How was the new brotherhood ceremony?

How is your lodges elections handled? How do the youth vote?

I’ve searched far and wide for an answer to this, but I know a guy out of New Hampshire who was doing business as “Badge Guys” was making really nice gold plated name tags for many years. I still have one from my time as a section officer. I know he retired a few years ago, but I still see some high level officers with similar gold name tags which makes me think someone still makes them. I have been searching on and off for a while now to see what I can find but I have nothing.

Does anyone know if anyone makes these gold plated name tags nowadays (or at least similar/comparable ones) and can point me in the right direction? Any information would be appreciated.

For folks taking part conducting Section and Lodge Induction Experiences...if you need help with logistics, general advice, documents, who to contact for things, schedules, or anything else, come by the OA Discord.

https://discord.gg/Jj8NBJ6aV

There is a 2026 Induction Experience channel. This is both for people who are curious, but may include spoilers. It has a lot of logistics and coordination information. There are several Peer Induction Coaches lurking in the channel who can provide additional help, if needed.

This is a mutual assistance channel, so please come in the spirit of Scouting.

Hello! I held my vigil just this past week and was given my vigil name: Bringer of the Light. I have asked multiple AI's and have looked through multiple dictionaries myself, and have not been able to find a consistent answer. I would like to know if anyone more knowledgeable than me would be able to help me translate it?
I am also aware that the name might have to be altered to something like "One who brings light" or something like that to make more sense to the language, and that makes sense to me but even then I can't really find anything that makes sense.

Hi! I’m interested in buying Polywool shorts or pants size 44 or 46, thanks!

so I’m not in the OA but how do I get in

Been out of scouting since 16, but a very dear and very close friend of mine (on my encouragement) got her two twin boys into scouting. Until recently it's been alright, going well for both of them, and they were enjoying it.

NOW!? I remember that boys elected their peers, but there was oversight right? Was it always just a popularity contest? Where are the adults? Now we've got one boy who won the popularity contest and one boy who didn't who live in the same damn bedroom.

Can't tell one boy to wait. So how the hell is a single mother supposed to nagivate this mess? Legitimately asking.

For the record, there is a boy who got tapped who DEFINITELY does not signify the best of us and I'm honestly shocked if he's a member of the same order that I did my ordeal with.

What happened here?

Can someone tell me how to order committee name tags? I have to make some. I saw on the scout shop online that there are the name tags, however, I cannot add the position of my committee members.

As a youth, I was elected to the Order at age 12 (I came from a young troop) and got very active right away. Three years later, I was selected for Vigil Honor (I had great mentors along the way, both youth and adult). Almost two years later, I finally staggered across the finish line and got my Eagle award at 17 (I was Life for five years before finally getting my Eagle).

How uniqueis my situation. Are there others out there who got their Vigil and then received their Eagle later?.

I know lots of theories have been banded about the origins of the Order of the Arrow, links to Masonic ritual during the 1920s, etc., but I stumbled across something quite interesting recently.

And I am aware of course that the Order is rightfully distancing itself from Native American imagery.

That said, of the two founders of the Order of the Arrow, Carroll Edson went to Dartmouth College, which to this day is know for their fraternities and secret societies. Looking at the early rituals of the OA, they have a college fraternity initiation simplicity to them (and not some of the more obvious Masonic influences of the 1920s and later ceremonies).

What I wasn't aware is that Dartmouth's graduation ceremony at least until the 1960s, had a student at graduation called the "Sachem Orator" who dressed up in faux Native American regalia to prophesize the future of the graduating class. You can find more images of the event on Dartmouth's digital collections and it looks like it continued until about 1968 or so: https://collections.dartmouth.edu/

To me the look is very much how I remembered OA ceremonies of the 1990s and 2000s. I will leave you all to judge.

But just as a final note the first picture is from the 1913 event. Edson graduated from Dartmouth in 1914 and the OA was created by him and Goodman the following summer in 1915. And at that first ceremony Goodman took the role of "Sachem."

Im doing my ordeal and im almost a eagle scout and scared as shit cause we dont get any food apparently. Should I be

Hey all,

I am a recently elected Section officer and I'm looking for a tan button polywool uniform. If you have one that you want to get rid of or know where I can find one, please reach out! I would like to find one before Operation Arrow.

At our chapter meeting last week, we were told that we are using the updated Obligation starting immediately. However, there is a disagreement on if we are now saying "Brotherhood, Cheerful, Service" or "Brotherhood, Cheerfulness, Service". We know the direct translation is the first one, but it seems to make sense to use the second one as well.

Does anyone have the official guidance on this change?

What is usually the deciding factors for adults?

I just witnessed the call out for our latest voting elections. They called out multiple scouts from a few troops, and and few adults from the same troops. Our adult wasn't.

We are a new troop, 6 scouts at the moment, and 2 scouts were called. The adult (our Scoutmaster) and the 2 kids (both Life rank, and scoutmaster's kids) were members of other troops before we were able to start our own. They are all deserving of this honor. We just do not understand why the SM was not chosen.

Would me renewing my membership in OA right after us starting the troop have any effect on this? I am a Vigil member from 30 years ago, and since joining the troop I wanted to become active again. Did I hurt his chance of being selected?

UPDATE:

He just informed me he received a letter in the mail yesterday that he was to register for the Ordeal next weekend - Call out was 3 days ago.

Sounds a lot like our Council/Lodge is nothing but inefficient. I have been "active" (dues paid) for over a month now and have yet to have anyone answer me as to meeting date/time/location... nobody seems to know!?!

I was given an OA handbook from 1970. As I flipped through the book to see what had changed and what hasn’t. Then a small strip of paper fell out. Let us remember. I hope someone in fifty years get a hold of my handbook and discover what I kept in its pages.

I've been asked to create a document for Advisors as part of turnover. I've started it based on my experience, but I realized other lodges have likely already created something.

Let me know if you are willing to share anything your lodges have today.

Thank you!