New Induction Information
Over the past several years, the National Order of the Arrow Committee has developed, improved, and approved major thematic changes to the Order of the Arrow, including a big overhaul of the Induction Experience. These changes come on a precipice of major retention and OA membership decline. Nationally, from 2024 to 2025, we lost over 5,000 OA members nationwide. This has prompted the National OA Committee to make major changes to the Induction Experience to enhance the delivering of our core values; Brotherhood, Cheerfulness, and Service; to the Arrowmen of today.
On May 8-10, Lenape Lodge sent a team to the Section E17 New Induction Experience to get trained on how to deliver the Induction Experience to Arrowmen. I would like to personally invite you to the 2026 Lenape Lodge New Induction Experience that will be happening from September 18-20, 2026, at Pine Hill Scout Reservation. This weekend will take you through the New Induction Experience firsthand. Don’t worry, it is a lot different than the Induction that you went through yet will still feel familiar. This New Induction will feature much more guided reflection, cheerful service, and a night under the stars. Though this sounds like the legacy induction, there are both very familiar parts and different parts that all combine to create an induction experience that each and every one of you will enjoy! We would love to see each and every one of you there, not to get re-inducted, but to see in what direction our Order is going in.
These changes are not made lightly. Years of hard work, dedication, and deliberation have gone into creating the most intentional and meaningful induction possible. We welcome all members to experience it for themselves. Most specific information has been held back to preserve the experience that each member will go through at the New Induction Experience. Come prepared with a horseshoe (just like the old induction) as well a notebook and pen (they are extremely important in the New Induction). We are also going to be running a crew of exclusively current members at the 2026 Fall Induction and the 2027 Spring Induction, so if you cannot make it to the Lodge Induction Experience, take advantage of the other offerings of New Induction in Lenape Lodge.