While you have completed your induction into the Lodge through your Ordeal, your next step is to complete your membership by becoming a Brotherhood Member! Brotherhood Membership finishes what was begun at your Ordeal, and prepares you to become an active and knowledgeable member of the Lodge. To complete your membership and discover the fullness of what the Order has to offer:
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Contact the Chief at:
Your Next Steps!
We Can't Wait to Meet You!
The Order of the Arrow has a rich history spanning 100 years, from its beginnings at a Boy Scout summer camp to its present role as a part of the Scouting program. While the Order celebrates its past, it remains committed to the future.
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More Information on the History of our Order can be found at:
Welcome to the Lodge!
We Are Glad You Are Here!
This page has been specifically designed for you - a new member of the Order of the Arrow. The purpose of this page is to introduce you to the rich history of the Order of the Arrow and prepare you, not only for further involvement, but also to seal your membership in the Order through your next step: Brotherhood Membership.
What is the OA?
For over 100 years, the Order of the Arrow (OA) has recognized Scouts and Scouters who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives. Arrowmen are known for maintaining camping traditions and spirit, promoting year-round and long term resident camping, and providing cheerful service to others. OA service, activities, adventures, and training for youth and adults are models of quality leadership development and programming that enrich and help to extend Scouting to America's youth.
Ever since your induction, you are an official member of our Lodge, Ashokwahta 339. Our lodge acts as a large troop, working within the Council to deliver quality program and service to our camps. There are hundreds of lodges across the US alone, and more internationally as well! Each lodge is a part of a larger Section. Our Section is NE-3A, covering Western NY and a small part of PA. Above Sections are Regions, which are made up of multiple Sections. Overall, there are 4 regions, and we are a part of the Northeast Region. All of the Regions, Sections, and Lodges have a Chief, who facilitates operation. Overseeing all National activities is the National Order of the Arrow Chief.
Leadership and Structure
What's up With the Sash?
By now, you have likely noticed the different sashes worn by members. While we do not have ranks in the Order, we have three levels of membership, Ordeal - marked by a red arrow on a white sash (You, as a new inductee), Brotherhood - marked by bars surrounding the arrow, and Vigil Honor - marked by bars around the arrow and a triangle in the center of the arrow. As an Ordeal member of the lodge, you have full access to all the rights and privileges of other Arrowmen, regardless of membership level.
Our History
In 1915, Camp Director E. Urner Goodman and Assistant Camp Director Carroll A. Edson searched for a way to recognize select campers for their cheerful sprits of service at Treasure Island Scout Camp in the Delaware River. Goodman and Edson founded the Order of the Arrow when they held the first Ordeal Ceremony on July 16th of that year. By 1921, as the popularity of the organization spread to other camps, local lodges attended the first national gathering called a Grand Lodge Meeting.
The Order of the Arrow was one of many camp honor societies that existed at local Scout camps across the country. As the years went on and more camps adopted the Order of the Arrow’s program, it gained prominence and became part of the national Boy Scout program in 1934. By 1948, the OA, recognized as the BSA's national brotherhood of honor campers, became an official part of the Boy Scouts of America. Toward the end of the twentieth century, the OA expanded its focus to include conservation, high adventure, and servant-leadership.
Throughout the years, the Order of the Arrow has played an integral role in the program of the Boy Scouts of America and in the community service its members contribute to their communities. To date, more than one million people have been members of the Order of the Arrow.
Presently, the Order of the Arrow consists of nearly 300 lodges, which form approximately 48 sections in four regions. Leadership positions and voting rights are restricted to members under the age of 21. Through the program, members live up to the ideals of brotherhood, cheerfulness, and service set forth by E. Urner Goodman and Carroll A. Edson.