Osceola Lodge conducts unit elections from October 1st to December 1st each year. Following the elections cycle, there are two opportunities to complete your Ordeal, one in March and one in May. If you do not complete one of these Ordeals, you will need to be reelected by your unit. Each unit is assigned an elections team which will contact the Scoutmaster to schedule your election.
Youth Eligibility Requirements
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Be a registered member of the Boy Scouts of America and approved by the unit leader as eligible.
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Complete 15 days and nights of Boy Scout camping during the two-year period prior to the election.
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Camping requirement must include one, but no more than one, long-term camp consisting of six consecutive days and five nights of resident camping. The balance of the camping must be overnight, weekend, or other short-term camps.
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Youth must be under the age of 21, hold the BSA First Class rank or higher, and following approval by the Scoutmaster, be elected by the youth members of their troop or team.
Adult Candidate Eligibility Requirements
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Be a registered BSA adult leader age 21 or older.
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Meet the same camping requirements as those for youth candidates.
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Be an asset to the Order and be a positive role model for youth.
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Have a nomination form submitted and approved by Lodge selection committee and council camping committee.
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Each unit may select adult candidates equal to 1/3 of the youth members elected (rounded up) plus the Scoutmaster if he or she is not a member of the Order of the Arrow.
The induction ceremony, called the Ordeal, is the first step toward full membership in the Order. During the experience, candidates maintain silence, receive small amounts of food, work on camp improvement projects, and sleep apart from other campers. The entire experience is designed to teach significant values. All candidates for membership must complete the Ordeal.
Once you have completed the Ordeal, all of the benefits of membership are opened up to you. The Order of the Arrow provides an exciting program on a Lodge, Section, and National level.
Lodge Program
Osceola Lodge hosts a regular annual program consisting of four lodge-wide events called fellowship. Fellowships take place in March, May, September, and December. March and May are also Ordeal Weekends. Beyond these events, the lodge may host service days or advancement opportunities for the benefit of the Southwest Florida Council and its members.
Section Program
Section E5 encompasses most of the state of Florida and hosts two regular events to which all lodge members are welcome. The flagship event is the annual Section Conference, a weekend of competition and fellowship between the 7 lodges of the section. The other event is the Section Leadership Summit (SLS) focused towards lodge members who wish to participate in leadership positions and committees. This training equips participants with the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in these roles. Section events are hosted by lodges on a rotating cycle.
National Program
The National Order of the Arrow hosts a number of programs open to all Arrowmen. Including:
National Order of the Arrow Conference
The National Order of the Arrow Conference, or “NOAC,” is the primary national gathering of Arrowmen. They are typically held every two years unless a conflict exists. NOACs are always held on university campuses. All NOACs have had at least 1,000 attendees and as many as nearly 15,000.
Order of the Arrow High Adventure
Are you eager to explore the high mountains of New Mexico, the pristine wilderness of northern Minnesota, the thrilling back country of West Virginia, or the beautiful waters of the Florida Keys? If your answer is yes to any of those, the Order of the Arrow has the answer for you!
Each summer, the Order of the Arrow offers a collection of high adventure treks for youth and young adults who are up to the challenge. Maybe it's whetting your appetite by going for a plunge in the ocean at OA Ocean Adventure at the Florida Sea Base, or maybe hiking is your passion at Philmont, Northern Tier or the Summit. Whatever it is, there is no better place to go than OA High Adventure.
You can exercise your leadership skills by designing and leading a trek with other OA members from around the country—youth are encouraged to come alone or with a buddy. Along with the trek completely designed by you, each participant will have the opportunity to serve the back country through building trail, expanding and reinforcing portage trails, and restoring coral reefs. All of this, while building bonds with OA members from around the country and cementing an experience that will live with you forever.
You may be thinking that this is a daunting task, but it is an experience unlike any other afforded to you in Scouting, in that it takes you out of your world and places you with people who want to do something different. It's not every day that you can tell your friends that you climbed into Cypher's Mine, watched the Northern Lights from a canoe, or went scuba diving in the Florida Keys.
These programs ensure that OA members have unique access to Scouting’s high adventure bases and help to ensure that the future of Scouting has a place to live, work, and interact. This summer, try something new or do something you thoroughly enjoy! Your destiny awaits you...
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