History of the Order of the Arrow

Friday, July 16, 1915, dawned bright and clear on Treasure Island, at the Boy Scout Camp of the Philadelphia Council. The heat of that humid day gave way to tense excitement and mystery. That evening is remembered as the first induction of what is today known as the Order of the Arrow. The two responsible for this Scouting brotherhood are E. Urner Goodman, Founder and Carroll A. Edson, co-founder.

These two Scouters established a program to meet the needs of the time. As the years have passed, the needs remain and the Order of the Arrow has continued to grow in Brotherhood, Cheerfulness, and Service to others.

On April 15, 1915, E. Urner Goodman and Carroll Edson were appointed Camp Director and Assistant Camp Director for Treasure Island Scout Camp. With just a few months before the opening of summer camp, they found much work was necessary. In preparation, Dr. Goodman and Carroll Edson corresponded with each other.

One idea kept "cropping up" that something special should be developed for outstanding Scouts in camp. Once camp started, input was gathered in the evening around troop campfires. Dr. Goodman and Carroll Edson put the thoughts and ideas on paper at the end of each day.

On that sultry evening in July the first ceremony took shape The campfire was built in the shape of a triangle. Three lessons were taught that night.

The candidate tried to encircle a very large tree, by himself. Failing, he was then joined by several brothers who together had no problem encircling the large tree, thus teaching the lesson of Brotherhood.

Next, the candidate was directed to attempt to scale a steep bank at the edge of the council ring. Unsuccessful, he was once again aided by the brothers, with whose help he was able to climb the bank, thus teaching Service.

Finally, the candidate was given a bundle of twigs and asked to place them on the fire where they blazed brightly showing Cheerfulness.

That first year, twenty five members were inducted into the brotherhood. In the early years, from 1915 to 1921, the Order grew slowly. In the fall of 1921, the Biennial National Conference of Scout Executives was held at Blue Ridge, North Carolina. series of commissions had been appointed to study the various aspects of scouting.

One commission reported on camping and distributed their printed report in advance, using their scheduled report time to discuss the dangerous secret society that had been launched in some camps, contrary to the spirit of Scouting. The commission launched a violent attack on the Order and introduced a strongly worded resolution stating that such an organization should not be tolerated.

Urner Goodman and Carroll Edson immediately came to the defense of the Order and told of the value they had found in it. A confession was forced from the commission members admitting that no member of the commission had any direct contact with the Order. Urner and Carroll expressed their belief that no one could fairly evaluate the Order of the Arrow unless they had direct contact with the organization.

The resolution was repeatedly watered down until it read "those organizations contrary to the spirit of Scouting were disapproved of." Even so, that resolution barely carried, and the Order continued.

After this meeting, Chief Scout Executive James E. West asked those in the Order to meet with him. Urner Goodman, Carroll Edson, Arthur Schuck and three or four other Scouters were on hand. Mr. West looked the group over and said, "Well, I don't need to tell this group what the Spirit of Scouting is. Go ahead, and run the Order in your camps, but don't try to push its expansion. Let it grow, if it does, on its own merits, and not through a promotional effort."

The Order did grow. The first national convention was held on October 7, 1921, in Philadelphia, at which a national lodge composed of four delegates from each of the local lodges was formed.

During the 1929 convention, it was suggested that the Order become an official part of the Boy Scouts of America and a component part of its program. At the session of the national lodge in 1933 this proposal was made and ratified by the delegates. On June 2, 1934, at the National Council Annual Meeting, the Order of the Arrow program was approved by the National Council.

In May 1948, shortly after this national meeting, the National Council Executive Board, upon recommendation of its committee on camping, officially integrated the Order of the Arrow into the Scouting movement. The national lodge was dissolved. Eventually, the executive committee of the Order of the Arrow became the national committee of the Order of the Arrow, a subcommittee of the national committee on camping and engineering.

By 1950, the Order had grown large enough that the National Council made the decision to assign a professional Scouter to be the National Executive Secretary. In 1974, the Order of the Arrow Committee became a subcommittee of the Boy Scout Committee and almost totally self funding.

Through the years, many great Americans became Arrowmen. Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower wore the Arrow proudly.

Over the years, the Order of the Arrow stride to remain true to its purpose:

To recognize those campers Scouts, Explorers, and Scouters who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives, and by such recognition, cause other campers to conduct themselves in such a manner as to warrant recognition.

To develop and maintain camping traditions and spirit. To promote Scout camping, which relates its greatest effectiveness as a part of the unit's camping program, and to help strengthen the district and council camping program, both year round and in the summer camp, as directed by the camping committee of the council.

To Crystallize the Scout habit of helpfulness into a life purpose of leadership in cheerful service to others.

It is up the leaders of each lodge and each individual Arrowman to make sure the high ideals of the Order come alive in every unit in our council.

From that small group at Treasure Island in 1915 to the hundreds of thousands of Arrowman today, the Order was held to its three basic watchwords... Born of Scouting and camping we hold these things true... As called by the name, Wimachtendienk, Wingolauchsik, Witahemui...

Order of the Arrow Handbook, 1977, p. 131-135.

For more information:

Flint River Council BSA
Thunder Scout Reservation
1166 Dripping Rock Rd
Molena, GA 30258

Hours: 9am-5pm EST, Monday-Friday

(706) 646-2255
FAX (706) 646-2120
E-mail: bolt@thunderbsa.org