A note: The Order of the Arrow desires to keep its ceremonies secret from Boy Scouts and adult leaders who are not members, with the intent of heightening curiosity and respect. Despite this secrecy, the Order of the Arrow is not a secret society, as secret societies are forbidden within the Boy Scouts of America. Although its ceremonies are safeguarded from non-members without a specific reason to know in order to preserve their impact on future candidates, any concerned person can read or view the ceremonies upon request of the local lodge, and all business meetings are open to non-members.
The OA was founded in 1915 at a Scout camp on Treasure Island, in the Delaware River near Philadelphia. The two men most involved in its creation were camp director Dr. E. Urner Goodman, and his assistant Carroll A. Edson. It had come to their attention that many other camps had created honor societies for Scouts who had attended them. They decided to create one of their own, and to base it on the traditions and legends of the local Lenni Lenape (Delaware) Indians; the name Brotherhood of Cheerful Service, and many of the OA's ceremonies are thus derived from Delaware tradition.
Numerous other camp honor societies existed at some point during the BSA's history. Some faded into history. Some are still active today. Others eventually became Order of the Arrow lodges. Among the more widespread of these societies are the Order of Mic-O-Say, Firecrafters, Kunieh, PGT, and The Clan of the Mistic [sic] Oak.
The basic unit of the order is the lodge, which is chartered to a council. The head of a lodge is the Lodge Chief, a young man under the age of 21, with a Lodge Adviser, an adult tasked with guiding the chief and the lodge in general. Many lodges are further divided into chapters, villages, or clans, which generally corespond to a district in the council. OA activities, primarily meetings and service projects, are usually organized by the chapters.
A group of 2 - 8 lodges are grouped into what is known as a section, the primary purpose of which is to organize an annual weekend campout known as a conclave which combines training performed for the membership of the lodges and inter-lodge competition,including sporting competitions. The sections are grouped into four regions, the Northeast, Southern, Central, and Western regions. Nationaly, the order is headed by the National Order of the Arrow Committee, which is a subcommittee of the BSA's Boy Scouting Committee.
Inductees to the OA must first be elected by a majority vote of their fellow Scouts in their troop or team. Any Scout who has reached the rank of First Class, has fulfilled camping requirements, and has been approved by his Scoutmaster is eligible for election. The next step is the calling-out, performed by a member of the OA dressed as a Delaware Indian. This usually occurs at a Camporee, but if a troop does not go to Camporee, it will be done at a troop meeting.
The first honor, or level of membership, is the Ordeal Honor, which is conferred during the Ordeal, a two-night camping event. The Ordeal is a highly symbolic experience, designed to foster a spirit of brotherhood, cheerfulness, and service, and to cause the inductees to ponder why they were selected. After about a year, a member is eligible go through another ceremony, called the Brotherhood, when the member seals his membership in the order, and is advanced to the second honor, the Brotherhood Honor. Two years after completing the Brotherhood Honor, a member having demonstrated exemplary service to Scouting and the Order may be selected for the third, or Vigil Honor. A Lodge may select only a few Vigil Honor inductees a year, and a majority of those inducted must be under the age of 21. The members are advanced to the Vigil Honor after completing the Vigil Ordeal.
Arrowmen are identified by a white sash bearing a red arrow worn over their right shoulder. They are also identified by special Order of the Arrow patches worn on the right pocket flap of their Boy Scout uniforms. Many of these patches are now quite collectible and are of special historical significance.
History
Orginization
Membership
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