Importance of Conclave
Next to a national jamboree and a national Order of the Arrow conference a section conclave is probably the largest inter-council event in the Boy Scouts of America. What happens at a national Order of the Arrow conference and a section conclave can make a big difference in the effectiveness of lodge and chapter programs of the Order of the Arrow and in the dedication of an individual Arrowman’s first responsibility — their unit.
A successful conclave increases the knowledge and understanding of the delegates in all aspects of the Order of the Arrow program. Arrowmen should be inspired to set and commit themselves to the higher goals of performance for themselves and their lodges and should provide training necessary to achieve these goals.
Leading the Charge, Making the Team
Conclaves cannot be put together by 2 or 3 people. It takes a coherent team of youth leaders under the age of 21, with the assistance of capable advisers, to make a conclave program run.
When selecting members of your team, think of the following:
- Is this someone who works hard?
- Is this someone who will come up with creative ideas?
- Can this person communicate effectively?
- Do I see this person taking my role eventually?
These basic questions you ask yourself will help you build a team of top-notch Conclave Vice Chiefs (CVC) and their advisers. Another aspect to keep in mind is to include members from all of the lodges in your section, this will help the entire section buy into a conclave, make all feel included, and provide for more inter-lodge interaction.
To assist you with distributing the workflow amongst leaders younger than 21, we’ve assembled an example organizational chart for you to utilize. This form can be edited to include the names of the members of your team so everyone can see where they flow. The format of this chart takes advantage of the 3-youth section officers and incorporates adviser roles. You’ll notice that it is our recommendation that the section leadership oversees program elements, while the host lodge oversees logistics. Along with the organization chart, there are resources below that will help you jumpstart your next conclave.
Resources:
Field Operations Handbook
This handbook provides details on OA national and regional organization, section rules, section Conclave guidelines, and section training.
Organization Chart Template
A fillable document for visual representation of a conclave organization.
Council of Chiefs Roster Template
Fillable template that provides contact information for the Council of Chiefs.