Wag-O-Shag Lodge conducts Unit Elections between January 1 through April 30. OA Unit Representatives, Scoutmasters, Crew Advisors, or Sea Scout Skippers should schedule elections one of two ways; at OA Chapter or Lodge Executive Committee meetings, or by registering online. Elections must be completed by April 30 and the paperwork submitted to the council service center by May 1 to be accepted.
Elections should be scheduled at least 2 weeks in advance so there is time to schedule a team to run the election. Any requests shorter than two weeks may not be able to be accommodated. When making the request it is best to also include alternate dates.
Elections must be done by current dues paid OA members that are not from the unit where the election is taking place. Election teams include several youth OA members and an adult adviser.
For units who attend summer camp at an out-of-council camp, starting in 2020, we will no longer require your unit to fill out a separate out of council call out request form. Instead please fill in the out of council camp details on your youth election form.
If you or someone else from your unit (youth or adult) is interested in helping on an election team please send an email to electionschair@wagoshag.com.
To schedule an election please contact electionschair@wagoshag.com or follow the link sent by email to your online OA Unit Portal.
New this year: All Adult Nominations will only be accepted through the online OA National Unit Portal. Adult Unit Leadership will be sent a link and instructions on how to fill the online form out upon completion and approval of their Unit OA Election
For unit election teams, additional resources are available on the election team resource page.
Youth Eligibility
All members of, or candidates for membership in, the Order of the Arrow who are under 21 years of age shall be considered youth members or candidates for youth membership, subject to meeting the following requirements:
- Be a registered member of Scouts, BSA.
- Have experienced 15 nights of camping while registered with a troop, crew, or ship within the two years immediately prior to the election. The 15 nights must include one, but no more than one, long-term camp consisting of at least five consecutive nights of overnight camping, approved and under the auspices and standards of Scouts, BSA. Only five nights of the long-term camp may be credited toward the 15-night camping requirement; the balance of the camping (10 nights) must be overnight, weekend, or other short-term camps of, at most, three nights each. Ship nights may be counted as camping for Sea Scouts.
- At the time of their election, youth must be under the age of 21, and hold one of the following ranks corresponding to the type unit in which they are being considered for election: Scouts BSA First Class rank, the Venturing Discovery Award, or the Sea Scout Ordinary rank or higher, and following approval by the Scoutmaster, Crew Advisor or Sea Scout Skipper, be elected by the youth members of their unit.
Adult Eligibility
All members of, or candidates for membership in, the Order of the Arrow who are 21 years of age or older and who are registered members of the Boy Scouts of America shall be considered adult members or candidates for adult membership. Individuals shall be selected as candidates based on the following:
Adult leaders in units:
Each year, upon holding a troop or team election for youth candidates that results in at least one youth candidate being elected, the unit committee may nominate adults to the lodge adult selection committee.
The number of adults nominated can be no more than two-thirds of the number of youth candidates elected, rounded up where the number of youth candidates is not a multiple of three. In addition to the one-third limit, the unit committee may nominate the currently serving unit leader (but not assistant leaders), as long as he or she has served as unit leader for at least the previous 12 months.
All nominations are reviewed by the lodge adult selection committee and recommendations from that committee, with the approval of the Scout executive, serving as Supreme Chief of the Fire, will be candidates for induction, provided the following conditions are fulfilled:
- Selection of the adult is based on the ability to perform the necessary functions to help the Order fulfill its purpose, and not for recognition of service, including current or prior achievement and positions.
- The individual will be an asset to the Order because of demonstrated abilities that fulfill the purpose of the Order.
- The camping requirements set forth for youth members are fulfilled.
- The adult leader’s membership will provide a positive example for the growth and development of the youth members of the lodge.
Adult leaders in council and district positions:
The Lodge Adviser, District Chairmen, Council President, or members of the professional staff may nominate adults to the lodge adult selection committee. All requirements set forth for adult leaders in units must be fulfilled, with the exception of the camping requirements, which may be waived at the discretion of the Lodge Adviser and Scout Executive.
Adults may be nominated for membership only one time per year as either unit Scouters or District/Council Scouters, but not both. How they are nominated depends on where they maintain their primary registration.
Those adults who have been selected as candidates for induction by the lodge adult selection committee and approved by the Supreme Chief of the Fire will be notified by Wag-O-Shag Lodge through the Scoutmaster of the unit who nominated them, or for district/council positions the person who recommended them. An adult is not considered a candidate for induction until this notification is given.
Please contact electionschair@wagoshag.com or lodgechief@wagoshag.com with questions.