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. The lodge hosted an induction of existing Arrowman of Lenape Lodge to the Lenape Lodge New Induction Experience that happened from September 18-20, 2026, at Pine Hill Scout Reservation. This weekend took many youth and adult current members through the New Induction Experience firsthand. It is a lot different than the legacy Induction, yet it still feels familiar. This New Induction features much more guided reflection, cheerful service, and preserves 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! Current members can still go through the new induction at a future induction weekend (either Fall 2026 or Spring 2027).
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.