- Dr. E. Urner Goodman
    Founder, Order of the Arrow

The Order of the Arrow Troop Representative or Team Representative is a youth liaison serving between the local OA lodge or chapter and his unit. In his unit, he will serve as a communication and programmatic link to and from Arrowmen, adult leaders and Scouts who are not presently members of the Order. He will do this in a fashion that strengthens the mission of the lodge, purpose of the Order and the mission of the Boy Scouts of America. By setting a good example, he will enhance the image of the Order as a service arm to his unit.

Basic Information

What Is the OA Troop/Team Representative?

The Troop/Team Representative program was begun in 1999, and is a program of the Order of the Arrow that has been officially adopted by the Boy Scouts of America. The OA Representative is now an official leadership position within the troop or team, and boys can earn time towards their leadership rank requirements, just as with Den Chief, Troop Scribe, or any of the other leadership positions.

What Are the Responsibilities of the Troop/Team Representative?

There are numerous possibilities for the job description of the OA Representative. The beauty is that it is flexible enough to allow your unit to fine-tune the exact responsibilities. However, the most basic tasks of the Representative will be to coordinate service opportunities within the unit, to coordinate unit involvement with the Order of the Arrow, including Unit Elections, Camp Promotions, and Inductions, and request lodge and chapter resources to help meet unit needs.

Who Can Serve as a Troop/Team Representative?

Anyone in the unit who is under the age of 18 can serve as the OA Representative for the unit, provided he is a dues-paid member of the Order of the Arrow. He should be appointed by the Senior Patrol Leader or Varsity Team Captain, and will be a member of the Patrol Leaders' Council and attend lodge and chapter meetings.

Will There Be an Adviser for the Troop/Team Representative?

As with all positions in the Order, the OA Representative should have an adult as his Adviser. This adult needs to be 21 years of age or older, a dues-paid member of the Order of the Arrow, and be appointed by the Scoutmaster.

Does This Position Count for Rank Advancement?

Scouts may use the Order of the Arrow Troop/Team Representative position to meet the leadership position requirements for the Star, Life, and Eagle ranks. As BSA publications are revised and updated, they will include this new position.

How can 18 to 20 Year-olds be Involved?

Youth Arrowmen who are 18 or older can serve as a lodge or chapter chair or as a liaison for the Order of the Arrow Troop/Team Representative program. They can play a critical role in the Lodge Structure for the program.

How can I get the Badge of Office?

The OA Troop Representative and OA Team Representative badges of office are available from BSA National Supply. Interested Arrowmen can get them at their local Scout Shop. Ask for:
"OA Troop Representative badge", BSA item #00237

Job Description, Duties and Qualifications

OA Troop Representative Job Description:

An Order of the Arrow Troop Representative is a youth liaison serving between the local OA lodge or chapter and his troop. In his troop, he serves as a communication and programmatic link to the Arrowman and adult leaders and Scouts who are not presently members of the Order. He does this in a fashion that strengthens the mission of the lodge and purpose of the Order. By setting a good example, he enhances the image of the Order as a service arm to his troop.

OA Troop Representative Duties:

• Serves as a communication link between the lodge or chapter and the troop.
• Encourages year round and resident camping in the troop.
• Encourages older Scout participation in high adventure programs.
• Encourages Scouts to actively participate in community service projects.
• Assists with leadership skills training in the troop.
• Encourages Arrowmen to assume leadership positions in the troop.
• Encourages Arrowmen in the troop to be active participants in the lodge and/or chapter activities and to seal their membership in the Order by becoming Brotherhood members.
• Sets a good example
• Enthusiastically wears the Scout uniform correctly.
• Lives by the Scout Oath, Scout Law and OA Obligation
• Shows Scout spirit

OA Troop Representative Qualifications:

• Under 18 years old
• Appointed by SPL with SM approval
• OA Member in good standing

OA Troop Representative Reports To:

Assistant Senior Patrol Leader

Who Benefits from the OA Troop/Team Representative Program?

Scouting:

• With the Troop/Team Representative as a liaison between the Order of the Arrow and the troop or team, the camp promotions process will be smoother, leading to greater numbers of Scouts at summer camp
• Creates a vehicle to strengthen the ties between the OA and the individual BSA troop or team. This will help with the retention of the older Scouts.
• With the organization of service projects, Boy Scouts and Varsity Scouts will be seen actively helping others in their communities

Lodge/Chapter:

• With an easier camp promotions process, the lodge can increase the number of units visited, increasing the effectiveness of this program in the Council.
• Eases the unit election process by having a person in the troop or team whose job is to ensure that elections are held
• With positive OA leadership on the unit level, lodges will experience greater membership retention and higher Brotherhood conversion rates
• A Unit's OA members will have someone to organize transportation to OA events, increasing attendance at chapter/lodge functions

Troop and Team:

• The coordination of OA calendar with that of troop and team will prevent OA members from having to choose between OA functions and unit events
• With the organization of service projects, there will be greater opportunity for community service hours that are required for rank advancement
• Experienced Arrowmen from other units who may be able to share their knowledge can be sought out by the OA Representative to augment the troop program
• Creates more opportunities for leadership in the troop or team for both youth and adults, effectively increasing membership retention

How the program fits in the lodge structure

The new OA Troop/Team Representative program will be a great benefit to troops, teams, and your lodge if used correctly. It can strengthen the unit, increase attendance at lodge events, and aid in camp promotions or service opportunities. Remember, your OA Troop/Team Representatives are depending on the lodge to give them the support that they need! The following are examples of how different lodges may implement the program. It is expected that the OA Troop/Team Representative would be an active participant at Lodge and Chapter meetings.

Mega-Lodge (Chapter based)

The Chapter Chief should appoint a Troop/Team Representative Chairman to the Chapter Executive Committee. He would serve under the Vice Chief most applicable to the program (such as, Vice Chief of Promotions, Vice Chief of Program, etc.) Since your lodge and chapters are large, one chairman could not field all of the OA Representatives. The Chairman should have a set number of Liaisons underneath him. An Arrowman should only coordinate with five to seven OA Representatives. This will keep him from being overwhelmed. The fewer Scouts with which he must coordinate, the better he will do!

It will also be important for the Lodge Chief to appoint a chairman on the lodge level who will serve on the Lodge Executive Committee under the Lodge Vice Chief most applicable to the program. He will be in charge of coordinating with the camp promotions chairman, activities chairman, publications chairman and others to make sure that the OA Representatives receive the most current, up-to-date information on what they should be doing in their home troops and teams. The OA Representative will be responsible for bringing to the chapter, troop or team requests for information and support for their programs. This information exchange should take place in monthly or bimonthly "meetings". This will keep the OA Representative informed about his responsibilities and will make him feel important - ensuring that he will take pride in his work. This Lodge Chairman should also coordinate with the Chapter Troop/Team Representative Chairmen to make sure that the program is still healthy and that the handouts are effective.

Small Lodge Structure (No Chapters)

The OA Troop/Team Representative Program in a smaller lodge should be run similarly. There will still be a need for a chairman to run the program, and a need for the liaisons. A small lodge, however, may find that they may be more dependent upon the liaisons since there may be fewer leaders above them to assist them with their jobs. Special care should be taken to ensure that the liaisons are informed and effective. Because the Lodge Troop/Team Representative Chairman himself will be coordinating the program, he may not have time to make the handouts. A new position may be needed to make and distribute the handouts.

All Lodges

The Chairman should keep an updated roster of the OA Representatives in each troop since they will be coming in to and going out of office at different intervals. The lodge should mail out OA Troop/Team Representative Registration Forms to all of the units at the beginning of each year. It might be a good idea to make a short installation ceremony for the new OA Representatives that could be performed at Chapter or Lodge Meetings. The Chairman should conduct OA Troop/Team Representative Training Seminars at least twice a year for the newly appointed OA Representatives.

There is one important word of caution for a lodge when it begins to use this program; many times the OA Representatives will (and should!) be used as a calling committee to promote events and service projects. However, this means information must flow from the Lodge or Chapter Chief to the Vice Chief and then to Chairman and on down the ladder. It is mandatory that you do not play the telephone game! Have all levels of the calling committee take notes so that the OA Representatives can tell their troop accurate information!

It is important to remember that the ultimate success of this program is dependent upon the OA Troop/Team Representative being a two-way communication link between the lodge/chapter and the troop/team. Not only does information need to flow from the lodge to the unit, but also information on the needs of the unit must flow to the lodge. The lodge or chapter must be responsive to the needs of the troop or team.

The key to running this program successfully is simple: keep all Troop/Team Representatives informed and make them feel that they are needed and crucial aspects of lodge administration. As soon as your lodge has this program in place, you will immediately reap the benefits in the form of more capable leaders, and increased attendance at lodge events.

The new edition of the Support Pak contains information to help the Representative understand his dual position in the unit and the lodge. Included in the Support Pak are a collection of frequently asked questions and an official job description. Much of the content in the Support Pak is contained in appendices to the document. Lodges should adapt the information that is in the Support Pak to best meet their local needs.

The Support Pak is an important tool that lodges can use to promote the Troop/Team Representative Program to troops and teams across the country to help the Scouts who serve in the role become a success.

The OA Troop/Team Representative Support Pak may be downloaded as nine separate PDF files.

Get more information about this format and how to read it.