Troop Life - Order of the Arrow: Not Yet
| Category: | Troop Life |
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| Notes: | For the Scouts who were eligible for the Order of the Arrow but weren't elected this year. Best delivered to the whole troop after the election, without naming anyone, or one-on-one. Pairs with troop-life-oa-when-youre-called. Part of a Troop Life series - see the other minutes in this category. |
I want to talk to the Scouts who were eligible for the Order of the Arrow this year and weren't elected.
That stings. I know it does. Your friends' names got called and yours didn't. It's okay to be disappointed. It's okay to be a little hurt.
But let me tell you what it doesn't mean. It doesn't mean you're a bad Scout. It doesn't mean nobody likes you. Elections are funny things. Sometimes they come down to which Scouts were at the most campouts that year, or who the younger Scouts happen to know best. Plenty of Scouts who weren't elected on their first try went on to become outstanding Arrowmen.
Here's what it can mean, if you let it. It's a chance to look at how you're living the Scout Law, honestly. Are you the Scout others want to camp with? Do you help without being asked? Do the younger Scouts know you? Not because you're doing it for a vote, but because that's the kind of Scout you want to be.
If you do that, two things happen. You become a better Scout, whether or not you're ever elected. And the Scouts around you will notice. They usually do.
How you handle this year says more about you than any election could. Keep showing up. Keep helping. Next year is a new vote.