For over 100 years, the Order of the Arrow (OA) has recognized Scouts and Scouters who exemplify the Scout Oath and Law daily. The OA is Scouting’s National Honor Society. As an integral part of Scouting America, the OA delivers peer-led advanced leadership experiences that help to build lifelong bonds through service and enrich each member’s Scouting journey. OA members are defined by the fellowship they share, service to others, commitment to personal growth, and self-driven initiative to make a difference in their community.

Vision

To be why Scouts want to stay in Scouting.

Mission

To achieve the mission of Scouting America through transformative fellowship that ignites limitless Scouting journeys.

Purpose

As Scouting’s National Honor Society, we forge lifelong bonds among the leaders in Scouting and:

• Recognize those who exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives and, through that recognition, cause others to act in the same way.
• Reinforce a life purpose of leadership in cheerful service to others.
• Create and deliver peer-led, adult-guided, advanced leadership experiences for Scouts and Scouters that positively impact their unit, community, and ultimately our nation.
• Be an integral part of Scouting America and encourage participation in all it offers through units, outdoor adventures, and national events to further the Scouting experience.

 

History

In 1915, Camp Director E. Urner Goodman and Assistant Camp Director Carroll A. Edson searched for a way to recognize select campers for their cheerful sprits of service at Treasure Island Scout Camp in the Delaware River. Goodman and Edson founded the Order of the Arrow when they held the first Ordeal Ceremony on July 16th of that year. By 1921, as the popularity of the organization spread to other camps, local lodges attended the first national gathering called a Grand Lodge Meeting.

The Order of the Arrow was one of many camp honor societies that existed at local Scout camps across the country. As the years went on and more camps adopted the Order of the Arrow’s program, it gained prominence and became part of the national Boy Scout program in 1934. By 1948, the OA, recognized as the BSA’s national brotherhood of honor campers, became an official part of the Boy Scouts of America. Toward the end of the twentieth century, the OA expanded its focus to include conservation, high adventure, and servant-leadership.

Throughout the years, the Order of the Arrow has played an integral role in the program of the Boy Scouts and in the community service its members contribute to their communities. To date, more than one million people have been members of the Order of the Arrow.

Presently, the Order of the Arrow consists of over 250 lodges, organized into 43 sections in two regions. Leadership positions are reserved for members under 21 years-old. Through the program, members live up to the ideals of brotherhood, cheerfulness, and service set forth by E. Urner Goodman and Carroll A. Edson.

Membership

The OA has more than 176,000 members located in lodges affiliated with approximately 327 local councils.

Eligibility

Unit elections are permitted in Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Sea Scout units. The Order of the Arrow membership requirements are as follows:

• Be a registered member of Scouting America.
• Have experienced 15 nights of Scout camping while registered with a troop, crew, or ship within the two years immediately prior to the election. The 15 nights must include one, but no more than one, long-term camp consisting of at least five consecutive nights of overnight camping, approved and under the auspices and standards of Scouting America. Only five nights of the long-term camp may be credited toward the 15-night camping requirement; the balance of the camping (10 nights) must be overnight, weekend, or other short-term camps of, at most, three nights each. Ship nights may be counted as camping for Sea Scouts.
• At the time of their election, youth must be under the age of 21, and hold one of the following ranks corresponding to the type unit in which they are being considered for election: Scouts BSA First Class rank, the Venturing Discovery rank, or the Sea Scout Ordinary rank or higher, and following approval by the Scoutmaster, Crew Advisor or Sea Scout Skipper, be elected by the youth members of their unit.
• Adults (age 21 or older) who meet the camping requirements may be selected following nomination to and approval by the lodge adult selection committee.

 

 

Call-Out and Induction

The Mitigwa Lodge Call-Out ceremony is conducted during family night at summer camp. Standing before all of camp and family members, elected candidates are chosen one by one to stand before the fire and behind the Chief. Later, the induction ceremony, called the Ordeal begins. The Ordeal induction is the first step toward full membership in the Order. During the experience, candidates maintain silence, receive small amounts of food, work on camp improvement projects, and sleep apart from other campers. The entire experience is designed to teach significant values. All candidates for membership must complete the Ordeal.

Candidates selected as of January 1, 2023, will have 18 months from the date of election to complete their Ordeal.

 

 

Brotherhood Membership

After 6 months of service as an Ordeal member 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 Order. For more information on Brotherhood Membership, please see the Brotherhood Page.

 

 

 

Vigil Honor

After two years of exceptional 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 their distinguished contributions to their lodge, the Order of the Arrow, Scouting, or their Scout camp. This honor is bestowed by special selection and is limited to one person for every 50 members registered with the lodge each year.

 

 

Lodges

Each local council is encouraged to have an Order of the Arrow lodge. Each lodge is granted a charter from the National Council, Scouting America, upon annual application. 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.

Sections

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. A section is lead by three youth officers, the Section Chief, Section Vice-Chief, and Section Secretary, who are advised by an adult Section Adviser and professional Section Staff Adviser.

Region Leadership

The region chief is the youth leader of the region elected by the section chiefs in his region. This election is held in conjunction with called meetings of the section chiefs to elect the national chief and vice-chief, as well as to plan a national Order of the Arrow event.

The region Order of the Arrow chairman is an adult appointed by the region director. The professional adviser for the region is a staff member assigned to the position by the region director.

National Leadership

The national chief and vice-chief are Arrowmen elected by the section chiefs during the annual national planning meeting. They serve as members of the national Order of the Arrow Committee, providing the opinion of youth on national OA policy. They also serve as the presiding officers for the national OA event. Their term of office is specified by the national committee, and is currently one year. They are advised in their responsibilities by the national committee chairman and national director of the Order of the Arrow.

The national OA committee chairman is appointed by the chairman of the national Scouting America Committee. The professional adviser is the national director of the Order of the Arrow, a member of the national Scouting America Division staff.