In 1999, the Order of the Arrow Troop Representative became an official leadership position that can be used for Star, Life, and Eagle rank advancement. Depending on your location, the OA may have a very strong presence or be hardly known. The OA Rep position is a great opportunity for a scout to demonstrate real leadership and promote the OA purposes of camping and cheerful service within his troop.

We've had a few OA Reps in our troop over the past years, but they were not asked or expected to do much. Since they already had their rank advancement leadership requirements complete, there was not much incentive in that direction. With our next troop elections, the position will expand and have the following defined expectations:

• Attend 75% of OA chapter meetings - to keep abreast of what the chapter is doing
• Inform troop of OA events and news - get up front and speak. Promote the OA and its purposes.
• Assist OA members in gaining their Brotherhood membership - through encouragement and practicing the requirements.
• Attend the biannual troop planning session to ensure that camping opportunities are offered at least once each month.
• Encourage scouts First Class and higher to participate in high adventure camping - through individual encouragement and troop presentations.
• Encourage attendance at summer camp by all scouts - especially keep older scouts interested.
• Organize troop Service opportunities - work with the troop's adult service chair to ensure there are at least three service opportunities and help plan and promote them.
• Plan, promote, and present the troop's OA election - ensure everyone understands how the election is run and that it is held correctly.
• Promote and teach Leave No Trace in the troop - this ties directly with camping and service. It requires the scout to learn and use a specific knowledge set and help the troop become better campers and land stewards. Offer one workshop in the last two months in this role.
• Wear uniform correctly, set a good example, practice the Scout Oath and Law - a standard responsibility of all the troop leadership positions.
• Fulfill the requirements of this position for 6 months - the troop's chosen term of office

Some of these duties are to encourage others and have no specific targets so they are not measurable. Those that are measurable include 5 specific events in the 6 month term so this position provides worthwhile contributions to the troop.

More info at OA Site.

Scout On