An Order of the Arrow section consists of lodges within a geographic area of the region. Once every year, representatives of lodges in the section come together for a conclave to share in fellowship, skills, and training. In addition, the section creates a monitoring/mentoring relationship with its lodges, provides leadership development opportunities, fosters understanding and adherence to national OA policies and procedures, and coordinates OA administrative and program functions. A section is led by three youth officers, the section chief, section vice chief, and section secretary, who are elected at an annual Conclave. The section officers are advised by an adult section adviser and professional section staff adviser.
Eastern Region Section 9 serves the six Virginia-based Boy Scout Councils and their six respective Order of the Arrow lodges. The section (shown in the colored areas on the map to the right) covers most of the Commonwealth of Virginia and a few counties in West Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
Each year the approximately forty elected section chiefs are invited to a national planning meeting in Dallas, TX. There, the section chiefs elect from their peers the four national officer positions of the Order of the Arrow; National Chief, National Vice Chief, Eastern Region Chief, and Gateway Region Chief. The section chiefs, and the new national officers, form the conference committee for a national Order of the Arrow event, such as the national Order of the Arrow conference, which is held under the guidance of the national Order of the Arrow committee.
E9 consists of six Virginia-based lodges with territory spilling into parts of West Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
