Purpose
The Order of the Arrow is Scouting’s National Honor Society. The purpose of the Order of the Arrow is fourfold:
To recognize those Scout campers who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives.
To develop and maintain camping traditions and spirit.
To promote Scout camping.
To crystallize the Scout habit of helpfulness into a life purpose of leadership in cheerful service to others.
History
The Order of the Arrow (OA) was founded by Dr. E. Urner Goodman and Carroll A. Edson in 1915 at the Treasure Island Camp of the Philadelphia Council, Boy Scouts of America. It became an official program experiment in 1922 and was approved as part of the Scouting program in 1934.
In 1948 the OA, recognized as the BSA's national brotherhood of honor campers, became an official part of the national camping program of the Boy Scouts of America.
Organization & Our Lodge
Levels of Leadership
There are five levels of leadership in the Order of the Arrow.
The chapter level represents our district within the council: Five Rivers.
The lodge represents our council (North Florida Council) and is made up of multiple chapters. The lodge is headed by a Lodge Chief and their leadership team as well as many committees within the lodge lead by youth.
The section is made up of many lodges and ours represents more or less the State of Florida.
The region is made up of many sections. The Eastern Region is one of two regions of the Order of the Arrow and represents the eastern half of the United States.
There is a national level youth and adult leadership team that runs the overall national program for Order of the Arrow.
