Unit Elections

Scouts BSA troops, Venturing crews, and Sea Scout ships are eligible to hold Order of the Arrow unit elections. Units are allowed to have a single election per calendar year.

Units with qualified Scouts are urged to hold an election no later than May 1, 2026.

Membership Requirements

Unit elections are permitted in Troops, Venturing Crews, and Sea Scout Ships. The Order of the Arrow membership requirements are as follows:

Youth (14-20):

  • Be a registered member of Scouting America.

  • Have experienced 15 nights of Scout 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 Scouting America. 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 of unit in which they are being considered for election: Scouts BSA First Class rank, the Venturing Discovery rank, 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 (21+):

  • Each year, upon holding a unit election for youth candidates that results in at least one youth candidate being elected, the unit committee may nominate registered unit adults, 21 years of age or older, for membership in the OA.

  • 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 two-thirds 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.

  • These Scouters will be candidates for induction, provided these conditions are fulfilled:

    • Selection of the adult is based on the ability to perform the necessary functions to help the OA fulfill its purpose, and not for recognition of service, including current or prior achievement and positions.

    • The individual will be an asset to the OA because of demonstrated abilities that fulfill the purpose of the Order of the Arrow.

    • The adult leader’s membership will provide a positive example for the growth and development of the youth members of the lodge.

  • Lodge unit election teams should inform the unit committee of this criteria, and nominations are at the discretion of the unit committee once informed. Upon nomination by the unit committee, an adult should be considered a candidate for membership by the lodge, and invited to complete their induction at upcoming induction weekends. Nominations are valid for the calendar year in which they occur.

Request a Unit Election