the OA Lodge flap on your uniform. This is true for all adults registered as BSA leaders, no matter what part of the program (Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Venturing) they are currently in.

You should contact your current council's service center. Explain the situation, and they should be able to tell you how to pay your dues and acquire a lodge flap. They can also put you in contact with the local lodge leadership, so you can become an active OA member.

Q: I was elected to OA as a Scout many years ago. I am becoming a uniformed Scouter where I live now, which is in another council. When I asked the local Scout shop about the OA patch for my uniform, I was told that I should wear the one from where I was elected, instead of the one for the council in which I now live. Is this correct?

A: Your Scout shop person was mistaken. The lodge flap signifies active dues paid membership in a local lodge. "Members of the OA may be official dues-paying (and, in the case of youth, voting) members of only one lodge, that being the lodge chartered to the council where they reside and have their principal Scouting Registration." (OA Handbook, p. 47, 2000 revision.)

So, you should pay your dues in the local lodge of the council you now live in and are becoming active in. You should then wear the lodge flap of this local lodge on your uniform.

Welcome back to active membership in the OA!

Q: There has been some disagreement as to whether or not Venturing Crews can have OA elections and elect candidates for OA membership. Some people in our lodge say they can, while our Lodge Adviser says they can not. Can you please clear this up for us?

A: Your lodge adviser is correct.

Order of the Arrow elections can be held in Boy Scout Troops and Varsity Scout Teams only.

For more details, see Operations Update 99-2

Q: My son is a Brotherhood member of the Order of the Arrow. Recently he joined a Venturing Crew. While putting patches on his Venturing uniform, the question arose whether he could wear his lodge flap on his Venturing uniform.   I know the Order of the Arrow does not do elections for Venturing Crews, but can a current member (be it Scout or Scouter) wear their lodge flap on a Venturing Uniform?

A: "Yes. The OA Lodge flap may be worn on the Venturing uniform."
- Carey Miller, Associate OA Director