American Indian ACTIVITIES at NOAC 2024:

As the OA continues to expand its membership into more diverse communities, we continue to put our mission and purpose at the forefront of our Brotherhood. Consistent with that emphasis, the Order of the Arrow has determined that American Indian Activities (dancing, drumming, and crafts) will not be a part of the program at the 2024 National OA Conference. This decision was made with input from several different constituencies.

Recently, we asked OA members to provide feedback on various aspects of our history and traditions through multiple surveys. One important takeaway from these surveys is that we need to be more deliberate in involving local tribes/Indian nations and tribal leaders in discussions about the use of American Indian traditions in our local lodges.

While many members value these traditions, they also believe that lodges should seek approval from local tribes/Indian nations and tribal leaders to use them and ensure that our members understand their proper context. The feedback emphasized the importance of local decision-making on these traditions. Despite this local emphasis, certain previously prohibited traditions, like the use of face paint, will continue to be banned from all OA activities and programs.

American Indian tribes/Indian nations across the country have a varied background and different levels of support for the programs of the Order of the Arrow. 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.

For lodges that already engage with local tribal leadership in American Indian traditions, it is essential to maintain this practice and adhere to their guidance respectfully. For OA lodges using or planning to use American Indian traditions—but not yet engaging with local tribal leadership—the national OA committee expects them to establish these relationships before proceeding with existing or new programs. Lodge leadership should plan to have written agreements in place indicating partnerships with local tribes/Indian nations as specific policies and resources are developed in the future.

Above all, the Order of the Arrow embodies the lofty ideals of the Scout Oath and Law. Foundational to this experience is a deep respect for people from all backgrounds. Respecting the traditions of Indigenous Peoples is just one way in which we manifest these ideals.

DSA and red arrow nominations now open!

Nominations for the Distinguished Service Award and Red Arrow Award Class of 2024 are due by 5 p.m. CST on January 31, 2024.

The Distinguished Service Award was created in 1940 to honor those who serve the Order beyond the lodge level.  The award is presented to those Arrowmen who have rendered distinguished and outstanding service to the Order on a sectional, regional, or national basis.  It has been given primarily for dedicated service to the Order and Scouting for years.

The Red Arrow Award was created in 1967 to recognize individuals who are not members of the Order of the Arrow for outstanding service to the Order.

New Submission Process
We are pleased to announce that we have opened an online portal for DSA and Red Arrow nominations!  That portal can be found at: https://forms.oa-bsa.org.  We are STRONGLY encouraging all nominators to use the online submission portal. While the traditional paper forms can still be used, they must be submitted to the national office by the same deadlines as above. 

A couple of notes:
The nominator will sign into the portal with their ArrowID.  If they don’t have an account, they will be able to create one as they log in. The nominator creates the nomination and submits all the biographical information online.

There is the opportunity to upload one letter of support for the nomination.  This is outside of the justification for the nomination that the nominator completes online. The nominator must upload the council signature page (available for download on the portal).  The nominator must obtain all signatures required from the local council and then upload a single signature page.

The nominator will no longer need to send the nomination for region approval.  The region chairs will do their approval process on the portal alleviating the need to get the forms to the region chair and submitted prior to the deadline.

The portal will close on January 31, 2024, at 5 p.m. CST

If it is necessary to use a paper nomination, forms can be found at https://oa-bsa.org/resources/forms#indnom.

OAHa registration is here!

Arrowmen,

These summertime programs are the best way to get in touch with your reverence for nature, give back to the BSA’s national high adventure bases meaningfully, and form life-long connections with fellow Scouts from across the country.

For the first portion of each program, Arrowmen serve the high adventure bases and local nature reserves–things like building trails and preserving America’s beautiful wildernesses. The remainder of each program revolves around the activities offered by each base, including backpacking at Philmont, portaging at Northern Tier, mountain biking at the Summit, and other outdoor experiences! This combination of service and fellowship strengthens the OA’s core values and creates a memorable experience for all.

Arrowmen who attend Philmont, Northern Tier, or The Summit through an OA High Adventure program do so at a reduced cost, making this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

For additional information on OA High Adventure registration, please visit http://oa-bsa.org/high-adventure.