“Ask the Chairman” has become a popular way to obtain answers to questions on many topics related to the OA. Many “Ask the Chairman” questions relate to unit elections and to the camping portion of the eligibility requirements. As a result, the National Order of the Arrow Committee recently approved a revision to the camping requirement, effective for any elections conducted on or after June 1, 2015.
The revised youth camping requirement is:
Have experienced 15 nights of Boy Scout camping while registered with a troop or team 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 the Boy Scouts of 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.
The revised camping requirement applies to all candidates for youth and adult membership in the Order of the Arrow, but is subject to waiver for district/council Scouters as set forth in the Guide for Officers and Advisers.
Please make sure that Arrowmen who manage or conduct elections in your lodge are aware of this change and that they use the new membership qualifications for any elections conducted on or after June 1st.
This change will be reflected in the Order of the Arrow Handbook, the Guide for Officers and Advisers and the Guide to Inductions when these documents are next published.