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90-771: The council has headquarters in Pleasanton, California with an Outdoor Programs office in Alameda. The council has retail Trading Posts in both its Alameda and Pleasanton offices. They also have a Trading Post in Fairfield. A Scout Shop in Pleasant Hill is also open for business in the County Square Shopping Center. The council formed with the merger of the San Francisco Bay Area Council, Alameda Council, and

180-688: 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. Many lodges have standing committees responsible for ceremonies, service projects, publications, unit elections, camp promotions, and dance teams composed of youth members. Lodges are grouped into sections that are then grouped into regions. The section chief

270-643: 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. It has foundations influenced by Freemasonry and uses imagery commonly associated with American Indian cultures for its self-invented ceremonies. Native Americans have criticized

360-603: A Grand Lodge as inspired by the Freemasons. A new Constitution was written and the ceremonies used in the early years were rewritten. The following year, it became an Official Experiment of the Boy Scouts of America. Throughout the 1930s, the Order of the Arrow went through a full review. The terminology used by the order was slowly replaced to sound less masonic and more Native American. This

450-623: A The Grand Lodge." It also acknowledges that it was required to change this terminology in the 1930s: "As part of the agreement made by the OA National Executive Committee with the BSA to become an official part of the Boy Scout program the OA agreed to change certain terminology effective January 1, 1935 (although not disseminated to local lodges until April 23, 1935). The BSA was concerned about heavy reliance on Masonic fraternal terms in

540-418: A higher price. Finally, the 13th edition was made available only in the coil-bound version, as is the current 14th edition. The Handbook has gone through 17 covers over the years: Four of these covers only were not full color: Original 1910, 1st Edition, early 8th and the 14th Boy and Girl editions. Various artists contributed to the artwork on the cover including Don Ross, the former BSA art director who

630-485: A member of the troop they are camping with. The nomination must be seconded, and thirded by individuals present at the Friday afternoon Pioneer meeting. The only requirement for adults is that they have spent two weeks at Camp Wolfeboro, one of which must have been in a previous year.. Shortly after the final dinner on Friday night, Scouts assemble at Bravo How campfire circle at the foot of Pioneer Rock. The ceremony begins with

720-543: 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." In 2024, issuance of American Indian Vigil Honor names will stop and competitions, training and other programs will be discontinued at

810-551: A previous year. They must have held (or be holding) a position in their troop that is on the approved list for Eagle within the Boy Scout Handbook 11th edition, p. 446. They must also be First Class rank or above and have Scoutmaster approval before eligibility can take effect. Some troops, due to unusual size or other quality, amend these eligibility rules. For example, some troops choose to nominate only Scouts that are Star or higher. Scouters/parents must be nominated by

900-613: A re-print of the First Edition was published by Dover Publications . The book contains all the original material in 448 pages. The Boy Scouting program began admitting girls in 2019 and was renamed Scouts BSA . The handbook was renamed the Scouts BSA Handbook for the 14th edition. It is available in two editions with identical content but one with photos of boys and one of girls. The board of directors wanted to make sure that male and female scouts alike would see themselves within

990-420: 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. 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

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1080-500: A scout joining the organization. It provides a formal process to answer these questions with the lodge adviser or his designee. If questions remain after this meeting, the adults will be permitted to read the current ceremony text used in the Ordeal to make an informed decision. As scouts are minors, parents have the final say to allow or disallow their child to join the organization. Some exceptions can also be granted to allow parents to attend

1170-412: 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. 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

1260-509: A staff of adults. After successful pilots in 2016, the Developing Youth Leadership Conference curriculum began replacing NLATS in early 2017. 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", and that the imagery, costuming, titles and imitation rituals "evoked a primitivist exterior Indian Other, vanished from

1350-425: A term some use to describe the wearing of feathers and warpaint by non-Native Americans." 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. On December 23, 2023, the national Order of the Arrow leadership announced: "American Indian Activities (dancing, drumming, and crafts) will not be

1440-402: 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

1530-699: Is a Boy Scout camping honor society based out of Camp Wolfeboro near Arnold, California . The society was founded in the summer of 1929 by returning Scouts and Scouters who were devoted to creating and preserving the camp's unique tradition. An insight into the society in 1996 is given by a Scouter on the Scouts-L list. Beginning in the 1930s, the Order of the Arrow absorbed many of the small Scouts BSA honor societies that had thrived during Scouting's first two decades. This happened in 1944 in Silverado Council. The Order of

1620-576: 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." Simon Mayo-Smith, a journalist and citizen of the Oglala Lakota Nation explains the concern of using Native American Headpieces: “The headdress

1710-411: Is brought out of the classroom and into the field including on camping outings. Many copies did not survive these years of use in harsh environments and very few early examples have survived to this day in good conditions. The first Official Handbook , subtitled A Handbook of Woodcraft, Scouting, and Life-craft was published from July 1910 until March 1911 and appeared in eight distinct variations. It

1800-585: Is called out and is helped up the ladder to the top of Pioneer Rock. Along the way, they are congratulated by current members. After the ceremony ends, they embark on an initiation process that takes until the early hours of the morning. The Wolfeboro Pioneers' official mission is to preserve and improve Camp Wolfeboro and its traditions. To this end, the Wolfeboro Pioneers assist in the opening and closing of camp each summer, as well as assisting in multiple service projects throughout most summers (in addition to

1890-408: Is certainly opposed to the idea of Scouting. If every man in camp is given that chance and not just a clique or coterie who call themselves together and form a fraternity, perhaps it might work advantageously. During this same conference, E. Urner Goodman had defended Camp Fraternities and opposed a possible blanket ban on these. The Order of the Arrow would end up becoming an "Official Experiment" at

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1980-411: 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

2070-401: 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

2160-604: Is reserved for our revered elders who, through their selflessness and leadership, have earned the right to wear one. It’s a spiritual garb, not just cultural; it’s not merely an addition to one’s attire. Wearing one, even an imitation headdress, belittles what our elders have spent a lifetime to earn.” 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

2250-519: Is responsible for both covers of the 5th edition and Norman Rockwell who painted the 3rd, 4th, 6th and 9th editions. However, only the 6th edition was painted specifically to be a Handbook cover. The other three were originally used on the Brown & Bigelow annual Scout calendars. The content of the Handbook has varied from year to year and covered a wide range of subjects essential for scouts. For example,

2340-654: Is the honor society of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), composed of Scouts and Scouters who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives as elected by their peers. Started as a Camp Fraternity by E. Urner Goodman , with the assistance of Carroll A. Edson , in 1915, its goal was to reinforce the Scout Oath and the Scout Law . Started without approval of Boy Scouts of America (BSA), it became an "Official Experiment" of

2430-415: 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

2520-514: The Delaware River and assistant Camp Director Carroll A. Edson under the name of Wimachtendienk Wingolauchsik Witahemui . It was seen as a way to improve the summer camp experience and to encourage older Scouts to continue attending the summer camp. It was not part of Boy Scouts of America at the time. The name was based on the Lënape dialect. In 1921, the "known" Lodges organized themselves under

2610-791: 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,

2700-470: The Original Edition , many now-standard Scouting skills were passed over, including knife and axe use and map and compass work. The book describes many Scout-like virtues and qualifications. After a lengthy section on what a Scout should know, including chivalry, history, and national issues, it is noted that "in short, to be a good Scout is to be a well-developed, well-informed boy." On June 17, 2005,

2790-606: The 1911 First Edition included the following content: The handbook has changed over time to reflect the evolution of the Boy Scouts of America program, including the implementation of the Youth Protection program and the admission of girls in the program. While many of the ressources are now available online, all youth involved in Scouts BSA today still uses the Scout BSA Handbook as a reference and to track their journey in

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2880-462: The 6th, 7th, and 9th editions. Frederick L. Hines wrote the 8th, and Robert Birkby the 10th, 11th and 12th editions. Since its first edition, the Boy Scout Handbook was published to be the primary reference for scouts. It was used by scouts at a time when the internet was not available and included practical information a scout needed. It also was designed as a moral compass. It was and still

2970-572: 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

3060-587: The Arrow established itself in Mt. Diablo Council in the early 1950s. Every summer, it inducts several adult leaders and roughly 100 Scouts, a good annual induction rate for a minor organization. These Scouts come not only from California, but from around the nation and world. Since then, individuals have been inducted into the society through election. Eligible Scouts are nominated by the Scoutmaster and elected by their troop. The number of Scouts eligible per troop depends on

3150-662: 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. It originally started 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

3240-576: The Arrow, Boy Scouts of America" . oa-bsa.org . September 24, 2024 . Retrieved November 8, 2024 . </ref> As evident 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 to avoid offending religious groups, including the Catholic Church and some protestant denominations who have long-standing concerns with Freemasonry. Since then,

3330-482: 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

3420-545: The Camp Wolfeboro Workparty each Tuesday evening). Examples of the work the Pioneers have done include the maintenance of the road into camp, as well as the refurbishments of the dining hall in recent years. The Pioneers are also responsible for at least 90% of the trails within camp. A second duty of the Wolfeboro Pioneers involves the preservation of the history of Camp Wolfeboro through the creation and maintenance of

3510-535: The Masonic fraternal system: "In 1921 Wimachtendienk, W.W. (a common way at the time of referring to what we know as the Order of the Arrow) was ready to have a national structure. Patterned similar to the Freemasons, it was decided that each lodge would become a member of the Grand Lodge." "The usage of the term “Grand Lodge” appears to have come from the Masonic fraternal system that also calls their national organization

3600-606: The Mount Diablo Silverado Council in June 2020. Covers the community of Alameda. Covers the communities of Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda, Pleasant Hill, and Walnut Creek. Covers the communities of Cordelia, Fairfield, Suisun City, and Travis Air Force Base. Covers the communities of Antioch, Bay Point, Bethel Island, Brentwood, Byron, Knightsen, Oakley, and Pittsburg. Covers the communities of San Francisco, Colma (residential portion), and Daly City (northern half) Covers

3690-480: The National Chieftain. Similarly, the term “Degree” became “Honor” and the term “Password” became “Admonition”. The term “Manitou” referring to a deity was completely eliminated from ceremonies, this being done to satisfy religious groups concerns." The OA also recognizes and respects the right of any parent, Scout leader and religious leader to have questions about the OA and its safeguarded ceremonies prior to

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3780-733: The OA Distinguished Service Award and other entertainment. 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

3870-726: 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. 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. The Order of

3960-418: The OA has grown to be an important part of the Boy Scouts of America throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. However, the debate about its relationship with Freemasonry is not over. Those who put forward this idea believe that the Order of the Arrow is still today a Masonic organization and has not shed its Masonic nature. Several articles have been published since the 1990s expending on this idea. They point to

4050-702: 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

4140-495: 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." American anthropologist John H. Moore , an expert on North American Indian ethnology, wrote in an essay published in 1998 that "of all

4230-430: The OA's various symbols and "rituals" as cultural appropriation based on non-Native stereotypes of American Indians . Its Freemason ties have also been source of debates, in spite of its systematic removal of masonic terminology in the 1930s to avoid offending religious groups. The Order of the Arrow was started as a Camp Fraternity by E. Urner Goodman , newly assigned Director of Treasure Island Scout Reservation on

4320-404: The Order of the Arrow as of August 2018. Unit elections of the OA are allowed in Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Sea Scout units. There are three levels of membership: 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. The Order of the Arrow places great emphasis on being

4410-751: 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 which gives service to the New River Gorge National River . The National Order of

4500-399: 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

4590-545: The Order of the Arrow was even part of Boy Scouts of America. During the Second Biennial Conference of the Boy Scout Executives in the debate about secrets societies within BSA camps by Dr. Tinney of Little Rock, AR stated this: I happen to be an ex-fraternity man. I have had experience where every boy in the camp is not given the opportunity - mind you I say the opportunity - to join that fraternity, which

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4680-649: The Order. So the term “lodge” which is what Masons call their local groupings was replaced with the word “tribe”. Instead of Unami Lodge and Owasippe Lodge, they became Unami Tribe and Owasippe Tribe. Likewise the Masons use of the term “Grand” to describe their highest governing body was changed to “National”. Thus the OA’s Grand Lodge would become known as the National Tribe and the Grand Chieftain would become known as

4770-531: The Pioneer historian giving a short history of the camp and the organization. After that, the Pioneers, assembled on the rock, lead the Scouts seated on the logs below in singing the traditional song, "Patsy Ory Ory Ay." When this is completed, the Pioneers slip away and form a ladder on either side of the trail leading to the main campfire circle. In a matter of minutes, the Scouts, Scouters, and parents who have come to watch

4860-520: The Pioneer scrapbooks, as well as the writing and printing of "Wolfeboro Sings", the official songbook. The scrapbooks are currently updated through the summer of 1998 and contain photos, clippings, and patches from the camp's history. Currently (as of June 2007) the Pioneers are actively working on updating the Camp Wolfeboro history since 2000 in the scrapbooks, as well as pursuing a new edition of "Wolfeboro Sings." There are three Pioneer rocks. One in

4950-451: The Scout Oath and Law. Boy Scout Handbook Scouts BSA Handbook is the official handbook of Scouts BSA , published by the Boy Scouts of America . It is a descendant publication of Baden-Powell 's original handbook, Scouting for Boys , which has been the basis for Scout handbooks in many countries, with some variations to the text of the book depending on each country's codes and customs. The handbook opens by introducing

5040-800: The Scout Oath, the Scout Law, the Scout Motto, and the Scout Slogan of BSA. There are currently two editions of the Scouts BSA Handbook, one for girls and one for boys, but other than photographs, the content is essentially the same. The original edition of the BSA handbook was based on Baden-Powell's work. Ernest Thompson Seton combined his Woodcraft manual, the Birch Bark Rolls , with Baden-Powell's Scouting for Boys . Subsequent works were done by other authors. William "Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt wrote

5130-568: The Scouting organization. In 1948, following an extensive review, it officially became a program of Boy Scouts of America. While the OA is not a secret organization, it is an organization with "safeguarded" rituals. 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,

5220-424: The ability to veto the troop's decision. Votes are then taken back to Pioneer Rock where they are counted by Pioneer officials. Originally only the initial returning Scouts were "pioneers" and for a number of years no one was added to their number. The society realized that if they were to survive it would be necessary to induct new members who possessed the same spirit of the original pioneers. The original procedure

5310-438: The center of camp, one at the main campfire circle and a third secret one. No one is permitted to walk on the rock unless they are a Pioneer. The official color of the Wolfeboro Pioneers is "Pioneer Blue," which currently most closely resembles azure . The actual color of the Pioneers has varied considerably over the 75+ year history, ranging from teal to darker royal blue . Many pieces of Pioneer apparel have been created over

5400-475: The ceremony itself under certain conditions. 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

5490-403: The communities of Albany, Berkeley, and western Contra Costa County including Crockett, North Richmond, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Hercules, Kensington, Pinole, Richmond, Rodeo, and San Pablo. Covers the communities of Clearlake, Clearlake Oaks, Kelseyville, Lakeport, Lower Lake, Lucerne, Middletown, Nice, and Upper Lake. Covers the communities of Alamo, Danville, Diablo, and San Ramon. Covers

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5580-522: The communities of Fremont, Newark, and Union City. Covers the communities of Clayton, Concord, Martinez, and Pacheco. Covers the communities of Oakland and Emeryville. Covers the communities of American Canyon, Angwin, Benicia, Calistoga, Napa, St. Helena, Vallejo, and Yountville. Covers the communities of Castro Valley, Hayward, San Leandro, and San Lorenzo. Covers the communities of Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton, and Sunol. The council camps are as follows: In January 2021, Yerba Buena Lodge #719

5670-496: The event form a column behind a number of Pioneer torchbearers who lead the way to the main campfire circle. The Pioneers lining the parade route hold their fingers in the Scout Sign and stand at rigid attention to signal the somber nature of the event and to call for observance of its importance through absolute silence. The Scouts are seated and the Pioneers disperse and retreat to the second Pioneer Rock, situated so that it overlooks

5760-407: The handbooks were soft cover usually made of heavy paper. However, some very limited runs also used leather, vinyl and oilcloth. The paper used was always off-white with black ink with the exception of the 3rd edition that was printed using green ink. The first editions were printed in black and white. Later on, full color printing was used in the handbook itself. The binding used until around 1970

5850-542: The history and traditions of the Native American tribes indigenous to the areas the lodge serves, but use of Native American sacred objects by non-Native groups such as the Boy Scouts has been condemned by Native activists. 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." She called

5940-483: The history of the OA and the current similarities that persist between Freemasonry and the present-day Order of the Arrow in its organization, secret ceremonies, and other rituals: The Order of the Arrow has not addressed directly the question of its present ties to Freemasonry. But on its official website, the OA does not shy away from its past by using the old Masonic terminology similar in a historical context and acknowledging that this terminology may well have come from

6030-549: 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". David Prochaska, professor in the University of Illinois History Department states

6120-463: The later twentieth century and beyond, the Order of the Arrow has been protested and criticized for engaging in cultural appropriation and spreading stereotypes of, and racism against, Native Americans . Protester concerns include OA's imitation of Native American ceremonies, regalia, and artwork they consider to be offensive. The Chief Seattle Council of the BSA has written that modern ceremonies conducted by each OA lodge are "influenced by"

6210-513: 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

6300-619: The level of membership on the Scout uniform. The pocket flap is sewn permanently to the shirt pocket itself and is worn even in casual settings while the ribbon or the sash are only used in more formal settings. There are four ceremonies following the Unit Elections of OA candidates: The requirements to take part in the ceremonies are public but the content of the ceremonies are considered safeguarded and not to be shared with non-members without proper vetting. Awards are separate and distinct from

6390-417: The main campfire circle. The Pioneer Sergeant-at-Arms, breaking the silence, decrees in a booming voice: "Let The Fires Of Friendship Burn!" The campfires are then lit and, for the next hour, Scout troops perform songs and skits for the assembled crowd. After the skits have finished, the Calling-Out Ceremony begins. The Pioneers form a human "ladder" that runs from the stage to the top of Pioneer Rock. Each Scout

6480-488: The manner in which they are conducted as well as the inconsistent nature in which they are performed." 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,'

6570-547: The membership levels of Ordeal and Brotherhood. Awards available through the Order of the Arrow include: 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. Ceremonies also utilize

6660-457: The modern world but still accessible through ritual and its accompanying objects." 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". In

6750-433: 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. Today, the Order of the Arrow is famous within BSA for its uniform symbols. There are two types of symbols: The lodge membership often takes center stage over

6840-437: The number of Scouts in the troop rounded up to the closest tenth then divided by ten (i.e. if the troop size is 30, then three Scouts are eligible, if 21 then still three Scouts are eligible). Elections are conducted by teams of Pioneer members (usually uniformed) who disperse throughout the various campsites. The Pioneers are responsible for reading and explaining the election procedures to the assembled Scouts. The Scoutmaster has

6930-428: The other Scouts are surprised certain Scouts are never elected. OA Representatives organizing the elections are requested to read the following statement to the troop: An Order of the Arrow election is not a popularity contest. We ask you not to vote for a Scout just because they are your friend, or because they are a good athlete, or because they are older. We ask you to vote for those you believe are best at following

7020-431: The pages of the Handbook. The text however is identical in both version including the requirements and program elements remaining unchanged from the 13th edition. The boys' version has a green with lettering and First Class Rank Emblem in metallic gold cover, while the girls' version is tan with the same lettering and First Class Rank Emblem in metallic green cover. Dates and names of the various editions are: Most of

7110-711: The program. The following subjects were first addressed in the following editions: From 1911 to 1964, advertising was found in the Handbook and helped subsidize the cost of production. The advertising stopped after 1964 with the exception of the 1975/1976 printing of the 8th Edition that also contained advertising. Advertising was provided by companies primarily focused on categories that appealed to boys including camping-related goods, sports equipment, clothing and food products. Food products included chewing gum , canned sardines , pancakes , shredded wheat , chocolate ,and baked beans . However, most ads were for rifles and ammunition . Among well-known brands that advertised in

7200-448: 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. 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

7290-426: The same conference. Today, the Order of the Arrow provides guidance to OA leaders in an effort to mitigate this issue. The OA Unit Election Handbook covers this in their Frequently Asked Questions: How do you keep the elections from being a popularity contest? Some Scouts who meet the requirements and definitely have the qualities of a true Scout are not elected. They meet the qualifications year after year. Even

7380-549: The section and national level in 2025. The practice will remain open at the local level until January 1, 2026. At that time, "only lodges that have a formal relationship established with a state or federally recognized tribe in their area may engage in American Indian programming." Additional guidance on this last item will be distributed by December 2024 and additional training will be issued throughout 2025. "Policy Update: Changes Regarding American Indian Programming | Order of

7470-482: 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. This concern about Fraternities being cliques and excluding some had already been brought up back in 1922 before

7560-509: The years since 1929, including t-shirts , polos , neckerchieves , and fleece jackets. As well, a large variety of patches, designed primarily for the temporary insignia location on the right breast pocket of the Boy Scout uniform, have been issued, most of which can be viewed at camp in the Pioneer scrapbooks. Order of the Arrow The Order of the Arrow ( OA ), previously known as Wimachtendienk Wingolauchsik Witahemui ( WWW )

7650-498: Was a requirement from the Boy Scouts of America who wished to not offend the religious groups that represented almost half of their charter organizations at the time and this needed to happen before the OA could be fully integrated in BSA. By 1948, two-thirds of the BSA's councils had OA Lodges. That same year, it announced at the 1948 NOAC that the Order of the Arrow was integrated as an official part of Boy Scouts of America Program. More than 160,000 youth and adults are members of

7740-467: Was formed by the merger of Achewon Nimat, Kaweah and Ut-In Selica lodges. The lodge number was selected by summing the former individual lodge numbers Achewon Nimat (282), Kaweah (379) and Ut-In Selica (58) The Wolfeboro Pioneers is one of the last surviving local BSA honor societies in the United States that has not been absorbed by the Order of the Arrow , the others being Tribe of Mic-O-Say , Firecrafter , and Tribe of Tahquitz The Wolfeboro Pioneers

7830-533: Was intended solely as a temporary guide until an authoritative handbook could be made, it is now known as the 1910 Original Edition Handbook . The cover art was an illustration by Baden-Powell. There were about 28,000 copies printed, not 68,900 as previously thought. The Official Handbook for Boys was published in June 1911. In this edition, the American Scouting program was standardized, albeit with many omissions and mistakes (cf. external links). As with

7920-400: Was stitched signatures (as seen in most hardcover books). Starting at the end of the 7th edition, the cheaper perfect binding was used where each page is glued to the spin (as in a paper pad). This resulted in most Handbooks falling apart even faster, especially with the abuse scouts put them through in the field. Some coil-bound versions were introduced to resolve this issue but were sold at

8010-444: Was that if a Scout met the requirements described above and had worked on at least one pioneer sponsored work party, then he was eligible for nomination. Prior to the final campfire of the week the pioneers would gather on pioneer rock and nominate candidates and plead their case. Upon end of discussion, a vote would be taken. To be eligible for candidacy, Scouts must have spent two weeks at Camp Wolfeboro, one of which must have been in

8100-400: Was written by Ernest Seton and drew greatly on Baden-Powell 's Scouting for Boys , it included information on the organization of Scouting, signs and signaling, and camping, as well as Scouting games and a description of several Scouting honours. Notably, this book did not place emphasis on first aid, knife and axe use, or map and compass work, as later editions would. Because this edition

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