Earlier this morning, the National Order of the Arrow Committee voted to implement new requirements for Arrowmen sealing the bond of Brotherhood. Effective immediately, the waiting period between induction and eligibility for Brotherhood membership has been reduced to six (6) months. All other requirements are unchanged.
In a letter to the general membership of the Order of the Arrow, Ed Lyons stated, “In recent years, youth membership in the Order of the Arrow has declined significantly — down 18 percent since 2015. These changes have impacted lodges, and their ability to support councils and deliver program.” Ed, the Vice Chairman of Strategic Performance, believes that this change will help engage and activate new members.
Members of Unami Lodge, One still have plenty of opportunities to seal the bond of Brotherhood this year. Resica Falls offers Brotherhood opportunities during each week of summer camp, and you can also complete your brotherhood at this year’s Fall Fellowship.
The complete letter and policy changes released by the National OA Committee can be found at oa-bsa.org/article/national-committee-immediate-policy-changes. More information about sealing the bond of Brotherhood can be found at unamilodge.org/brotherhood/.