Unit Elections
2023 Unit Elections Online Registration is now OPEN.
The Arapaho Chapter Unit Elections Team must be present for all the unit elections during the unit election cycle, which is December 1st, through March 30th of each year. We have the largest district in Circle Ten Council, with over 30 units, so we are requested to conduct a lot of elections every year.
We will try our best to facilitate each unit’s first date request. During the election cycle, you must use our Online Unit Elections Registration Form, which will speed up the process of booking the elections team to come to your troop meeting.
In order for an election to be considered valid, it must be conducted by a trained Arapaho Chapter election team, and only current election forms, furnished by the lodge, may be used to certify the election results. If you have questions about Unit Elections, the Elections Committee’s contact info is below.
| Unit Elections Committee | |
| Unit Elections Youth Lead | Position Open |
| Unit Elections Adviser | Position Open |
Unit Elections Info for Scoutmasters
Youth Eligibility Requirements
To become eligible for election, a Boy Scout or Varsity Scout must be registered with the Boy Scouts of America and have the approval of his unit leader prior to the election. The unit leader must certify his Scout spirit (i.e., his adherence to the Scout Oath and Law and active participation in unit activities). The unit leader must also certify that the nominee meets all specified requirements (in bullet points below) at the time of the annual election. All members of, or candidates for membership in, the Order of the Arrow who are under 21 years of age shall be youth members or candidates for youth membership, subject to meeting the following requirements:
- Be a registered member of the Boy Scouts of America.
- Hold the First Class rank of the Boy Scouts of America, as a minimum
- After registration with a troop or team, have experienced 15 days and nights of Boy Scout camping during the two-year period prior to the election. The 15 days and nights must include one, but no more than one, long-term camp consisting of six consecutive days and five nights of resident camping, approved and under the auspices and standards of the Boy Scouts of America. The balance of the camping must be overnight, weekend, or other short-term camps.
Candidates for youth membership shall be elected by other youth members in accordance with policies set forth by the national Order of the Arrow committee. Election of any person less than 21 years of age as a candidate for membership shall be based on fulfillment of the youth membership requirements.
Election Procedures
To become a member of the Order of the Arrow a Boy Scout or Varsity Scout is chosen by a vote of the youths in his unit. This is a unique feature of the Order since the majority of those who select their candidates for this honor are not members of the lodge. However, lodge members in the unit have a vote as well as nonmembers. In this way membership is controlled by the youth in their own units and not by those who are already Arrowmen. It is important that the members of the unit have the membership requirements properly explained to them.
In Boy Scout troops and Varsity Scout teams, every registered active member of the unit under age 21 at the time of election is eligible to vote. A Boy Scout or Varsity Scout who carries a current national membership card and participates in at least some unit activities during the year is considered to be a registered active member of the unit. For example, a youth away at college who participates in some unit activities when home, such as a campout, camporee, or occasional unit meeting, should be considered a registered active member. A youth who moves away or drops out of the unit because of other interests would not be counted in the registered active membership figure.
Time Frame of Elections
The Chapter and Lodge have determined the time of year elections are to be held. All Scoutmasters are provided written information of this time frame and MUST register using the online form. A Chapter election team or designee will conduct or observe an election at a convenient time and place as requested via the online form. The Scoutmaster MUST request a date within the time frame set out by the Chapter. Arapaho Chapter has set these dates within the guidelines of Mikanakawa Lodge to be from December 1 to March 31st. Only one election may be conducted for the troop each year. A date for the troop election is confirmed with the Scoutmaster and a trained election team is assigned to conduct the election. Given enough prior notice, the Chapter will have trained election teams available to hold your unit’s election.
Pre-Election Requirements
Upon the arrival of the election team to conduct an election, the Scoutmaster MUST provide the team with the following:
- Verification that at least 50 percent of the registered active troop membership under the age of 21 is present. If at least 50 percent is not present, an election cannot be held.
- A listing of names, addresses, telephone numbers, BSA member numbers, ranks and dates of birth of all eligible individuals under the age of 21. Although recommended, the eligible individuals do not have to be present to be elected.
- The Scoutmaster certifies that those listed meet all eligibility requirements set forth by the Order of the Arrow including attitude and participation.(see “Eligibility Requirements” above) Only those persons certified by the Scoutmaster shall be considered for election.
The Election and Ballots
The Chapter Unit Election Team will explain to the youth members of the Troop or Team the rules for election conducted as follows:
- The election will be conducted using the current rules of the national committee of the Order of the Arrow governing such election.
- The team explains that the unit members may vote for as many of the eligible candidates as they consider worthy being candidates for membership in the Order of the Arrow and that no name is to be listed more than once on a ballot. Write-In ballots are not permitted.
- The team explains that the unit members should select the candidates who, in their own opinion, have set the best examples of brotherhood, cheerfulness, and service and who they believe will continue in unselfish service to the troop.
- If youth feels that no one on the ballot is worthy, he may turn in a blank ballot.
- If a youth is new in the unit and feels he does not know the candidates well enough to vote wisely, he may abstain by not turning in a ballot at all; this will not affect the final result.
- Youths eligible for election also vote, and they may vote for themselves if they feel they are worthy.
- All eligible youth who receive a vote on at least 50 percent of the ballots submitted are elected.
- If no one is elected on the first balloting, a second vote will be taken immediately. The result of this vote is final.
- Once a candidate has been elected, only that individual may choose to remove himself from the induction process with the exception of the Scout executive who may deny induction for just cause.
When the voting is finished, the OA election team counts the number of ballots turned in, and enters the numbers on the unit election report which is signed by the Scoutmaster and the election team. A copy of the report is left with the Scoutmaster for troop records. All election results are final. No additions or substitutions may be made then or at a later date for any reason.
The Scoutmaster has the option of whether the results of the election are to be announced immediately or kept secret until the candidates are called out.
Post Election
The Scoutmaster has one year from the June 1st following date of the election to arrange to have the elected candidates called out under the auspices of Mikanakawa Lodge and complete their ordeal. The call-out can be arranged for any Friday night at any Circle Ten Summer Camp or at The Northern Trail Camporee. It is up to the Scoutmaster to see that this happens. Delays in having an individual called out can decrease the number of opportunities for him to participate in an ordeal/ induction weekend. If the individual is not called out and has not completed his ordeal within this year, his eligibility expires. An official ordeal registration card will be provided to the member upon his callout if at a Circle Ten summer camp or mailed to him upon submission of a callout report by the chapter to the lodge if at a district event. Out of council callouts are discouraged. Written authorization from the Lodge Executive Committee is required prior to a unit taking part in an out of council callout.
Any further questions regarding Unit Elections should be directed to Arapaho Chapter Unit Elections Adult Adviser or the Chapter Adviser.