Heart of New England Council > Catamount Lodge > Unit Elections

Annual Unit Elections

The Order of the Arrow (OA) is Scouting’s national honor society. It exists to recognize those Scouts and Scouters who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives and who set an example for others to follow; to support and promote camping and camping traditions within Scouting; and to encourage Scouts to live a life dedicated to cheerful service to others.

Each year, units have an opportunity to elect youth from their unit to become members of the Order of the Arrow. It is time to schedule your unit’s election for this year. 

Catamount Lodge conducts unit elections between January 1 and May 31.

Elections are conducted according to specific policies and procedures. When scheduling your elections, please consider the following:
  • Only elections scheduled through the lodge and conducted by a lodge-appointed election team will be considered valid.
  • In order to conduct an election at least 50% of the registered youth in the unit must be present.
  • Catamount Lodge does not conduct OA elections during summer camp.

There are approximately 100 units in Heart of New England Council that we need to visit. Elections are conducted by youth members of the lodge and often require advanced planning for transportation. In order to ensure we are able to accommodate your requested dates, please submit your election requests as soon as possible.

We will not be able to accommodate requests for elections during summer camp.

If your unit has no eligible youth this year, please complete the election request form and indicate that you have no one eligible. This will help us ensure that all units have had the opportunity for an election.

How to Schedule a Unit Election

Unit Leaders (Scoutmaster/Crew Advisor & Committee Chairs) have received a unique link to submit an election request. Reminders will be sent to unit leaders every 14 days with the unique link. If you have not received the link, or need assistance, please email elections@OACatamount.org. 

Membership Requirements

Unit elections are permitted in Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Sea Scout units. The Order of the Arrow membership requirements are as follows:

  • Be a registered member of the Boy Scouts of America.
  • 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 the Boy Scouts of 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, hold the 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.
  • Adults (age 21 or older) who meet the camping requirements may be selected following nomination to and approval by the lodge adult selection committee.

If you have any questions about the election process or the Order of the Arrow, please contact: elections@OACatamount.org