The Order of the Arrow (OA) is Boy Scouting's National Honor Society (it used to be the Brotherhood of Honor Campers, but that changed). The program is totally
youth-run.
The OA was founded in 1915 by Dr.
E. Urner Goodman and
Caroll A. Edson at
Treasure Island Scout Camp, in the Delaware River. 1922, it became an official national experimental program and was approved in 1934.
The purpose of the OA consists of four parts:
- to recognize those Scout campers who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives
- to develop and maintain camping traditions and spirit
- to promote Scout camping
- to crystallize the Scout habit of helpfulness into a life purpose of leadership in
cheerful service to others
The OA is organized by lodges (each lodge operates alongside a
Council), which are administered by an Executive Committee. At the top of the Executive Committee is the Lodge Chief. Some larger lodges are divided into chapters. The chief of each lodge reports to the Section, which usually consists of up to ten lodge as well as some section-specific committees. Section Chiefs report to the Region, Region Chiefs report to National.