Candidate & Leader Info

Information for Candidates & Parents

Youth Requirements for OA Membership

• Be a registered member of the BSA
• 15 nights of scout camping in the last two years which include one long-term camp of at least 5 nights
• Youth must hold the rank of 1st Class, Venturing Discovery Award, or Sea Scout Ordinary rank
• Be approved by your unit Leader

Full requirements are available at www.oa-bsa.org

So You’ve Been Elected… What’s Next?

Shortly After the Election

Candidates and parents will receive an email from Wauna La-Mon’tay Lodge with information about the Induction weekends and an invitation to claim an “OA Candidate Portal.” All information about the candidate’s Induction is available in that portal, including links to “Induction Weekend” registration.

Before The Induction Weekend

Your Chapter will invite you to a “Welcome Event.” There will also be a public recognition of your selection known as a “Call Out.” Most Chapters conduct their call outs at the District Camporee.

Attend an Induction Weekend

All candidates are required to attend an Induction weekend to become an Ordeal member of OA. During the experience, candidates maintain silence, receive small amounts of food, work on camp improvement projects, and sleep apart from other campers. The entire experience is designed to teach significant values.

What should I bring to My Induction Weekend?

Candidates are encouraged to be prepared, and plan for the weather.

Some things they should make sure to bring:

• • Medical Form and any Medications you take
  • Tent (Saturday night only)
  • Tarp (Friday night)
  • Sleeping Bag
  • Water Bottle
  • Warm Clothes
  • Rain Gear
  • Flashlight w/ Extra Batteries
  • Hat
  • Work Clothes
  • Work Gloves
  • Class A Uniform
  • Toiletries

Some things Candidates shouldn’t bring with them:

• • Scout Book (you won’t need it)
  • Food/Snacks (all food will be provided for you)
  • Hatchets, Axes or other tools (all tools needed will be provided at camp)

Completing Your Induction with Brotherhood

Ordeal members are able to attend all OA events and learn experiential leadership as part of the Lodge. After 6 months of service as an Ordeal member and after fulfilling certain requirements, an Ordeal member may take part in the Brotherhood ceremony, which places further emphasis on the ideals of Scouting and the Order. Completion of this ceremony signifies full membership in the Order.

Information for Unit Leaders

Conducting Your Unit Election

The Visitation: Annually, the OA Chapter in your Scouting District would like to visit a unit meeting. Part of the visitation is an election of OA Candidates from the eligible youth of the unit. The election is conducted by the election team from your Chapter.

Scheduling the Visitation: In early December, Unit Leaders and Unit Committee Chairs start receiving emails about scheduling their unit’s OA visitation. After submitting 3 available dates, the chapter and unit agree on the date of the visitation and election.

Preparing for the election. Three weeks prior to the election, the unit receives access to enter the names and contact information for their eligible youth into the Lodge’s induction management system.

At the Election: The unit may be asked to provide the ability to show a short video. The election team will provide printed ballots, the election report and the ability to update the contact information for those people selected as OA candidates.

Approval of the Election: Shortly after the election is approved by the OA Lodge, the unit leadership will receive an email confirming the names and contact information of those elected.

Adult Candidate Nominations: The unit must elect at least one youth to nominate any adults. In the email confirming the youth candidates, there is a link to the “Adult Candidate Submission” form and the adult eligibility requirements. Units may select up to 2 adults for every 3 youth selected. (A unit leader candidate is outside this requirement.)

Contact information for Chapter Elections are included in the scheduling emails from the Lodge

The Candidate’s Election Journey

At the Election: The successful candidates are announced at the election. (This is a National OA policy effective in 2023). The Chapter visitation team will provide information about becoming an OA member. The team will also confirm contact information for both the candidates and their parents.

Shortly After the Election: Candidates and parents receive email info about the Induction weekends and an invitation to claim an “OA Candidate Portal.”

All information about the candidate’s Induction is available in that portal, including links to “Induction Weekend” registration.

Before The Induction Weekend: Your Chapter will invite you to a “Welcome Event.” There will also be a public recognition of your selection known as a “Call Out.” Most Chapters conduct their call outs at the District Camporee.

Attend an Induction Weekend: All candidates are required to attend an Induction weekend to become an Ordeal member of OA. During the experience, candidates maintain silence, receive small amounts of food, work on camp improvement projects, and sleep apart from other campers. The entire experience is designed to teach significant values.

Completing Your Induction with Brotherhood: Ordeal members are able to attend all OA events and learn experiential leadership as part of the Lodge. After 6 months of service as an Ordeal member and after fulfilling certain requirements, an Ordeal member may take part in the Brotherhood ceremony, which places further emphasis on the ideals of Scouting and the Order. Completion of this ceremony signifies full membership in the Order.

Election Request

If you are the unit leader, you should have recieved an email from Wauna La-Mon'tay Lodge asking you to schedule your election. If you did not recieve this email, it may be that someone else is registered with council as the unit leader, or there is an incorrect email address. If this is the case, please contact your unit’s OA Rep, your district's OA Chapter Chief or Adviser, or the Lodge Membership Vice Chief (membership@cpc-oa.org) to get your election scheduled, and PLEASE contact the Cascade Pacific Council registrar Sherry Burns at sherry.burns@scouting.org to correct your unit's leadership roster.