Q. Ray,
As a parent of a Scout going to the 2015 World Scout Jamboree, it would be a nice gesture if the OA would offer the opportunity to buy the commemorative red sash to Scouts who would have attended NOAC but for the World Jamboree. The dates of the Jamboree (July 28th-August 8th, 2015) were set well before the dates for NOAC 2015 were set. My son would have attended both given the possibility (we went to NOAC in 2012). Scouts who could not go to NOAC for date/timing constraints should be given the same opportunity to buy the sash as adults who could not go to NOAC for capacity restraints.
Regards,
Brent
A. Brent,
Thank you so much for reaching out with your questions and concerns. The commemorative red sash was created as a way to recognize those Arrowmen who attend the 2015 National Order of the Arrow Conference, participate in its events and trainings and return to their lodges with new skills and enthusiasm. The sash will only be able to be worn at the National Order of the Arrow Conference. The national committee by decision was very clear that only Arrowmen who attend would be allowed to wear the sash and then only during the conference. Our national youth officers were very insightful in giving guidance to this process and were mindful that wearing the sash should only happen at NOAC, so as to not create any differentiation with Arrowmen back home who might be unable to attend NOAC for the multitude of reasons including, like your son, his choice to attend the 2015 World Scout Jamboree.
The choice to make the sash available to those not attending the conference was offered as recognition to those adult members who had submitted their deposits with the intention of attending the conference, but gave up their chance to go so that youth members may attend NOAC.
As always, do not hesitate to reach out if I can be helpful to you in any way. As a national OA leadership team, we are committed to doing all we can to make the centennial conference a powerful experience for our youth leaders.
As an aside, we will begin recruiting this fall for the OA staff for the 2017 National Scout Jamboree. With your son’s experience having attended the world jamboree, he is in the target group of kids we want to recruit to our OA jamboree staff. Please have him reach out directly to me should he have interest.
WWW,
Ray