Members

New Member FAQ

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. This recognition provides encouragement for others to live these ideals as well. 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.

There are many different ways to get involved in the lodge.

Inductions Staff

The order of the Arrow is not a one man show. It takes many moving parts and different people to run a successful Lodge. This is the most evident during an Induction. It takes over 50 staff to run a successful Induction. This is why we need people like you to help us. Whether you want to be an Elangomat and lead the ordeal candidates in their cheerful service, or if you want to perform in ceremonies and inspire the next generation of scouts, we need your help. If you are interested fill out the staff interest form and if you have any questions about any of the positions, email [email protected]

Induction Staff Interest form

Ceremonial Team

Other than continuing a tradition of high-quality ceremonies, we would like to see our team grow in both size and cohesion. We’re looking forward to the continuation of our meetings and furthering each of our ceremonialists’ understanding and connection to the scripts, especially in regards to the fundamental values the scripts lend to our organization. Recruitment has been a focal point this past year as some of our team members have been getting older and can’t perform forever. It would be amazing to have fresh faces that are interested and invested in learning more about the Order of the Arrow and the symbolism of our ceremonies. Hopefully, this year will be a big building block in the progression and continuation of our consistently strong group from last year, and in the years to come. 

Learn more by emailing our C-Team Chair at [email protected]

Service Corp

The purpose of the Service Corps is to crystallize the Scout habit of helpfulness into a life purpose of leadership in cheerful service to others, with emphasis towards service opportunities at the Heart of America Council Scout Reservations. Organized opportunities to serve are held on a monthly basis and special opportunities happen as needed or upon request from Council Staff. To learn more about participating in Service Corp as a Chapter, Unit, or Individual contact our Service Corps Chairman at [email protected] or follow our Facebook Group by searching for Tamegonit Lodge Service Corps.

Learn More Here

SPRING

Click the link below for the Spring 2023 edition of the Torchbearer

SUMMER

Coming Soon

FALL

Coming Soon

Vigil/Founders Nominations

VIGIL

The Vigil Honor is a high mark of distinction and recognition reserved for those Arrowmen who, by reason of exceptional service, personal effort, and unselfish interest, have made distinguished contributions beyond the immediate responsibilities of their position of office.

FOUNDER

“Introduced at the 1981 National Order of the Arrow Conference, the Founder’s Award recognizes Arrowmen who have given outstanding service to their lodge. The award is reserved for an Arrowman who demonstrates that he or she personifies the spirit of selfless service, as advocated by founder E. Urner Goodman and cofounder Carroll A. Edson.

Change of Address

Tamegonit Lodge often sends out communications regarding events and other section activities. It is important for the Lodge to have up-to-date information on each Arrowman. With current information, the Lodge will be able to more effectively communicate with Arrowmen and ensure the Lodge records are accurate. 

If you have an address, email, or phone correction or update, please click the link below to update our records.

Lodge Coup

Our Lodge has a very unique coup system. We recognize service to the lodge and to others in the form of a bead system. This includes Chapter Officers, Elangomats, Runners, and many more. If you have ever been on staff for an induction, or given service to the Lodge, you will want to take a look at the link below and see if you qualify, or are close to qualifying, for a coup. By wearing a coup, other Lodge members can recognize what you’ve done throughout your scouting journey.

History

Foundation

The Order of the Arrow was founded during the summer of 1915 at Treasure Island, the Philadelphia Council Scout Camp. Dr. E. Urner Goodman and Carroll A. Edson were camp director and assistant, respectfully. These two men, working with their staff at Treasure Island, originated the ideas that became the basis for the national brotherhood of honor campers of the Boy Scouts of America. Treasure Island, located north of Trenton, N. J., in the Delaware River, was an early camping ground of the Lenni Lanape or Delaware Indians. Goodman and Edson wanted some definite form of recognition for those Scouts in their camp who best exemplified the spirit of the Scout Oath and Law. Since the valley of the Delaware was rich in tradition and the site was an island used in bygone days as camping grounds for the Indians, it seemed only natural to base this brotherhood of honor campers on the legends and the traditions of the Delaware. As a result, they prepared a simple, yet effective, ceremony that, in turn, led to the organization of what was later to be known as the Order of the Arrow. It was from the beginning that the procedures and programs of the organization were to be based on the ideals of democracy. Thus, a unique custom was established in that the members were elected by non-members. There has been no change in this since that time. Horace W. Ralston, a Philadelphia Scouter, suggested the original name, Wimachtendienk, Wingolauchsik, Witahemui. The original ceremony was quite different than the one that has developed later. Yet there were still three lessons taught. In the first year, 25 members were inducted into the brotherhood. Many members wore a black sash with a white arrow on it. The black sash was used, because it offered an excellent contrast to the white arrow. In the original plans there were two degrees; the first was much like a combination of the Ordeal and Brotherhood memberships, and the second an early version of the Vigil Honor. From 1915 until 1921, the Order grew slowly. In 1921, steps were taken to establish the Order on a national basis. And, in 1922, the Order of the Arrow became an official program experiment of the Boy Scouts of America. On June 2, 1934, at the National Council Annual Meeting in Buffalo, New York, the National Council approved the Order of the Arrow program. In May 1948, the National Executive Board, upon recommendation of its Committee on Camping, officially integrated the Order of the Arrow into the Scouting movement. The Order’s National Lodge was dissolved, and supervision shifted to the Boy Scouts of America. The Executive Committee of the National Lodge became the National Committee on Camping and Engineering, and a staff member was employed as national executive secretary. In the 1974 re-organization of the Boy Scouts of America, the Order of the Arrow Committee became a subcommittee of the National Boy Scout Committee. The growth of the Order of the Arrow through the years has never been based on an aggressive promotional plan. It came because councils’ believed in the ideals expressed by the Order, and voluntarily requested that lodges be formed. The soundness of providing a single workable honor campers’ brotherhood, rather than many, is evident. Over one million Boy Scouts, Explorers, and Scouters have been inducted into the Order during the past 95 years. There are now over 183,000 active members. This coverage of the nation makes possible a unified approach. It provides for transfer of membership, standard books and supplies, national training plans, and a coordinate scheme for building strength in local units through regional and national service. All of these add color, enthusiasm, and quality to the camping program of Scouting.

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