Muscogee Lodge #116

Arrowmen,

As a lodge leader, you play a vital role in creating exciting and welcoming experiences that keep Scouts engaged in the OA. This year, we’re introducing significant updates to our membership requirements.

Membership Requirements Updates

We are updating our membership requirements to allow more opportunities for Scouts and Scouters to be elected into the Order of the Arrow and participate in our program.

1. We’re expanding election opportunities beyond traditional units to include council-recognized Scouting America groups like staff for summer camp and NYLT, council high adventure contingents, and jamboree troops. Nearly a third of units don’t hold elections, and every eligible Scout deserves a pathway to membership regardless of unit circumstances.
2. The camping requirement for adults has been removed. This change recognizes that many adults who would be valuable resources to the Order face professional or family responsibilities that make youth-oriented camping requirements challenging, and lodges need a broader pool of qualified adults to support youth leadership and meet safeguarding policies.

These changes ensure that today’s Scouts, and the adults who support them, have additional pathways to OA membership.

We are working through how to best support lodges implementing the expansion of unit elections and will share more in the coming months.