ScoutReach Mentoring

Goals and Functions

• To act as a positive influence in the midst of dramatic social, political, economic, and demographic forces affecting urban and rural communities.
   
• To increase advancement and camping opportunities for Scouts in urban and rural troops whose programs, leadership, and resources are limited.
   
• To provide additional, positive youth and adult role models for disadvantaged urban and rural Scouts and adult leaders.
   
• To create a "guided discovery" for Order of the Arrow members to reflect on the ideal of "He alone is worthy to wear the arrow who will continue faithfully to serve his fellow man."
   
• To fulfill the Order of the Arrow Strategic Plan.
   
• To create the opportunity for more urban and rural Scouts to become eligible for membership in the Order of the Arrow.

Lodge Responsibilities

• It is the overall responsibility of the lodge with local Scoutreach and district committee support and approval to administer the Order of the Arrow Scoutreach Mentoring Program. This works through the lodge service committee. Regardless of the size of the lodge and its internal structure, the lodge service committee has the authority to administer the program. The lodge service committee should request assistance from the council and district commissioner staffs, council professionals, and the council's Scoutreach committee in identifying urban and rural troops whose advancement and camping programs need help.
   
• Other sources within the council where information on a troop's status might be obtained are the record of district and council camping and advancement committees. Therefore, it becomes necessary that the lodge service committee develop a master profile of urban and rural troops in the council that might benefit from the mentoring program. >From the master profile, the lodge service committee and district executive will match applicants to selected troops.
   
• The lodge service committee and the district commissioner should exercise great care in matching mentors to troops. Troops whose camping and advancement programs are weakest would require the most assistance. In such cases, two or more mentors might be assigned to a single troop. Keep in mind that matching mentors to troops will vary from unit to unit. Assigning adult and youth Arrowmen to the same troop is recommended strategy in many communities.
  
  Text from the National OA Web Site, www.oa-bsa.org

Our Section is planning to invite all ScoutReach Troops within the six Councils of our area to attend the SR-7b Conclave in 2011. This opportunity is the first of its kind and all scouts are welcome to experience the greatest Scouting event of its type. Be sure to mark your calander now to attend this time of learning and fun!