|
National Trails Day - Share Your Experience
Does your chapter or lodge have a great story to tell about National Trails day? Send your article to bulletin@oa-bsa.org and include pictures if you have them.
Ask the Chairman Questions
Answered
National OA Chairman Ray Capp has been reading and answering your questions.
Once again he answered two questions. The first is on
what should become of the letter that an Ordeal candidate writes to the lodge secretary. The second is on if
the days and nights of camping have to be completed with the troop.
Last time he answered a question on if required service time with the OA may counted toward rank advancement and a second on the
two-year period prior to an election requirement for OA elections.
Summer 2013 National Bulletin
The Summer 2013 National Bulletin is here with a brand new layout and design! This action packed issue includes an update on a change for the New York City Lodges, a new Chiefly Speaking, Lodge Master 3.0, a High Adventure update, local news and reports from around the nation, and a reminder about National Trails Day taking place June 1, 2013 around the country. As always, there is a lot more, so don't delay,
read the Bulletin today!
Special Edition Flaps
The Order of the Arrow Jamboree Service Group has created a special collection
of the flaps representing all four divisions of the 2013 National Jamboree OA
Service Corps. A limited number of these sets will be manufactured, with each
set receiving a unique serial number. Proceeds will help offset the costs
associated with the Service Corps, Indian Village, Trek Guides, and Day of
Service programs.
Click here to order today!
2013 Congratulatory Eagle Letters
The 2013 edition of the Eagle Congratulatory Letter is now available from the
National Officers. There is also a new edition available from the National
Chairman. These recognition letters are a great addition to any
Eagle Scout's court of honor.
Click here to view the instructions.
Field Operations Guide April 2013 Revision
The April 2013 revision of the Field Operations Guide is now available. The new FOG
contains several updates that are effective January 1, 2013:
- Appendix 5 Summary of Insurance Plans has been deleted and the remaining appendices have been renumbered accordingly. All references to these appendices have been updated.
- The discussions about accident & sickness and liability insurance in chapters 2 and 4 have been updated. National now calls liability insurance "the national activity surcharge". They have redefined it to be "per calendar day period" and increased the cost from $1.00 to $2.00 per calendar day. They have also increased the accident & sickness insurance cost from $0.15 to $0.20 per calendar day period.
- Corresponding changes have been made to the section conclave report and the sample conclave final financial statement.
- The rate changes are effective 1 Jan 2013
- The Lodge Assistance Program (previous chapter 3) has been removed along with it's forms and references.
- A policy statement prohibiting fire dancing has been added to the Section Conclave chapter.
- The Table of Contents and page numbers have been adjusted for these changes.
100th Anniversary Celebration in 2015
The Order of the Arrow is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2015, and we
want you to join us as we commemorate this milestone! Information is already
being posted for the upcoming year-long celebration.
Read more about what will be coming in less than 2 years!
Unit of Excellence Award Information Updated
The Unit of Excellence Award information has been updated with a new
Information Packet
and a
Sample Letter
. The Order of the Arrow Unit of Excellence Award seeks to identify those units,
and the leaders within them, who excel at incorporating the OA into their
annual planning. This award is intended to provide a tool for lodges to
recognize, incentivize, and operationalize unit-level participation in Order of
the Arrow programs.
NOAC 2015 Location and Date Announced
Friday morning the national committee announced the location and date for NOAC
2015. The next NOAC will be at Michigan State University August 3 to 8, 2015.
More information about NOAC will be provided as it becomes available in the
months ahead.
Four New Best Practices
The National Order of the Arrow is proud to present the next in the Best
Practice series. Four new
Best Practices are now available:
- Council Support - Create value for your council by identifying the council's needs and taking a leadership role in tackling a project.
- Dues Pin - Use this visible recognition item to incentivize your members to pay their dues on time.
- Virtual LEC Attendance - Leverage technology to maximize attendance at your meetings.
- Dues Promotions - Take a proactive role in collecting dues, and provide resources to units while you have a captive audience.
Legacy Project 2015 - Crate and Lodge Rock
The 100th Anniversary Committee is very excited about the roll-out of Legacy
Project 2015 introduced at NOAC 2012. To find out more about this exciting
opportunity to participate in the celebration of the OA's 100th Anniversary
click here.
Since we left NOAC, there have been several questions about the wood we are
asking lodges to bring back to NOAC 2015 for our centennial bonfire. All crates passed out to lodges contained a label requesting that lodges "follow all
applicable state and local laws when transporting wood across state lines (do
not transport ash or pine)." We are very concerned not to spread the habitat of invasive species. Once the location of NOAC 2015 has been determined, detailed
guidance will be released of our understanding of not only the laws that apply,
but what Scouts should do to "leave no trace."
| 
