Field Operations Guide - Order of the Arrow, BSA

Field Operations GuideThis guide provides information on the field organization and operations of the Order of the Arrow at the national, region, and section levels.

Revised January 2021

Contents

Field Operations Guide

Preface: Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Chapter 1: National Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3National Order of the Arrow Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

National Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

National Planning Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Responsibilities of the National Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Responsibilities of the National Vice Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Region Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Responsibilities of the Region Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Chapter 2: Section Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Name, Affiliation and Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Conclave Date and Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Officers and Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Section Chief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Section Vice Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Section Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Area Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Section Adviser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Section Staff Adviser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Associate Section Adviser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Eligibility, Nomination, Selection of Officers and Appointees . . . . . . . .17

Responsibilities for Conclave Program and Administration . . . . . . . . . 18

Section Finances. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Conclave Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Conclave Participation and Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Amendments to Section Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Chapter 3: Section Conclave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Conclave Planning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Conclave Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Workshops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Demonstrations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Open Forums – “Meet the Leader” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Special Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Fellowship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Keynote Speaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Conclave Agenda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Field Operations Guide – i – Order of the Arrow, BSA

Conclave Business Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

American Indian Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Fire Dancing Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Protected Species Policy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Flag Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Face Paint Policy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Ceremony Team Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Maury Clancy American Indian Campership Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Accident and Sickness Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

National Activity Surcharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Leadership Policy for all Order of the Arrow Trips and Outings . . . . . . 28

Sample Council of Chiefs Meeting Agenda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Conclave Agenda Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Chapter 4: Section Training. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Council of Chiefs Roundtable Discussions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Council of Chiefs Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Conclave Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Training Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Train the Trainer Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Conclave Training Planning Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Training Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Appendix 1: American Indian Dance and Singing Competitions . . 39Individual Dance Competition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Historical Group Dance Competition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Northern and Southern Singing Competitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Appendix 2: Council Mergers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Appendix 3: Region Realignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Appendix 4: Section Officer Performance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Appendix 5: National Chief and Vice Chief Election Procedure. . . . 49

Field Operations Guide – ii – Order of the Arrow, BSA

Field Operations Guide

Preface: Introduction

The Field Operations Guide provides informa-tion on the field organization and operations ofthe Order of the Arrow at the national, region,and section levels. The Field Operations Guideis available at the Order’s official Web site,www.oa-bsa.org, and should be used by allsection officers and advisers.

Chapter 1 covers the national and region orga-nizations, national Order of the Arrow commit-tee, national program, and national planningmeeting. The procedures for electing thenational officers and their responsibilities arealso provided.

Chapter 2 contains the section rules that gov-ern all aspects of Order of the Arrow sectionoperations. These are national policies and assuch, govern the development, organization,and operation of the inter-council activities ofthe Order of the Arrow. This publication super-sedes all previous printings, previous sectionrules and any other instruments governing, orin use, by the section for inter-council organi-zations or activities. This guide will be revisedsemi-annually, and should be reviewed period-ically for changes.

Chapter 3 is devoted to the section conclave. Ithas useful tips on planning which, when com-bined with the Appendix, provide a wealth ofideas and information on the “how to” of thesection conclave.

Chapter 4 discusses the various types, venues,and methods by which the section may pro-vide training for its lodges. This includes, forexample, offerings at council of chiefs meet-

ings, at the section conclave, and at specialtraining events.

Additional resource materials are available forguidance. The Order of the Arrow training por-tal provides tips for trainers and training out-lines at oa-bsa.org/training/conclave-training-initiative-cti; Appendix 1 has suggested guide-lines for American Indian dance and singingcompetitions; and the Guide to Inductionscontains guidelines for ceremony team evalua-tion.

After the section conclave, it is the responsibil-ity of the section chief completing their term atthe conclave to prepare and submit a report onthe conclave; the report is generated and sub-mitted on-line at oa-bsa.org/section-con-clave-report.

Appendix 2 contains valuable informationregarding council mergers and the role of theOrder of the Arrow. Appendix 3 presents theprocess to be followed in a region realignmentof the areas and councils that make up thesections. Appendix 4 addresses section officerperformance issues. Appendix 5 provides thedetailed procedure for electing the nationalchief and national vice chief.

Field Operations Guide – 1 – Order of the Arrow, BSA

https://www.oa-bsa.org

https://oa-bsa.org/training/conclave-training-initiative-cti

https://oa-bsa.org/training/conclave-training-initiative-cti

https://oa-bsa.org/resources/publications#gti

https://oa-bsa.org/section-conclave-report



Chapter 1: National Organization

National Order of the Arrow Committee

The national Order of the Arrow committee, asupport committee of the national OutdoorAdventures Committee, sets policy and directsthe program of the Order. The Order has about150,000 members nationally, organized intomore than 265 lodges, grouped into sectionswithin each of the four regions.

The volunteer leader is the chairman of thenational Order of the Arrow committee. Thechairman is appointed annually by the chair-man of the national Outdoor Adventures com-mittee. Members of the national Order of theArrow committee are appointed annually bytheir chairman.

The staff advisers to the national committeeare the director and associate director of theOrder of the Arrow. These individuals arenational professional Scouters. The nationalchief, national vice chief, immediate past chief,and immediate past vice chief serve as youthmembers on the national committee alongwith approximately 50 other Arrowmen.

To implement and manage the program of theOrder of the Arrow, the national committee isorganized as follows:

• Communication

• Development

• Finance and Strategic Planning

• National Events

• Outdoor Adventures

• Recognition, Awards, History, and Preser-vation

• Region and Section Operations

• Strategic Performance

• Technology

• Training

• Unit, Chapter, and Lodge Support

Vice chairmen of the national committee areappointed by the chairman annually to manageand administer each of these areas.

The national organization is governed by abusiness plan, which is intended to outline theareas of growth for the National Order of theArrow Committee. The plan’s design isintended to address the unique benefits andchallenges of the Order by placing a specificfocus on promoting successful lodge develop-ment. The plan was designed with shorter andmore defined action items that will lead to adesired outcome, while providing flexibility forthe Boy Scouts of America’s ever evolvingmembership. Each of the action items pre-sented in the Plan is organized into one of five“pillars” identified by the Order’s leadership asbeing critical to the organization’s growth tohave greater focus on local lodge program andadministration. Because of the size and com-plexity of the program and the number of indi-viduals who serve on the committee to deliverthe program across the country, a steeringcommittee has been created to manage theday-to-day affairs of the program. The nationalcommittee meets semiannually; the steeringcommittee meets at least once a year. Variousmembers of the steering committee are inconstant contact with one another to handle


affairs of the Order on a daily basis. Membersof the steering committee are the nationalchairman, national vice chairmen, past nationalchairmen, national chief, and national vicechief. The director and associate director of theOrder of the Arrow serve as nonvoting mem-bers.

The Order is a self-funded program of the BoyScouts of America and pays all costs associatedwith its operation through its own revenuesources, which include annual lodge charterfees and recognition sales.

National Order of the Arrow Committee

The national committee may be contactedthrough:

Boy Scouts of AmericaOrder of the Arrow, S3251325 West Walnut Hill LaneP.O. Box 152079Irving, TX 75015-2079Phone: 972-580-2438www.oa-bsa.org

National Program

Every two years, during the month of August,the Order of the Arrow holds a national confer-ence on the campus of a major university. Theconference is held for six days with 6,000 to10,000 Arrowmen participating, coming fromthroughout the United States and its territories,and some from overseas. The conference pro-gram includes innovative leadership develop-

Outdoor AdventuresCommittee

National Chairman DirectorAssociate Director

National ChiefNational Vice Chief

CommunicationVice Chairman

Recognition, Awards, History and PreservationVice Chairman

DevelopmentVice Chairman

Region and SectionOperations

Vice Chairman

Finance andStrategic Planning

Vice Chairman

Strategic PerformanceVice Chairman

National EventsVice Chairman

TechnologyVice Chairman

Outdoor AdventuresVice Chairman

TrainingVice Chairman

Unit, Chapter andLodge SupportVice Chairman


https://www.oa-bsa.org

ment programs, fellowship opportunities,inspirational gatherings (shows), ceremonyteam development, American Indian activities,camping promotion, and opportunities to hearand talk with national leaders of the Order ofthe Arrow and the Boy Scouts of America.

In addition to national conferences, othernational events and activities are conducted.These include:

• The Philmont OA Trail Crew, OA WildernessVoyage, OA Canadian Odyssey, OA OceanAdventure and OA Summit Experience pro-grams bring together outstanding Arrow-men from throughout the country for aone- to two-week period of service, inspi-ration, team building, and personal devel-opment.

• The National Leadership Seminar andDeveloping Youth Leadership Conferenceare premier leadership development pro-grams of the Boy Scouts of America forboth youth and adults.

• The Order of the Arrow organizes a staff tosupport the National Jamboree. This nor-mally consists of a service corps and acadre of trek guides.

National Planning Meeting

In late December each year, the section chiefsfrom across the nation gather to participate inplanning the program of emphasis for the nextcalendar year. As their first order of business,the section chiefs elect a national chief,national vice chief, and four region chiefs.

To be eligible to hold a national office asnational chief, national vice chief or regionchief, a section chief must be younger than 21during their entire term of office. In addition,no person who has ever held one of thesenational offices can ever again be eligible tohold any national OA office. No youth mayconcurrently hold another national, area, orregional BSA Office in Venturing or Sea Scouts.To be eligible for election, each individualdesiring to run for office is required to have onfile with the director of the Order of the Arrow,by an announced date prior to the planning

meeting, written approval to run for office fromtheir council Scout executive and area director.

The election of the national chief and vicechief will be conducted in the following man-ner:

1. The section chiefs are assembled as onegroup to elect, first, a national chief and,second, a national vice chief.

2. The current national chief presides at theelection of the national chief and nationalvice chief using the procedure at Appendix5.

3. Each section chief may vote for each officeon each ballot taken.

4. A nominee must receive a majority of thevotes cast on a given ballot to be elected. Ifa majority is not achieved, the nominee(s)receiving the least number of votes is (are)dropped and another ballot is taken. Thisprocedure continues until one nomineeachieves a majority and is declared elected,or until two ballots in succession result intie votes at which point the balloting isdeclared deadlocked.

5. When balloting is declared deadlocked, thenational chief will announce to the votingdelegates that one more ballot will betaken to break the tie and, if another tieresults, the national chief shall cast suffi-cient votes for the nominee of their choiceto achieve a majority and declare themelected.

Following the election of the national chief andnational vice chief, the section chiefs will cau-cus by region to elect the four region chiefs.The current region chief will preside at theelection of their successor, using the proce-dure outlined above.

These officers will serve until their successorsare elected at the next national planning meet-ing. The national chief and national vice chieforganize subcommittees and direct planningfor the program of emphasis for the next cal-endar year. Members of the national Order ofthe Arrow committee serve as advisers.


Following the elections, the remaining sectionchiefs are assigned to subcommittees basedon preference. Each subcommittee will meetand the members will elect their subcommitteevice chief. While the subcommittees’ responsi-bilities are definite, it must be remembered thatat each level of the Order of the Arrow, thethree leaders – youth, volunteer, and profes-sional – must work in close harmony to ensurean effective program.

Responsibilities of the National Chief

1. Holds no other office in the Order of theArrow, or at the area, region, or nationallevel in any other Scouting program duringtheir term. Within 30 days of their electionas national chief and in accordance withthe section rules, conducts the election oftheir replacement as section chief.

2. Presides over and leads the national plan-ning meeting, starting immediately aftertheir election.

3. Appoints section chiefs to the workingcommittees for planning and carrying outthe program of emphasis for the next cal-endar year.

4. Provides, with the assistance of thenational vice chief and the region chiefs,general administrative leadership to thenational program for the next calendaryear, as determined by the national com-mittee.

5. Becomes a voting member of the nationalOrder of the Arrow committee and itssteering committee.

6. Attends all regularly scheduled meetings ofthe national Order of the Arrow committeeand the steering committee and makes averbal “Chief’s Report” at all such meetings.

7. Travels as a national officer with the priorapproval and authorization of the directorof the Order of the Arrow.

8. Develops and maintains good rapport withthe four region chiefs. Receives input from

the region chiefs, section chiefs andOrder’s membership.

9. Keeps the chairman and the director of theOrder of the Arrow fully informed of alltheir activities related to the Order of theArrow. Shares copies of all correspondencepertaining to the business of the Order withthese individuals and with others that areconcerned.

10. Keeps a careful financial record, under-standing that they will be reimbursed foronly those activities approved by the direc-tor of the Order of the Arrow. If a region,section or lodge requests the services orparticipation of the national chief, the costswill be borne by the group making such arequest, or at their own expense.

11. Serves as a member of the Key 3 directlycharged with the development and supportof the program of the Order of the Arrow.The other members of the Key 3 are thechairman of the national committee andthe director of the Order of the Arrow, rep-resenting the volunteer policy making bodyand the professional staff of the Boy Scoutsof America, respectively, as the nationalchief represents the youth members of theOrder.

12. Recommends to the chairman, the direc-tor, and the national Order of the Arrowcommittee, items of policy or other actionsfor the good of the Order.

13. Serves as a member of the national execu-tive board of the Boy Scouts of America, ifappointed. The national chief understandsthat the appointment is as a youth repre-sentative and not as a representative of theOrder of the Arrow. As a member of thenational Order of the Arrow committee,which is a support committee of thenational Outdoor Adventures Group, sup-ports the official position of these organi-zations, as well as other national policies.

14. Serves as an example of the ideals of theBoy Scouts of America and the Order of theArrow.

15. Wears the Scout uniform correctly.


16. Presents a written report to the nationalOrder of the Arrow committee at the con-clusion of their term. The report is to bewritten from the youth’s standpoint and willgive an evaluation of the year’s activitiesand positive recommendations for nationalcommittee consideration.

Responsibilities of the National Vice Chief

1. Holds no other office in the Order of theArrow or at the area, region, or nationallevel in any other Scouting program duringtheir term. Within 30 days of their electionas national vice chief and in accordancewith the section rules, conducts the elec-tion of their replacement as section chief.

2. Assists the national chief in the nationalplanning meeting, starting immediatelyafter their election.

3. Assumes the position of national chief, ifthe national chief is unable to carry outtheir responsibilities.

4. Gives administrative direction to specificassigned program areas.

5. Becomes a voting member of the nationalOrder of the Arrow committee and itssteering committee.

6. Attends all regularly scheduled meetings ofthe national Order of the Arrow committeeand the steering committee and makes averbal “Vice Chief’s Report” at all suchmeetings.

7. Travels as a national officer with the priorapproval and authorization of the directorof the Order of the Arrow.

8. In cooperation with the national chiefdevelops and maintains good rapport withthe four region chiefs. Receives input fromthe region chiefs, section chiefs andOrder’s membership.

9. Keeps the chairman and the director of theOrder of the Arrow fully informed of all oftheir activities related to the Order of theArrow. Shares copies of all correspondence

pertaining to the business of the Order withthese individuals and with others that areconcerned.

10. Keeps a careful financial record, under-standing that they will be reimbursed foronly those activities approved by the direc-tor of the Order of the Arrow. If a region,section or lodge requests the services orparticipation of the national vice chief, thecosts will be borne by the group makingsuch a request, or at their own expense.

11. Recommends to the chairman, the direc-tor, and the national Order of the Arrowcommittee, items of policy or other actionsfor the good of the Order.

12. Serves as a member of the national Out-door Adventures Group of the Boy Scoutsof America, if appointed. The national vicechief understands that they have beenappointed as a youth representative andnot as a representative of the Order of theArrow. As a member of the national Orderof the Arrow committee, which is a supportcommittee of the national Outdoor Adven-tures Group, supports the official positionof these organizations as well as othernational policies.



15. Presents a written report to the nationalOrder of the Arrow committee at the con-clusion of their term. The report is to bewritten from the youth’s standpoint and willgive an evaluation of the year’s activitiesand positive recommendations for nationalcommittee consideration.

If the national vice chief is unable to carry outtheir responsibilities, the national chief mayappoint a successor, with the advice andapproval of the chairman of the national Orderof the Arrow committee.


Region Organization

The Boy Scouts of America is organized intofour geographical regions: Central, Northeast,Southern, and Western.

The region chief is the youth leader of theregion elected by the section chiefs from thatregion at the national planning meeting. He orshe must be younger than 21 during the entireyear of their term and will serve until a succes-sor is elected. The election is held followingthe election of the national chief and nationalvice chief.

The adult volunteer leader in the region is theregion Order of the Arrow chairman.Appointed annually by the region director incoordination with the chairman of the nationalOrder of the Arrow committee, this person isresponsible for administering and managingthe program regionally, with a special empha-sis placed on the role of adviser to the regionchief.

The region staff adviser is appointed by theAssistant Chief Scout Executive of OutdoorAdventure in consultation with the nationalOrder of the Arrow director. Duties of theregion staff adviser include regular communi-cation and counsel with the region chairmanand region chief.

Each of the regions is divided into geographicalareas composed of several councils. The num-ber of areas varies according to region. Theregion director establishes the area boundariesand appoints an area director to provide lead-ership to the programs within the area. Thecouncils in each area are grouped into one ormore sections by the area director, based onrecommendations made by the region Orderof the Arrow chairman and region staff adviser.

Communication is a very important role for theregion. To keep its own sections up-to-date,each region has its own website:

central.oa-bsa.org

northeast.oa-bsa.org

southern.oa-bsa.org

western.oa-bsa.org

Responsibilities of the Region Chief

1. Holds no other office in the Order of theArrow or at the area, region or nationallevel in any other Scouting program duringtheir term. Within 30 days of their electionas region chief and in accordance with thesection rules, conducts the election of theirreplacement as section chief.

2. Advises the national chief on all mattersrelating to the operation of the Order of theArrow within the region. Serves as liaisonbetween the national chief and the sectionchiefs in their region, encouraging andassisting them in their efforts to strengthenand improve the programs of each lodge.

3. Represents the national chief in the regionon matters of national program promotionand other nationally oriented projects. Thenational chief will assign specific responsi-bilities for the national program of empha-sis.

4. Organizes, coordinates, and conductsNational Leadership Seminars, DevelopingYouth Leadership Conferences, and sectionofficer seminars within the region, in con-sultation with the region Order of theArrow chairman and region staff adviserand in accordance with the policies of thenational Order of the Arrow committee.

5. Works closely with the region chairmanand region staff adviser, keeping them andthe national chief informed of their activi-ties related to the Order of the Arrow.Shares copies of all correspondence per-taining to the business of the Order withthe region chairman, region staff adviser,and others that are concerned.

6. Keeps a careful financial record, under-standing that they will be reimbursed foronly those activities approved by the regionchairman and the director of the Order ofthe Arrow. If another region, a section or alodge requests the services or participationof the region chief, the costs will be borneby the group making such a request, or attheir own expense.


https://central.oa-bsa.org

https://northeast.oa-bsa.org

https://southern.oa-bsa.org

https://western.oa-bsa.org

7. Serves as a member of the region executiveboard, if elected to the board, and theregion outdoor adventures committee orregion program committee, if appointed bythe region president, thus providing addi-tional youth viewpoint and participation indiscussions of these bodies.

8. Supports all official positions of the BoyScouts of America and the national Orderof the Arrow committee when acting as ayouth member of a region committee ortask force.



11. Presents a written report on the activities ofthe Order in the region to the nationalOrder of the Arrow committee at the con-clusion of their term. The report is to bewritten from the youth’s standpoint and willgive an evaluation of the year’s activitiesand positive recommendations for nationalcommittee consideration.

If the region chief resigns during their term oris removed from office, the national chief willappoint a successor, in consultation with thesection chiefs and region chairman of theaffected region, within 30 days with the adviceand approval of the chairman of the nationalOrder of the Arrow committee.



Chapter 2: Section Rules

Rule I. Name, Affiliation and Purpose

A. The section is the recognized inter-coun-cil organizational structure of the Order ofthe Arrow, Boy Scouts of America, andshall consist of councils within a geo-graphical area. The region director estab-lishes the area boundaries and appoints anarea director to provide leadership to theprograms within the area.

B. The section shall be identified by theregion letter abbreviation, the area num-ber, and letter of the alphabet indicatingthe subdivision of the area. If an area hasonly one section, the alphabetic suffix willnot be used. (e.g., W-4A, C-5B, S-1, NE-4C, etc.). Such designations are to bemade by the area director, based on rec-ommendations made by the region Orderof the Arrow chairman and region staffadviser.

C. The councils referred to in these rules shallbe those councils assigned to the sectionby the area director, based on recommen-dations made by the region Order of theArrow chairman and region staff adviser.

D. Only one lodge is recognized per council;therefore, any reference to lodges in theserules pertains to a single-lodge-per-coun-cil organization and in all business of thesection (i.e., council of chiefs meetings,conclaves, elections, business meetings,etc.), only one lodge and one lodge chiefwill represent a council.

E. The section shall serve as an importantcommunication link between councils, theregion, and the national Order of theArrow committee.

F. The section exists to support lodge leadersto produce High Performing Lodges,through a direct inter-council forum.

G. The methods by which this purpose isachieved include:

1. Supporting lodge leadership and pro-gramming in becoming a high per-forming lodge by continuouslyimproving, as assessed by the LodgePerformance Measurement Program.

2. Conducting an annual meeting for thedelegates of the councils. This annualmeeting shall be called the conclave.The conclave shall include training andinspirational experiences that will assistcouncils in creating and administeringmore effective programs that supportthe overall objectives of the Order ofthe Arrow.

3. Assisting lodges toward greater serviceto their Scout councils and in achievingperformance measurement programrecognition. Hold an annual Adapt,Collaborate, and Thrive (ACT) Confer-ence in support of developing highperforming lodges.

4. Facilitating opportunities for sharingbest practices and fostering ideationbetween member lodges.

5. Continuously improving Section per-formance as assessed by the SectionPerformance Measurement Program.


6. Providing leadership developmentopportunities for older Arrowmen (nor-mally between the ages of 16 and 21).

7. Fostering an understanding and adher-ence to national Order of the Arrowpolicies and procedures and providingopportunities for Arrowmen to bring

forth their ideas into the national Orderof the Arrow decision-making process.

8. Coordinating Order of the Arrowadministrative or program functions ofmutual benefit to all lodges in the sec-tion as directed by their council Scoutexecutives.

Rule II. Conclave Date and Location

A. A conclave shall be held annually in eachsection. The dates of the conclave shouldbe constant from year to year in relation toa given calendar point (e.g., first Saturdayin October, first weekend following Easter,etc.) The date shall be selected by thecouncil of chiefs upon recommendationof the section chief, in consultation withthe section adviser and section staffadviser. The area director must approvethese dates.

B. The location of the conclave shall beselected by the service council and

approved by the council of chiefs beforethe close of the preceding conclave. Theservice council Scout executive mustapprove the conclave location. Sectionconclaves must be planned and located toassure that councils meet the travel poli-cies of the Boy Scouts of America stated inthe Guide to Safe Scouting. This includesthe 10-hour per day driving restrictions.

C. The region Order of the Arrow chairmanand region staff adviser may be helpful incoordinating dates and locations.

Rule III. Officers and Administration

A. Under the guidance and direction of thesection adviser and area director, or theirstaff appointee, the section is organizedand the conclave is planned and led byArrowmen who are younger than 21during their entire term of office.

B. The officers of the section shall be thesection chief, one section vice chief andone section secretary. The responsibilitiesof the respective officers shall be as fol-lows:

1. Section Chief

a. Organizes and gives positive leader-ship to achieve a successful annualconclave and fulfill section opera-tions responsibilities.

b. Holds no other elected position inthe Order of the Arrow or area,region or national leadership posi-tion within Scouting during theirterm. Must resign from all lodge andchapter offices within 30 days oftheir election as section chief.

c. Presides over meetings of the coun-cil of chiefs and the conclave busi-ness meeting.

d. Communicates with the region chiefon a regular basis.

e. Delegates duties to other sectionofficers and members of the councilof chiefs.

f. Works closely with the sectionadviser and section staff adviser.Keeps the section adviser and sec-tion staff adviser fully informed of alltheir activities related to the Orderof the Arrow. Shares copies of allcorrespondence pertaining to thebusiness of the Order with theseindividuals and with others that areconcerned.

g. Assures that all aspects of sectionactivity are conducted according tothese Section Rules.


https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss

h. Compiles the conclave reportswithin 45 days of the end of theconclave. The report and submis-sion process are exclusively onlineand is available at oa-bsa.org/sec-tion-conclave-report. (This is theresponsibility of the section chiefcompleting their term of office atthe conclave.)

i. Distributes lodges among theelected section officers to provide avehicle for regular contact of eachlodge by section officers.

j. Responsible for influencing positiveperformance of lodges in the LodgePerformance Measurement Programby: (1) periodically following-up onassigned lodge PMP progress; (2)raising areas of performance con-cern to section leadership; and (3)providing a regular communicationconduit between assigned lodgesand the section.

k. Serves as an example of the ideals ofthe BSA and the Order of the Arrow.

l. Wears the Scout uniform correctly.

m. Attends section officer seminarsand, unless previously attended, anational leadership seminar.

n. Represents the section at region andnational functions and activities ofthe Order of the Arrow, wheninvited.

o. Participates in an annual nationalplanning meeting. The section willpay for the transportation and plan-ning meeting fees to attend. Thesection chief will serve as a memberof the committee planning thenational program of emphasis forthe coming year. Upon successfulevaluation and timely completion oftheir responsibilities, their fees andtransportation will be funded to ful-fill any assigned Order of the Arrowduties at the program of emphasis.

p. Promotes participation in region andnational events.

2. Section Vice Chief

a. Assists the section chief, as directedby them, to carry out the operationsof the section.

b. Assures that the conclave is pro-moted in all councils.

c. Influences positive performance oflodges by planning an annual ACTconference.

d. Responsible for influencing positiveperformance of lodges in the LodgePerformance Measurement Programby: (1) periodically following-up onassigned lodge PMP progress; (2)raising areas of performance con-cern to section leadership; and (3)providing a regular communicationconduit between assigned lodgesand the section.

e. Assumes other responsibilities andduties as assigned by the sectionchief.

f. Promotes participation in region andnational events.

g. If the section chief resigns or isunable to fulfill their term of office,assumes the responsibilities of thesection chief until the council ofchiefs elects a successor for theunexpired term.

h. Serves as an example of the ideals ofthe BSA and the Order of the Arrow.

i. Wears the Scout uniform correctly.

j. Attends council of chiefs meetings,section officer seminars, additionalregion events, as invited, and, unlesspreviously attended, a national lead-ership seminar.

3. Section Secretary

a. Assists the section chief in commu-nicating with members of the coun-




cil of chiefs and advisers. Provideswritten or email notification of allcouncil of chiefs meeting at least 15days in advance, including anagenda and preliminary budget withrationale for review, or a transactionreport since the last council ofchiefs meeting (including accountbalance) and financial report ofincome/expenses compared to thecouncil of chiefs established budget.

b. Records the minutes of all meetingsof the council of chiefs, and theconclave business meeting. Distrib-utes copies of all minutes, includingthe approved budget or financialreport and any amendments, tocouncil of chiefs members within 15days following each meeting.

c. Maintains an up-to-date roster ofnames, addresses, telephone num-bers, and email addresses of thecouncil of chiefs members. The dis-tribution of the roster, and allchanges, shall be to: members ofthe council of chiefs, region chief,region chairman, region staffadviser, area director, and the direc-tor of the Order of the Arrow.

d. Communicates registration detailsof the annual ACT conference,ensuring each lodge has the oppor-tunity to participate.

e. Responsible for influencing positiveperformance of lodges in the LodgePerformance Measurement Programby: (1) periodically following-up onassigned lodge PMP progress; (2)raising areas of performance con-cern to section leadership; and (3)providing a regular communicationconduit between assigned lodgesand the section.

f. Promotes participation in region andnational events.

g. Serves as an example of the ideals ofthe BSA and the Order of the Arrow.

h. Wears the Scout uniform correctly.

i. Attends council of chiefs meetings,section officer seminars, and, unlesspreviously attended, a national lead-ership seminar.

C. The advisers of the section shall be thearea director and two other Arrowmenwho are 21 years of age or older – onebeing a volunteer Scouter (section adviser)and the other, a professional Scouter (sec-tion staff adviser). If needed, the areadirector may also appoint one or moreassociate section advisers to assist thesection adviser. Advisers at the sectionlevel are appointed annually by the areadirector with the concurrence of theregion Order of the Arrow chairman andregion staff adviser. Each adviser must be amember in good standing of the Order ofthe Arrow and the Boy Scouts of Americain a council within the geographicalboundaries of the section served. Theresponsibilities of the advisers are as fol-lows:

1. Area Director

a. Assigns councils in the area to sec-tion groupings, as described in theRegion Organization section ofChapter 1 on page 8.

b. Configures sections so that con-clave attendance will be in compli-ance with the 10-hour per daydriving restrictions in the Guide toSafe Scouting.

c. Appoints the section adviser, sectionstaff adviser, and any associate sec-tion adviser(s) annually with inputfrom the region Order of the Arrowchairman and region staff adviser.

d. Forwards the name of the sectionadviser to the chairperson of thearea nominating committee forconsideration of election to the areacommittee.





2. Section Adviser

a. Interprets Order of the Arrow policyin consultation with the regionchairman, region staff adviser, andthe director of the Order of theArrow, as needed.

b. Holds no other primary or associateadviser position in the Order of theArrow during their term.

c. Advises the section officers andcouncil of chiefs in planning andconducting the section conclave.Works with the staff adviser toensure successful section events.Works “behind the scenes” throughthe section chief.

d. Aids in the reorganization ofmerged, dropped or inactive lodgeswithin the section as requested bycouncil Scout executives or the areadirector.

e. Assures that the section is operatingaccording to these Section Ruleswhich are approved by the nationalcommittee.

f. Brings to the attention of the regionchairman and the director of theOrder of the Arrow matters of policyor procedures that should be con-sidered by the national committee.

g. Reports to the area director and theregion Order of the Arrow chairmanon a regular basis.

h. Meets and communicates with thesection chief and section staffadviser on a regular basis.

i. Meets and communicates with eachlodge adviser in the section on aregular basis.

j. Encourages and assists the partici-pation of each council in region andnational Order of the Arrow func-tions.

k. Coordinates transportation toregion and national events throughthe council of chiefs.

l. Encourages and assists in the on-time charter renewal process.

m. Reviews an annual report from eachlodge, in addition to receiving acopy of the lodge’s charter renewalapplication and Performance Mea-surement Program petition.

n. Encourages councils to improveperformance and meet the stan-dards of the lodge and chapter Per-formance Measurement Programs.

o. Reports annually to the regionchairman and region staff adviser onthe significant accomplishmentsand challenges of the section.

p. Represents the section at region andnational functions and activities ofthe Order of the Arrow, wheninvited.

q. Serves as an example of the ideals ofthe BSA and the Order of the Arrow.

r. Wears the Scout uniform correctly.

s. Attends council of chiefs meetings,section officer seminars, additionalarea events, as invited, and, if invited,the national annual planning meet-ing.

3. Section Staff Adviser

a. Advises the area director on possiblenominees for section adviser.

b. Serves as liaison between the sec-tion council of chiefs and lodge staffadvisers.

c. Keeps the area director informed onall matters related to the section.

d. Maintains a close working relation-ship with the section officers andadvisers.

e. Oversees the section finances andcoordinates the section financial


operations with the appropriatecouncils. Insures BSA accountingand auditing procedures are fol-lowed.

f. Assists in establishing the date of theconclave, coordinating with theregion and council calendars. Com-municates to councils the conclavedates and encourages their partici-pation and non-scheduling of con-flicting activities.

g. Encourages participation in section,region, and national events.

h. Participates in conclave and otherOA training as requested and avail-able.

i. Meets and communicates with thesection chief and section adviser ona regular basis.

j. Represents the Order of the Arrowand the Boy Scouts of America atsection, region, and national OAfunctions.

k. Serves as an example of the ideals ofthe BSA and the Order of the Arrow.

l. Wears the Scout uniform correctly.

m. Attends council of chiefs meetings,section officer seminars, and addi-tional area events, as invited.

n. Insures that the section conclave iscovered by accident and sicknessinsurance and the proper forms andfees are submitted to national forboth the insurance and nationalactivity surcharge.

4. Associate Section Adviser

a. Supports and assists the sectionadviser to carry out the operationsof the section.

b. Assumes other responsibilities andduties as assigned by the sectionadviser.

c. Promotes participation in section,region, and national events.

d. Interprets OA policy in consultationwith the section adviser.

e. Serves as an example of the ideals ofthe BSA and the Order of the Arrow.

f. Wears the Scout uniform correctly.

g. Attends meetings, as directed by thesection adviser.

h. Functions as an adviser to the youthmembers, as assigned, in consulta-tion with the section adviser.

D. The council of chiefs will consist of thesection chief, the section vice chief andsection secretary; the immediate past sec-tion chief; one designated youth repre-sentative of each council in the section;other Arrowmen as duly appointed, butwithout a vote; and the section advisers.The lodge adviser and council Scout exec-utive, or their designee, of each council inthe section shall serve as ex officio mem-bers of the council of chiefs.

1. The council of chiefs shall plan, hostand execute the section conclave.

2. The council of chiefs shall meet nomore than four times prior to theannual conclave to plan the programand divide responsibilities for its execu-tion among member councils. The sec-tion chief, after consulting with thesection advisers, shall designate thetime and place of each meeting and thesection secretary shall provide writtenor email notice to all council of chiefsmembers at least 15 days prior to themeeting.

a. The first such meeting should beheld about nine months prior to theconclave. At this meeting, the pro-gram shall be planned and responsi-bilities assigned. Any limitations inthe number of delegates attendingthe next conclave shall be deter-mined and the conclave budget andfee shall be established and


approved, along with registrationdeadlines.

b. A subsequent meeting shall be heldone to two months prior to the con-clave. At this meeting, each councilshall report on its progress in meet-ing assigned responsibilities. Anynecessary changes in the conclaveprogram or budget shall be made atthis time.

3. The voting members of the council ofchiefs shall be the three section offi-

cers; the immediate past section chief(if younger than 21); and one desig-nated youth representative of eachcouncil in the section. A vote shall notbe extended to anyone 21 years of ageor older. Each member may cast onlyone vote on any question.

4. The non-voting members of the coun-cil of chiefs shall include the sectionadvisers, ex officio members, and allother Arrowmen duly appointed.

Rule IV. Eligibility, Nomination, Selection of Officers and Appointees

A. All section officers must meet the follow-ing eligibility requirements:

1. Be a registered member, in good stand-ing, of the Order of the Arrow and theBoy Scouts of America in a councilwithin the section who has theapproval, in writing and in advance ofbeing nominated, of their councilScout executive or council Scout exec-utive’s designee. The member’s councilmust be in good standing with a cur-rent charter for its Order of the Arrowlodge on file with the national servicecenter.

2. Be younger than 21 during their entireterm of office.

3. Should a candidate hold another area,region or national position withinscouting and be elected section chiefthey will need to resign from the otherposition.

B. Nominations for section officers may bemade by one of the designated councilyouth representatives when nominationsare declared open at any meeting of thecouncil of chiefs or at the conclave busi-ness meeting. Nominations shall requireno second, but the nominee must acceptthe nomination. Nominations for eachoffice shall be closed only once – justbefore balloting for that office.

C. A business meeting shall be held at theconclave to elect section officers. The

newly elected officers shall take office atthe end of the conclave; and their termsshall expire at the end of the next annualconclave. The following election proce-dures shall be used:

1. After the nominations for a given officeare declared closed, the designatedcouncil youth representative, shall polltheir delegates who are younger than21 to determine how they will cast theirvotes. Such a poll shall be taken beforeeach ballot.

2. Each council in the section, in goodstanding (renewed its OA charter) withthe national service center, may castone vote per youth member present atthe time of the election, up to a maxi-mum of 10 votes, for each office on allballots. The designated council youthrepresentative must cast their votes inproportion to the poll of the delegates(in whole votes, not fractions). The sec-tion chief, in consultation with the sec-tion adviser and section staff adviser,has final authority to determine anyquestions about whether a delegationis officially representing a council at theconclave. Such judgments shall bebased on written or verbal certificationby the lodge adviser, lodge staff adviser,or council Scout executive of thecouncil in question. In no case shalladults vote. Telephone, email, or otherelectronic votes are not permitted.


3. A nominee must receive a majority (onevote more than fifty percent) of thevotes cast on a given ballot to beelected (abstentions do not count asvotes cast). Where a majority is notachieved, the nominee(s) receiving theleast number of votes is (are) droppedand another ballot is taken. This proce-dure continues until one nomineeachieves a majority and is declaredelected, or until two ballots in succes-sion result in tie votes and the ballotingis declared deadlocked.

4. When balloting is declared dead-locked, the youth conducting the elec-tion (Note: This is the section chief or ayouth appointed by the section chiefand approved by the section adviser)will announce to the voting delegatesthat one more ballot will be taken tobreak the tie and, if another tie results,they shall cast sufficient votes for thenominee of their choice to achieve amajority and declare them elected.

D. The section chief may make appointmentsto special positions with the approval ofthe council of chiefs. Such appointmentsshall have no vote in the council of chiefs.An appointee must be a registered mem-ber in good standing of the Order of theArrow and the Boy Scouts of America in acouncil within the section and youngerthan 21 during the entire term of theirappointment.

E. Vacancies in unexpired terms of sectionofficers shall be filled by majority vote (asdefined above) of the council of chiefs(one vote per council’s lodge in goodstanding, voting). Elected officers and theimmediate past section chief shall notvote. Deadlocks, as defined above, will bedecided by the youth conducting theelection, after one additional tie. Replace-ment section officers must meet the sameeligibility and approval requirementsdefined in paragraph A, above.

Rule V. Responsibilities for Conclave Program and Administration

A. All councils shall share the responsibilitiesof all phases of the section program andadministration. The council of chiefs shallhost the conclave.

B. One council will be designated the servicecouncil each year. This responsibilityshould be on a rotation schedule includingall councils in the section wherein eachcouncil shall have the opportunity to serveas service council once before includingany council a second time. A publishedschedule defining one complete rotationshould be distributed to delegates at eachconclave.

1. Councils should prepare to accept theirservice responsibility according to therotation schedule. However, consent-ing council Scout executives mayexchange positions in the rotationschedule if they feel it would be in thebest interest of the section or councils.The section staff adviser shall partici-pate in all such discussions.

2. The service council shall be responsiblefor all physical, administrative, andappropriate assigned financial arrange-ments for the section conclave. Thisshall include the provision of meals,adequate sleeping and meeting facili-ties, trading post, pre-conclave printingservices, first aid and medical arrange-ments, religious services, and so forth.

3. Any necessary contractual agreementsshall be made by the service counciland signed by the council Scout execu-tive or their designee.

C. The responsibilities for program develop-ment for the conclave shall be dividedamong councils as determined by thecouncil of chiefs.


Rule VI. Section Finances

A. The section is authorized to establish asection operating account that is main-tained as a custodial account by a councilwithin the section. The custodial council isdesignated by the section adviser and sec-tion staff adviser, with the approval of thecustodial council Scout executive. Thecustodial council may be the servicecouncil of the next conclave, or preferably,the council of the section staff adviser.Regardless of the custodial optionselected, the section funds must be clearlyidentified, reserved for the purposeintended, accounted for, and reported onat every council of chiefs meeting.

B. All section revenues and expenses shall beprocessed through the established finan-cial accounting system of the custodialcouncil, according to national policy.

C. The section staff adviser shall be responsi-ble for authorizing all disbursements fromthe section operating account.

D. At the start of a new section year, the sec-tion key 3 should review the section oper-ating budget funded by the immediatepast conclave. This is the basis for the sec-tion operating expenses for the year. Inorder to address changing needs, thecouncil of chiefs may amend the sectionoperating budget at any scheduled meet-ing. Any amended budget must take intoconsideration the availability of funds and/or funding resources.

E. The section key 3 should then prepare aproposed section operating budget tocover the section operating expenses fol-lowing the next conclave. This budgetshould be prepared and submitted withrationale at least 15 days in advance of thecouncil of chiefs meeting where it will beconsidered for approval as the upcomingconclave budget is drafted and approved.These expenses may include, but are notlimited to: officer printing, postage, tele-phone, and transportation expenses;chief’s national planning/key leader sum-mit transportation and registration fees;

region training event fees; and year-endrecognitions not included in the overallconclave budget. Since section advisersare expected to support their own servicefinancially and pay their own expenses fortravel and participation in events, none ofthese funds may be used for this purpose.The proposed budget shall be presentedfor approval at the first council of chiefsmeeting following the conclave.

F. The primary source of section income willbe the conclave budget item titled “NextYear’s Section Budget”. These funds shallbe remitted to the custodial council by theservice council within 45 days followingthe conclave.

G. The council of chiefs may elect to pursuea secondary source of income (e.g., sale ofsection memorabilia), subject to theapproval of the section adviser and sectionstaff adviser, provided that such activitydoes not infringe upon the fundraisingefforts of local councils.

H. The section may accumulate and maintaina monetary reserve in an amount not toexceed 1.5 times the average of the lastthree years’ section operating budgets.The purpose of this reserve shall be tocover unusual, but necessary expensessuch as those incurred by the section chiefattending an unexpected key leadershipsummit.

I. Should the council of chiefs fail to ade-quately control the section operating bud-get or for any other reason expendituresexceed revenue and there are insufficientfunds in the monetary reserve, the councilof chiefs, with the approval of the sectionadviser and section staff adviser, mayassess and bill councils in the section fortheir share of the shortfall in proportion totheir most recent lodge charter renewalmembership.


Rule VII. Conclave Finances

A. The service council shall be responsiblefor handling all financial matters of theconclave. All conclave revenues andexpenses shall be processed through theestablished financial accounting system ofthe service council, according to nationalpolicy. At the option of the council ofchiefs, with the concurrence of the servicecouncil, section adviser, section staffadviser, and area director, the financialmatters of the conclave may be processedthrough the council responsible for thesection operating account. If this option isused, the conclave funds will beaccounted for in a separate custodialaccount from the section operatingaccount.

B. The service council shall present a written,preliminary conclave budget for all con-clave administrative expenses (food, hous-ing fee, patch, etc.) at the first council ofchiefs meeting. The council of chiefs shalladd into the budget all necessary and rea-sonable program costs including sectionoperating expenses. Agreements shall bereached on all adjustments, and the con-clave budget shall be established andapproved along with the resulting cost perdelegate, or conclave fee.

C. Accident and sickness insurance is to beobtained for all Order of the Arrow eventsand included as part of the conclave bud-get and fee. The national director can giveguidance on the procedure to obtain limitsand coverage. Insurance is availablethrough the Risk Management Service ofthe BSA. In order to obtain national premi-ums, all communication and funds foraccident and sickness insurance must passthrough the region staff adviser.

D. Sections are required to collect a nationalactivity surcharge of $3.00 per person percalendar day for any event where a fee ischarged to participate. For example, anevent that starts on Friday and ends onSunday will necessitate the collection of$9.00 per person as this schedule coversthree calendar days. This surcharge must

be budgeted, collected, and paid. Oncethe completed conclave insurance trans-mittal form is submitted to the nationaloffice, the council handling the custodialaccount is billed for payment and thefunds are transferred.

E. Once the conclave budget is approved bythe council of chiefs, the service councilshall be fully responsible for the financialwell-being of the conclave and shall exer-cise all prudent controls to assure that allbudgeted revenues are collected and thatall expenses are proper, are accounted for,and do not exceed revenues.

F. The council of chiefs shall decide whatitems may be sold during the conclave,who may sell them, and to whom anyresulting revenue accrues.

G. All claims against conclave finances shallbe made to the service council by the endof the conclave.

H. All surplus revenues (available revenuesafter all authorized conclave expendituresand those budgeted as section operatingexpenses until the next conclave) shall berefunded within 45 days following theconclave to councils in proportion to theirconclave fees paid.

However, prior to any refunds being made,the council of chiefs may direct that up to$300 per council or $2,000 in total,whichever is greater, be set aside from theavailable surplus (as defined above). Thesemonies will be forwarded to the servicecouncil of the next conclave once theirconclave account has been established attheir council headquarters. Said monieswill be treated as income to the next con-clave. This advance funding for next year’sconclave is in addition to any moniesrequired to fund the section operatingbudget until the next conclave.

I. Should the service council fail to ade-quately control the conclave budget or iffor any other reason expenditures exceedrevenues, the service council, with the


approval of the section advisers, mayassess and bill the councils in the section,within 45 days following the conclave, forthe excess costs in proportion to the totalof the conclave fees paid and owed.

J. Within 60 days following the conclave, theservice council shall prepare and send tothe section key 3 and the outgoing sectionchief the final financial statement detailingall revenues and expenses for the con-clave.

Rule VIII. Conclave Participation and Registration

A. All who attend the conclave must registerin one of the following categories:

1. Conclave Delegates. Currently regis-tered members representing councils,including section officers and advisers,who pay the conclave fee and whoseparticipation is approved in advance bytheir respective council Scout execu-tive or their designated representative.

2. Conclave Staff. Non-delegate mem-bers of the service council whoseattendance is necessary to staff theconclave and whose participation isapproved in advance by the servicecouncil Scout executive or their desig-nated representative. These individuals’conclave fees are determined by thebudget.

3. Guests. Guests of the conclave whoseattendance is desirable for the imple-mentation of the program, whose con-clave fee and expenses may be fundedor subsidized by the conclave budget,and whose participation is approved in

advance by the council of chiefs. Simi-lar to a conclave delegate, an individualregistered within one of the councils ofthe section requires approval inadvance by their respective councilScout executive if they are attending asa guest.

B. The service council shall provide eachcouncil with appropriate registrationmaterials at least two months prior to theconclave.

C. For distributed registration by councils,adhering to the deadlines established bythe council of chiefs, conclave fees shallbe collected by each council and trans-mitted to the service council or othercouncil designated by the council ofchiefs. For on-line unified registrationapproved by the section staff adviser andsection adviser, adhering to the samedeadlines, fees will be transmitted by thehosting organization to the service coun-cil.

Rule IX. Amendments to Section Rules

A. Only the national Order of the Arrowcommittee shall amend the Section Rules.

B. The council of chiefs, the section, or theconclave may adopt temporary proce-dures, guidelines, deadlines, and so forth,to assist in the execution of the conclave.However, such temporary proceduresshall not in any way conflict with or be inviolation of the Section Rules and shall ter-minate upon completion of the conclave.The council of chiefs, the section, or theconclave shall take no action that in anyway violates the letter or the spirit of theSection Rules or the policies of the repre-

sented councils, the Order of the Arrow, orthe Boy Scouts of America.



Chapter 3: Section Conclave

Introduction

Next to a national jamboree and a nationalOrder of the Arrow conference a section con-clave is probably the largest inter-councilevent in the Boy Scouts of America. What hap-pens at a national Order of the Arrow confer-ence and a section conclave can make a bigdifference in the effectiveness of lodge andchapter programs of the Order of the Arrowand in the dedication of an individual Arrow-man’s first responsibility — their unit.

Conclave Planning

The potential program elements of a conclaveare provided in this chapter. Other items suchas the date and location of the next conclave,service council rotation schedule, financing,and lodge responsibilities are set forth in Chap-ter 2, Section Rules. By following the sectionrules, the council of chiefs will have completedsome of its necessary planning.

Soon after the section chief is elected, theyshould start preparing for the initial council ofchiefs meeting. In consultation with the sec-tion adviser and section staff adviser, theyshould select a meeting date, time, and loca-tion, and prepare a detailed agenda. A samplecouncil of chiefs meeting agenda is providedlater in this chapter. This information should begiven to the section secretary for distributionto the members at least 15 days prior to themeeting date in accordance with the SectionRules.

The initial meeting should last no more thanone day with the goal of accomplishing asmuch as possible so that no more than one or

two additional pre-conclave meetings will benecessary. This is important because of thetravel time that the council of chiefs mustinvest to attend the meetings. If the initialmeeting is planned and run well, it will be easyto keep detailed planning on schedule throughtelephone, or email reports.

All persons attending the council of chiefsmeeting should understand that its purpose isto:

• Plan the conclave to include activities,training and events that will be of maxi-mum benefit to the member lodges.

• Give each lodge responsibility for carryingout its fair share of the plan, assign definiteresponsibilities to named individuals, andcommit them to specific completion dates.

• Approve specific local arrangements andfinancial requirements as proposed by theservice council.

At the initial council of chiefs meeting a specialeffort should be made to get down in writingthe main ideas, schedules, outlines, and aboveall, the responsible individuals, along with theirdeadline dates. This should be part of the sec-tion secretary’s minutes that should be distrib-uted to all councils of chiefs members within15 days following the planning meeting.

A very wise Frenchman (Henri Fayol) once said:“Plan your work, then work your plan.” After theinitial council of chiefs meeting, all basic plan-ning for the conclave should be complete. Thenext step is to make the plan work. Somemembers of the council of chiefs will wrap uptheir assigned responsibilities right away andsend the section chief a note to let them know


what they have done, but others will put thingsoff.

The section chief’s biggest job after a councilof chiefs meeting is to follow up. They mustmake sure the people who are committed todoing each job are doing it in the time allotted.The section chief may establish a regularreporting routine or may do things less for-mally through an occasional letter, email, orphone call asking for a status report. If thingsstart falling behind, the immediate priority is tofigure out how things are going to get back ontrack and who is going to do the “back-on-tracking”.

Conclave Program

The conclave program should increase theknowledge and understanding of the delegatesin all aspects of Order of the Arrow program.Arrowmen should be inspired to set and com-mit themselves to higher goals of performancefor themselves and their lodges, and shouldprovide the training necessary to achieve thesegoals.

It is important that all aspects of the programbe directed by leaders younger than 21. Adultsshould stay in the background, serving in advi-sory capacities only. Some sections haveestablished separate adult activities and leavethe youth free to participate. Such adult pro-gram should never become a focus or detractfrom the youth program.

Inspiration is the key ingredient of the con-clave. The conclave should kick off with a wel-come from the service council and a shortopening ceremony. It is equally important thatthe conclave close with an inspirational chal-lenge that will create a lasting impression onevery Arrowman who attends. Youth leaders,such as the national chief, national vice chief,or region chief, might be invited to give aninspirational message during the conclave.

Opening and closing ceremonies always haveplayed a vital role in Order of the Arrow tradi-tions, and experience teaches that good ones:

• Are well-planned, adequately rehearsed,and properly presented;

• Focus on rededication to the Scouting ide-als;

• Focus on rededication to the principles ofthe Order of the Arrow;

• Are impressive, dignified, simple, and brief;

• Are dramatic, inspiring, colorful, and sin-cere;

• Exclude horseplay and initiation-type activ-ities;

• Avoid fraternal, religious, and military ritu-als; and

• Show proper respect for American Indiantraditions.

Training

Training is the most beneficial aspect of theconclave. It is one of the main reasons lodgescome together as a section. Conclave trainersmust be top-notch; guest trainers from otherareas can help bring new ideas. Displays fromvarious state and federal agencies, local col-leges, wildlife experts, and camping merchan-disers always draw a crowd. Training should bekept to a reasonable length per session, andthere should be new topics every year, with a“slate” of standard topics for new participants.

Information necessary to organize and provideoutstanding conclave training has been con-centrated in Chapter 4, Section Training. Thephilosophy of training, preparation, and a hostof topics, ideas, and outlines are presented.The Conclave Training Initiative (CTI) should beincluded annually as part of conclave training.

Workshops

A special period is often set aside at the sectionconclave for workshops or skill sessions. Usu-ally these sessions are most successful if theyare aimed at providing basic information ratherthan highly technical knowledge. Workshopscould include some of the following:

• Campfire planning

• Camping promotion


• Lodge newsletters and/or web pages

• American Indian dancing

• Making American Indian attire

• American Indian drumming and singing

• Headdress construction

• Beadwork

• American Indian games

• Ceremony team preparation

• Inductions

• Lodge record keeping

• Video production

Demonstrations

Several lodges may participate in variousdemonstrations that will be of value or interestto those attending the conclave. These mightinclude:

• Unit election team in action

• Camping promotions

• A well-planned campfire

• Scouting or American Indian pageants

• American Indian dancing

• Ordeal, Brotherhood, and Vigil Honor cere-monies demonstrated by well prepared andrehearsed teams showing proper ceremo-nial attire, movements, and speech inflec-tion of memorized parts

• Call-out ceremonies featuring local camptraditions

• Meeting management

Displays

Lodges should be encouraged to plan andexhibit attractive displays. Some possibilitiesinclude:

• Conclave theme

• Lodge publications

• Order of the Arrow supplies and literature

• Ceremonial attire

• American Indian attire and headdress kits

• Pictures, slides or videos of lodge eventsand service projects

• Ecology

• Local insignia

• Pictures, slides or videos of past conclavesand national jamborees or national Orderof the Arrow conferences

Open Forums – “Meet the Leader”

This type of activity provides the delegates withthe opportunity to direct specific questions tothe section officers and advisers, and visitingregional or national Arrowmen. It is also a timewhen delegates may wish to recommend con-sideration of new or changed policy or pro-grams.

Special Features

Presentations from persons with specializedbackgrounds, skills or unusual experiencesmay add variety to the program. A professionalScouter could give a brief talk on the opportu-nities available in professional Scouting. AlphaPhi Omega and the National Eagle Scout Asso-ciation could also be featured. Reports of priorworld or national jamborees and nationalOrder of the Arrow conferences, given byyouth and illustrated with slides or film, arealways well received.

Recreation

Time should be provided in the program forrecreational activities. Activities must meet thestandards outlined in the Guide to Safe Scout-ing or other camp standards. Each lodge mightbe assigned the responsibility for a particular




recreational event. Some suggested activitiesare:

• Sports events with inter-council competi-tion (e.g., volleyball, Frisbee football, etc.)

• Games that test camping skills

• Aquatic events (e.g., swimming, boating,canoeing, etc.)

• Movies

• Archery and rifle contests

Fellowship

Good fellowship is an important element ofany conclave. A special committee could beappointed to plan events that will encouragegood fellowship and high morale:

• Select capable young song leaders todirect songfests after meals or at otherappropriate times.

• Have a fellowship campfire.

• Designate a different youth to preside ateach meal, arrange for grace, makeannouncements, etc.

• Conduct a get-acquainted game beforethe cracker barrel on the opening night ofthe conclave.

• Consider an outdoor barbecue, perhapswith a theme, including music.

• Schedule free time for rap sessions andtrading of memorabilia. (This period shouldnot encroach upon scheduled activities.)

• Encourage conclave participation throughan award (e.g., pin, patch, etc.), similar to anational Order of the Arrow conferenceparticipation award

Keynote Speaker

If the council of chiefs determines that a key-note speaker will be featured during the con-clave, it will be wise to follow these steps:

• Make sure the speaker is cleared for scout-ing appropriateness by the section adviserand section staff adviser for their appear-ance. Have arrangements been madebetween all parties?

• Advise the speaker of the conclave themeand any emphasis that you would like pre-sented.

• Tell the speaker the time and how longthey should speak.

• Make sure the speaker is the focal pointduring their presentation:

• In sight of all the audience,

• Public address system is set up andfunctioning so all can hear, and

• No distractions such as dishes rattlingin kitchen, ceremonial or dance teamspreparing to “go on,” etc.

Plan to use the keynote speaker at additionaltimes during the conclave such as serving as amember of a panel discussion or in a meetingwith lodge chiefs and/or advisers.

Make sure travel arrangements are understoodin advance and that local transportation andlodging arrangements are made and satisfac-tory. Are you furnishing bedding, towels, andwashcloths? It is standard to provide theseitems for any guest attending from out oftown. Discuss these issues openly with thespeaker to ensure both parties understand whowill cover each item.

Introduce the speaker properly, using Scoutingbackground and Order of the Arrow responsi-bilities held where applicable. If the informa-tion covers more than one side of an indexcard, the introduction is probably too long.

Some available keynote speakers are thenational chief, national vice chief, region chief,national Order of the Arrow committee mem-bers, the director of the Order of the Arrow, orpublic figures such as an astronaut, business orcivic leader, entertainment personality, etc. Thefollowing details how to request their services:


• National Chief, Vice Chief, or Region Chief

Attendance by the national chief, nationalvice chief, and region chiefs must all becleared using the on-line request systemfound on the forms page of the nationalweb site at oa-bsa.org/resources/forms.The event budget must cover all travelcosts involved, including transportation,meals, airport parking, and lodging.National guests can not be required todrive longer than a preset number of hoursdetermined by the national director (gener-ally four hours).

• National Committee members

Work directly with individual national com-mittee members. The committee membermight be able to cover their transportationexpenses. Be sure to verify this, however.Offer to provide conclave registration andon-site food and lodging.

• National Staff Professionals

The service council Scout executiverequests the attendance of the director ofthe Order of the Arrow and other nationalstaff professionals through the region staffadviser. The director and other nationalstaff professionals participate at noexpense to the conclave.

Conclave Agenda

Each conclave should be conducted from anagenda, prepared by the council of chiefs,which incorporates in an orderly schedule, theevents of current interest to the lodges in thesection. A conclave agenda worksheet isincluded later in this chapter.

Conclave Business Meeting

A business meeting must be held during theconclave. The section chief presides at thismeeting. The agenda should be planned inadvance in consultation with the sectionadviser. The business meeting agenda shouldinclude:

• Election of section officers for the comingyear.

• Location and date of the next conclave.

• Special recognition: Lodge PerformanceMeasurement Program performance rec-ognition; lodge with the greatest atten-dance at the conclave; best display,demonstration, American Indian dancing,camping promotion exhibit or trainingleadership; ceremony team evaluation, etc.

• Promotion of national programs (e.g.,Philmont Order of the Arrow Trail Crew,Northern Tier Wilderness Voyage, OAOcean Adventure, OA Summit Experience,National Leadership Seminars, DevelopingYouth Leadership Conferences, nationaljamboree, national Order of the Arrowconference, etc.)

American Indian Events

If the conclave program includes AmericanIndian dancing, the criteria used at the nationalOrder of the Arrow conference might be help-ful. See Appendix 1 for rules and details. Adrum, singers, and judges will be needed.American Indian events require a large space.Be sure to have adequate room for dancing,drum, singers, ready area, and spectators.

Fire Dancing Policy

Fire dancing of any type is not condoned bythe Order of the Arrow as part of its shows, dis-plays or ceremonies. In some cases, fire danc-ing is ceremonial to American Indian people.Respect for American Indian culture, tradition,and heritage is a key component of Order ofthe Arrow programs.

Protected Species Policy

Feathers, talons, or other parts from protectedspecies of birds cannot be worn in Order of theArrow dance competition, or utilized indemonstrations, displays, workshops, or cere-monies. Just about every species of bird is pro-tected except resident state game birds and


https://oa-bsa.org/resources/forms#sectionlodge

domestic fowl such as turkey and chicken. Thesame may be true regarding animal or reptileparts; if so they are equally forbidden. Checkwith the U.S. Department of Interior, Fish andWildlife Service, and state conservation author-ities for details.

Flag Policy

Within the guidelines found in the U. S. Codepertaining to the American Flag, flags are notto be used as wearing apparel. With this inmind, no type of U. S. flag can be worn as apart of ceremony or dance attire. Flag motifs inquillwork and beadwork are acceptable.

Face Paint Policy

The use of face paint, body paint and wigs bynon-American Indians may be offensive tosome groups of American Indian people.Therefore, Order of the Arrow conclaves andother events conducted beyond the individuallodge will not permit face paint, body paint, orwigs to be used in social or competition danc-ing or in ceremonies or ceremony team evalu-ation.

Ceremony Team Evaluation

If the council of chiefs believes that improvedceremonies will strengthen the lodges in thesection, ceremony team evaluation should beincluded in the conclave program. Guidelinesfor ceremony team evaluation can be found inthe Guide to Inductions.

Maury Clancy American Indian Campership Fund

The national Order of the Arrow committeeencourages sections to collect funds during aconclave for use in providing American Indiancamperships. The funds may be collectedduring American Indian events or at religiousservices during the conclave. The MauryClancy American Indian Campership Fund ismaintained by the director of the Order of theArrow to assist in sending American Indian

members of the Boy Scout movement to theircouncil summer camps. All collections shouldbe forwarded to the director of the Order ofthe Arrow. Council inquiries about award of thefunds should be made to the director.

Accident and Sickness Insurance

Sections are required to collect appropriatefees for accident and sickness insurance for allconclave participants not covered by councilyear-round accident and sickness policies. Thenational premium is based on a per-calendar-day rate; therefore, most conclaves will costthree times the daily rate per participant. Thismust be included in the budget and be part ofthe conclave fee. Region staff advisers canprovide guidance for the amount and thetransmittal of these fees to the national councilof the Boy Scouts of America. These chargesmust be handled in a timely manner (estimatesare due one month prior to the conclave andthe final report is due with the conclavereport). This is a responsibility of the servicecouncil and section staff adviser.

National Activity Surcharge

Sections are required to collect a nationalactivity surcharge of $3.00 per person per cal-endar day for any event where a fee is chargedto participate. For example: for an event thatstarts on Friday and ends on Sunday, every par-ticipant would be assessed $9.00 to cover thethree calendar days of the event. The sur-charge must be budgeted and included in theevent fee. Region staff advisers can give guid-ance for collection and transmission of sur-charges to the comptroller of the BSA. This isthe responsibility of the service council and thesection staff adviser.

Leadership Policy for all Order of the Arrow Trips and Outings

In accordance with the Guide to Safe Scouting,it is the policy of the Boy Scouts of Americathat trips and outings may never be led by only


https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/toc

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/4/8




one adult. Two registered adult leaders 21years of age or older must be present for allOrder of the Arrow trips and outings. In caseswhere female youth are participating, at leastone of the over 21 adults must be female.

It is the responsibility of every council to assurethat sufficient qualified adult leadership is pro-vided for all chapter, lodge, section, region andnational Order of the Arrow outings, conclaves,training events and conferences. The interpre-tation of “adult” leadership and “adult” mem-bership, as opposed to youth membership, inthe Order of the Arrow continues to be onedetermined by age, not BSA registration. Anindividual who is at least 21 years old holdsadult membership in the Order of the Arrow,while an individual younger than 21 holdsyouth membership, regardless of what type ofBSA registration is held.

A member of the Order, between the ages of18 and 21, who is registered as an assistantScoutmaster may fulfill the leadership require-ment as one of the adult leaders for an Orderof the Arrow trip or outing even though theyhold youth membership in the Order of theArrow.


Sample Council of Chiefs Meeting Agenda

10:00 a.m. Call to Order – Section ChiefObligationIntroductionsPreview today’s meeting

10:10 Secretary’s ReportMinutes of the conclave business meetingVerification of mail/email addresses for all council of chiefs members

10:20 Service Council ReportPreview of facilities, special program potential, and discussion of any limitations on

attendance or facility usagePresentation of initial budget

10:40 Conclave Goals and ObjectivesWhat each lodge wants to doSuggested major program features and desired time blocks

11:15 Conclave Theme – Section Vice ChiefSubmit ideas for theme

11:25 Finalize Program Features and Schedule

12:15 LunchMealSongsBrief remarks from section adviser or VIP

1:00 p.m. Select Conclave Theme – Section Vice Chief

1:15 Lodges Assigned Program Responsibilities

1:45 Prepare Outline of Specific ResponsibilitiesLodges prepare their specific responsibilities, including reporting and completion

deadlines, all required financing. Service council and section officers and advis-ers review preliminary budget, menus, and recommendations for souvenirs,and establish registration and other deadlines.

2:45 Lodges Report on PlansEach lodge gives its report to the group.Section vice chief reports on promotion plans.

3:15 Finalize Deadlines and Approve Budget

3:30 Establish Next Meeting Date and Location

3:40 Council of Chiefs Training or Roundtable Discussion

4:25 Sing Order of the Arrow Song

4:30 Adjourn


Conclave Agenda Worksheet

Time Event Who is Responsible?

Friday

Service council and council of chiefs arrive

Registration, assignment to quarters

Colors

Opening meeting – fellowship campfire

Ceremony team evaluators’ meeting

Trainers’ meeting

Snack and songfest

Council of chiefs meeting

Taps and lights out

Saturday

Reveille

Rededication ceremony

Assembly

Breakfast

Training/discussion groups

Lunch

Open forum/”meet the man”

Lodge competitions/evaluations

Recreation (swimming, sports, etc.)

Appropriate religious services

Colors

Dinner

Section officer candidates’ forum

Advisers’ forum

American Indian dance competition

Theme show or pageant

Snack and lodge fellowship/feast/carnival

Taps and lights out

Sunday

Reveille

Assembly

Breakfast

Conclave business meeting

Recognition

Final challenge

Closing ceremony



Chapter 4: Section Training

Introduction

Nowhere else in the Order does the leadershipof so many lodges congregate more often thanat the section conclave or at council of chiefsmeetings leading up to the conclave. Anytimean opportunity arises for lodges to share ideasand discover new resources, it should be taken.The gathering of experienced lodge leadersholds just such an opportunity and training isthe best way to share knowledge.

Training should be challenging and fun. Train-ing at a council of chiefs meeting or at theconclave will achieve a high level of usefulnessif the section officers give it emphasis. Qualitytraining occurs as a result of timely, adequateplanning, supervision, and preparation.

Decide what training the Arrowmen in the sec-tion need and the ways to effectively commu-nicate that information to them. Assessing theresults of the Performance Measurement Pro-gram petitions from each of the lodges in thesection can provide valuable input to planningsection training.

No matter what topics are presented or whichway they are presented, all training will be suc-cessful if it:

• Explores each topic by comprehensive,challenging presentations, discussions,questions, demonstrations, etc.;

• Delivers new and/or helpful information,methods, or procedures;

• Discusses ideas in new and exciting ways;

• Draws conclusions and arrives at practicalways of applying them;

• Maintains an atmosphere of total audienceparticipation and involvement;

• Assists the section or lodge accomplish itsmission;

• Prepares Arrowmen to better fulfill theirroles and responsibilities in their lodge,chapter, or unit;

• Supports the vision, mission, and values ofthe Boy Scouts of America and the Order ofthe Arrow; and

• Incorporates and exemplifies the spirit ofthe Order of the Arrow.

Council of Chiefs Roundtable Discussions

An open forum should be held at each councilof chiefs meeting to address important issuesfacing the lodges. The section chief, or theirappointed training coordinator, should facili-tate regular discussions of these issues. Thefacilitator should choose discussion topics thatare most useful, and must be able to adapt theschedule of topics as the year progresses.

The following are some suggested discussiontopics for council of chiefs meetings:

• Lodge and council relationships

• Brotherhood conversion

• Effective lodge executive committees

• Inductions

• Lodge Leadership Development Confer-ence


• Lodge program

• Lodge Performance Measurement Pro-gram

Council of Chiefs Training

Council of chiefs meetings can often include amini-presentation of a subject to providelodges additional program resources to takeback for their use. The section should insurethat all lodges are provided the best resources,trainers and information available. Initially, sec-tions will want to see that national and regionprograms are promoted. Then, the sectionshould provide lodge assistance through train-ing sessions and programs to address anyweaknesses in lodge programs. It is in this partof the meeting where a section can really sup-port its lodges with the extensive resourcesavailable.

The following are topics the section may wishto cover to aid lodges in providing the mosteffective programs to their councils:

1. Promotions

The section promotes national and regionprograms such as the national Order of theArrow conferences, Philmont OA TrailCrew, Northern Tier OA Wilderness Voyageand OA Canadian Odyssey, OA OceanAdventure, OA Summit Experience and theNational Leadership Seminars. To best pro-mote these programs, a presenter who hasparticipated in these events should berecruited to give an inspirational and formalpresentation to the council of chiefs. Thesepresentations work best when the pre-senter shares personal stories and anec-dotes with stunning pictures.

2. Lodge Focused Training

The section leadership may discover thatfurther development in one particular pro-gram area may be of benefit to some,many, or all of its member lodges. As aremedy, the section might provide trainingto all lodge leaders. For example, if manylodges do not use the extended elangomatprogram, the section might present a

focused training seminar on this program,pulling in the resources from a lodge whichruns the program well. Waiting for the con-clave would miss an entire Ordeal season.

3. New Programs

New programs are of interest to all Arrow-men, especially those lodge leaders whoattend council of chiefs meetings. Theseinclude new high-adventure opportunities,community service ideas, council assis-tance programs and new lodge programadventure opportunities. New programsbeing initiated by the Order of the Arrowrequire the assistance of sections forimplementation.

4. Orientations

Often lodges have very young leadership.The section may find it best to run a “lodgechief training conference”, or equivalent.This will acquaint lodge chiefs with theirrole in the Order of the Arrow.

Conclave Training

The section conclave is a time for unique andexceptional inspiration, training, and fellow-ship. Care must be taken to secure the bestresources for each training topic. It is expectedthat each conclave training session will be ofthe highest quality. Timely decisions on topics,lodge assignments, presenter recruitment,communication of topic titles and learningpoints, outlines, arrangements for audio –visual aids and backup help insure the best pre-sentations. The Conclave Training Initiative(CTI) provides nationally developed focustraining that should be included in the annualtraining plan. Details may be found at oa-bsa.org/conclave-training-initiative.

One popular training mode that has provenhighly successful is small discussion groups.Discussion leaders should be younger than 21.Adults should serve as advisers. The discussionleaders should be selected in the early planningstage of the upcoming conclave, so that theyhave ample time to prepare their presentations.


https://www.oa-bsa.org/conclave-training-initiative

https://www.oa-bsa.org/conclave-training-initiative

It has proven successful for the discussionleader to present a brief talk on the topicbefore the actual discussion begins. If you canmake this a “rap session” – you’ve made it! Ayouth attending the session should beappointed recorder to take notes of importantpoints raised during the discussion.

Here are several topics that have proven suc-cessful for discussion groups:

Lodge/Chapter Administration. Relationship ofadvisers to youth officers; responsibilities ofofficers and advisers; standing committees andtheir functions; operation of the lodge execu-tive committee; general policies; lodge rules;election procedures; chapter organization; andprogram.

Lodge/Chapter Activities. Importance of awell-balanced, well-planned annual program;social activities; annual banquet; specific ideasfor events; distribution of responsibilities inplanning events; scheduling and coordinationwith council/district calendars.

Arrow-Scouting Relationships. Arrowmen andthe unit; the Order and camp; authority androle of the council Scout executive; relation-ship to the council.

Service Projects. Promotion of year-roundcamping; service to local units; council wideservice projects; service to the camp; camp-master corps; inner-city; world brotherhood;council fund raising; coordination of serviceprogram with council plans, etc.

Camping/High Adventure Promotion. Promo-tion of camping in the member’s own unit bythe individual; types and preparation of visualaids: chapter and lodge promotion in coopera-tion with the district and council promotionefforts.

Unit Elections. Election information for unitleaders; scheduling elections; election cere-mony; records and forms used, etc.

Ceremonies. Training of teams; costuming;staging; physical setting; timing; properties;call-out ceremonies.

Conducting the Ordeal. Using Spirit of theArrow pamphlets; the Guide to Inductions;

duties of the Ordealmaster; the ElangomatClan System; relationship of candidates tocampers; discussion period for candidates;health and safety concerns and safeguards;handling flagrant violations of the Ordeal;summer camp Ordeals versus weekendOrdeals.

Orientation of New Members. Developing aneffective orientation program before, duringand after the Ordeal for newly inducted mem-bers; techniques of orientation; Spirit of theArrow pamphlets; Elangomat Clan System;effect on tenure and service of members.

Lodge Publications. Newsletters; yearbooks;costs involved; frequency; distribution; tech-niques of publication; Scouting on the Internet.

“Where-To-Go-Camping” Booklet. What infor-mation to include in the booklet; how to getinformation; organization of information; pub-lication and distribution.

Brotherhood Membership. Purpose; require-ments; procedures; notification of eligiblemembers; techniques to enhance Brotherhoodconversion/retention.

Personal Development. Public speaking; timemanagement; running for office; etc.

Lodge Records. Membership; financial; min-utes; registration procedures; lodge financialrecord book; use of LodgeMaster.

Vigil Honor. Purpose; requirements; proce-dures; relationship of Vigil Honor members tothe lodge.

Advisers’ Session. The section advisers maywish to hold a special session(s) for advisers todiscuss the adult role in the Order; answerquestions; share techniques of advising, etc.

OA Representative. Purpose, requirements,procedures, responsibilities, relationship tochapter and lodge.

Note: Tips for trainers and suggested outlinesfor several of these topics are included at theOrder of the Arrow training portal at oa-bsa.org/training/syllabi. Similar outlines shouldbe prepared for all discussion sessions to bepresented at the conclave.


https://oa-bsa.org/training/syllabi

https://oa-bsa.org/training/syllabi


Training Preparation

Outstanding training will be both inspirationaland uplifting for the delegates. Accurate infor-mation about the Order of the Arrow, lodgeoperations, and Arrowman responsibilitiesmust be provided. Sections willing to put in therequired time and effort will achieve trainingthat will be highly successful and support themission, vision, and values of the Boy Scouts ofAmerica and the Order of the Arrow. Toaccomplish this:

• Plan well in advance,

• Plan in detail,

• Put one person in charge as training coor-dinator, and

• Provide a good adviser to the trainingcoordinator.

If possible, both the training coordinator andtheir adviser should be training-oriented andexperienced. Look for those with youth leader,Wood Badge, or previous Order of the Arrow

training experience – such as a national Orderof the Arrow conference or national leadershipseminar.

The section chief must keep close watch overthe training preparations, work closely with thetraining coordinator, and emphasize training toall lodges. The training opportunities will needto be publicized well in advance of the event.

Detailed training outlines, or lesson/sessionplans must be developed. These should not bejust “outlines”, but should have an almostword-for-word listing of the material to bepresented.

Each discussion leader must be trained prior tothe conclave. The final step in the training pro-cess is to evaluate the discussion sessions andtheir leaders and use this to prepare for thenext conclave.

A sample agenda for a “train-the-trainer”meeting, a calendar for carrying out effectiveconclave training planning, and a training eval-uation form are included on the followingpages.

Train the Trainer Meeting

10:00 a.m. Welcome and introductions

Purpose of meeting

10:10 “How to be a Good Trainer” (See oa-bsa.org/training/syllabi/train-trainer)

11:15 Break

11:30 Continue

12:00 Lunch

1:30 p.m. Brief Presentation of Each Training Topic by Trainers

Allow 15 minutes for each one, plus 5 minutes for evaluation and suggestions

Break for 10 minutes at the end of each hour

4:30 Go Over Conclave Training Evaluation Form

Discuss how and when to use it, who should receive them when completed

4:45 Summary, Questions, Challenge, Closing

5:00 Adjourn


https://oa-bsa.org/training/syllabi/train-trainer

Conclave Training Planning Calendar

Days Prior to Conclave Actual Date

New section chief appoints training coordinator. –300

Section chief announces appointment of training coordinator to council of chiefs, announces their training adviser, and asks lodges for trainers and topics.

–300

New training coordinator writes lodges setting deadline for lodges to submit suggestions for trainers and training topics.

–270

Deadline for all lodges to submit suggested topics and trainers. –240

Training coordinator submits topics for clearance by section chief and section advisers, and submits to them a tentative schedule and listing of number of trainers needed.

–230

After clearance, training coordinator appoints trainers and assigns training topics to them for development with set guidelines on format, length, etc.

–220

Deadline for detailed session plans returned to training coordinator by trainers.

–150

Training coordinator develops agenda for training meeting. –150

Training coordinator returns outlines to trainers with comments for improvement.

–120

Training coordinator develops training evaluation form. –90

Training coordinator holds “train-the-trainer” meeting (could be at a council of chiefs meeting); develops list of equipment, aids, and items for copying and submits to service council.

–90 to 60

Training coordinator checks on all trainers to be sure they will be at the conclave and have registered to attend the conclave as delegates, staff, or guests.

–20 or 30

Training coordinator checks in all trainers at conclave. –1

Training accomplished, evaluations completed at last session. 0

Thank you notes sent to all trainers, others involved. +7

Training coordinator prepares a report, including a summary of the evaluations and recommendations for next year, and sends it to the new section chief.

+30


Training Evaluation

Training Participant: Please give us your thoughts and comments so that we may improve.

1. Which of the training sessions was most useful to you? Why?

2. Which of the training sessions was least useful? Why?

3. What topics should you have been offered that were not offered?

4. What was good or bad about the training facilities and locations?

5. What else could have made the training more helpful to you?

6. What training/discussion techniques were used by the leaders of the sessions you attended?

7. How could the trainers have improved their presentations?

8. Please use this following space (and the reverse side or additional sheets, if necessary) to makeany additional comments or suggestions you have which could help improve training at futureconclaves.


Appendix 1: American Indian Dance and Singing Competitions

The following guidelines and judging criteriaare in use at the national Order of the Arrowconference. Sections are encouraged to adoptthem.

Individual Dance Competition

Any number of contestants from a lodge mayparticipate in the individual dance competition.The top dancers may be asked to demonstratetheir skills at an evening show, where they willbe recognized with their awards. The rules are:

1. Each contestant must confirm their regis-tration and receive their contestant num-ber upon arrival at the competition. If indoubt as to which category to dance, thedancer should bring a photograph of theirdance outfit to registration. The judges willassist in placing the dancer in the propercategory.

2. There are five styles of individual dancecompetition:

• Fancy Feather,

• Grass,

• Straight,

• Old Time Sioux, and

• Contemporary Northern Traditional.

3. Dancers must wear appropriate authenticclothing. The judges are the final authorityon what constitutes appropriate authenticclothing.

4. Dancers must dance in the style of theiroutfit. In preliminary competition, if thedancer is eliminated in one dance style,they may change outfits and dance inanother style, if time permits. The dancermust be registered in both styles. Dancersmay not compete in the finals in more thanone style.

5. Losing a major article from a dancer’s outfitduring the contest means automatic dis-qualification. Having the attire properlymaintained and tightly secured eliminatesthis problem. The judges are the finalauthority on what constitutes a “major arti-cle”.

6. Dancers must be under the age of 21 at thetime of the competition, members of theOrder of the Arrow, and registered partici-pants at the event.

7. Dancers must visibly attach their contes-tant number to the front of their outfit.

8. Dancers must be prepared to dance eitherindoors or outdoors.

9. Dance practice and outfit constructionshould not take place after arriving at thecompetition.

10. Overstepping a song will lower a dancer’splacement.

11. No parts of any protected species are per-mitted on any outfit. Violation of this rulewill result in automatic disqualification.Please be aware of all state and federallaws regarding endangered species parts.(See Chapter 4, Section Training.)

12. Within the guidelines found in the U.S.Code pertaining to the American Flag,flags are not to be used as wearingapparel. Therefore, no type of U.S. flag(s)will be permitted as part of a dancer’s out-fit. Flag motifs in quillwork and beadworkare acceptable.

13. National Order of the Arrow Face PaintPolicy: national Order of the Arrow con-ferences and activities conducted beyondthe individual lodge will not permit facepaint, body paint or wigs to be used insocial or competition dancing or in cere-monies. (See Chapter 4, Section Training.)





14. The Boy Scouts of America policy regard-ing firearms and knives, as stated in theGuide to Safe Scouting will be followed.

15. The judges will determine the judging cri-teria and all decisions are final.

All dancers are required to participate in a cri-tique of their American Indian clothing. Thiswill take place immediately following thedance competition.

Historical Group Dance Competition

Group dance teams shall be made up of four ormore members (at least three of whom mustbe dancers). All members MUST be from thesame lodge. All team members must be underthe age of 21 at the time of the competition,members of the Order of the Arrow, and regis-tered participants at the event.

Acceptable Historical Group Dances

In choosing the dance(s) to perform, considerthe following:

1. Dances must be non-religious and in goodtaste.

2. Society, clan, or family dances are accept-able ONLY if written permission is grantedby the tribal council, society, clan or familyof the specific tribe from which the dancecomes. Such written permission must beincluded in the bound packet required forregistration. Therefore, permission must berequested far enough in advance to meetthe registration packet deadline. Withoutthis permission the dance will not beallowed.

3. The following dances are not acceptablefor competition:

• Masked dances of: Pueblos, Apache,Iroquois, Creek, Cherokee, or North-west Coast tribes. A mask is defined asanything that covers the face of thewearer, hiding their identity.

• Ghost Dance, Pipe Ceremony, PipeDance, Sun Dance, Hopi Snake Dance,and the Peyote Ritual.

4. Dances that are kept so secret that infor-mation on them is incomplete should beavoided. The team must have accurateinformation.

5. Synchronized line dancing, as done atmodern day powwows is NOT appropriatefor historical group dance competition.

6. At the request of several gourd dance soci-eties and their members, Gourd Dancingwill not be allowed in historical groupdance competition.

7. Time limit is fifteen minutes total time onstage. Total time includes: prop/scenery setup (if any), narrative, dance(s), outfit/cloth-ing changes (if any), and removal of anyprops/scenery. Timing begins when the firstparticipant steps onto the competitionfloor. Note: Background scenery is notnecessary or required.

8. Teams are limited to a maximum of twodances. Performance of more than onedance is not required, but teams shouldensure that judges are provided enoughpresentation time to fairly assess the team’sknowledge and abilities.

Rules Concerning Attire

1. No parts of any protected species are per-mitted on any outfit. Please be aware of allstate and federal laws regarding endan-gered species parts. (See Chapter 3, Sec-tion Conclave.)

2. Within the guidelines found in the U.S.Code pertaining to the American Flag,flags are not to be used as wearingapparel. Therefore, no type of U.S. flag(s)will be permitted as part of a dancer’s out-fit. Flag motifs in quillwork and beadworkare acceptable.

3. National Order of the Arrow Face PaintPolicy: national Order of the Arrow con-ferences and activities conducted beyondthe individual lodge will not permit face






paint, body paint or wigs to be used insocial or competition dancing or in cere-monies. (See Chapter 4, Section Training.)

4. The Boy Scouts of America policy regard-ing firearms and knives, as stated in theGuide to Safe Scouting will be followed.

Registration Procedures

1. The team must submit seven copies oftheir required research material (definedbelow in Judging Criteria) by the assigneddue date. Late submissions will result in anautomatic 3-point deduction from eachjudge.

2. The team’s chairman and/or adviser mustcheck in to confirm competition registra-tion, receive a performance time, andreceive up-to-date information on manda-tory meetings, team roster requirements,etc.

Judging Criteria

Competing teams will be judged and awardeda score by each judge on the judging panel ineach of the seven areas discussed below. Eacharea may receive a point score ranging from 0to 10. Some areas have mandatory pointdeductions associated with failure to complywith stated rules. Each judge in the affectedarea will take the mandatory point deductions.Team standing/placement is determined bytotaling all points received from the judges.Actual scores/points given by the judges willnot be provided to the teams; however, cri-tique sheets from all judges will be provided tothe team at the conclusion of its performance.Relative ranking of the teams will be availablethe day after the competition is finished.

1. Authenticity Maximum 10 Points

• The dance(s) must be historical groupdance(s) of specific tribes; therefore,Northern Plains or Pueblo are not appro-priate because they are culture areas, nottribes. Inter-tribal is even less specific. Thedance(s) and outfit/attire should representone particular tribe during a particular timein their history. The current and/or historic

use of the dance(s) and the proper inter-pretation by the team will be considered.

• Group dancing is a coordinated effort. It isnot a series of solo performances groupedunder one title.

• Size of team: No preference is given tolarge or small teams; therefore, all teamswill compete in one category. The judgesare looking for quality of presentation andthe selection of dance(s) suitable to a lodgedance team and the resources available tothem.

2. Research Maximum 10 Points

In addition to the seven copies submittedbefore the event, two complete copies of theteam’s research material should be brought tothe competition. All research must be type-written and suitably bound. Suitably boundmeans stapled with a cover and back sheet ofat least 65-lb card stock. Three-ring binders,plastic comb binding, duo-tang style folders,etc. are not required. Research submissionsmust include:

• A description of the dance(s) as they will beperformed;

• The historical background of the dance(s);

• The historical background of the song(s)used in the dance(s);

• A clear description of any props used,including pictures and/or drawings;

• A clear description of the outfits worn forthe dance(s), including pictures and/ordrawings;

• A description of the music and accompani-ment used;

• A complete bibliography of referencesused to research the dance(s) (i.e., books,publications, unpublished material, inter-views, personal correspondence, Website,etc. (www.answers.com/main/citations.jspis a good guide when citing Web sources));

• A copy of the letter or permission from thetribal council, society, clan, or family asrequired for certain dances; and



https://www.answers.com/main/citations.jsp

• Name, address, and phone number (emailif available) of a contact person represent-ing the team.

NOTE: Photocopied pages from any publishedwork are NOT acceptable. Videotapes, videoCDs, DVDs, and data discs are NOT acceptable.Research booklets should be a minimum ofeight single-spaced typewritten pages, not toexceed fifteen typewritten pages, (photos anddrawings/diagrams are not part of this limit).

3. American Indian Attire Maximum 10 Points

Teams will be judged on the authenticity andcompleteness of their outfits. If a particulardance does not call for special attire, teams willbe judged on the quality and appropriatenessof each participant’s attire. In the event a teamperforms more than one dance, points will notbe subtracted for using the same attire for bothdances, if from the same culture area.

4. Performance of Dance Maximum 10 Points

Teams will be judged on the quality of theinterpretation and presentation of theirdance(s). Good use of allotted dance time willbe considered. Teams will lose one point fromeach judge for every minute, or part there of,that they exceed their scheduled dance time.NOTE: If a team chooses to use the samedance(s) or outfits/attire at consecutivenational Order of the Arrow conferences, theycan expect to have a more critical review fromthe judges. Specifically, the judges will look foradditional research as well as improvementsand refinements in attire, dance, and presenta-tion.

5. Ability to Perform as a Team Maximum 10 Points

Teams will be judged on their ability to performtheir dance(s) so as to exhibit a true onenessand feeling for the dance(s). Teamwork andperceptive interpretation of the dance(s) by theteam as a whole will be considered.

6. Music Maximum 10 Points

Teams will be judged on their use of drum-ming, singing and any other necessary musical

accompaniment that should be used for theirparticular dance(s). As always, quality as well asauthenticity of the musical aspect will be con-sidered. The use of recorded music will beallowed, but it will cost the group a mandatorydeduction of three points by each judge in thisjudging area.

7. General Effect and Impression Maximum 10 Points

The general effect and impression of the over-all presentation will also be evaluated. Thissomewhat subjective area will permit judges toevaluate the educational, entertainment andinformational worth of the overall presentation.

Recognition and Awards

Awards will be given to the top finishing teamsaccording to the judges’ discretion. Awards forauthenticity may be given, if deemed appropri-ate. Certificates will be awarded to each com-peting team.

Northern and Southern Singing Competitions

Drum members MUST be from the samelodge. All drum members must be under 21years of age at the time of the competition,members of the Order of the Arrow, and regis-tered participants at the event. Each lodge isallowed to enter one team. All singing must bedone in a team fashion. Drums must furnishtheir own drum and drum stand, if used. Drumsticks are the responsibility of the singers.Chairs are provided.

Acceptable Songs

1. Northern Drums must sing two northernsongs. One of these must be a song that issung for a special occasion, at a specialtime during the dance or for a specialdance. (e.g., Flag songs, Veterans songs,Sneak-up, Rabbit Dance song). The othersong can be a Northern Plains powwowsong.

2. Southern Drums must sing two southernsongs. One of these must be a song that is


sung for a special occasion, at a specialtime during the dance or for a specialdance (e.g., Flag songs, Veterans songs,Trot songs, Snake and Buffalo). The othersong can be a Southern Plains inter-tribalpowwow song. Family songs should beavoided as well as songs of a religiousnature, such as Sun Dance, Native Ameri-can Church or Peyote songs.

3. Drums that sing northern-style songs in thesouthern competition, or vise versa, willreceive a 5-point deduction from eachjudge.

4. Northern singing is a high falsetto voicewith the honor beats in the melody of thesong, normally in the second chorus.

5. Southern singing is a more nasal tone withthe honor beats between the first and sec-ond chorus.

6. A list of two primary songs and four alter-nate songs may be submitted with properdocumentation.

7. Time limit is fifteen minutes. Timing beginswhen the judges invite the team to sit atthe drum. Any narrative is included in thetime allotted. If teams wish to warm up, thisshould be done away from the competi-tion. Any ceremonies or local rituals shouldtake place privately away from the compe-tition. Going over the allotted fifteen min-utes will result in a 5-point deduction fromeach judge. All teams must be ready to per-form fifteen minutes prior to their assignedtimes.

Rules Concerning Attire

1. Northern Drums rightly wear dance outfits,long pants, short pants, and shirts while atthe drum. No bare feet or open-toe shoes.Improper attire will result in a 5-pointdeduction from each judge.

2. Southern Drums are much more formal.Long pants are required. No bare feet oropen-toe shoes. Improper attire will resultin a 5-point deduction from each judge.

Registration Procedures

1. The team must submit one copy of theirrequired research material (defined belowin Judging Criteria) by the assigned duedate. Late submissions will result in anautomatic 5-point deduction from eachjudge.

2. The team’s chairman and/or adviser mustcheck in to confirm competition registra-tion, receive a performance time, andreceive up-to-date information on manda-tory meetings, team roster requirements,etc.

Judging Criteria

Drums will be judged and awarded a score byeach judge on the judging panel in each of theeight areas discussed below. Some areas havemandatory point deductions associated withfailure to comply with stated rules. Each judgein the affected area will take the mandatorypoint deductions. Team standing/placement isdetermined by totaling all points received fromthe judges. Actual scores/points given byjudges will not be provided to the teams, how-ever critique sheets from all judges will be pro-vided to the team at the conclusion of thecompetition. Relative ranking of the teams willbe available the day after the competition isfinished. The judges will determine the judgingcriteria and all decisions are final.

1. Research Maximum 20 Points

In addition to the one copy submitted beforethe event, two additional copies of the team’sresearch material should be brought to thecompetition. All research must be typewrittenand suitably bound. Suitably bound means sta-pled with a cover and back sheet of at least 65-lb card stock. Three ring binders, plastic combbinding, duo-tang style folders, etc. are notrequired. Teams will be evaluated on the qual-ity of the research they have done for thesongs they have chosen to sing. Research sub-missions must include: origin of song (tribalaffiliation), meaning of song (if any), how thesong is structured, and references (professional


recordings, etc.). Historical background of thesongs should also be included.

2. Synchronization of Drum and VoiceMaximum 10 Points

All competition songs should be sung in theappropriate manner: lead, chorus, honor beats,and pickup beats. The singers should sing as agroup instead of individuals, and the ending ofthe song should be definite with no over-beats.

3. Sound Quality Maximum 15 Points

The singers should match in pitch and har-mony for the most part. The drum beat shouldnot overpower, be louder than, the song. Thesecond/chorus should not be lower in pitch/volume from the lead.

4. Dance-ability Maximum 10 Points

Songs should be sung at the appropriatetempo. If a song was composed as a slow,medium or fast song it should be presentedthat way for competition.

5. Language and Pronunciation Maximum 20 Points

Songs should be sung with the correct voca-bles and/or words.

6. Teamwork Maximum 15 Points

Teams will be judged on their ability to sing thesongs as a group. The individual singers shouldwork as one group instead on one or two“stars” pulling the weight for the entire group.

7. General Effect and Impression Maximum 10 Points

The overall general effect and impression ofthe songs will also be considered. Some of thefactors that will be considered are: the teams’confidence, presentation and explanation ofthe songs, care of the drum and stick, timeli-ness, not going over the stated time limit, etc.

8. Constructive Comments Not Scored

Recognition and Awards

Awards will be given to the top three drums.Special Honorable Mention awards may be

given, if deemed appropriate. Participation cer-tificates will be awarded each drum.


Appendix 2: Council Mergers

The Order of the Arrow is a national programof the Boy Scouts of America. The Order of theArrow program is used by each local council torecognize youth and adults as those individualswho exemplify and live the Scout Oath andScout Law in their daily lives, to instill the val-ues of servant leadership, provide service andprogram support to the local council, and fur-ther develop the values of Scouting within OAmembers.

To better provide the Scouting program toyouth, councils conduct long-range or strate-gic plans using materials, guidebooks, bench-marks, and index of growth charts provided bythe Boy Scouts of America. As a part of itsannual charter renewal process, the council ischarged with keeping its long-range plan cur-rent, and its services within standards of theBoy Scouts of America.

Changing demographics, economic factors,employment, and other items within localcouncil territories create situations in whichthe expected quality and service to youth pro-vided by the council can be accomplishedmore efficiently by a merger of councils. Manyof these mergers are the result of the initialresearch and study incorporated in the strate-gic plan process which helped focus the coun-cil on its responsibilities and, in some cases,inability to fulfill its charter obligations throughits current organization.

What is the role of the Order of the Arrow in the merger study process?

As an integral part of the local council, theOrder of the Arrow is affected by merger deci-sions and therefore, its members will follow thestudy with interest. Merger decisions are theprovince of the executive board of each coun-cil involved in the merger discussions. Lodgeleadership should only participate in mergerdiscussions and decisions if invited by thecouncil leadership. Otherwise, the OA andlodge should allow the discussions and subse-quent decisions to come about through anestablished orderly and legal process. During

merger discussions, the lodge should continueto fulfill its responsibilities to its members,units, candidates, and the council. The Orderof the Arrow lodge or its leadership must notgo on record as being for or against a mergerand must support any decision made by thecouncil executive board.

If two or more councils vote to merge, thenthe lodge leadership has a critical obligation toaccomplish a smooth and quick transition ofthe existing lodges into a single, merged lodgein the new council. Since the lodge is an inte-gral part of the council and its existence issolely based on the existence of the council, itis important to understand that once the coun-cils merge, the lodges must also merge. Notmerging the lodges is not an option. Thelodge merger must be accomplished withinone year of the effective date of the councilmerger. Delays in completing the lodge mergerwill be detrimental to the success of both thenew council and the new lodge, so it’s best ifthe lodge merger is completed within sixmonths of the council merger. A charter appli-cation for the merged lodge may be submittedat any time during the merger period.

Items to consider in this process are:

1. The council Scout executive of the newcouncil should appoint a lodge adviser anda lodge staff adviser for the new mergedlodge.

2. Current lodge officers should fulfill theirresponsibilities jointly until the election ofnew officers. There is nothing wrong withhaving co-lodge chiefs or co-lodge vicechiefs during the one-year (maximum)transition period.

3. The name and totem of the new mergedlodge should be determined. (Any combi-nation of the former lodge names andtotems may be considered, as well as newones.)

4. An organizational plan should be devel-oped to fulfill the responsibilities of thenew merged lodge in the new council.


(Lodge Rules should be written andapproved by the council Scout executive.)

5. Scheduled lodge meetings and activitiesshould be completed while merging thecalendars and establishing dates for officerelections and activities of the mergedlodge. Lodges may use sections (andregions) as objective third parties to helpfacilitate conversations. Having someoneneutral to facilitate the election of the firstset of lodge officers may be beneficial.

6. Three months prior to the lodges merging,contact the LodgeMaster team for assis-tance in setting a timetable for and techni-cal assistance to merge the LodgeMasterdatabases. Contact the LodgeMaster teamat [email protected].

7. Encourage full transparency throughoutthe process.

8. Recommend the development of a jointlodge “merger task force” to develop a setof recommendations to the whole lodgefor consideration in the new program.

The positive and supportive leadership of thelodge officers and advisers will make a tremen-dous difference in the successful transition tothe new merged lodge.


mailto:[email protected]?subject=Lodge Merger

Appendix 3: Region Realignments

As council mergers occur, the number ofcouncils served by an area director will change.Periodically the region director will effect arealignment of the councils within the regionby redefining the geographical boundaries ofthe areas. By doing this the region director bal-ances the workload of the area directors andachieves economies of scale. The number ofareas within the region may also change.

Whenever region realignments occur, Order ofthe Arrow sections are affected. Sectionboundaries, the councils assigned to the sec-tions, and the section officers and advisers maychange depending on the assignment of thecouncils within the new structure. It is import-ant that the Order of the Arrow facilitate therealignment process and effect a smooth tran-sition. The following procedure has been usedwith great success:

1. The region director will define the geo-graphical boundaries of the new areas andappoint the area directors.

2. The region Order of the Arrow chairmanand region staff adviser will provide recom-mendations to the area directors on thenumber and boundaries of the sections,the section identifiers, the councilsassigned to the new sections, and the sec-tion advisers to be appointed.

3. The area directors will decide the sectioncomposition, identification, and boundariesand select the section adviser(s) and sec-tion staff adviser(s), with the concurrenceof the region Order of the Arrow chairmanand region staff adviser. This informationmust be published. Councils must be noti-fied and appointment letters must beissued.

4. The realignment of the Order of the Arrowsections should not be implemented untilthe next conclaves are held. Therefore, thenext conclaves must occur as scheduledand involve the lodges in the old sections.The old sections will elect new section offi-cers at these conclaves. Immediately fol-

lowing the conclaves, the new sectionswith their new compositions will be ineffect.

5. There will be some sections that will havemultiple officers for some positions, basedon the new assignment of the home coun-cils of the new officers. This condition willexist until the next year’s conclave. Theguiding principle to be followed is that noelected youth officer is to be hurt by therealignment.

6. There may also be situations with officervacancies in the new sections. In this event,a special, pre-announced council of chiefsmeeting must be scheduled for the coun-cils in the new sections. The procedures forfilling such vacancies are detailed in Chap-ter 2, Section Rules, Rule IV. E. Written per-mission to run for office is still requiredbefore these special elections. The names,addresses, and telephone numbers of thenewly elected section officers must beprovided to the region chairman andregion staff adviser immediately followingthe election.

7. After the normal closeout of the old sec-tion conclave budget and the refunds tothe participating councils, the sectionoperating budget and any section mone-tary reserve must be divided and passed tothe new sections. Divide the section oper-ating budget according to the reassign-ment of the section officers; this willsupport them in the new sections. Dividethe monetary reserve by the number ofcouncils in the old section. Transfer a shareof the reserve to the new sections for eachcouncil transferred.

8. The last step is for the new section to set itsnext year’s section conclave date and loca-tion and to define a new conclave rotationschedule reflecting the new section com-position.


Appendix 4: Section Officer Performance

On occasion situations may arise where a sec-tion officer has engaged in wrongdoing or hasnot fulfilled the responsibilities of their posi-tion. These situations do not maintain goodorder or set a proper example for others and, ifunaddressed, could endanger fulfillment of thepurpose of the section.

If the section officer is not fulfilling the respon-sibilities of their position, the following recom-mended procedure should be implemented:

1. The section adviser should have a privatetalk with the youth outlining the deficien-cies and the seriousness of the situation.

2. If the talk does not correct the situationand the section adviser, staff adviser, andarea director all agree, the section advisershould give the officer a written notice,detailing the deficiencies, dates by whichthey must be corrected, and notice thatfailure to do so will result in their removal.The region OA chairman should beinformed at this time. All of this must occurwithin the first 10 months of their term.

3. At this point the officer has the option ofcorrecting the situation, resigning, or faceremoval.

4. If they correct the situation, nothing morehappens unless future deficiencies shouldresult in reconsideration of their removalby the section adviser, section staff adviser,and area director.

5. If they resign, the council of chiefs will benotified and the vacancies created will befilled in accordance with the section rules.

6. If they fail to correct the situation orregresses, the section officer’s Scout exec-utive and lodge adviser will be notified ofthe planned removal and the steps thathave been taken to correct the situationleading up to this. The section adviser willalso follow up with the region chairman fortheir thoughts and influence.

7. If nothing changes as a result of theseinteractions, the officer will be given a finalopportunity to resign for the good of theOrder. Failing to do so, they will beremoved and the vacancies created will befilled by the council of chiefs in accordancewith the section rules.

The following steps should be taken if a sectionofficer has engaged in wrongdoing which, inthe opinion of the section adviser, section staffadviser and area director, necessitates removalfrom office:

1. The section officer’s Scout executive andlodge adviser must be notified of theirremoval, along with the region chairman.

2. The officer will be given the opportunity toresign if they choose; failing that, they willbe removed.

3. The council of chiefs will be notified andthe vacancies created will be filled inaccordance with the section rules.

The overall goal in this recommended perfor-mance process is to help the officer be suc-cessful in fulfilling their responsibilities, not toremove him. Failing that, however, they may beremoved for the sake of the OA and for suc-cessful achievement of the section’s purpose.


Appendix 5: National Chief and Vice Chief Election Procedure

This procedure defines the election process forthe candidates and the electorate. They aredesigned to provide all candidates an equalopportunity for election. All section chiefsshould be aware of the process, whether ornot they intend to run for national office.

General Election Procedures

• The section chiefs will be given copies ofall approval letters received by the directorupon their arrival at the planning meeting.

• For the election of the national chief andnational vice chief, the interpretation of theField Operations Guide and this procedurewill be the responsibility of the currentnational chief, the current national vicechief, the national chairman, and the direc-tor.

Election Facilities

• The election for national chief and nationalvice chief will be conducted in a meetingroom of sufficient size and comfort for awell-focused election.

• The following will be provided: chairs suffi-cient for all present, a digital projector, arostrum or podium, and light refreshments.

• The meeting room will provide privacy forthe election proceedings.

Exiting the Election Facilities

During the election of the national chief andnational vice chief, all section chiefs will berequired to stay inside of the election roombarring any emergency. The national chairman,director, current national chief, and currentnational vice chief may enter and exit as nec-essary. During the break between election ofthe national chief and national vice chief, sec-tion chiefs are free to enter and exit the room.

Approved Attendees

Only the following individuals may be presentduring the election proceedings: currentnational chief, current national vice chief, sec-tion chiefs attending the national planningmeeting, the national chairman, and the direc-tor.

Presiding Officers

The current national chief will preside over theelection of the national chief and national vicechief.

In the event that the national chief is not inattendance at the time of the elections, thenational vice chief will preside over the elec-tions. Additionally, the national chief may dele-gate election duties to the national vice chiefas appropriate. Thus, “presiding officers” willrefer to the current national chief and the cur-rent national vice chief.

Seating

The seating for the section chiefs will be alpha-betically assigned by last name.

Time Keeping

In the election of the national chief, the currentnational vice chief will keep time for all com-ments. The current national chief will keeptime for all comments in the election of thenational vice chief. Candidates will be given 30second and 5 second warnings. At the expira-tion of time, the timekeeper will state, “Time!”at which point the candidate must terminatetheir comments.

Ballot Certifier

During the preliminary election procedures, aballot certifier will be chosen to assist with the


counting of the ballots. The ballot certifier willbe a section chief who is ineligible to run fornational office. A different ballot certifier will bechosen for the election of the national chiefand national vice chief. The ballot certifier willbe allowed to vote in all elections and willremain seated in alphabetical order when notperforming duties. In the event of the absenceof either the current national chief or the cur-rent national vice chief, the presiding officerwill choose two ballot certifiers for each elec-tion.

Late Arrivals

Should the national chief or national vice chiefarrive at the national planning meeting late,they will immediately assume their appropriateduties in the election procedures. If a secondballot certifier has been chosen, they will berelieved of their duties when the national chiefor national vice chief arrives to replace him.

Should a section chief arrive at the nationalplanning meeting late (due to extenuating cir-cumstances, as determined by the nationalchairman), the current election will be halted.The section chief will immediately be admittedto the election room and be allowed to voteduring the next ballot compilation. If the sec-tion chief is eligible for election, they maydeclare their intention to run in the currentelection. In this case, the presiding officers willentertain a motion to place him on the top ofthe list of nominees for the current round inthe election. This motion requires a secondand a two-thirds majority vote by the sectionchiefs. This is the only manner by which candi-dates may be placed on the ballot late. No onemay be added to the list of nominees oncefinal voting procedures have begun, asdescribed below.

Ballots and Voting

All section chiefs present at the national plan-ning meeting will be entitled to vote in everyround of both the national chief and nationalvice chief elections. The presiding officers willprint ballots in advance of the national plan-ning meeting. During all ballot compilations,

the number of ballot sheets submitted mustequal the number of section chiefs present.

Abstentions: Section chiefs may abstain fromvoting by turning in a ballot with “ABSTAIN”written on it. During the election introduction,as described in paragraph (2) below, sectionchiefs will be advised not to abstain unless theyfeel unqualified to make an informed decision.In calculating a majority, the total number ofabstentions are subtracted from the total num-ber of submitted ballots.

No-vote: Turning in a blank ballot will be con-sidered a no-vote. A no-vote is effectively avote against all candidates. A no-vote iscounted in the total number of ballots whencalculating a majority.

Note: The difference between a no-vote andan abstention becomes relevant in the finalround. However, they will be noted andaccepted for all rounds.

Behavior

All section chiefs are expected to maintain aScout like behavior throughout the entirety ofthe election process. Should a section chief actin a way that is inappropriate as deemed by thenational chief and national vice chief, thenational director and national chairman will becontacted and a determination will be immedi-ately made regarding the section chief'sactions and whether they will be asked to leavethe room immediately and not return, forfeit-ing their opportunity to vote and run fornational office. The national director andnational chairman have final say as to what isdeemed as inappropriate behavior.

Specific Agenda for Election Proceedings

Preliminary Election Procedures:

1. Convene: At an announced time at thenational planning meeting, the approvedattendees will convene in the specifiedmeeting room and be seated appropriately.


2. Introduction: The presiding officers willreview and explain the election procedure.

3. Explanation of Job Descriptions: The pre-siding officers will explain the job descrip-tion of the national chief (national vicechief), citing the FOG and their own per-sonal experience, if they so choose. Theymay also invite the national chairman and/or the director to address the sectionchiefs.

4. Questions: The presiding officers willanswer any questions regarding the elec-tion process or job responsibilities.

5. Selection of Ballot Certifier: The names ofall section chiefs ineligible for nationaloffice will be placed on slips of paper to bedrawn out of a bag. The national chief willthen draw one name and announce it tothe section chiefs. The selected person,upon their consent, will be designated theballot certifier. This process will berepeated if it is necessary to select a sec-ond ballot certifier.

6. Review Time: The section chiefs will begiven five (5) minutes to silently review theapproval letters they received upon arrival.The section chiefs will remain seated inalphabetical order.

7. Declarations of Intent: The presiding offi-cers will open the floor to candidate decla-rations to run for office. All section chiefswishing to run for the office will raise theirhand and be recognized. Upon being rec-ognized, the section chiefs will declaretheir intention to run for office and confirmtheir eligibility. Nominations and secondswill not be required.

8. Closure of Declarations: After all declara-tions have been heard, the presiding offi-cers will entertain a motion to close thefloor to declarations of intent. The motionmust be seconded and approved by amajority of the section chiefs. The presid-ing officers will then randomly establish theorder of speeches by drawing names ofdeclared section chiefs individually out of abag. The order of section chiefs will be dis-played on a digital projector as it is estab-

lished. Except for a late arrival, no furthersection chiefs will be allowed to run for theoffice at hand.

9. Round One: The presiding officers will rec-ognize each nominee, in the randomlyassigned order. Each recognized candidatewill be given one minute to make com-ments to the electorate. All section chiefs,except the commenting nominee, willremain seated during this process.

10. Balloting: Section chiefs will then be givenone minute to silently complete a ballotprovided to them by the presiding officers.

Section chiefs may vote for up to half ofthe nominated candidates, rounding up tothe next whole number. For instance, ifthere are thirteen candidates, sectionchiefs may vote for up to seven candidates.If there are sixteen candidates, sectionchiefs may vote for up to eight candidates,and so forth.

The presiding officers will collect the bal-lots as they are completed. Section chiefswill remain seated and silent until all ballotshave been collected.

11. Compilation of Ballots: Once all ballotshave been collected, the presiding officersand the ballot certifier(s) will privately con-vene in the front of the room. The remain-ing section chiefs are free to move aboutuntil the compilation is completed, but maynot approach the table where ballots arebeing counted.

The presiding officers and the ballot certi-fier(s) will privately and collectively countthe votes. The number of votes received byeach candidate will be recorded.

If, in the view of the presiding officers andthe ballot certifier(s), any ballot containsmore votes than the number allowed orany portion is deemed indiscernible, theentire ballot will be considered an absten-tion.

The section chiefs will be called to orderand seated; the complete results of roundone will then be displayed. The presiding


officers will then display the names of thecandidates (in the previously selected ran-dom order) who have qualified to advanceto the next round.

The number of section chiefs advancing tothe next round will be equal to the numberof candidates for which a section chiefcould vote. (For example, if section chiefscould vote for eight candidates, the eightcandidates receiving the most number ofvotes will advance.)

In the case of a two-way tie for the finaladvancement slot, both candidates tyingfor the final slot will advance.

In any cases where more than two candi-dates tie for the final slot, none of the saidtied candidates will advance. This rule isexcepted when removal of all tied candi-dates would leave only one candidateremaining. In this case, the leading candi-date and all candidates tied for the finaladvancement slot will advance and finalvoting procedures will begin.

Final voting procedures will take effectwhen the list of candidates has been nar-rowed to two individuals, or in the case ofthe above-mentioned exception, four ormore people.

12. Round Two and Three: For the second andthird rounds the presiding officers will rec-ognize each nominee, in the randomlyassigned order, for two (2) and two (2) min-utes, respectively, to make comments tothe electorate. All section chiefs, except thecommenting nominee, will remain seatedduring this process.

13. Balloting and Compilation of Ballots: Pro-ceed as previously described between eachround.

14. All Subsequent Rounds Prior to Final Vot-ing Procedures: After rounds two andthree, no comments will be given betweenballoting rounds. Balloting Rounds willcontinue until final voting proceduresbegin.

Final Voting Procedures:

15. Removal of Final Candidates: The remain-ing candidates will be asked to leave theroom. A presiding officer will escort themto a waiting room just outside of the elec-tion room. The final candidates will notcommunicate with anyone, except eachother, while outside of the election room.

16. Question Selection: Each section chiefremaining in the room and each presidingofficer will be issued a piece of paper onwhich they may choose to write down theirname and one question. The presiding offi-cers will then collect the slips and publicizethe questions to the section chiefs. Thepresiding officers will guide the group inselecting three of the proposed questions.

17. Questions: In the randomly assigned order,a presiding officer will invite the remainingcandidates back into the room one-at-a-time. The submitting section chief will thenask their approved question. The candidatewill have unlimited time to answer eachquestion. After answering the questions,the candidate will leave the room and theother candidate(s) will be brought into theroom to answer the same questions.

18. Final Balloting: With the final candidatesremaining outside of the room, the presid-ing officers will distribute ballots and allowone minute for the remaining sectionchiefs to complete the ballots. Sectionchiefs may vote for only one candidate.

One of the presiding officers and the ballotcertifier will deliver a blank ballot to each ofthe removed final candidates. They will begiven one minute to vote for one candi-date. The presiding officer and the ballotcertifier will then deliver the completedballots back to the election room.

19. Final Ballot Compilation: The presidingofficers will collect the ballots and publiclyannounce each vote. The section chiefswill remain seated during this process. If acandidate receives a majority of votes(more than half of the ballots submitted


[minus abstentions]), the election will bedeclared final.

When there are more than two final candi-dates and when no majority is achieved,the candidate (or candidates tied) with thefewest number of votes will not advanceand will be invited back into the room. Finalballoting will then immediately proceedwith the remaining candidates. If more thanone candidate is tied for the fewest numberof votes, and if dropping the tied candi-dates would result in only one remainingcandidate, no one will be dropped.

If neither of the final two candidatesreceives a majority after final balloting, asecond ballot will immediately be taken. Ifafter this ballot no candidate has yetreceived a majority, the voting will bedeclared deadlocked and one final vote willbe taken. If after this third and final vote nocandidate has yet received a majority, thepresiding officer will cast the necessaryvotes to give a candidate a majority. (Inresolving this deadlock, the third and finaltabulation will be conducted in secret atthe front of the room with the presidingofficers and the ballot certifier so that onlythe presiding officers and the ballot certifierwill know this was done.)

20. Election of the Vice Chief: After the elec-tion of the national chief, the presiding offi-cers will allow for a short break. Theprocedure for election of the national vicechief will then begin. It will follow the sameprocedure as election of the national chief,beginning with the explanation of jobresponsibilities (4) but omitting review time(6).

21. Recording and Reporting Election Results:At the completion of each round the bal-lots will be sealed in a separate envelopeand the envelope will be marked with theelection and round number (e.g., NC 1).The presiding officers and the ballot certi-fier(s) will sign across the seal of eachenvelope. The ballot envelopes will then bekept in the possession of the national chiefuntil the installation of the incomingnational chief and national vice chief, at

which time the ballots will be destroyed.The national chairman or the director mayrequest to inspect or review the ballots atany time prior to the installation of the newofficers.


Notes


Notes


BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA1325 West Walnut Hill LaneP.O. Box 152079Irving, Texas 75015-2079www.scouting.org Revised January 2021

Documents

Field Operations Guide - Order of the Arrow, BSA