The Key 3: Teamwork in Action

The Key 3: Teamwork in Action

Objective

To ensure that participants understand the function and operations of the Key 3 at all levels in the Order.

Opening

Introduce yourself, lodge, city and state. State the objectives of the session.

Discovery

The Order of the Arrow is unique in the sense that it utilizes youth leadership from the chapter to the national level. However, the Key 3 concept is not unique to the Order. We have Key 3 teams in district and council operations through the Commissioner, Chairman (or President) and the Executive (Council or District).

But the Key 3 in the Order is still unique, as it draws its members from all aspects of the Order's membership: youth, adult volunteers and professional staff.

In this session, let's explore the composition of the Key 3 at all levels, the function of each part and basic guidelines for this team to follow.

Teaching/Learning

What's the makeup of the Key 3 at the following levels?

(Make a blank poster and fill in the answers as you get them.)

	Youth	Adult Volunteer	Professional (or staff adviser)
Chapter	Chapter Chief	Chapter Adviser	Scout Executive or other District Executive
Lodge	Lodge Chief	Lodge Adviser	Professional Staff
Section	Section Chief	Section Adviser	Section Staff Adviser appointed by Area Director and Regional Staff Adviser
Region	Region Chief	Regional Chairman	Regional Staff Adviser appointed annually by Regional Director
National	National Chief and Vice Chief	National Chairman	National Director

(Note: There is no youth at the area level; only the area director and area adviser.)

The only level that is not consistent is the National level; both officers are considered part of the Key 3 team.

The function of each member is very basic:

Youth Member--Under 21, elected, should have desire to succeed, knows the Mission of the Lodge and Purpose of the Order, understands that he is in charge, represents all youth members of his constituency.

Adult Volunteer--Over 21, appointed, understands his function and duties; keeps control in the hands of the youth, acts as a resource for the youth member (as does the Staff Adviser), should posses a good working knowledge of the OA program and local and national policies.

Staff Adviser--BSA professional, appointed by his superior, works in conjunction with the Adult Volunteer as a resource for the youth, should also possess a good working knowledge of OA programs and local and national policies, works to keep control in the hands of the youth.

Any other comments or additions to the makeup or functions of the Key 3?

Application

Now that we've defined who is on this team, how can they get things done? (guidelines)
- Meet on a regular basis, as much as is required to get the job done.
- Understand each others role and how they interact with each other.
- Act as a mutual resource for each other.
- Communicate often; call each other!
- Share information you might obtain with other Key 3 members.
- Focus on what is best for the youth and the long term interest of the program.

Things not to do:
- Disagree in public; present a positive, unified image to the members.
- Ignore each other's needs; be supportive and helpful to each other.
- Don't be afraid to ask for help if you don't understand something. It's all right to say "I don't know".
- Act "above" the members you represent; they are your peers, not your subjects.
- Any others?

Summary

The Key 3 in the Order of the Arrow is a very successful team combination because:
- Each component represents a part of the membership.
- The volunteer and professional advisers understand their role and know to keep control in the hands of the youth.
- They recognize that communication, cooperation and respect for each other are building blocks needed to create a solid foundation of success for the Order and Scouting.

(Session Leader: Thank the participants for coming. Evaluator: Gather the evaluation forms and return them to the Adult Personal Development Office.)