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Ask the Chairman

The national Order of the Arrow chairman answers your questions on a regular basis. You may contact the chairman, Mike Hoffman, at @email.

Ask the Chairman - Assistant Scoutmaster

Q. Ray, Can a Scoutmaster ask that a 20yr old Assistant Scoutmaster who had been a first class scout or higher...

Ask the Chairman - OA Assistant Scoutmaster Patch

Q. Ray, There is some confusion about the OA adviser patch for the assistant Scoutmaster in my area. Some people are...

Ask the Chairman - Guide for Using LodgeMaster

Q. Ray, Since all lodges will be required to use LodgeMaster for rechartering in 2015, are there any plans for a...

Ask the Chairman - How can I be involved in the Order’s centennial celebration outside of NOAC?

Q. I know registration for the 2015 National Order of the Arrow Conference is at capacity and the likelihood of...

Ask the Chairman - What BSA membership is necessary for OA membership?

Q. Ray, As the membership record keeper of my lodge I have been asked what BSA registration is necessary to maintain...

Ask the Chairman - How should special needs Scouts be considered for election to the OA?

Q. Ray, We have a young man who was elected to the Order of the Arrow this spring. He is a...

Ask the Chairman - How can an adult meet the long­term camping requirement for membership?

Q: Ray,   I'd like to ask about the adult membership requirements. Our troop has an adult who has been pivotal in...

Ask the Chairman - Why are the JTE gold-level requirements so difficult?

Q: Ray, Why are some of the gold-level requirements for the Journey to Excellence (JTE) program so unfair? I’m a member...

Ask the Chairman - Service Hours

Q. Ray, A Scout's parent would like to know if the required service time with the Order of the Arrow counts...

Ask the Chairman - Venturing Crew

The information on this page may not reflect the changes to the Order of the Arrow membership requirements effective February...

Ask the Chairman - What is the Correct Spelling of Adviser?

Q. Ray, I’ve noticed that the word adviser has different spellings in different Scouting programs. Which one is correct? A. While both...

Ask the Chairman - Legacy Project Lodge History Book

Q. Our Lodge is working on the Legacy Project history book. To whom should we send our lodge history PDF?...