Section Officer elections for the 2026-2027 term will be held at the 2026 E9 Conclave on Saturday, April 25, 2026 right before the Saturday night show, FireFest. Section Officer responsibilities can be found on pages 12-14 of the Field Operations Handbook located on the Order of the Arrow website under Publications > Operations Handbooks.
Lodge youth running for a section office, must meet the following criteria:
- Be under the age of 21 through Sunday, April 25, 2027.
- Obtain written approval from their council’s Scout Executive, or the Scout Executive’s designee, granting them permission to run.
Approval letters must be delivered to AJ Kelly, E9 Section Adviser, via email (aj@oae9.org) by noon, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. Please note, that’s two days before the 2026 Conclave.
New for 2026: Pursuant to the Strengthening the Culture of Section Officer Elections Memo, the Section is providing several additional resources and expectations for candidates:
- Section E9 Officer Candidacy Statement / Approval Form
- Section E9 Candidate Checklist & Process Guide
All candidates are expected to review and comply with the Section E9 Elections Code of Conduct. Violations of the Election Code of Conduct will result in consequences to the individual and could compromise our future ability to elect our young leaders.
Youth elected to the position of Section Chief may hold no other elected position in the OA or territory, region or national leadership position within Scouting during their term, and they must resign from all lodge and chapter positions within 30 days of their election as Section Chief. This rule only applies to Section Chief, not Section Vice Chief nor Section Secretary.
