Welcome Scouters

How does the Order of the Arrow benefit Scouting?

The Order of the Arrow (OA) is Scouting’s National Honor Society. The OA has been around since 1915 and exists to serve the local council and its units. Members of the OA are referred to as Arrowmen, and their main duty is to serve their unit. 

The mission of the Order of the Arrow is to fulfill its purpose as an integral part of the Boy Scouts of America through positive youth leadership under the guidance of selected capable adults.

For more information about the OA and its history and purpose, please visit www.oa-bsa.org/about.

Benefits to the Unit

The OA is full of knowledgeable Scouts and Scouters who are dedicated to the Scouting program and are willing to assist units. We are the “Brotherhood of Cheerful Service” after all. 

The OA is not designed to take older Scouts away from the unit. The OA is designed to keep Scouts in Scouting as they mature. Becoming a member of the OA is not a one-time event. Members are expected to “give richer service to their own unit in return for the honor their unit extended to them.”

We provide leadership experience and training to our members, who are expected to take what they have learned and share it with their unit, helping their unit learn and grow.

Benefits to the Council

When units in the Council become stronger so does the Council. The OA helps strengthen units to then strengthen the Council.

As a Lodge, we also provide service to the Council camps, helping them set up for summer camp and tear down afterward. We even provide staff to teach badges and represent the OA.

Each year, the Wa-Hi-Nasa Lodge plans and executes the Council Winter Camp. Winter Camp is entirely planned, staffed, and produced by members of the Wa-Hi-Nasa Lodge! This week in December allows units and their Scouts to camp and earn badges and learn skills to take back to their units.