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The purpose of the Order of the Arrow is fourfold:
The Order of the Arrow (OA) was founded by Dr. E. Urner Goodman and Carroll
A. Edson in 1915 at the Treasure Island Camp of the Philadelphia
Council, Boy
Scouts of America. It became an official program experiment in 1922 and was
approved as part of the Scouting program in 1934. In
1948, the OA was recognized
as the BSA's national brotherhood of honor campers and became an official part
of the national camping program of the
Boy Scouts of America. Today, the OA is
recognized as Scouting's National Honor Society.
The OA has more than 183,000 members in lodges affiliated with more than 300 BSA local councils.
To become a member, a youth must be a registered member of a Boy Scout troop
or Varsity Scout team and hold First Class rank. The youth must
have experienced
15 days and nights of camping during the two years before his election. The 15
days and nights must include one, but no more than
one, long-term camp consisting
of six consecutive days and five nights of resident camping, approved and under
the auspices and standards of the Boy
Scouts of America. The balance of the
camping must be overnight, weekend, or other short-term camps. Scouts are elected
to the Order by their
fellow troop or Varsity team members, following approval
by the Scoutmaster or Varsity Scout Coach.
The Ordeal induction ceremony is often conducted at Scout camp and is the
first step toward full membership. During the experience, candidates
maintain
complete silence, receive small amounts of food, work on camp improvement projects,
and are required to sleep alone, apart from other
campers, which teaches
significant values.
After 10 months of service and fulfilling certain requirements, a member may
take part in the Brotherhood ceremony, which places further emphasis on
the
ideals of Scouting and the Order. Completion of this ceremony signifies full
membership in the OA.
After two years of service as a Brotherhood member and with the approval of
the national Order of the Arrow Committee, a Scout or Scouter may be
recognized
with the Vigil Honor for outstanding service to Scouting, his lodge, and the
community. This honor is bestowed by special selection and is
limited to one
person for every 50 members registered with the lodge each year.
Each Order of the Arrow lodge is granted a charter from the National Council,
BSA, upon annual application by the local council. The OA lodge helps
the local
council provide a quality Scouting program through recognition of Scouting
spirit and performance, development of youth leadership and
service, promotion
of Scout camping and outdoor programs, and enhancement of membership tenure.
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 and training. All of the elected
section chiefs form the conference committee for the annual Order of
the Arrow
program of emphasis, which is held under the guidance of the national OA
Committee. The committee meets each year at the national OA
planning meeting in
December.
The region chief is the youth leader of the region and elected by the section
chiefs in his region for a term of office specified by the national Order of the
Arrow Committee, which coincides with the terms of the national chief and vice
chief. This election is held in conjunction with the national OA planning
meeting
where the annual OA program of emphasis is planned. The region chiefs serve as
voting members of the national Order of the Arrow
Committee, representing youth
on national OA policy and programs.
The Order of the Arrow region chairman is an adult appointed by the regional
director. The professional adviser for the region is a staff member
assigned to
the position by the region director.
The national chief and vice chief are Arrowmen selected by the section chiefs
at the national OA planning meeting each December. They serve as
voting members
of the national Order of the Arrow Committee, representing the youth on national
OA policy and program. They also serve as the
presiding officers for the annual
OA program of emphasis. The national committee specifies their term of office.
The national committee chairman and
director of the Order of the Arrow advise
them of their responsibilities.
The national OA committee chairman is appointed by the chairman of the national
Boy Scout Committee. The professional adviser is the director of the
Order of
the Arrow, a member of the national Boy Scout Division staff.
More information may be found on the Order of the Arrow Web
site, www.oa-bsa.org, or in the Order of the Arrow Guide for Officers
and
Advisers, No. 34997A.
Contact the Lodge officers online
info@oalodge159.org
Dues/Registration form for 2008
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