Lodge Bylaws

Effective date: September 12, 2021

1. Name and Affiliation

   1. The name of this Lodge of the Order of the Arrow shall be Tindeuchen Lodge # 522.

   2. The Lodge shall be affiliated with the Erie Shores Council, Boy Scouts of America, and shall be under the supervision of the council camping or Boy Scout committee and the administrative authority of the Scout Executive.

   3. The totem of this Lodge shall be “Fire”.

   4. Lodge flaps, back patches, neckerchiefs and other Order of the Arrow insignia shall be worn only by active members and issued in accordance with the directions of the Lodge Executive Committee and national policies of the Order of the Arrow, Boy Scouts of America.

   5. The Order of the Arrow sash is to be worn as outlined within the Order of the Arrow Handbook.

2. Election to Membership

   1. The requirements for membership in this Lodge are as stated in the current printing of the Order of the Arrow Handbook and the Order of the Arrow Guide for Officers and Advisers.

   2. The procedure for the Ordeal shall be as stated in the Order of the Arrow Handbook and the Administration Guide for the Ordeal.

   3. All elections for membership must be cleared and conducted through the Lodge Elections Committee. All election returns must be forwarded to the Election Committee Chair within 10 days of the election. 

   4. Elections may be held only once per calendar year per unit between January 5th and May 30th. Exceptions may be granted in the event of extenuating circumstances as determined by the Lodge Chief and Lodge Adviser.

   5. A person shall be considered as an active member after induction if they pay annual dues, participate in Lodge functions and remain in good standing as a registered member of the Boy Scouts of America.

3. Lodge Executive Committee

   1. The Lodge Executive Committee of this Lodge shall be composed of the elected Lodge Officers, the immediate past Lodge Chief, Lodge Committee Chairs, the Lodge Adviser, another member of the council camping or Boy Scout committee, Chapter Chiefs (when chapters are applicable), Chapter Advisers (when chapters are applicable), the Scout Executive, and the Lodge Staff Adviser.

   2. All Officers and Committee Chairs must be under 21 years of age during their entire term in office.

   3. The voting members of the Lodge shall be consistent with the guidelines set by the Guide to Officers and Advisers.  

   4. The Officers of the Lodge shall be the Lodge Chief, Lodge Vice Chief of Program, Lodge Vice Chief of Operations, Lodge Vice Chief of OutREACH, Lodge Vice Chief of Finance, Lodge Vice Chief of Communications, and any Chapter Chiefs. 

   5. Officers will be elected at the Lodge meeting directly prior to November 30th. The terms of all Officers will last from December 1st to November 30th.

   6. The duties of all Lodge Officers and Committee Chairs will be determined by the Lodge Chief with the approval of the Lodge Adviser and must be submitted in writing to the Officers. 

   7. The Lodge Executive Committee may name ad-hoc committees as it deems necessary in addition to its standing operating Committees. Operating Committee Chairs are appointed by the Lodge Chief with the approval of the Lodge Adviser.

   8. Any Lodge Officer or Committee Chair who misses two meetings without notifying the other members of the Lodge Executive Committee may be removed from office by a two-thirds majority of the present voting members of the Lodge Executive Committee.

   9. All Lodge Officers and Committee Chairs are subject to recall. A motion for recall may be called by a three-quarters majority of the present voting members of the Lodge Executive Committee. The grounds for recall must be submitted in writing to the individual being recalled within one week. The recall vote cannot be held sooner than one week after written notice is given. A three quarter majority vote of the present voting members of the Lodge Executive Committee is required for recall.

   10. Offices vacated in midterm shall be filled by nomination of the Lodge Chief with the approval of the Lodge Executive Committee and the Lodge Adviser.

   11.  If the Lodge Chief should for any reason leave office before the end of their term, an election should be held at the next Lodge meeting. The Lodge Vice Chief of Program will act as Interim Lodge Chief until that meeting and will chair the election to select a new Lodge Chief.

4. Adult Advisers

   1. The Lodge Adviser shall be appointed by the Scout Executive.

   2. The Staff Adviser is a member of Erie Shores Council professional staff and shall be appointed by the Scout Executive.

   3. An adult adviser for all elected and appointed Officers and Committee Chairs should be appointed by the Lodge Adviser.

   4. All adult advisers do not have an official vote in Lodge business. Their role is to advise the youth leaders.

5. Lodge Meetings

   1. The Lodge Executive Committee shall hold meetings that are open to all active members to attend.

   2. Special meetings of the Lodge Executive Committee as a whole may be called at the discretion of the Lodge Chief with the approval of the Lodge Adviser. Members of the Lodge Executive Committee must be given five days written notice of such meetings.

   3. Each meeting of the Lodge or the Lodge Executive Committee shall be opened with the Obligation of the Order of the Arrow and the Pledge of Allegiance.

   4. The Lodge shall schedule Lodge events as recommended by the Lodge Executive Committee and approved by the administrative authority of the Erie Shores Council, Inc.

   5. In order to hold a vote, three Lodge Officers and a total of eight voting members must be present at a normal Lodge Executive Committee Meeting.

   6. Unless otherwise noted, all votes require a simple majority to pass.

6. Finance

   1. All Order of the Arrow funds shall be handled through the council service center and go through all normal council accounting procedures used by Erie Shores Council, Inc.

   2. Lodge Dues will be collected by the Lodge Treasurer or the Budget Committee Chair or the Staff Adviser or their designee at any Lodge event and then turned over to the Staff Adviser. Dues may also be paid online or at other locations as determined by the Lodge Executive Committee.

   3. There shall be an induction fee as determined by the Lodge Executive Committee with the approval of Erie Shores Council, Inc.

   4. In the development of the Lodge annual budget, funds will be made available for Lodge mailings, supplies and service projects. 

   5. Approval must be gained from the Lodge Executive Committee and Lodge Staff Adviser before incurring any expenses. All approved bills will be paid by Erie Shores Council, Inc.

   6. Budgets must be submitted to the Lodge Chief and Lodge Vice Chief of Finance no later than November 1st of each year. This budget must be presented and accepted by the Lodge Executive Committee by December 31st of each year.

7. Brotherhood and Vigil Membership

   1. The procedure to obtain Brotherhood membership will follow the procedures outlined in the current printing of the Order of the Arrow Handbook and the Guide for Officers and Advisers.

   2. Attainment of the Vigil Honor shall be in accordance with the requirements in the current printing of the Order of the Arrow Handbook and the Order of the Arrow Guide for Officers and Advisers.

   3. A Vigil nominating committee will be appointed by the Lodge Chief with the approval of the Lodge Adviser and the Scout Executive. The Lodge Adviser appoints an adult adviser in consultation with the Lodge Chief and the Staff Adviser. The Vigil committee must consist of at least five (5) but not more than nine (9) members, one of these being the adult adviser. The committee members are usually Vigil Honor members; however, any youth members of the Lodge may serve on the committee, provided that they are not eligible to receive the Vigil Honor at the time of the current selections.

   4. The Lodge Adviser will provide the Nominating Committee with a list of all members on the Vigil eligibility list.

   5. The Nominating Committee Chair will open for discussion the qualifications of all members on the eligibility list.

   6. At the conclusion, the Chair will open the meeting for nominations. Any member of the committee may nominate a candidate for the Vigil Honor, but the nominations must be seconded immediately to become valid.

   7. Nominations will continue until all available positions are filled or the nominations are closed by a majority vote.

   8. Vigil Honor recipients, upon acceptance and approval from both Erie Shores Council, Inc. and the National Order of the Arrow Committee, are notified at a tap out ceremony at a regular Lodge meeting or activity of the Lodge and are escorted by a Vigil sponsor to the Vigil. It is the responsibility of the Vigil sponsor to see the candidate through the entire Vigil ceremony.

8. Lodge Chapters

   1. This Lodge will not have chapters until it is determined to be large enough to support chapters as determined by the Lodge Executive Committee, Lodge Adviser, Lodge Staff Adviser, and Scout Executive.

   2. In order to create a chapter, there must be a committee established by Arrowmen in good standing with the Lodge.

      1. This committee must contain at least three youth members and two adult advisers.

      2. The youth members will be the Chapter Chief, Chapter Vice Chief, and Chapter Secretary.

      3. The adult advisers will be a member of Erie Shores Council professional staff or their designee and a Chapter Adviser appointed by the Lodge Adviser.

   3. This committee will inform the Lodge Executive Committee of their intention to create a chapter of the Lodge. The Lodge Executive Committee should vote upon this matter at the next Lodge meeting.

   4. The name of the chapter shall be determined by the Chapter Officers but must be accepted by the Lodge Executive Committee.

   5. Chapter Officers must be elected by the chapter at the chapter meeting directly prior to November 30th.

   6. Chapter Officer terms will run from December 1st to November 30th.

9. Amendment

   1. These rules shall be subject to amendment at any regular or special meeting of this Lodge, provided such amendment has been submitted in writing to the Executive Committee at least one month prior, and notice has been sent to all active members at least ten days prior to such meeting. A two-thirds vote of all members under 21 years of age present shall be required to adopt such amendments.