By Nicholas Goldrosen
It's an oft-repeated saying throughout the Order of the Arrow that chapters and lodges need to connect with units for success; the key to success is the unit. To a large degree, this is true--what Scout will join the OA if his Scoutmaster refuses to hold a unit election? However, many lodges also may feel uncertain as to how it specifically can reach units. This is where the OA Troop Representative program and its associated OA Best Practices can come into play.
Allowing a youth Arrowman to serve as a critical link between the chapter, lodge, and the troop. As a unit leadership position, the OA Troop Representative is an integral position. Additionally, the Troop Representative plays a key role in promoting high adventure, leadership training, and older Scout retention. Each lodge is responsible for overseeing the OATR program in its council.
2014 National Vice Chief Taylor Bobrow, who will be devoting his tenure on the national OA committee to working in unit, chapter, and lodge support, remarked that the OATR program is one of the OA's most important.
"It holds a lot of power when utilized properly," Bobrow said. "It dictates the flow of information and reinforces a strong OA presence in the unit, which increases retention and involvement."
The OA Best Practices guide is a great resource for lodges. Each of these ideas are submitted by a chapter or lodge from across the country that has experienced success using it. Ideas cover a plethora of topics from Brotherhood conversion, to council support, to unit relations.
Several of the best practices deal submitted by Amagamek-Wipit Lodge of the National Capital Area Council include innovative ideas for the OA Troop Representative program. Spearheaded by a youth Arrowman named Michael Sherburne, the program focuses on interaction with Scoutmasters as the linchpin. For example, it places a premium of regular communication with unit leaders through letters, personal contact, and electronic communication. It also allows for "one-stop shopping" for Scoutmasters, bundling information about OA Troop Representative, unit elections, adult leader nominations, and the Order of the Arrow Unit of Excellence Award into one package for the leaders.
The revamped program, which began in 2012, has certainly worked well for Wipit, a lodge of over 4,000 members. Within two months, it saw 25% of units participating and some chapters even had exceeded 50% participation. However, it has lessons applicable to lodges all over the nation.
"The pure essence of the program [communication with unit leaders] can be applied anywhere, but how it gets implemented can vary widely," Sherburne said.
Bobrow offered other applicable ideas, such as having lodges require that anyone purchasing the OA Troop Representative patch at the Scout Shop to be a registered lodge member. He also stressed the importance of lodges making a concerted effort to appeal to and communicate with Scoutmasters, and he personally testified to the importance of the Scoutmaster's support in increasing the OA's impact, citing his own unit as an example.
Bobrow concluded, "It's about providing resources and recognition to the lodges, then letting them do the rest."