From: gl1@cec2.wustl.edu (Greg Lyon)
Subject: Re: OA
Organization: Washington University, St. Louis MO
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 04:32:34 GMT

In article <1992Oct6.152359.4035@iplmail.orl.mmc.com> mwilson@orl.mmc.com writes:
>
>I wonder if the adults in this case are OA members. If they are then they 
>should know that OA is a boy run program. Adults are to serve as advisors and
>to provide services tha the boys cannot.
>
>Training should not end with the election team. Scoutmasters also need 
>to be informed about their rights and responsibilities regarding the OA.
>
>What can be done to prevent this problem?
>
>1. Train the adult leaders. This is best done by Chapter advisors at 
>   Roundtable.
>
>2. Have an adult advisor (maybe two for two deep leadership) attend the 
>   election. These adults are better equipt to deal with the troop adults.
>
>3. Explain the procedure to the adult leader in charge at the meeting
>   before you start (perhaps while you are setting up the paper work).
>
>4. Establish a lodge policy that any interference in the election 
>   process voids the troop`s election for that year. Make sure that this
>   policy is widely known and then enforce it.

  I strongly agree with the training aspects of what you are saying.  I 
understood (even in my election BEFORE I was in the OA) that the OA is
completely youth-run, etc.  

  The problem I see with just cancelling the election is that, at least with
my troop, I would never have had the chance to join the OA.  The leaders of
my troop at the time were not very OA oriented (they were members, having been
inducted years ago, but felt the OA a waste of time).

  If my election was cancelled, I am sure that my troop would not have invited
the chapter back to hold elections again.  As a result, I would have lost the
chance to serve in the OA, and my chapter and lodge would have lost a future
chapter chief.

  I suppose some people would say that I should have just found another troop,
but despite my troop's lack of interest in the OA, we were one of the most 
active troops in the area.  It was in NYC, so, yes I could have found another
troop, but I was satisfied with almost every other aspect of the program... at
least more so than I would have been in another troop.

  The problem I see is that just cancelling elections mainly hurts the scouts
who are eligible... since the SMs probably don't care anyway.  The chapter
and lodge will suffer as well since they may lose people who would be good
Arrowmen.

  Either way it is a lose-lose situation... either there are problems with the
election, or scouts and the lodge lose out.  I don't know a better way, 
however.

  Unfortunately, I have dropped out Scouting, temporarily I hope.  From going
to college and having my family move across country, I haven't been able to
keep active.  Once I graduate in May, and settle somewhere I do hope to 
become active again... and without the problems I mention above !

Greg


-- 
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Greg Lyon		             	         Student Union Attorney General
gl1@cec2.wustl.edu			                       Clinton/Gore '92 
Washington University in St. Louis - Site of the First 1992 Presidential Debate