OA Troop or Team Representative

Does your troop or team have an OA Representative? This position helps build the relationship between the OA Lodge or Chapter and the Unit. It also counts as a leadership position for Scout advancement requirements. If your unit doesn't have an OA representative, or isn't using him effectively, read on to find out more about what this program can do for you.

The Troop or Team OA Representative should be doing several things, chief among them: encouraging year-round camping and resident camping at summer camp, encourage unit service to the community, and providing leadership/mentoring/example to the other scouts in the unit. Remember that arrowmen are elected not just for what they've done but for what they will do — unit OA representatives help all the arrowmen in the unit give back to those that elected them.

During 2009 the Lakota chapter is hoping to provide more information and support to both OA representatives and to unit Leaders. Part of this is finding adult members in each unit to act as advisors. Another part is providing communications channels from the unit reps to the chapter leadership. We'd also like to provide hand-outs and other information for the representatives to take back to their units at each of our chapter activities.

If you're a unit OA representative, make sure you come out to our chapter activities so you can find out what the chapter can do for your unit and the arrowmen in it. If you're an adult leader and don't have a Troop or Team OA Representative yet, this is the time to get one — help us help you and your unit by bringing the spirit of the OA to all of your scouts.