The Order of the Arrow (OA) relies heavily on ceremonies and symbols. While the content of these ceremonies are safeguarded by the OA, concerned parents may review the ceremonies and can refuse for their child to take part as membership is voluntary.
Ceremonies Unit election Elections are held in the unit and organized by the Lodge. All youth members of the unit vote for those who best follow the Scout Oath and Law. Campaigning is not allowed and voting is done by secret ballot. To be elected, a scout must be voted for by at least half of the youth. Members may abstain from voting. To be eligible for election, a youth must: be a registered member of Scouting America have spent at least 15 nights camping within the last two years including one long-term trip consisting of at least five consecutive nights be under the age of 21 hold the Scouts BSA First Class rank, the Venturing Discovery Award, or the Sea Scout Ordinary rank or higher be approved by their unit leader
Adults aged 21 or older may be nominated for membership by the unit committee. All adult nominees must be approved by the lodge’s adult selection committee.
Call-Out Prior to the Induction, a Call-Out ceremony takes place. This is a public ceremony that officially recognizes the scouts who were elected to be candidates for membership. The ceremony is usually short, impressive and is made to allow all present to understand the importance of the Order of the Arrow membership.
Induction Following the Call-Out, candidates participate in an induction weekend, intended to emphasize service and selflessness. At the conclusion of the weekend, the candidates become Induction members during the Induction ceremony.
Brotherhood Induction members are entitled to all the same rights and privileges of membership as Brotherhood and Vigil Honor members—there are no ranks within the Order. However, moving on to Brotherhood membership offers an opportunity to reaffirm one's commitment to the Order. Arrowmen may "seal" their membership after six months by demonstrating their knowledge of the traditions and obligations of the OA. They then participate in a ceremony and become Brotherhood members.
Vigil Honor
The Vigil Honor is a recognition given to Arrowmen for distinguished contributions beyond the immediate responsibilities of their position or office to their lodge, the Order of the Arrow, Scouting, or their Scout Camp. The Vigil Honor may be conferred upon Arrowmen who have completed a minimum of two years as a Brotherhood member and have performed exceptional service above and beyond their immediate responsibilities through leadership, exemplary efforts, and dedication. However, tenure in Scouting or the Order of the Arrow is not considered as a reason for a Vigil Honor recommendation. Selection is annual and is limited to one person for every 50 members of the lodge, and members of the Order can be inducted into the Vigil Honor only with the written approval of the National Order of the Arrow Committee.
As a part of the Vigil Honor induction, each new Vigil Honor member is given a Vigil Honor name, which represents a characteristic of the individual.
Order of the Arrow ceremonies were once considered to be secret, and consequently, the OA has been viewed by some as a secret society. With the introduction of Youth Protection program guidelines in 1980s, Scouting America has made clear that any concerned parent, guardian, or religious leader may view a video of the ceremonies, attend meetings, or read ceremonial texts upon request to a council, district, lodge, or chapter official to assure themselves that there is nothing objectionable. Such persons are asked to safeguard (conceal) the details relating to ceremonies for the sake of the participants. The intent of the provision for parents and religious leaders to be allowed access to ceremonies is to ensure that there is no religious conflict or violations of youth protection guidelines occurring. Parents have long been discouraged in many Lodges from seizing the opportunity to use the provision for photo opportunities with their sons, and some lodges have instituted bans on photography during the ceremonies. Hazing or demeaning initiation pranks are also prohibited by the OA and the BSA.
Induction history There is no known written copy of the ritual used for the 1915 Treasure Island camping season. However, a few details are known, based on later testimonies. The first inductees were Robert Craig and Gilpin Allen who were inducted on July 16, 1915, and wore a black sash for the ceremony. E. Urner Goodman wore a black robe (similar to a graduation gown) with triangular badges on it with a black tortoise superimposed on the white triangle. He was the Chief of the Fire. Carroll Edson also wore a black robe similar to Goodman's with a white tortoise shaped badge on his chest. He was the Sachem. Harry A. Yoder, a staffer who had assisted in the construction of the fire guided the entire camp to the new campfire circle. He was however not a ceremonialist in the First Ceremony.
The first written Induction ceremony was written in 1921 along with the formation of the Grand Lodge. It was mimeographed on Letter size paper and distributed to the Supreme Chief of the Fire of each member lodge. Some changes were also introduced there: Water was to be applied to the left bared breast to symbolize the cleansing of the candidate from selfishness and evil A root-stock was to be chewed to symbolize the increase in strength and vigor to be used in the service of others.
The format was changed in 1927. It became a 24 pages 5"x7" booklet folded vertically. This format remained in place until 1998 when it was changed to an 8 1/2 x 11 booklet. In the booklet, the Pre-Ordeal Ceremony and the Ordeal Ceremony could be found along with the Legend in poetic form. The Brotherhood Ceremony was made in a booklet only in 1936 remaining a mimeographed document until then.
In the 2015 Edition of the Order of the Arrow Handbook, it is mentioned that non-members of the Order of the Arrow should not attend ceremonies but that it recognizes and respects the right of adults such as parents, Scout leaders or religious leader to have questions about the ceremony. The lodge adviser or his representative can discuss the content of the ceremony and concerns brought by the adult enquiring and that the adult will maintain the confidentiality of the ceremony. If questions remain unanswered, the adult will be permitted to read the text of the ceremony. Parents are allowed to refuse that their child take part in the ceremony and therefore that they join the Order of the Arrow.
The ceremonies utilize symbolic settings, rites, and principles to convey various Scouting ideals to participants. "The values of the Order of the Arrow, 'a brotherhood of cheerful service,' were passed on during a night-time ceremony: an arrowhead outlined with stones on the ground, candles on the stones, a huge bonfire at the base of the arrowhead, and at the point of the arrow a lectern from which was read, and danced, the story of heroic sacrifice for others."
Symbols Degree/Honor Symbols White Sash Evolution Originally, the Sashes were called arrow bands. These bands were described as being in the original ceremony a black band with a white vertical stripe on the front made of the same material as black academic robes based on testimonies of early members. In the Ritual of the Second Degree (published around 1918 by Dr. William Hinkle), the band was moved from the right shoulder to the left shoulder right before the end of the ceremony. The same band was worn by First Degree (Ordeal) and Second Degree (Brotherhood) but on different shoulders. The earliest photographic evidence from 1919 from Treasure Island confirms that the bands were worn on both shoulders. No original sashes are known to exist today. This information comes from two testimonies from early members. According to Harry Yoder, the first guide and charter member of the Order wrote in 1921: "In the early days of the Order the members wore a black sash with a white stripe running lengthwise instead of the white band with the red arrow." George Chapman recounted in the unpublished work The Arrow and the Vigil (1953): "As has been previously mentioned, the officers of Wimachtendienk wore black robes for the induction ceremony. Members wore a black sash with a white arrow on it, very similar to the sash worn today except for the color."
A black and white picture published in August 1921 in a Philadelphia newspaper on the Wimachtendienk shows the officers wearing black robes with a white band and a dark-colored arrow on top. It is unclear if that arrow was black or red. In 1921, when the Grand Lodge was formed, a picture was also taken showing members wearing the band on both left and right shoulder. It also shows Goodman and Edson wearing a sash in the shape of a triangle on the chest that appears to be a fraternal bib. This was the Third Degree bib-type sash. The first known physical examples of the white sash with a red arrow dates back from around 1922. First Degree and Second Degree had a white wool-felt band with red wool-felt arrows sewn on it. The Vigil Honor had a white wool-felt band without an arrow and a red Vigil triangle with arrows on each side. These were made by the Grand Lodge and remained mainly unchanged from 1921 to 1948. Region 7 however, used bands made of twill cloth with arrows in red linen from the late 1920s to the mid-1930s.
In 1948, the Order retained the white wool-felt for the band but the red arrow was flocked silk-screened on it. The Vigil Honor had a large red wool-felt triangle with the white arrows silk-screened. In 1950, it was decided that the sash would go on the right shoulder only. The sash changed again: Brotherhood bars were flocked onto the sashed to distinguish Induction from Brotherhood. In 1951/1952, the Vigil oversized triangle was replaced by a small triangle. All the sashes used the same silk-screening process and were all the same size.
In 1955, the wool-felt was replaced with twill material and the silk-screen was replaced by embroidery. The Sash had two plies of material so the embroidery did not show through. Over the years, the stitching on the edge evolved but the sash remained the same. The arrows on the Vigil Honor triangle were manufactured both counterclockwise as well as clockwise. In 1988, the arrows and other red symbols were hot ironed on the sash. This was short lived as the sashes did not survive the wash and by 1990, the sashes were embroidered again. It has remained unchanged to this day.
Today At formal events or Order of the Arrow functions, Arrowmen can be readily identified by a white sash bearing a red arrow that is worn over their right shoulder. An Induction member wears a sash with a lone arrow. The Brotherhood member wears a sash bearing an arrow with a red bar at each end of the arrow. A Vigil Honor member wears a sash with the same bars of as the Brotherhood sash at each end of the arrow, and a Vigil Honor triangle on the center of the shaft. The OA sash is not worn at the same time as the merit badge sash, nor worn folded in the belt. The sash as a form of recognition dates to the founding of the Order and has a long history of changes in usage and design.
It is not worn at troop meetings, campouts, or Courts of Honor, as it is a symbol of the OA. It is appropriate to wear it at events where OA business is taking place such as Unit Election, Lodge Fellowship, Lodge Meetings, etc.
Ribbon
The early pins were replaced by the ribbon. However, the ribbon does not indicate the Honor of the wearer, only the membership to the OA and only the sash references the Honor today.
Order members may choose to wear the OA Universal Ribbon also known as "Dangles" suspended from the right uniform shirt pocket button.