What Is OA Scoutreach Mentoring?Remember when you joined your first Scout troop as a young boy? In your troop there were older, more experienced Scouts to lead, to set the example, to teach you skills, and to direct your program. Many of our Scoutreach units do not have experienced senior Scouts to teach skills, run meetings, plan programs, or go camping and hiking with confidence. |
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That is where the OA Scoutreach Mentoring program comes in! The OA Scoutreach Mentoring program brings together Scouting's best—members of the Order of the Arrow—Scouting's "National Honor Society"—with Scouting's neediest— our urban and rural Scoutreach units.
Members of the Order of the Arrow will provide, on an as-needed basis, specific temporary assistance to Scoutreach units. Matching exceptional skills to critical needs is what the OA Scoutreach Mentoring program is all about, and the results show in the quality of Scouts this program produces.
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The Order of the Arrow is Scouting's "National Honor Society." Members of the Order of the Arrow are elected by their peers on the basis of service and leadership in their units. The Scouts and Scouters selected to the Order of the Arrow best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives. The Order of the Arrow is the "Brotherhood of Cheerful Service," and its members are charged to serve others. Members of the Order of the Arrow are the best that Scouting has to offer. |
In order to understand the concept of OA Scoutreach Mentoring, you will need to understand the concept of mentoring. Mentor is the name of the person to whom Odysseus (Ulysses) entrusted the care of his son, Telemachus, when he set out on his wanderings as described by Homer in the Odyssey. Mentor was Odysseus' wise and trusted counselor, and became the tutor to Telemachus. Mentor's name has been passed down through the centuries as a term that means "wise and trusted counselor and teacher."
In general, a mentor is an individual, usually older and always more experienced, who helps and guides another individual's development. The guidance is not done for the personal gain of the mentor. The best mentors are people whose own enthusiasm for the task at hand, whether it is tying a knot or leading a program, is so contagious that they inspire others just by doing what they enjoy most. The object of mentoring is to encourage growth of a younger or less experienced person whose needs and interests are a mentor's primary consideration.
An OA Scoutreach mentor can make the difference in a troop. By showing personal enthusiasm for the Scouting program and the outdoors, a mentor can help Scoutreach units improve their programs and get kids excited about Scouting for the rest of their lives. A Scoutreach mentor can change lives.
| Step One | The council/district Scoutreach committee contacts the lodge, requesting its involvement with the program. |
| Step Two | The lodge chief appoints a youth chairman to oversee all mentors sponsored in the lodge and handle all administrative work for the application and implementation process. The lodge adviser should appoint an adult adviser to assist the new chairman. |
| Step Three | In order to compile a master profile of urban and rural troops, the youth chairman contacts all district executives and their district commissioners to request a list of Scoutreach units in each district. |
| Step Four | The youth chairman meets with each district commissioner to review potential mentors' applications from the district and match available applicants to Scoutreach units. |
| Step Five | After mentors have been matched with eligible units, the mentor, unit commissioner, and unit leader meet to outline a list of items to be organized into an action plan for the mentor's role in the unit. |
| Step Six | The youth chairman or a member of his committee should be in periodic contact with both the unit commissioner and the OA mentor to supply them with camp promotion and advancement information. |
| Step Seven | After all items of the action plan are carried out, the mentor, unit leaders, and unit commissioner should meet to evaluate the mentor's performance and to discuss whether the action plan was fulfilled. |
Q. Why did the Order of the Arrow create this program?
A. The OA Scoutreach Mentoring program is a joint creation of the Scoutreach and the National Order of the Arrow committees. The Order of the Arrow supports the mission of Scoutreach and recognizes the importance of making Scouting available to every boy in America.
Q. What can I do to help start the OA Scoutreach Mentoring program in my lodge?
A. Talk to your council's Scoutreach committee or district committee, lodge chief, and adviser to get their support and approval to start the program in your council or district. Next, organize a lodge service committee to implement the program.
Q. Is the OA Scoutreach Mentoring program only for Scoutreach troops?
A. No. The program was created to help out any urban or rural Scout troop whose camping and advancement programs need help.
Q. Is the OA Scoutreach Mentoring program available for helping Cub Scout packs as well as Scout troops?
A. The program is designed to help Boy Scout troops with their hiking, camping, and outdoor programs. The primary goal of the Mentoring program, however, is to provide assistance to local council's Scoutreach program. If requested, the OA Scoutreach mentor should assist the council where the need is greatest.
Q. Will serving as a Scoutreach mentor interfere with my activities with my own unit?
A. No, your first duty is to your unit. Being a Scoutreach mentor should not interfere with participation in your unit.
Q. How long does a typical action plan take to complete?
A. Each action plan is unique, and may take six months to one year to complete; however, a minimum of three months or 45 hours of service is expected in order to apply for the recognition award.
Q. Is OA Scoutreach Mentoring just for the youth members, or can adults be involved?
A. Adults can play a key role in the OA Scoutreach Mentoring program. Scoutreach units need adult volunteer assistance, and adult-level training as well as the program assistance the youth can provide. Additionally, adults can help with resources and transportation.
Q. As an adult Scoutreach mentor, how can I work most effectively with my district commissioner?
A. Communicate the purpose of the program and keep your district commissioner informed about the progress of the program. The district commissioner should be your best supporter.
Q. Where can I get additional information about the OA Scoutreach Mentoring program?
A. The National Order of the Arrow website (www.oa-bsa.org) has additional information about the program. You can contact the Scoutreach Division at the national office. You can also call Dr. David Briscoe, National Scoutreach Committee, Mentoring Committee Chairman, at 501-952-3070, or Tico Perez, National OA Committee, OA Scoutreach Mentoring chairman at 407-649-4007.
Interested Arrowmen can secure an application from their lodge chief or it can be printed from this link: OA Scoutreach Mentoring Application. The application should then be completed and given to the chairman of the lodge service committee. The lodge committee and the district commissioner staff should then meet to review all applications. Selected mentors will then be matched with troops from the master profile of urban and rural units, and an action plan will be agreed on.
The final phase of the OA Scoutreach Mentoring program is recognition of mentors for their diligent efforts in helping Scoutreach units. Recognition requires approval of the Scoutreach Scoutmaster, the lodge chief, the lodge adviser, the lodge committee chairman, and the district commissioner.
The award consists of a colorful triangular patch and certificate. Mentors who successfully complete their first action plans are presented patches and certificates with a bronze border. Mentors completing their second action plans will be presented with certificates and patches with a silver border, and mentors completing their third action plans will be presented with certificates and patches with a gold border.
| The Boy Scouts of America |  |
http://www.scouting.org |