About the Order of the Arrow
Quick links
Weber View District OA chapter chief and
adviser
Awaxaawe Awachia Lodge
Trapper Trails Council OA page
National OA website
BSA OA page
Pay your annual dues ($10)
What is the OA?
The Order of the Arrow, which was founded in 1915, is Scouting’s national honor society. It was
developed to recognize Scouts and Scouters who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily
lives and that have a track record of being honor campers. See the official BSA OA page or the OA
website for details. Members dedicate themselves to serving others.
How does a Scout or Scouter join the OA?
Scouts that hold at least the First Class rank and that have completed 15 nights of Scout camping may be
nominated by their peers to join the OA. Adult Scouters that meet the camping requirements may be
nominated by their unit committee. A nominee must complete the Ordeal induction experience to join
the OA. Learn more. Contact your district OA chapter adviser to schedule an election for your troop or
team.
The Ordeal sounds hard. How challenging is it?
The Ordeal is named appropriately; it is supposed to be challenging. But any Scout or Scouter that has
completed the camping requirements should be up to the challenge. The entire experience is designed
to teach significant values. In a day when many seek to avoid difficult tasks, Scouts and Scouters can
gain a deeper understanding of things that are truly important by completing the Ordeal.
Who runs the OA program?
The OA is primarily run by youth with adult support. Each committee, chapter (district), lodge (council),
section (portion of an area), region, and national organization in the OA is headed by a chief that is
under 21 with the support of an adult adviser. Some OA organizations also have youth serving as vice
chiefs, secretaries, and treasurers.
What do OA members do?
As a member of the OA your main purpose is to serve your unit and set a good example for your peers.
You may notice that many camp staffers are OA members, holding to the century old tradition of honor
camping. The OA also offers many opportunities at the chapter, lodge, section, and national levels to
build brotherhood, develop leadership, unselfishly serve others, and learn about Native American
culture, including:
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Monthly chapter meetings — the third Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm at 250 West Elberta
Drive in Pleasant View.
Regular chapter service projects, including Arrow of Light ceremonies, Eagle Scout courts of
honor, Scouting for Food staff, Scout camp projects, community projects, etc.
District service corps helping staff Scout leader round table meetings, Klondike derby,
camporee, and more.
Lodge leadership development overnighter, Ordeal projects and ceremonies, Founder’s Festival,
Native Fall/Painted Shield.
Section conclave — the largest OA gathering in the intermountain area.
National Order of the Arrow Conference, National Jamboree staff, Arrow Corps service.
Even when working hard, OA members have a lot of fun. Dedicated unselfish service to others is fun,
even when it’s challenging.
I joined the OA years ago. Do I have to be nominated and go through the
Ordeal again?
Once you have been inducted into the OA you are always a member. But you must be registered with a
Scouting unit and pay your annual lodge dues (only $10 as of 2016) to be considered an active member.
Why do some OA members have different devices on their
sashes?
Upon completing the Ordeal, new members have a white sash embroidered with a
red arrow placed to point over their right shoulder. After learning more about and
being active in the Order for at least 10 months, an Ordeal member may choose to
continue his OA development by becoming a Brotherhood member. He may then
wear a sash that adds two bars, one above and one below the arrow. Some that have
been Brotherhood members for at least two years and that have distinguished
themselves through exceptional service are honored to keep the Vigil. They then
receive a sash that adds a triangle device to the shaft of the arrow. Although these different devices may
indicate steps OA members have taken, no member is more or less of a member than any other
member.
What are OA ceremonies like?
The OA holds ceremonies involving Native American features for membership purposes. The ceremonies
are not secret per se, but the Order strives to safeguard specifics about the ceremonies to add mystique
and attract the native curiosity of Scouts. Parents and other adults with legitimate concerns can learn
details to ensure youth safety, etc. All ceremonies have been approved by all major BSA unit sponsors,
including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In fact, the LDS Church officially promotes the
OA (see LDS-BSA handout, LDS-BSA Relationships blog) and encourages support of the OA at all levels of
the Church. Many Native American groups have also vetted the ceremonies.
Is there any truth to the rumor that the OA takes boys away from their
troops and teams?
Each OA member’s primary duty is to his own Scouting unit. Boys that have time and inclination may
choose to also take part in various OA activities (see above), as long as these do not detract from their
unit level responsibilities. The OA is not designed to take boys away from their units, but to teach them
to be more valuable members of their units.
How did the OA get started in the Weber View District?
In 1963 members of the Lake Bonneville Council (one of the three predecessors to the Trapper Trails
Council) that had joined the OA while working on camp staffs in other councils formed the Oala
Ishadalakalish Lodge. (This lodge is one of the three predecessors to the Awaxaawe Awachia Lodge.)
Some of the members of the new lodge lived in the Weber View District. Eventually, each district in the
council was recognized as an OA chapter. OA members in the Weber View District dubbed their chapter
Beashdje Depinitsa, which is a Native American phrase. Although accounts differ as to which Native
American language is involved, it is agreed that the name means In the Shadow of the Mountain,
referring to Ben Lomond Peak. The chapter is also known by its number within the lodge, Chapter 6. The
chapter has had an active membership for about five decades.