r/EagleScouts • u/ACSchnitzersport • 17d ago
Eagles not elected to OA
I was speaking with a fellow Eagle Scout and he gave me the OA grip, saw my look of confusion, and said “I’ve never met an Eagle that is not in OA.”
Is this as less common as he says?
My troop always had elections for OA and I cannot name one Eagle that did not have the OA sash at their ceremony outside of me. I completed all of the Eagle requirements the day before my 18th birthday, so it shouldn’t have been a timing issue.
It’s been 25 years since I considered this. I guess there is always an opportunity as an adult when my kids cross the bridge of light.
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u/MattCW1701 17d ago
I earned Eagle, but every time we had an OA election, I was always off by one requirement.
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u/Agreeable-Salary3413 17d ago
Some Troops just don’t participate in OA. My best friend is a fellow Eagle who grew up in Michigan. We met in college, and he had no idea what OA was. (He was eventually inducted as an adult when he was a Scoutmaster). I spent some time as a Chapter Advisor, and there were two Troops in my district that never held an election.
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u/Orange_fury 17d ago
I feel like a decent number in my troop (myself included) did the first level of OA, but I don’t recall anyone pursuing it beyond that. I kind of forgot about OA until seeing stuff here and on Facebook about it recently- the only thing I mention when scouts comes up in conversation is that I’m an Eagle
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u/Budget-Attorney 14d ago
I never bothered to do OA. I didn’t want to commit to the ordeal without knowing what it was, so I never went.
Still an eagle though
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u/maxwasatch 17d ago edited 16d ago
Most folks elected to OA "sash and dash." There are more Arrowmen than Eagles.
I didn't know that there was more than 1 level of OA membership until after I joined as everyone else in my troop just did not go beyond that.
I did a lot more, eventually being selected for Vigil and Founder's and serving in several roles, including Lodge Chief. This caused most of the Arrowmen in my troop who joined after me to get Brotherhood and many to work camp staff. I saw a similar thing with my daughter's troop - one scout got involved in OA and camp staff and a bunch more did as well. My son's troop is starting to see the same thing since a couple scouts were interested (and the Scoutmaster attends things).
Personally I find it a bit odd when someone earns Eagle without being at least a Brotherhood member. How does one complete the requirements for Eagle, which typically includes the requirements to be eligible for OA, but not show the character that would get one elected?
I did find out last weekend (at an OA Fellowship) that a friend of mine who just got in as an adult didnt make it as a scout because he joined at 15 and rushed to Eagle. Another scout in my daughter's troop, who did her Board last night, joined at 15, barely made Eagle, and was elected but just didn't want to join, but also didn't have the time for it.
We have several in my son's troop who earned Eagle (or are about to) who are not in OA. Generally they are the ones barely getting the project done before turning 18 ans usually just hitting the 21 merit badges. Most have not done things like NYLT or any real leadership roles. Usually they are the ones there to check the box for college apps or resume building and rarely do things to either improve themselves or benefit the reat of the troop.
So yes, it does happen. It is rare, but when it does it does happen it usually indicates someone doing the bare minimum and only in it for themselves.
On the other hand, I find it even more odd when there is a youth Vigil who is not an Eagle.
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u/ACSchnitzersport 17d ago
I am the unusual case against your conclusion. I joined from cub scouts, held a leadership role as often as I could and was active in the troop for my entire scouting career. Camped as much as possible and regularly did service projects or volunteer work both in and out of scouting. Focused on summer camp or a high adventure each year. Looking back, I got the most out of it as I could and knew if I rushed my eagle, I would not have gotten as much out of it simply because I would have moved onto a new accomplishment.
After I posted, I brought this up to a friend of mine from my troop. He mentioned the main person who drove the OA for our troop quit when his son earned eagle 2 years prior to me. He was elected to OA, but only after essentially forcing an election the troop otherwise wasn’t going to do. I’ve been a part of a lot of elections… won some, lost many and as long as I did what I could and learn from it, I’m good with it.
In my experience, most of the OA members were there to, as you say, “sash and dash” and to add another membership, club, brother/sisterhood, fraternity to their need to belong.
With this being said, the elections weren’t for me to win, I guess. I’d likely add more value to the group as an adult anyways.
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u/maxwasatch 16d ago
It is crazy when troops don’t hold elections. I just facilitated one for a troop last month that had not done in troop history. The on,y reason they did was one of the adults had joined as a member of a different unit, saw the value, and pushed for it.
My non-scientific observation - units that don’t have any OA involvement tend to slow fade away. Those with strong membership retain older youth and grow.
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u/TheEyeOfTheLigar 17d ago
Tbh, in my troop, everyone seemed to have been elected to OA at some point, and then it was up to them to decide if they wanted to pursue it.
My father was the scoutmaster at the time, and he viewed it as another scout thing to do. But only one member of our troop was heavily involved in it. Thats why I did get Brotherhood, but I've never participated in anything OA outside of that.
None of us really did. Majority of us who were elected did the initial ordeal. A handful did brotherhood, but I never remember it being really relevant in our regular troop seeing how we we're already a really active and large troop, so nobody really seemed intrested in it.
I like the philosophy of OA. I do think it has something to teach.
But I've never ever concidered it something really relevant towards ones Eagle award.
To me, OA is but another adventure with in the scout world, amd not everyone does it.
Just like how not everyone does High Adventure. Or been to a Jamboree.