Order of the Arrow
New Strategic Plan
2008-2012

Presented at the 2007 National Conservation and Leadership Summit, the Strategic Plan for 2008 - 2012 addresses how the National Committee plans to achieve our vision for the future of the Order of the Arrow. The plan is entitled "Living the Legacy." It defines leadership, service, and financial support as ways the Order can assist the Boy Scouts of America. The plan outlines methods for local lodges to give increased service to their councils, as well as what the National Committee will do to support the lodges and Scouting in the years ahead. Below is a copy of the new strategic plan.

OUR VISION As Scouting’s National Honor Society and as an integral part of every council, our service, activities, adventures, and training for youth and adults, will be models of quality leadership development and programming that enrich the lives of our members and help extend Scouting to America’s youth. Back to Top

The Order of the Arrow’s strategic efforts for the past decade have been both innovative and progressive. Among our achievements, we have:

• Been recognized as Scouting’s National Honor Society
• Made leadership development a primary focus of our program
• Provided significant service to the Boy Scout program, the Cub Scout program, and the national high adventure bases
• Developed a mentoring program in support of Scoutreach
• Furthered existing and created new positive relationships throughout the Boy Scouts of America
• Spotlighted and embraced the ideals of servant leadership in our national and local programs

The Order reaffirms its commitment to be more relevant and significant to the Scouting movement and in the everyday lives of our members.

At the same time, we believe our success depends on our ability to fulfill our core commitments. Although the methods and extent of our service and programs have changed significantly since the Order’s founding in 1915, the fundamental purpose has remained the same. We renew our commitment to this original intent in the context of Scouting’s needs today.

Our intent is to:

In each of these objectives, we will strive for excellence. In this plan, we outline the principles that will guide our decisions and the initiatives that will bring these principles to life.

As a national organization, we will:

• Directly support the mission and strategic plan of the Boy Scouts of America. In this light, we will evaluate our actions and programs to ensure they are in harmony with the BSA’s direction.
• Center our actions around historical areas of success. We recognize our historical success grows when we focus resources and energy on innovative programs, activities, and events directed toward serving and supporting Scouting, developing leaders of character, promoting outdoor adventure, and being an active and honored brotherhood.
• Serve as a model and resource for the lodge and provide a more energized and practical toolkit for success. The Order’s success begins and ends with the implementation of programs that directly benefit the council, the lodge, and each member.
• Actively expand our positive example, influence, and leadership throughout the Scouting movement. The Order’s greatest asset is the skilled corps of dedicated youth, adult, and professional leaders.
• Remain fiscally strong. Sound financial practices allow the Order to successfully serve and support Scouting.

We expect every lodge to be:

• An integral part of every council. An effective lodge is an essential part of the delivery of the Boy Scout program in every council.
• Recognized as a Quality Lodge. The Order is most effective when each lodge achieves the national quality standards.
• Responsive and flexible in meeting the needs of their council. Council and lodge leaders working together are well positioned to identify how the Order can best serve their local Scouting community.
• Proactive, innovative, and energetic in their support of the council and its units. We will strive to create a spirit of servant leadership in lodge leaders.
  

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OUR ACTIONS

We will undertake a series of actions designed to help the Order excel in achieving our strategy. Both as a national organization and in each local council, we will enthusiastically undertake the following actions:

• To serve and support Scouting, we will…
  • Forge meaningful relationships with other groups within Scouting by joining together on projects of mutual interest.
  • Emphasize the historical success of the Order in retaining Scouts and Scouters, including a more active commitment to the Webelos to Boy Scout transition.
  • Offer the Order of the Arrow program in every council.
  • Strive to link the Quality Council and Quality Lodge processes to provide an excellent Scouting program.
  • Integrate council leadership into the lodge annual planning process and quality lodge petition to better respond to local needs.
  • Develop and maintain a strong financial base.
  • Initiate and strengthen existing programs to motivate our volunteers to serve their unit, district, and council, as well as other programs within the Scouting movement.
  • Provide support materials to create a more effective Troop/Team Representative program, including guidance on the role of the representative’s adviser, so the position becomes a more meaningful part of every Boy Scout unit.
  • Engage Scouting professionals at all levels of the Order through training, leadership development, and other service opportunities.
  • Provide Scout Executives and lodge leaders with materials that identify ways the lodge can successfully serve its council.
  • Strive to transition or re-introduce young adults into roles as volunteer Scouters.

• To develop leaders of character, we will…
  • Seek opportunities for leadership at the lodge, section, region, and national levels.
  • Produce an Arrowman’s Guide to Servant Leadership and other resources aimed at encapsulating the ideals of servant leadership, and the Scout Oath and Scout Law in the daily life of every member.
  • Encourage local councils to provide additional opportunities for Order of the Arrow leaders to be involved in other aspects of Scouting.
  • Seek to involve all lodge chiefs and advisers in the decision-making processes of the local council by advocating appointment to the council executive board.
  • Broaden the intended audience for the Lodge Leadership Development (LLD) program and other training to include more lodge youth and adult members.
  • Improve the quality of adult volunteers through more systematic identification, recruitment, development, and retention of advisers with our desired qualifications

• To promote outdoor adventure, we will…

• Continue our commitment to the national BSA high adventure bases, specifically the highly acclaimed OA Wilderness Voyage, OA Trail Crew, and OA Ocean Adventure programs.
• Promote and deliver active, outdoor programs to make Scouting’s aim of physical fitness a priority of the Order’s program.
• Assure appropriate BSA medical standards are followed at our national programs and events to emphasize the importance of physical fitness.
• Support and incorporate state of the art conservation and outdoor ethical practices in the Order’s outdoor training and activities.
• Develop, promote, and conduct the ArrowCorps5 national service project in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service during the summer of 2008 thereby demonstrating a model for OA-led conservation service projects for the local council.
• Recommend the use of the OA Camp Chief program and expand the Order’s summer camp presence, promotion, and service.
• Support the Cub Scout outdoor program.
• Support the implementation of high adventure programs in local councils through our national model and sharing of best-practices.

• To be an active, honored brotherhood, we will…
  • Meaningfully reduce membership attrition by improving the registration and dues collection process, among other efforts.
  • Ensure the accurate registration of our members through a robust membership verification system.
  • Develop annual thematic-based programs that are highlighted throughout the year and featured in the national program of emphasis.
  • Enhance our capabilities to communicate directly with our members — both at the national and local council levels — largely through electronic means.
  • Continue to expand our national historical archives and secure an appropriate national repository to make the Order’s memorabilia more accessible to the Scouting community.
  • Examine the Order’s purpose, identity, and perceived role within the Scouting movement, and the mission of the lodge, as we prepare for the Boy couts of America’s centennial celebration.
  • Undertake a deliberate examination of the Order’s commitment to programs and events to avoid overburdening our national and local councils.
  • Achieve a total national endowment of Six Million Dollars.
  • Reconnect with former members of the Order to re-engage and identify them as potential resources for their local councils.
  • Grow the Goodman Society to 100 members

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Revised 8/24/2007