Occoneechee Lodge 104 | History

Dr. E. Urner Goodman, co-founder

The Order of the Arrow (OA) was founded by Dr. E. Urner Goodman and Carroll A. Edson in 1915 at the Treasure Island Camp of the Philadelphia Council, Boy Scouts of America. It became an official program experiment in 1922 and was approved as part of the Scouting program in 1934. In 1948 the OA, recognized as the BSA's national brotherhood of honor campers, became an official part of the national camping program of the Boy Scouts of America. Eventually, the Order of the Arrow evolved into its present organization, and adopted the following four objectives as it's guiding purpose:

• To recognize those campers - Scouts and Scouters - who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives and, by such recognition, cause other campers to conduct themselves in such a manner as to warrant similar recognition;
• To develop and maintain camping traditions and spirit;
• To promote Scout Camping which relates it's greatest effectiveness as a part of the unit's camping program, and to help strengthen the District and Council camping program both year-round and in the summer, as directed by the camping committee of the Council;
• And to crystallize the Scout habit of helpfulness into a life purpose of leadership in cheerful service.