Re: Order of the Arrow
August Treubig (atreubi@CCTUADMIN3.ENTERGY.COM)
Thu, 17 Mar 1994 10:13:08 +0600
Hello Alan from New Orleans, LA, USA
The Order of the Arrow is an organization of Honor Campers in Boy Scouts
of America. It was founded, I believe in 1921 or 22 (don't have my OA
handbood here) by E. Urner Goodman. It's mission is to promote camping.
It was fully incorporated into the BSA program in 1948 (I believe). Mutch
is done with American Indian traditions and stories.
Boy's are elected into OA by their troop members. The requirements are
to be First Class Rank and have completed 16 days and nights of camping
(6 of which have to be long term.. i.e. in one piece -- like a summer
camp) The boys are elected by the troop not by the members of the OA,
although some of the members of the troop may be OA members already.
Once elected, the boy(s) will attend an Ordeal and go through it. The Ordeal
is a 24 hour period of time that they will be required to do certain things.
I will get vague here because much of what goes on is somewhat secret
(Although, there are no real secrets in OA). It is more to maintain the
mystery of OA... Once a member has passed the Ordeal, he becomes a member
for life and is entitled to wear a white sash with a red arrow on it. It
is worn over the right shoulder across his chest. Also he becomes a member
of his council's lodge and can wear that lodge flap on the flap of his right
pocket of his uniform.
Our lodge here in New Orleans Area Council is Chilantakoba Lodge # 397.
Chilantakoba is a Choctaw Indian word for Brown Pelican. Each lodge
will have a totem like that and it will be the central theme for their
identification.
OA is a youth run organization. A boy is considered a youth in OA until he
is 21. This sort of conflicts with BSA for normal Troops which sets the
boundary at 18. But we use it to our advantage in OA. Many of the leaders
are young men in college. Adults in OA are there merely as advisors.
In my own case, I was elected as an adult, (The rank requirement is not
necessary, although as a boy I was a Life Scout) by my Troop Committee
3 1/2 years ago. I still had to have the camping requirement.
Presently, I am the advisor to the Pelican's Beak editor, (Lodge Newsletter).
And my son is the Lodge Treasurer. He ran for the office at our annual
fellowship last December. He is 16 and has responsibility for reporting
the financial business of the Lodge to the Executive board. He also
maintains the Lodge Trading Post.
I'm sure that I answered about 10 percent ofy our questions. There are many
of us here on the net that are OA. Howerever, there may be some questions
that we may want to answer in private or not at all. Please don't feel
offended, but there is somewhat of a mystery around parts of OA....
YiS
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August Treubig Brotherhood Member
Advisor, Explorer Post 679 Chilantakoba Lodge # 397
Former ASM & CC Troop 796 Advisor to Scribe & Publications
Cataouatche District
New Orleans Area Council internet: atreubi@entergy.com
(I used to be a fox...SR-71)
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Not speaking for I speak for myself only,
Entergy Corporation but I listen more than I speak!
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Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
