Inside the Order of the Arrow's new 'Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion'

Building on the momentum from its conference in August, the Order of the Arrow has formally adopted a new commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in the organization.

The document, which was officially approved in November and shared with the public this week, establishes a vision for the OA “to become a model for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Boy Scouts of America.”

This strategy is rooted in what the OA sees as its long history of bold leadership on DEI, dating back to at least 1960, when the OA elected Ron Temple to be its first Black national conference chief. It also relies heavily on the OA’s “highest calling: to love one another,” stating that “love is at the heart of leadership.”

So, what are the tangible things that this document hopes to accomplish?

The overarching goal is to foster three new “leadership capabilities” in OA members. These include the ability to: build and lead diverse teams; build inclusive teams and embrace learning about others; and increase access to opportunities for others.

The commitment sets out a number of priorities for accomplishing that over the next three years. First, the OA plans to increase its representation within membership (“Our aim is to reflect Scouting’s diversity”) and marketing materials. The national committee will also work to “remove barriers to full participation and engagement,” especially for scouts with financial need, and those from historically excluded groups.

In addition, the organization wants to teach its members “how to better practice the Admonition as a leader,” how to be an “upstander” against bullying, and how to lead inclusive spaces.

You can read the full document here if you’re interested in more detail on any of those points.

The final page of the commitment also offers a long list of suggestions for “what you can do” on an individual level to develop those new leadership capabilities I mentioned earlier. Some ideas that caught my eye:

• “Hold unit elections in every eligible unit. Consider how you might establish stronger relationships with units that aren’t involved (or aren’t active) in the OA.”
• “Invite chapter and lodge event attendees to share feedback about how you can improve efforts to build an inclusive community for all.”
• “Consider how to overcome barriers that are preventing some members from attending events. These could be accessibility barriers, transportation barriers, financial barriers, etc. For example, some lodges arrange carpools (addressing transportation barriers) and others offer scholarships (addressing financial barriers).”
• “Ensure that events and meetings are accessible for the Scouts with special needs and disabilities in your lodge. “

What do you think of the OA’s new DEI commitment? What are your surprised to see (or not see)? Jump into the comments and start a conversation.