Once each year, a troop, crew, or ship, may hold a unit election to elect youth members of their troop, crew, or ship to become members of the Order of the Arrow.
Both youth and adult Scouts and Scouters can become members of the OA, but only youth members are elected. Assistant Scoutmasters under the age of 21 are considered youth members for OA purposes. New members are voted on by every youth member of the unit present at the election - not just the OA members.
Elections are normally held at a regular unit meeting and take about half an hour to complete. In order for an election to be held, at least 50% of your active youth members must be present – if less than 50% are present, the election must be rescheduled. A scout is elected into the OA if they receive more than 50% of the vote. After being elected, candidates are informed through a Callout Ceremony in which they are invited to go through an Induction. Once a candidate has finished the Induction, they receive their sash and may attend chapter meetings and lodge events as long as their dues are current.
The OA elections must be completed by a trained election team with support of unit Arrowmen, the OA Unit Representative, and the unit leader. Tiwahe Lodge follows all Order of the Arrow policies contained in the Guide to Officers and Advisers (see pages 20 - 23 for membership and election information). To request an OA Election for your troop, contact your Chapter Chief or Adviser.
