Order of the Arrow
OwnerBoy Scouts of America
Age range11–20 (Co-ed youth)
21 and over (Co-ed adults)
HeadquartersIrving, Texas
LocationUnited States, Puerto Rico, Japan, Germany, Philippines
CountryUnited States
FoundedJuly 16, 1915 (July 16, 1915)[1]
(108 years, 5 months and 30 days ago)
Founders
Membership
  • 84,707 youth
  • 63,854 adults
  • 271 lodges (2017)[2]
National ChiefZach Grinvalsky[3]
National Vice ChiefGrant Kim[3]
National ChairmanChris A. Grove[3]
National DirectorCortland Bolles[3]
Website
Order of the Arrow website

The Order of the Arrow (OA) is the honor society of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA),[4] composed of Scouts and Scouters who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives as elected by their peers. The society was created by E. Urner Goodman, with the assistance of Carroll A. Edson, in 1915 as a means of reinforcing the Scout Oath and the Scout Law.

It has foundations influenced by Freemasonry and uses imagery commonly associated with American Indian cultures for its self-invented ceremonies. Native Americans have criticized the OA's various symbols and "rituals" as cultural appropriation based on non-Native stereotypes of American Indians.[5][6] There are three main secretive ceremonies for the three levels of the Order: Ordeal, Brotherhood and Vigil. These ceremonies are usually for recognition of leadership qualities, camping skills, and other scouting ideals as exemplified by their elected peers. Influenced by Scout camp customs, the OA uses "safeguarded" (privy only to members and legitimately interested adults) symbols, handshakes, and private rituals to impart a sense of community. Since the 1980s, concerned parents, scout leaders and religious leaders may review the ceremony through a process set by the Order of the Arrow and parents can refuse for their child to take part in the ceremony as the membership is voluntary.

Inducted members, known as Arrowmen or Brothers (regardless of gender; as BSA and its programs are open to all genders), are organized into local youth-led Lodges that harbor fellowship, promote camping, and render service to Boy Scout councils and their communities. Each lodge corresponds to a BSA council in the area. Lodges are further broken down into chapters, which correspond to a district in scouting. Members wear identifying insignia on their uniforms, most notably the OA pocket flap that represents their individual OA lodge and the OA sash worn at official OA functions. The OA program sponsors several events, awards, and training functions.

History

Founding and Development

E. Urner Goodman (c. 1917), founder of the Order of the Arrow
Carroll A. Edson in 1915

In 1915, E. Urner Goodman, a newly hired field executive for the Philadelphia Council, was assigned to serve as director of the council's summer camp at Treasure Island Scout Reservation on the Delaware River. He believed that the summer camp experience should do more than just teach proficiency in Scoutcraft skills; rather, the principles embodied in the Scout Oath and Scout Law should become realities in the lives of Scouts. Along with his assistant camp director, Carroll A. Edson, he started an experimental honor society to acknowledge those campers he felt best exemplified these qualities, calling the program, Wimachtendienk, or "Brotherhood" in one of the Lenape dialects.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13] The full original name for the organization was Wimachtendienk Wingolauchsik Witahemui (Brotherhood of Those Who Serve Cheerfully). It is still referred to via the inclusion of the letters "W W W" on most lodge patches.[14]

Goodman and Edson decided that a "camp fraternity" was the way to improve the summer camp experience and to encourage older Scouts to continue attending Scout summer camp. In developing this program they borrowed from the traditions and practices of several other organizations. Edward Cave's Boy's Camp Book (1914) was consulted for the concept of a camp society that would perpetuate camp traditions.[15] College fraternities were also influential for their concepts of brotherhood and rituals, and the idea of new members pledging themselves to the new organization.[16][17] Inspired by Ernest Thompson Seton's previous Woodcraft Indians program, American Indian motifs were used to make the organization interesting and appealing to youth.[12][18][19] Other influences include the Brotherhood of Andrew and Phillip, a Presbyterian church youth group with which Goodman had been involved as a young man, and Freemasonry.[20]

The traditions and rituals of Freemasonry appear to have been a major source of inspiration in the early years of the Order of the Arrow. Familiar terms such as "lodge", "obligation", and "degree" were borrowed from Masonic practice, as were most of the ceremonial structures and ritual formulae. Even the early national meeting was called a "Grand Lodge," a clear Masonic reference as the Order of the Arrow acknowledges in its official history.[21][22][20][23][16][17] It is important to note that Goodman joined the Robert A. Lamberton Lodge No. 487, Free and Accepted Masons of Philadelphia on March 5, 1918.[24]

Goodman and Edson ultimately devised a program where troops chose, at the summer camp's conclusion, those boys from among their number who they felt best exemplified the ideals of Scouting. Those elected were acknowledged as having displayed, in the eyes of their fellow Scouts, a spirit of unselfish service and brotherhood. Edson and Goodman said they "based the OA's lore and ceremonies on the lore of the Lenni Lenape Indians who had occupied Treasure Island in earlier times"[25] and based the group's structure "on a loose interpretation of Hiawatha and Last of the Mohicans", both popular works of fiction by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and James Fenimore Cooper, respectively.[19][26] The Scouts considered this move a success, and went on to repeat this pattern the following summer at Treasure Island. Those Scouts honored at Treasure Island in 1915 and 1916 would become members of what is now Unami Lodge.[27][19]

By 1921, Goodman had spoken to Scout leaders in surrounding states about their honor society, which resulted in multiple lodges being established by Scout councils in the northeastern United States.[13] The name of the society was then changed to Order of the Arrow, and in October 1921, Goodman convened the first national meeting of what at that time was called the "National Lodge of the Order of the Arrow" in Philadelphia—where Goodman was elected as Grand Chieftain.[19][12][28] Committees were organized to formulate a constitution, refine ceremonial rituals, devise insignia, and plan future development.[20]

That same year, the Order of the Arrow was big enough to have a national organization. Patterned on the Freemasons organization, each lodge would become a member of the Grand Lodge.[29]

Concerns about Camp Fraternities

In the early 1920s, many Scout executives were skeptical of what they called "secret camp fraternities." The concern of camp fraternities was already brought up in the 1920s. Between September 12 and 19, 1922, the Second Biennial Conference of the Boy Scout Executives took place in Blue Ridge, NC. The Commission on Camping met on the first day of the event discussed the topic as visible in their report. One of the Scout Executive, A.W. Beeny from Stamford, CT made "a motion that camp fraternities be discouraged in connection with Boy Scout camps". The commission was divided on the issue. Goodman argued against the motion: "Using the Scout ideals as our great objective", he said, a camp activity that will "further the advancement of those ideals" should not be suppressed.[12][30][31]

The WWW was welcomed with two other Camp Fraternities to be "Official Experiments" of the Boy Scouts of America. The other two groups were the Tribe of Gimogash and Ku-Ni-Eh who were actives in as many or more councils as the WWWW. The main difference was that the WWW was restricted to Scouts and the leadership was composed only of professional Scouters. This step lead the way to the Order of the Arrow becoming an official program of the Boy Scouts of America.[32]

Official Program and Removal of Masonic Terminology

Throughout the 1930s, the Order of the Arrow worked diligently to remove terminology that could offend religious groups and in an effort to become an official program of the Boy Scouts of America.

Every part of the program was reviewed including the obligation. The first known version of the Obligation from 1921 for the First Degree (and officially disclosed by the Order of the Arrow on their website[33]) reads as follows:
I, (your name), do hereby promise on my honor as a Scout, that I will always and faithfully preserve unbroken the secret rites, mysteries, signs and symbols of the Order of the WIMACHTENDIENK WINGOLAUCHSIK, WITAHEMUI, which I have now received or may be taught at any future time. I will always regard the bonds of brotherhood in this Order as sacred and binding, and will seek to preserve a cheerful spirit even in the midst of irksome tasks and weighty responsibilities, and will endeavor, so far as in my power lies, to be unselfish in service and devotion to the welfare of others. I will attend, so far as I am able, all regular and special meetings of the Order and do what I can to promote interest in them.[33]

An updated version was issued in 1931. The most significant word change was as sacred and binding switched to as binding to satisfy religious groups objecting to sacred rituals performed by their members.[33]The Ordeal Ceremony characters went from six to four ceremonialists. It also saw the introduction of Allowat Sakima and Kirchninet while Meteu and Nutiket remained. A new booklet containing the ceremony was entitled Ritual for the Ordeal (first) Degree and had the words "Carefully Safeguard This Ritual" on the cover.[34]

In 1933, the National Council (BSA) finished a systematic analysis of various programs like the Order of the Arrow and concluded that such programs enhanced scouting. The Order of the Arrow had been assured that it would become an official program of the organization but some issues related to structures, Arrowmen who had aged out of the program, and adjustments of the vocabulary where needed.[35] The Grand Lodge issued a document in August 1933 titled A Statement of Principles Applying in the Case of National Approval of the Order of the Arrow guided the transition. One section listed the tasks of a committee to review the Rituals of the Order to remove:

  • "Any words or phrases, which may cause offense to religious bodies"
  • "Any performance or expressions, which may be interpreted as acts of religious worship"
  • "Any employment of the element of secrecy as in obligation, which may prove inconsistent with the policies of Scouting."[36]

This process continued until early 1935 and many changes took place:

  • Meteu (the Medicine Man)'s prayers were completely rewritten
  • Gitchee Manitou, a reference to a deity, was dropped from all ceremonies
  • The Password was replaced with Admonition[36]

Before 1933, the words altar and sacred had already been replaced and the word Fraternity replaced with Brotherhood.[36] It is also around that time that Degree was replaced with Honor.[20]

The vocabulary used in the Order went through a revision at the request of BSA "to avoid confusion with other usages of these same terms” and to avoid being labeled a Masonic organization.[37] This process was, in essence, the removal of all terminology common to Freemasonry while keeping the program itself unchanged to make it acceptable to the religious groups.[20]

Finally, on June 1, 1934, the Order of the Arrow along with several other new programs was officially approved the Order of the Arrow to be used nationally. The National Council would not take over the Order but incrementally would charter the Grand Lodge and its structure. The change took effect on January 1, 1935.[35]

In 1936, five new pamplets containing all the changed were printed including:

  • A red cover for the Ordeal
  • A green cover for the Brotherhood
  • A blue cover for the Vigil Honor (printed in 1940)
  • Brown ink was used for the Local Lodge Manual cover
  • Black ink was used for the Constitution and By-Law cover[35]

The Ordeal Honor and Brotherhood remained unchanged until 1948.[35]

On August 23, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was inducted in the Order of the Arrow. He is the first and only President of the United States be inducted. This took place at Camp Man of Ten Mile River Scout Camp and was conducted by the Suanhacky Lodge. President Roosevelt was a important advocate of Scouting in the early years of the Boy Scouts of America.[38]

Official Program of the BSA

By 1948, about two-thirds of the BSA's councils had established OA lodges.[30] That year, it was announced at the 1948 NOAC that the Order of the Arrow was integrated as an official part of the Scouting program.[39][40] This change was the final step to a long process that had started in 1921. This also required that the leadership positions in lodges, and later area and region be transferred to youth leaders with adult adivsers as in the rest of Boy Scouts of America. It also simplified the management of the Order and servicing the local lodges as it leveraged the National Supply of BSA.[41]

At the same time, the National Executive Committee that had governed the OA disbanded and was replaced by the National Committee on Order of the Arrow who now reported to the Director of Camping at BSA.[42]

1950 OA Handbook

That same year, it was determined that as part of the Boy Scouts of America, an Order of the Arrow Handbook was needed. J. Rucker Newbery, the National Lodge Treasurer was tasked with the responsibility to edit this first edition. It contained primarily:

  • the Constitution and the By-Laws pamphlet
  • the Local Lodge Manual pamphlet
  • the Indian Ritual Costumes pamphlet
  • the Selection of Candidates and the Ordeal pamphlet
  • the “Dramatization of the Legend of the Lenni Lenape” by the Tomkita Chara Lodge
  • the song of the Order[43]

In 1950, the Second National Jamboree was held at Valley Forge, PA from June 27 to July 6. This was the first time that the OA Service Troop (today's Service Corps).[44]

In 1956, the "Blood-rite" was removed from the Brotherhood Ceremony. The National OA Committee had consulted with medical advisors and determined that "it was no longer safe to draw and exchange blood between two people. It was officially replace by a symbolic draw of blood. However, the change was slow to take place in the lodges and this practice was reported to have continued well into the 1960s. The script for the ceremony in 1956 was changed from "...draw drops of blood..." to "...symbolically draw 'blood' so that you may mingle your 'blood'..."[45]

Unchanged Ceremony, Different Booklets

"The Order of the Arrow is a 'thing of the spirit' rather than of mechanics. Organization, operational procedure, and paraphernalia are necessary in any large and growing movement, but they are not what count in the end. The things of the spirit count: Brotherhood, in a day when there is too much hatred at home and abroad; Cheerfulness, in a day when the pessimists have the floor; Service, in a day when millions are interested only in getting or grasping rather than giving."

 – E. Urner Goodman - 1961 OA Handbook[13]

March 1968, saw the arrival of the Ordeal Ceremony booklet with a new cover. The red ink color code disappeared and a new copyright was used. The Pre-Ordean and Ordeal rituals did not change. However a section title "Conducting of the Election", "Suggested Election Ceremony" and "Training Ceremonial Teams" were added. New covers were produced for 1973, 1977 and 1979 but the content remained the same.[46]

In 1981, a new cover was produced and the content of the "Manual for the Ordeal" saw its format and contents changed. It became a "how to" manual with every detail of the administration of the Ordeal mapped out, from the Call Out to the Investiture. Changes also were implemented in the new Pre-Ordeal and symbols used that each principal ceremonialist had to explain and use in the candidate's preparation. 1988 saw a new cover but the content remained the same.[46]

The ceremony of the Ordeal was split in two booklets in 1990. The "Administration Guide for the Ordeal" contained the information to administer the Ordeal while the "Ceremony for the Ordeal" contained the actual Pre-Ordeal and Ordeal rituals. Despite this split, the content of the two was essentially the 1981 copyrighted rituals using the 1988 cover. These booklets remained in use until 1999 when the two were brought back together in one 30-page ceremony book 8.5x11 inches in size. This was the last change to the Ordeal.[46]

21st century

Over the century since the Order of the Arrow's founding, more than one million Scouts and Scouters have worn the OA sash on their uniforms, denoting membership in the Brotherhood. The four stated purposes of the Order of the Arrow are: "(1) Recognize those who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives and through that recognition cause others to conduct themselves in a way that warrants similar recognition; (2) Promote camping, responsible outdoor adventure, and environmental stewardship as essential components of every Scout’s experience, in the unit, year-round, and in summer camp; (3) Develop leaders with the willingness, character, spirit and ability to advance the activities of their units, our Brotherhood, Scouting, and ultimately our nation; and (4) Crystallize the Scout habit of helpfulness into a life purpose of leadership in cheerful service to others.[47]

In a new program of national service conducted from June through August 2008, the OA offered ArrowCorps5 to both youth and adult Arrowmen.[48] Described as "one of the largest conservation efforts in Scouting's history" by the Boy Scouts of America, approximately 3,500 Arrowmen converged on five national forests to work on various conservation projects such as building new trails and helping preserve nearly extinct species, as well as removing invasive species, in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service.[49] The five national forests are: Mark Twain National Forest, Manti-La Sal National Forest, George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, Shasta-Trinity National Forest and Bridger-Teton National Forest.[50]

With the introduction of the Scouts BSA program on February 1, 2019, unit elections are now permitted in Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouting units.[51]

Membership

National Chief Brad Lichota presenting the Report to the Nation to Robert Gates in 2010

More than 160,000 youth and adults are members of the Order of the Arrow.[52] Unit elections of the OA are allowed in Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Sea Scout units. To be eligible for induction, a youth must have spent at least 15 days and nights camping within the last two years including one long-term camp consisting of at least five consecutive nights, be under the age of 21, hold the Scouts BSA First Class rank, the Venturing Discovery Award, or the Sea Scout Ordinary rank or higher, be approved by their unit leader and be elected by the youth members of their unit.

Adults age 21 or older may be nominated after meeting the camping requirements and being approved by the lodge adult selection committee.

Honorary membership was once bestowed in special circumstances, as with Franklin D. Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower, but this practice was officially discontinued in 1953.[53]

Ordeal

After being elected or nominated, candidates may participate in a call-out ceremony to recognize those Scouts and Scouters that were selected before they attend their Ordeal. The call-out ceremony may be performed at summer camp, a camporee, a call-out weekend or at a unit meeting. Candidates subsequently participate in an Ordeal, intended to emphasize service and selflessness. During the induction, "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."[52] If they succeed in their ordeal the candidates are then welcomed as Ordeal members in a formal Ordeal Ceremony.[54][55]

Brotherhood

Ordeal members are entitled to all the same rights and privileges of membership in the Order as Brotherhood and Vigil Honor members—there are no ranks within the Order. However, moving on to Brotherhood membership offers an opportunity to reaffirm one's commitment to the Order. Arrowmen may "seal" their membership after six months by demonstrating their knowledge of the traditions and obligations of the OA. They then participate in an induction ceremony and become Brotherhood members.[13]

While the Ordeal consists primarily of physical impressions, "the Brotherhood ceremony is one of the deeper and quieter mental impressions."[13]

Vigil Honor

The Vigil Logo

The Vigil Honor is a recognition given to Arrowmen for distinguished contributions beyond the immediate responsibilities of their position or office to their lodge, the Order of the Arrow, Scouting, or their Scout Camp.[52] The Vigil Honor may be conferred upon Arrowmen who have completed a minimum of two years as a Brotherhood member and have performed exceptional service above and beyond their immediate responsibilities through leadership, exemplary efforts, and dedication. However, under no circumstances should tenure in Scouting or the Order of the Arrow be considered as reason enough for a Vigil Honor recommendation.[52] Selection is annual and is limited to one person for every 50 members of the lodge,[52] and members of the Order can be inducted into the Vigil Honor only with the written approval of the National Order of the Arrow Committee.[52]

As a part of the Vigil Honor induction, each new Vigil Honor member is given a Vigil Honor name in the language of the Lenni Lenape or the language of their local Lodge. An English translation of the Vigil Honor name is also provided, and the name often represents a characteristic of the individual.[56]

Organization

Original emblem of Unami Lodge, the first OA lodge

The Order of the Arrow places great emphasis on being a youth-led organization. Only youth under the age 21 are voting members and are eligible to hold elected offices. Professional and volunteer adults are appointed to non-voting advisory positions at the chapter, lodge, and section levels.

The smallest level of organization in the Order of the Arrow is the chapter. The chapter is usually corresponding to a district in the local council. The chapter is led by the elected youth chapter chief, chapter vice chiefs, secretary, and a volunteer adult is appointed as the adviser, the district executive is the professional (staff) adviser. The chapters often hold monthly or weekly meetings together. The next largest unit of the OA is the lodge, which is chartered by a local BSA council. The lodge chief is the elected youth leader, the lodge adviser is a BSA adult volunteer appointed by the Scout Executive, and the lodge staff adviser is the council Scout executive or his designated council professional Scouter. The lodge youth officers, consisting of the lodge chief, one or more vice chiefs, a secretary, and a treasurer are responsible for organizing and leading the various programs and activities of the lodge.[57] Many lodges have standing committees responsible for ceremonies, service projects, publications, unit elections, camp promotions, and dance teams composed of youth members.[58]

Lodges are grouped into sections that are then grouped into regions. The section chief is the elected youth leader, a volunteer adult is appointed as the section adviser, and the area director (or his designate) is the professional (staff) adviser. In addition to the section chief, the section has two additional elected officers. The vice chief and secretary are elected immediately following the election of the section chief at the section's annual business meeting. All sections gather annually at a section conclave held in the late spring or early fall. It is the main duty of the section officers to lead the planning of this weekend with the help of the lodge chiefs in the section.[58]

Like the Boy Scouts of America's Areas, The Order of the Arrow was formerly organized into four regions, Central, Southern, Northeast and Western Region; the boundaries of each OA region correspond with the boundaries of the BSA's regions. As of 2021, following the Boy Scouts of America's restructuring of these areas, the OA changed their region boundaries, now having only two. Each region has an elected region chief, a volunteer adult who is appointed as the region chairman to oversee its region Committee, and an appointed professional (staff) adviser, forming a 'Key Three' much like the Lodge and chapter system described above. Each region chief is elected at the national planning meeting the day after the election of the national chief and vice chief by a caucus of the section chiefs from the given region. The members of the region committee consist of the region chief, the region chair, all national committee members from the region, and other appointed adult volunteers. Each region annually has a gathering of all section officers and advisers. As a region, they are trained in topics relevant to their jobs. Each region also provides opportunities for Order of the Arrow members to go through a National Leadership Seminar. This weekend course is highly rated and a lasting memory for many members.[58]

The national chief and the national vice chief are selected by a caucus of the section chiefs at the outset of the Order of the Arrow's national planning meeting. At the national level, the OA is headed by the National Order of the Arrow committee of which the national chief and national vice chief are voting members.The national adult leadership includes the volunteer national chairman and the OA director, a professional Scouter.[58]

Symbols

Ribbon

Order of the Arrow pocket device
Clarence William "Bill" McKown, CAPT USN (Ret) in his Boy Scouts of America leader's uniform wearing both the Ribbon and the pocket flap

Order members may choose to wear the OA Universal Ribbon also known as "Dangles"[59] suspended from the right uniform shirt pocket button.[60]

The Ribbon was introduced in 1942. This was the first time Arrowmen could officially wear the OA symbol. It was very similar to the current version and was made of red and white silk with a sterling arrow. The first arrows pointed left instead of right, pointing left over the wearer's shoulder.[61] In 1950, the OA removed the code words referencing "left" and replaced it with "right". In 1952, the ribbon also switched to point over the wearer's right shoulder.[62]

Additional award pins can be attached to the ribbon including the Order of the Arrow 75th Anniversary Achievement from 1990 and the Order of the Arrow Arrowman Service Award Ribbon Pin issued between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2003.[59][63]

White Sash

Legend has it that the first sashes of the Order of the Arrow were black as opposed to white. No original sashes are known to exist today. This information comes from two testimonies from early members. According to Harry Yoder, the first guide and charter member of the Order wrote in 1921: "In the early days of the Order the members wore a black sash with a white stripe running lengthwise instead of the white band with the red arrow." George Chapman recounted in the unpublished work The Arrow and the Vigil (1953): "As has been previously mentioned, the officers of Wimachtendienk wore black robes for the induction ceremony. Members wore a black sash with a white arrow on it, very similar to the sash worn today except for the color."[64]

At formal events or Order of the Arrow functions, Arrowmen can be readily identified by a white sash bearing a red arrow that is worn over their right shoulder. An Ordeal member wears a sash with a lone arrow. The Brotherhood member wears a sash bearing an arrow with a red bar at each end of the arrow. A Vigil Honor member wears a sash with the same bars of as the Brotherhood sash at each end of the arrow, and a Vigil Honor triangle on the center of the shaft. The OA sash is not worn at the same time as the merit badge sash, nor worn folded in the belt.[60] The sash as a form of recognition dates to the founding of the Order and has a long history of changes in usage and design.[60]

Arrowmen also exchange a special handshake as a token of brotherhood, along with other signs and passwords. A signature acronym, WWW (Wimachtendienk Wingolauchsik Witahemui – Brotherhood of Cheerful Service), is often depicted in publications, regalia, etc.[65]

Lodge Pocket Flaps

1960 OA Pohopoco Lodge 44 Pocket Flap for the Lehigh Council, PA feathuring the Arrow and the WWW commonly found on flaps

OA membership and Lodge affiliation are indicated by the wearing of the lodge emblem (commonly known as a lodge flap), an embroidered patch is worn on the right pocket flap of the uniform shirt. Each lodge flap has a unique design, generally reflecting the name, geography or history of the lodge. Part of this is a totem that represents the lodge.[66] The flap was officially approved by the National Committee in 1954. No other organization has received the honor from Boy Scouts of America to have a portion of the uniform reserved for their own us.[67] Special issues of flaps are created to commemorate anniversaries and other events, and are a popular item for those who engage in Scouting memorabilia collecting.[68]

The Lodge Flap has over time grown and today many Lodge Flaps are actually two patches: one for the flap and one for the pocket itself. Since 2007 with Operations Update 07-8, Lodges can not create flaps that are larger then the flap itself. The two part sets comply with the guidelines if they are made of two separate pieces, the two parts can be worn independently from one another and the flap patch stays within the boundaries of the pocket flap.[69]

Ceremonies

The Guide leads others into the Ordeal Ceremony
The Guide greets the Guard at the entrance

Order of the Arrow ceremonies were once considered to be secret, and consequently, the OA has been viewed by some as a secret society. With the introduction of Youth Protection program guidelines in 1980s, the BSA has made clear that any concerned parent, guardian, or religious leader may view a video of the ceremonies, attend meetings, or read ceremonial texts upon request to a council, district, lodge, or chapter official to assure themselves that there is nothing objectionable.[70][71] Such persons are asked to safeguard (conceal) the details relating to ceremonies for the sake of the participants. The intent of the provision for parents and religious leaders to be allowed access to ceremonies is to ensure that there is no religious conflict or violations of youth protection guidelines occurring. Parents have long been discouraged in many Lodges from seizing the opportunity to use the provision for photo opportunities with their sons, and some lodges have instituted bans on photography during the ceremonies. Hazing or demeaning initiation pranks are also prohibited by the OA and the BSA.[70][72]

Paper Copies

There is no known written copy of the ritual used for the 1915 Treasure Island camping season. We do however have a few details based on later testimonies. The first inductees were Robert Craig and Gilpin Allen who were inducted on July 16, 2015 and wore a black sash for the ceremony. E. Urner Goodman wore a black robe (similar to a graduation gown) with triangular badges on it with a black tortoise superimposed on the white triangle. He was the Chief of the Fire. Carroll Edson also wore a black robe similar to Goodman's with a white tortoise shaped badge on his chest. He was the Sachem. Harry A. Yoder, a staffer who had assisted in the construction of the fire guided the entire camp to the new campfire circle. He was however not a ceremonialist in the Frist Ceremony.[73]

The first written Ordeal Ceremony was written in 1921 along with the formation of the Grand Lodge. It was mimeographed on Letter size paper and distributed to the Supreme Chief of the Fire of each member lodge. Some changes were also introduced there:

  • Water was to be applied to the left bared breast to symbolize the cleansing of the candidate from selfishness and evil
  • A root-stock was to be chewed to symbolize the increase in strength and vigor to be used in the service of others.[46]

The format was changed in 1927. It became a 24 pages 5"x7" booklet folded vertically. This format remained in place until 1998 when it was changed to a 8 1/2 x 11 booklet. In the booklet, the Pre-Ordeal Ceremony and the Ordeal Ceremony could be found along with the Legend in poetic form. The Brotherhood Ceremony was made in a booklet only in 1936 remaining a mimeographed document until then.[73]

In the 2015 Edition of the Order of the Arrow Handbook, it is mentioned that non-members of the Order of the Arrow should not attend ceremonies but that it recognizes and respects the right of adults such as parents, Scout leaders or religious leader to have questions about the ceremony. The lodge adviser or his representative can discuss the content of the ceremony and concernes brought by the adult enquiring and that the adult will maintain the confidentiality of the ceremony. If questions remain unanswered, the adult will be permitted to read the text of the ceremony. Parents are allowed to refuse that their child take part in the ceremony and therefore that they join the Order of the Arrow.[74]

The ceremonies utilize symbolic settings, rites, and principles to convey various Scouting ideals to participants. "The values of the Order of the Arrow, 'a brotherhood of cheerful service,' were passed on during a night-time ceremony: an arrowhead outlined with stones on the ground, candles on the stones, a huge bonfire at the base of the arrowhead, and at the point of the arrow a lectern from which was read, and danced, the story of heroic sacrifice for others."[75]

Firm Bound in Brotherhood

Ceremonies also utilize the OA Song, commonly referred to by its first line of lyrics as "Firm Bound in Brotherhood", and titled "Order of the Arrow Official Song" and "The Order of the Arrow Song" in the printed music score of official OA publications.[13][76][77] It was written in 1921 by OA founder E. Urner Goodman to the Russian hymn tune "God Save the Tsar!" (Боже, Царя храни!), composed by Alexei Lvov in 1833.[17][78][79]

Awards

Awards are separate and distinct from the membership levels of Ordeal and Brotherhood. Awards available through the Order of the Arrow include:

  • Vigil Honor
  • Founder's Award
  • Distinguished Service Award
  • Lifetime Achievement Award
  • Red Arrow Award
  • E. Urner Goodman Camping Award.[80]

Events

The national OA committee also sponsors various national service opportunities, the oldest of which is the National OA Service Corps at the national Scout jamborees, at which Arrowmen have helped with many functions including shows and the Outdoor Adventure Program exhibit.[81]

High Adventure Program

Two Arrowmen working on a trail in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

The Order of the Arrow sponsors service groups to the four National High Adventure Bases that focus on conservation. Inspired by three gentlemen, Edward Pease, Eugene "Gene" Schnell and Marty Tschetter who gathered at a leadership summit at Philmont Scout Ranch in 1979, the Order of the Arrow High Adventure program was established. Originally starting with the Order of the Arrow Trail Crew at the Philmont Scout Ranch working to build new trails and repair old ones. This expanded to the Northern Tier National High Adventure Bases with the OA Wilderness Voyage, repairing the portage trails in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, and then to Florida National High Adventure Sea Base in 2005 with Ocean Adventure, which works to remove invasive species on some of the Keys and promoting and carrying out of the Bleach watch program in the Florida Keys. After the addition of the third High Adventure Base, the Order of the Arrow implemented the OA Triple Crown Award in the summer of 2009, the OA began the OA Canadian Odyssey program which provided service similar to the OA Wilderness Voyage to the Quetico Provincial Park. In 2014, The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve began hosting the Order of the Arrow Summit Experience[82] which gives service to the New River Gorge National River.

National Order of the Arrow Conference

The National Order of the Arrow Conference (NOAC) is a multi-day event which usually takes place on a university campus, bringing together thousands of delegates from OA lodges around the nation for training and activities. NOACs are held every two years, with exceptions made to align the event with significant anniversaries. As a youth-led organization, these national conferences are organized and directed by the elected section and region youth officers, who serve on committees responsible for various conference aspects under the leadership of the conference vice-chief. Events include training for programs, leadership and American Indian culture; competitions in athletics, ceremonies, cooking and American Indian dances; and exhibits on OA history, outdoor activities, and camping. There are also opportunities to talk with national leaders, perform service work and trade patches. Evening shows have different themes, including American Indian culture and recognition of dance competition winners, presentations of awards including the OA Distinguished Service Award and other entertainment.[81]

Training

In addition to training courses available at a NOAC or section conclave, the OA offers specialized leadership training as weekend events for members: Lodge Leadership Development (LLD), National Leadership Seminars (NLS), and National Lodge Adviser Training Seminar (NLATS). LLD is a one-day or two-day event conducted by a lodge to train their officers and advisers. NLS's are conducted by regions for lodge officers and advisers. Many lodges send key officers to receive training. Typically, each region schedules three or four NLS weekends annually, at geographically dispersed locations within the region. NLATS is a training event for adults, usually held in conjunction with an NLS and conducted by regions, on the role of advisers in the OA.[83]

Largely considered the adult equivalent of the NLS program, NLATS's primary objective was to provide advanced training to adults in each lodge. NLATS and NLS usually happened concurrently on the same weekend. The events were planned and executed by a staff of adults. After successful pilots in 2016, the Developing Youth Leadership Conference curriculum began replacing NLATS in early 2017.[84]

Use and Appropriation of Native American Cultures

Arrowmen wearing Native American headdresses at the OA Call Out at Kia Kima Scout Reservation in July 2012
1969 Order of the Arrow Brotherhood Card featuring a Native American Chief

Goodman and Edson, the founders of the Order of the Arrow, opted to portray what they saw as Native American characteristics "as a sign of scouting excellence,"[19] and that the imagery, costuming, titles and imitation rituals "evoked a primitivist exterior Indian Other, vanished from the modern world but still accessible through ritual and its accompanying objects."[19] Goodman and Edson established the OA at Treasure Island Scout Reservation as a Scouting honor society "based on a loose interpretation of" Hiawatha and the novel The Last of the Mohicans. Inductions of new OA members at Treasure Island involved OA members meeting around bonfires in "ritual Indian costume".[19]

In the later twentieth century and beyond, the Order of the Arrow has been protested and criticized for engaging in cultural appropriation[85][86][87][19] and spreading stereotypes of, and racism against, Native Americans.[88][89] Protester concerns include OA's imitation of Native American ceremonies, regalia, and artwork they consider to be offensive.[88][90][87][86]

The Chief Seattle Council of the BSA has written that modern ceremonies conducted by each OA lodge are "influenced by" the history and traditions of the Native American tribes indigenous to the areas the lodge serves,[91] but use of Native American sacred objects by non-Native groups such as the Boy Scouts has been condemned by Native activists.[85][86][87] Mother of former scouts Ozheebeegay Ikwe writes, "While native children in residential schools had their culture and language beaten from them, the Boy Scouts were using the language and their version of 'Indian culture' in their OA ceremony."[92] She called the OA's use of headdresses, face paint, eagle feathers, and dancing with a pipe, "downright offensive". After researching the OA and watching their ceremonies she said, "Use of these items by Boy Scouts indicates that there is very little understanding of the Native people they claim to admire and respect."[92] American anthropologist John H. Moore, an expert on North American Indian ethnology, wrote in an essay published in 1998 that "of all the institutions in American society, the Boy Scouts of America have probably done the most damage in miseducating the public about Native American cultures...[the] Order of the Arrow annually initiates thousands of boys into the martial, romantic version of Indian culture through ceremonies drawn from the writings of Longfellow and James Fenimoore Cooper".[93]

David Prochaska, professor in the University of Illinois History Department states the Order of the Arrow is one element that "exemplifies the much larger phenomenon of 'playing Indian'...Boy Scouts, Eagle Scouts, Order of the Arrow. Order of Red Men. Campfire Girls. Woodcraft. Boston Tea Party. 'White Indians' – white New Agers as Native American 'wannabes.' ... To pursue the argument a step further, what is 'playing Indian,' 'playing Native,' 'playing an Other,' all about? It is about play, for one thing, in the sense of dressing up, masquerade, the Bakhtinian carnivalesque...It is also about appropriation, in the sense of taking on, assuming an other's identity, taking another's identity. The implication here is replacing one with another, silencing another, speaking for another."[94]

On July 23, 2018, the National Order of the Arrow Committee announced that they had received "many complaints surrounding these ceremonies from various American Indian tribes due to the manner in which they are conducted as well as the inconsistent nature in which they are performed."[95] In 2019, the rules were changed: "Scouts will no longer be allowed to dress up as 'Indians' and incorporate Native American motifs into two of the order's more important ceremonies", according to the Voice of America, which noted also that "in spite of complaints from tribes across the country, Scouts continue to dress in 'Redface,' a term some use to describe the wearing of feathers and warpaint by non-Native Americans."[5] In 2023, amid a backlash against stereotypes of Native Americans, the BSA held a survey among its members about whether to eliminate or alter the rituals, including those for the OA.[6]

On December 23, 2023, the national Order of the Arrow leadership announced: "American Indian Activities (dancing, drumming, and crafts) will not be a part of the program at the 2024 National OA Conference." And, "There is not a single entity that speaks for the 574 federally recognized tribes/Indian nations across the United States and it is impossible for us to gain consensus amongst all the tribes/Indian nations. As a result, national-level American Indian programming is not appropriate."[96]

Recent Freemasonry Debate

As seen in the history of the Order of the Arrow, the organization started with a large influence of Freemasonry. In the 1930s, it underwent a replacement of the Masonic vocabulary, and the OA has grown to be an important part of the Boys Scouts of America throughout the 20th and 21st Century. However, the debate about its relationship with Freemasonry is not over.

Today, the Boy Scouts of America have a strict set of rules in its Youth Protection and Adult Leadership program with regards to secret organizations and initiations:

  • The BSA does not recognize any secret organizations as part of its program.
  • Hazing and initiations are prohibited and have no part during any Scouting activity.[97]

On the other side of the debate, several articles have been published since the 1990s pointing to the similarities between Freemasonry and the present-day Order of the Arrow pointing to its organization, secret ceremonies, and other rituals:

  • Freemasonry, Scouting and the Order of the Arrow by S.M. Adkins[20] with two follow-up articles titled Following Arrows[98] and Yes, Virginia, it was called the 'Blood Rite'.[99]
  • Freemasonry Has Infiltrated the Boy Scouts? By John Salza[100]
  • The Order of the Arrow, Another Mason Ritual? By John R. Goodwin[23]
  • Scouting and Freemasons in Freemasons for Dummies by Christopher Hodapp[37]

While most of the articles simply study the similarities between the two, the article by John Salza also touches on the spiritual question of Freemasonry as it relates to the Christian faith. Many Christian Churches view Freemasonry as incompatible with being a Christian. See Christian attitudes towards Freemasonry for more details and the Papal ban of Freemasonry for the Catholic Church.

The Order of the Arrow has not addressed the question of its past and/or present ties to Freemasonry. The Order does not seem to shy away from its past by using the old terminology similar to the one used by Masons in a historical context on its website in the History section, including that the Order's structure is "patterned similar to the Freemasons".[21] However, it has been more transparent and open to scrutiny by outsiders since the 1980s, offering the opportunity for non-members to review the ceremonies. It also offers the latest texts of the ceremonies online but these texts are considered Safeguarded Material and remain password protected as explained on the Safeguarded Material page.[101]

On the same Safeguarded Material page, the Order has the following disclaimer: The Order of the Arrow, recognizing the attractiveness of the unknown, utilizes the form of mystery. This shall not be interpreted, however, as justifying the withholding of any information regarding the Order from any person legitimately interested in investigating its nature, purpose, or method. Nothing in the Order shall be interpreted as interfering with any member's religious obligation.[101]

The question of the ties of OA and Freemasonry is a divisive one online. It regularly appears on subreddits[102][103] and forums. This tie is mostly rejected by OA members who respond to these debates, sometimes pointing to the Native American ceremonies to disprove this claim.[104][105][106]

Criticism of Election Procedures

Elections to the Order of the Arrow have sparked controversy as being little more than popularity contests, especially in troops where scouts attend the same schools and are friends outside of the troop. As such, deserving scouts who are not popular among their troop mates frequently remain excluded from the Order of the Arrow. In larger troops, the election of younger scouts almost never occurs since older scouts dominate the troop leadership and will frequently only elect their peers rather than scouts who are several years younger. The Chairman of the Order of the Arrow acknowledged in 2011 that elections were a challenge, and that steps had been taken for adult leaders to make a greater effort to convey the serious nature of Order of the Arrow membership to members of the troop.[107]

References

  1. ↑ "NOAC 1998 Memories: A Life of Service". Order of the Arrow. August 4, 1998. Archived from the original on November 26, 2010. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
  2. ↑ "2017 Annual Report" (PDF). Order of the Arrow.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "National Order of the Arrow Leadership". Order of the Arrow. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Scouting's National Honor Society – Fact Sheet" (PDF). Order of the Arrow, BSA. 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 25, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  5. 1 2 Hilleary, Cecily (August 5, 2019). "Native Americans to Boy Scouts: Stop Plundering Our Past". Voice of America. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  6. 1 2 Brewer, Graham Lee (April 18, 2023). "Long accused of Indigenous misappropriation, Boy Scouts ask if it's time to change". NBC News. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  7. ↑ Townley, Alvin (2007). Legacy of Honor: The Values and Influence of America's Eagle Scouts. St Martin's Griffin. ISBN 978-0-8395-5000-6.
  8. ↑ "Extended History of the Order of the Arrow". Quelqueshoe Lodge 166. Archived from the original on November 19, 2008. Retrieved February 7, 2009.
  9. ↑ "OA Words". The Totem. Passoconaway Lodge #220, Daniel Webster Council #330. September 2011. Archived from the original on June 3, 2019. Retrieved June 3, 2019. "Wimachtendienk" is a word used by the Moravians, German and Dutch missionaries who first interacted with the Lenape in the 1700s, to describe themselves and their church (The United Brethren). It is grammatically correct Lënape and translates as "we who are brothers to one another" and thus, by extension, was used to convey the meaning of the European concept of a "brotherhood". This European concept did not exist in the Lënape tradition, thus there was no word, so the Moravians had to invent one. But at least it's grammatically correct.
  10. ↑ Daniel Garrison Brinton 1837–1899; David Zeisberger 1721–1808; Albert Seqaqkind (1888). "A Lenâpé-English dictionary; From an anonymous ms. in the archives of the Moravian Church at Bethlehem, Pa". Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Retrieved June 4, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ "The Lenape / English Dictionary – W". gilwell.com • a website for things Scouting. Archived from the original on May 25, 2019. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Peterson, Robert W. (1984). The Boy Scouts: An American Adventure. American Heritage. ISBN 0-8281-1173-1.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Order of the Arrow Handbook. Boy Scouts of America. 1977. ISBN 0-8395-5000-6.
  14. ↑ "Redirect – History | Order of the Arrow, Boy Scouts of America". Archived from the original on November 14, 2019. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
  15. ↑ Cave, Edward (1914). The Boy's Camp Book: A Guidebook Based upon the Annual Encampment of a Boy Scout Troop. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Page & Company. OL 6567202M.Open access icon
  16. 1 2 Davis, Ken (2000). Brotherhood of Cheerful Service: A History of the Order of the Arrow (3rd ed.). Order of the Arrow.
  17. 1 2 3 Block, Nelson (2000). A Thing of the Spirit, The Life of E. Urner Goodman. Boy Scouts of America.
  18. ↑ Grove, Dr. Terry (2007). Kekeenowin of the Wimachtendienk: The Record and Ritual Book of the Order of the Arrow 1915–1948. Apopka, FL: Reliance Media Inc. p. 38. ISBN 9780977653478.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Deloria, Philip J. (1999). Playing Indian. New Haven: Yale University Press. pp. 105, 108, 126–7, 165, et al. ISBN 9780300080674. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Adkins, S.M. "Freemasonry, Scouting and the Order of the Arrow". Archived from the original on March 15, 2008. Retrieved March 19, 2008.
  21. 1 2 Order of the Arrow Official Website - First Meeting of the Grand Lodge - https://oa-bsa.org/history/first-meeting-grand-lodge
  22. ↑ Hodapp, Christopher (2013). Freemasons for Dummies. Wile. pp. PT300–PT301.
  23. 1 2 Goodwin, John R. (January 25, 1997). "The Order of the Arrow, Another Masonic Ritual?". Grand Chapter Royal Arch Masons of Virginia. Archived from the original on May 6, 2008. Retrieved March 19, 2008.
  24. ↑ Denslow, William R (1958). 10,000 Famous Freemasons. St. Louis, Mo.: Missouri Lodge of Research. ISBN 1-4179-7579-2.
  25. ↑ Peterson, Robert (January–February 2000). "Celebrating 90 Years of Strong Values and Leadership". Scouting. Archived from the original on December 6, 2007. Retrieved October 20, 2007.
  26. ↑ Deloria, Philip J. (1999). Playing Indian. New Haven: Yale University Press. pp. 107–114 et al. ISBN 9780300080674. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  27. ↑ Geller, Allan (1983). The Brotherhood of Cheerful Service: A Pictorial History of Unami Lodge. Philadelphia: Unami Lodge.
  28. ↑ Dordick, Bruce (July 4, 2004). "Unami Lodge One History". Cradle of Liberty Council. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved October 16, 2007.
  29. ↑ Order of the Arrow website - The First Meeting of the Grand Lodge - https://oa-bsa.org/taxonomy/term/888
  30. 1 2 Block, Nelson R. (2000). A Thing of the Spirit—The Life of E. Urner Goodman. Irving, Tx: BSA. LCCN 2001277208.
  31. ↑ Second Biennial Conference of the Boy Scout Executives - 1922 - pages 161 to 163 - https://www.google.com/books/edition/Official_Report_of_the_National_Training/YyQlAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22that%20we%20can%20effectively%20use%20ceremony%20and%20symbolism%20in%20furthering%20Scout%20ideals%20of%20personal%20service%2C%20why%20should%20the%20entire%20body%22&pg=PA161&printsec=frontcover
  32. ↑ Order of the Arrow official website - WWW Becomes Official BSA Experiment - https://oa-bsa.org/history/www-becomes-official-bsa-experiment
  33. 1 2 3 Order of the Arrow Official Site - OA Obligation Timeline - https://oa-bsa.org/history/oa-obligation-timeline
  34. ↑ Order of the Arrow Official Website - Ceremony Booklets - https://oa-bsa.org/history/ceremony-booklets
  35. 1 2 3 4 Order of the Arrow Website - OA Becomes Official Scout Program - https://oa-bsa.org/history/oa-becomes-official-scout-program
  36. 1 2 3 Order of the Arrow Official Website - Ceremonial Rituals are Changed - https://oa-bsa.org/history/ceremonial-rituals-are-changed
  37. 1 2 Freemasons for Dummies - Chapter 13: The Extended Masonic Family - page 249
  38. ↑ Order of the Arrow Official Website - FDR inducted into OA - https://oa-bsa.org/history/fdr-inducted-oa
  39. ↑ Lindgren, Jim (January–February 2007). "Honoring a Legacy of Service". Scouting. Archived from the original on July 5, 2008. Retrieved October 20, 2007.
  40. ↑ "OA Basics: The Order of the Arrow is Scouting's National Honor Society". Order of the Arrow. Archived from the original on October 14, 2007. Retrieved October 12, 2007.
  41. ↑ Order of the Arrow Official Website - OA Official Part of BSA - https://oa-bsa.org/history/oa-official-part-bsa
  42. ↑ Order of the Arrow official website - National OA Committee Formed - https://oa-bsa.org/history/national-oa-committee-formed
  43. ↑ Order of the Arrow official website - First OA Handbook - https://oa-bsa.org/history/first-oa-handbook
  44. ↑ Order of the Arrow official website - 1950 National Jamboree - First OA Service Corps - https://oa-bsa.org/history/1950-national-jamboree-first-oa-service-corps
  45. ↑ Official Order of the Arrow website - Brotherhood Rituals Change - https://oa-bsa.org/history/brotherhood-rituals-change
  46. 1 2 3 4 Official Order of the Arrow Website - Ceremony Booklets - https://oa-bsa.org/history/ceremony-booklets
  47. ↑ "Purpose and Mission" (PDF). Order of the Arrow. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 13, 2010. Retrieved November 23, 2009.
  48. ↑ "ArrowCorps5 pamphlet" (PDF). Order of the Arrow. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 30, 2007. Retrieved April 3, 2007.
  49. ↑ "ArrowCorps5". U.S. Forest Service. Archived from the original on September 21, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2008.
  50. ↑ "Order of the Arrow – ArrowCorps5". Order of the Arrow. Archived from the original on February 3, 2006. Retrieved January 29, 2008.
  51. ↑ "2018 Membership Update". Order of the Arrow. May 23, 2018. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  52. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Membership". Boy Scouts of America. 2019. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  53. ↑ Davis, Kenneth P (1990). The Brotherhood of Cheerful Service: A History of the Order of the Arrow. Irving, Texas: Boy Scouts of America. ISBN 0-8395-4998-9.
  54. ↑ Untiedt, Kenneth L. (2005). Inside the Classroom (and Out). University of North Texas. pp. 44–45. ISBN 1-57441-202-7. Archived from the original on November 7, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  55. ↑ Howes, Jim (2007). "History of the Order of the Arrow". Atlas Communications. Archived from the original on February 12, 2009. Retrieved February 9, 2009.
  56. ↑ "The Vigil Honor". Cowikee Lodge. Archived from the original on March 6, 2009. Retrieved February 19, 2009.
  57. ↑ Order of the Arrow Guide for Officers and Advisers (PDF). Order of the Arrow. p. 8. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  58. 1 2 3 4 "Field Operations Guide" (PDF). Order of the Arrow. p. 15. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 27, 2009. Retrieved December 4, 2008.
  59. 1 2 Scout Insignia website - Dangles - https://www.scoutinsignia.com/dangle.htm
  60. 1 2 3 "History of the OA Sash". OA Sections. Archived from the original on January 6, 2009. Retrieved July 30, 2008.
  61. ↑ Order of the Arrow official website - First Official Uniform Insignia - https://oa-bsa.org/history/first-official-uniform-insignia
  62. ↑ Order of the Arrow - Arrow Ribbon Points Right - https://oa-bsa.org/history/arrow-ribbon-points-right
  63. ↑ Archived Order of the Arrow Official Website - https://web.archive.org/web/20120504085038/https://oa-bsa.org/misc/anr/asa/
  64. ↑ Order of the Arrow Official Website - First Sash (Black) https://oa-bsa.org/history/first-sash-black
  65. ↑ "The Handclasp of the Lodge". Order of the Arrow. Archived from the original on July 20, 2006. Retrieved April 11, 2006.
  66. ↑ "FIRST INSIGNIA -TOTEM PINS". ORDER OF THE ARROW. BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA. Archived from the original on November 15, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  67. ↑ Order of the Arrow Official Website - Pocket Flap Approved for Uniform Wear - https://oa-bsa.org/history/pocket-flap-approved-uniform-wear
  68. ↑ "Pocumtuc Lodge Flaps". Pocumtuc Lodge. Archived from the original on April 26, 2009. Retrieved February 19, 2009.
  69. ↑ Order of the Arrow official website - Ask the Chairman - Two-Piece Lodge Flaps - October 29, 2016 - https://oa-bsa.org/article/ask-chairman-two-piece-lodge-flaps
  70. 1 2 "Youth Protection Guidelines for Adult leaders and Parents". Irving, Texas: Boy Scouts of America. 2006. Physical hazing and initiations are prohibited and may not be included as part of any Scouting activity ... The BSA does not recognize any secret organizations as part of its program. All aspects of the Scouting program such as Order of the Arrow are open to observation by parents and leaders {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  71. ↑ Order of the Arrow Handbook. Boy Scouts of America. 2008. If after discussing the ceremony with the lodge adviser, the parent, Scout leader or religious leader continues to have questions about the content of the ceremony, that person will be permitted to read the ceremonial text and view the Ordeal's ceremony training DVD. Following this, parents will be in a position to decide whether to allow their son to participate in the ceremony. Nonmembers should not attend the ceremonies.
  72. ↑ Donchak, Lisa (April 10, 2008). "The Secret Behind the Order of the Arrow". City on a Hill Press. Archived from the original on January 22, 2012. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
  73. 1 2 Order of the Arrow Official website - First Ceremony - https://oa-bsa.org/history/first-ceremony
  74. ↑ Order of the Arrow Official Website - Ask the Chairman - Ordeal Guests/Parents - January 24, 2018 - https://oa-bsa.org/article/ask-chairman-ordeal-guestsparents
  75. ↑ Wicks, Robert J. (2000). Handbook of Spirituality for Ministers. Paulist Press. p. 171. ISBN 0-8091-3971-5.
  76. ↑ Ceremony for the Brotherhood. Boy Scouts of America. 1999. p. 18. 34994A.
  77. ↑ Ceremony for the Ordeal. Boy Scouts of America. 1999. p. 14.
  78. ↑ Sanchez, Diana (1989). The Hymns of the United Methodist Hymnal. Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press. ISBN 0-687-43149-2.
  79. ↑ Tiwahe Lodge Website - Order of the Arrow Song - https://oa.sdicbsa.org/order-arrow-song
  80. ↑ Scholarships, Grants and Prizes 2007. Peterson's. 2007. p. 494. ISBN 978-0-7689-2314-8. Archived from the original on November 7, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  81. 1 2 "National OA Events". Order of the Arrow. Archived from the original on March 1, 2009. Retrieved February 9, 2009.
  82. ↑ High Adventure Service: OA Summit Experience Archived April 6, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved August 5, 2016
  83. ↑ "OA Training Central". Order of the Arrow, Boy Scouts of America. Archived from the original on April 3, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  84. ↑ Coutteau, Chuck. "Developing Youth Leaders Conference". Order of the Arrow. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  85. 1 2 "LETTER: Boy Scouts on campus demonstrate insensitivity to Native American traditions". The State News. Archived from the original on June 29, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  86. 1 2 3 Argillander, Matthew (August 15, 2015). "Indigenous Grad Students Protest Boy Scouts". PopularResistance.org. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  87. 1 2 3 Kader, Charles (August 25, 2015). "Boy Scouts Playing Indians". Indian Country Today. Archived from the original on September 25, 2017. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  88. 1 2 Brantmeier, Edward J. (August 1, 2002). "Scout Gathering Allows Stereotypes of American Indians to be Repeated". The Herald-Times. Archived from the original on September 30, 2011. Retrieved July 2, 2009.(subscription required)
  89. ↑ Keene, Adrienne (October 1, 2013). "The one stop for all your 'Indian costumes are racist' needs!". Native Appropriations. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019. No, you can't wear your Boy Scout Order of the Arrow regalia, even if a "real Indian" taught you how to make it. It's not respectful to wear it as a costume, and I'll argue that it's not respectful for you to wear it ever.
  90. ↑ "Daily Local News". WFHB Firehouse Broadcasting (Podcast). WFHB Community Radio. July 14, 2009. Archived from the original on July 19, 2009. Retrieved July 27, 2009.
  91. ↑ "What is the Order of the Arrow?" (PDF). Chief Seattle Council, Boy Scouts of America. 2009. pp. 6, 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  92. 1 2 Ikwe, Ozheebeegay. "Boys Scouts Order of the Arrow Guilty of Cultural Appropriation". Last Real Indians. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  93. ↑ Moore, John H. (1998). "Truth and Tolerance in Native American Epistemology". In Thornton, Russell (ed.). Studying Native America: Problems and Prospects. U of Wisconsin P. pp. 271–305. ISBN 9780299160647.
  94. ↑ King, C. Richard; Springwood, Charles Fruehling (2001). Team Spirits: The Native American Mascots Controversy. U of Nebraska Press. p. 166. ISBN 978-0803277984.
  95. ↑ "Official Arrow of Light and crossover ceremonies". Boy Scouts of America – Order of the Arrow. July 23, 2018. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  96. ↑ "American Indian Activities in the Order of the Arrow at 2024 NOAC | Order of the Arrow, Boy Scouts of America". oa-bsa.org. December 22, 2023. Archived from the original on December 23, 2023. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  97. ↑ BSA Youth Protection and Adult Leadership Program - https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/gss01/
  98. ↑ Following Arrows by S. M. Adkins - http://phoenixmasonry.org/following_arrows.htm
  99. ↑ 'Yes, Virginia, it was called the 'Blood Rite' - http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/yes_virginia_it_was_called_the_blood_rite.htm
  100. ↑ Originally published on this page: http://catholicintl.com/articles/OrderoftheArrow-JohnSalza.pdf Archived on: https://web.archive.org/web/20240105142018/https://isidore.co/misc/Res%20pro%20Deo/Other%20Documents/Order%20of%20the%20Arrow%2C%20a%20Boyscouts%20Freemasonic%20ceremony%20%28Salza%29.doc
  101. 1 2 Order of the Arrow Official Website - Safeguarded Material - https://oa-bsa.org/safeguarded-material
  102. ↑ The influence of Freemasonry on the Order of the Arrow r/freemasonry - https://www.reddit.com/r/freemasonry/comments/5j0e25/the_influence_of_freemasonry_on_the_order_of_the/
  103. ↑ Does anyone have any thoughts on the Boy Scouts’ Order Of the Arrow? As it was founded by a mason and is modeled after Freemasonry. - https://www.reddit.com/r/Catholicism/comments/ncdbb9/does_anyone_have_any_thoughts_on_the_boy_scouts/
  104. ↑ Quora - Is there a connection between Boy Scouts and Freemasonry - https://www.quora.com/Is-there-a-connection-between-Boy-Scouts-and-Freemasonry
  105. ↑ Anyone else seen the on-line Anti OA items Re: similarity to Masonic Order? https://www.scouter.com/topic/22139-anyone-else-seen-the-on-line-anti-oa-items-re-similarity-to-masonic-order/
  106. ↑ Bible Study Forum - Church of Christ - Order of the Arrow - https://web.archive.org/web/20121117003546/http://forum.preachersfiles.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1962
  107. ↑ "Ask the Chairman – A Popularity Contest". Archived from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2021.

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