Frequently Asked Questions

The Order of the Arrow is Scouting’s National Honor Society. Sometimes referred to as the OA, the Order recognize those Scouters who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Scout Law in their daily life.

Learn more about the Order of the Arrow on the About Page.

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. 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 (Now Scouting America). 

Learn more about the Order of the Arrow visit the Our History Page on the National Order of the Arrow Website here. 

As Scouting’s National Honor Society, we forge lifelong bonds among the leaders in Scouting and:

• Recognize those who exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives and, through that recognition, cause others to act in the same way.

• Reinforce a life purpose of leadership in cheerful service to others.

• Create and deliver peer-led, adult-guided, advanced leadership experiences for Scouts and Scouters that positively impact their unit, community, and ultimately our nation.

• Be an integral part of Scouting America and encourage participation in all it offers through units, outdoor adventures, and national events to further the Scouting experience.

Each local Scouting America Council has their own "group" of the Order of the Arrow called a Lodge. Our Lodge is Ho-Nan-Ne-Ho-Ont Lodge 165 and serves Allegheny Highlands Council #382.

You can learn more about our Lodge by visiting the Lodge History Page here.

A chapter is a smaller organizational unit of the Lodge. Chapters provide the ability to have meetings closer to home and meetings and events can be scheduled to coincide with the district events. The chapter is central to providing quality unit visits for camping promotion, and unit elections.

Currently Ho-Nan-Ne-Ho-Ont Lodge 165 consists of two chapters, each corresponding with one of the Districts in the Council.

However, we do not have Chapter Officers or Chapter Adviser's. Our Chapters were setup for use with Our Online Database OA LodgeMaster, to use as a geographic reference for the recording of our Arrowmen and Units. 

The Lodge is run by the Lodge Executive Committee (also known as LEC).

All Youth Lodge Officer are supported by a team of Adult Advisers.

To learn more about our Lodge Leadership visit our leadership page here.

The Lodge Executive Committee or LEC for short, is composed of Youth Lodge Officers, Lodge Operating Committees and their respective Adult Advisers. The LEC is responsible for the direction and the running of the Lodge. Youth Members are the only members who can vote on the LEC.

To learn more about our Lodge Executive Committee Click Here.

The Lodge Executive Committee currently meets Monthly via an Online Video-Communication Program. LEC Meetings may also be called as deemed necessary by the Lodge Chief, Lodge Advisers or Scout Executive.

All Members of the Lodge are allowed to Attend LEC Meetings, but only elected Youth Lodge Officers are allowed to vote.

LEC Meeting Information and Dates can be found here. 

All members of the Lodge who are Actively Registered in Scouting America (within Allegheny Highlands Council) and have paid current Lodge Membership Dues can attend all Lodge Functions and Activities.

For a List of Lodge Functions and Activities visit our Events Page. 

All Members of the Lodge can attend events and participate in activities, regardless of age. However, some activities are only available for Youth Members including running for Office and voting in LEC business.

Also, In the Order of the Arrow, a member is considered a youth until the age of 21.

All Lodge Items such as Lodge flaps and memorabilia can be purchased from the Lodge Trading Post at Most Lodge Events. The Lodge also tries to have some National Order of the Arrow Items (Like Sashes and Handbooks) for sale as well.

The Order of the Arrow is not a secret organization, nor are our activities “secret.” We recognize that the mystery not only enhances interest in the Lodge, but also helps new members feel proud of an accomplishment that is not achieved by every Scout or Scouter. 

Most Candidates receive fewer benefits from the induction if they know all about the induction in advance. However, we also want candidates and parents to be prepared for the induction, which is the main purpose for the pre-induction communications.

Any questions or concerns can be addressed to the Lodge Adviser at lodgeadviser@ahcoa165.org.

Only Scouts and Scouters who were officially inducted into the Order of the Arrow, are actively registered in Scouting America and have paid Lodge Membership dues for the current year are allowed to wear the Lodge Flap on their Uniform.

For Ho-Nan-Ne-Ho-Ont Members, this means any flap issued by the Lodge can be worn, as long as it is the correct style for the uniform and the member is not restricted from wearing it (Example an Ordeal Member cannot wear a Brotherhood/Vigil Flap). 

You should be proud to wear your OA sash – you completed your ordeal and are now a member of a century-old organization.  However, the sash is not for every Scouting event.  You should wear your sash only when:

• Representing the OA at a non-OA event.  For example:  An OA Unit Representative wearing their sash when presenting about the lodge events at their unit’s Court of Honor.

• Attending an OA event.  For example:  An Arrowman wearing his sash when they go to a LEC meeting.

• Conducting unit elections.  For example, a unit elections team member wearing their sash when they go to a unit and conduct an election.

• When otherwise approved by a youth officer of the OA.  For example:  Arrowmen working on a general Scouting service project are asked by their Lodge Chief to wear their sashes to identify themselves to non-Arrowmen.

The Scouting America Insignia Guide says that a Scout should never wear both his merit badge sash and his OA sash. Wear one or the other.

Being inducted into the Order of the Arrow is an honor given to you by your Unit (Youth/Adult) or District/Council (Adult). However, it is not an award. You were selected because being in the Order of the Arrow will help you give back to your unit or District/Council. Remember, Arrowmen are not elected/nominated for what they have done, but for what they are expected to do.

We use a product called OA LodgeMaster to record all membership and activity information for all members in our Lodge. When you are elected, you or your unit provided your Scouting Member ID Number to the Lodge. This unique ID Number is also your OA ID Number. 

If you have your Member Portal Setup, Visit the Update Your Profile tab and under Basic Information there will be a box labeled Scouting Member ID, this box will show the Scouting Member ID Number we currently have on file for you.

If you do not have a Member Portal Account setup yet, information on how to setup a Member Portal Account can be found here.

If your Scouting Member ID Number is not listed or your member portal account is not setup and you are not sure of your OA/Scouting Member ID Number, you can get your Scouting Member ID number from your Unit Leader, Committee Chairperson, your Advancement Chairperson, or the Council Office.

Currently the Lodge is only Sending Emails and posting on social media and sometimes making phone calls or sending texts, but we are currently looking at other forms of communication to help our Arrowmen get information.

Currently for emails we are using a product called OA LodgeMaster provided by the National Order of the Arrow. It has a built-in email system we use to send emails. Sadly, it can be blocked by some email servers, and we ask that you check your “Junk” or “Spam” folders, You can also white list the domain lodgemaster.oa-bsa.org to help these emails from being blocked.

When we are not using the email system from OA LodgeMaster we use our own Lodge email system to send emails these emails come from our ahcoa165.org domain - We again ask that you check your “Junk” or “Spam” folders, and you can also white list the domain ahcoa165.org to help these emails from being sent to spam.

If it’s still not there, this means your email in our member database could be wrong, and we ask that you check your Member Portal and make any updates there or fill out the member update form found here.

Youth members (under the age of 21) that meet certain eligibility requirements (Listed in another FAQ below) and are elected by other youth members of their unit during a Unit Election conducted by members of the Order of the Arrow Lodge are eligible to complete their induction and become a member of the Order of the Arrow.

Unlike youth members, adults who meet the eligibility requirements are nominated by their unit (Scouts BSA Troops, Venturing Crews, and Sea Scout Ships) or District/Council committee. 

Nominations are then sent to the Lodge Adult Selection Committee who review and ultimately approve or reject nominations. 

• This Questions Answer can be found on the National Order of the Arrow Website HERE (Outside Link)

No.

You are a Candidate. You must complete your Induction (Ordeal Weekend) to become a member of the Order of the Arrow.

YES. 

You must be registered in a Pack (Adult Only), Troop, Crew, or Ship (Youth or Adult), or as a member of the District or Council (Adult) in order to be considered an active member of the Lodge and participate in Lodge activities. 

A Order of the Arrow membership does not supersede or include Scouting America Membership. 

• Also, an Adult who became an Arrowmen as a youth could also be registered in a Cub Scout Pack.

  • • Note: Members 18 and older must also have Youth Protection Training (and it must be up to date) to be considered an active member of the Lodge and Scouting as a whole.

While there are three levels of membership (called “honors”) in the Order of the Arrow, all members—regardless of honor—are considered equal.

Induction or Ordeal:

The induction ceremony, called the Ordeal, is the first step toward full membership in the Order of the Arrow. During the experience, candidates maintain silence, receive small amounts of food, work on camp improvement projects, and sleep apart from other campers. The entire experience is designed to teach significant values. All candidates for membership must complete this Ordeal. An Ordeal member wears a white sash with an arrow pointing towards the right shoulder.

Brotherhood Membership:

After 6 months of service as an Ordeal Member and fulfilling certain requirements, a member may take part in the Brotherhood ceremony, which places further emphasis on the ideals of Scouting and the Order. Completion of this ceremony signifies full membership in the Order of the Arrow. A Brotherhood Member wears a white sash with a red arrow contained by two red bars.

Vigil Honor:

After two years of exceptional service as a Brotherhood Member, and with the approval of the National Order of the Arrow Committee, a Scout or Scouter may be recognized with the Vigil Honor for their distinguished contributions to their Lodge, the Order of the Arrow, Scouting, and their Scout Camp. This honor is bestowed by special selection and is limited to one person for every 50 members registered with the Lodge each year. A Vigil Member wears a Brotherhood sash with a red triangle overlapping the arrow.

No, an Arrowman can only belong to one Lodge at a time. The Order of the Arrow handbook, it states that dual Lodge Membership is not permitted.

It also must be the Lodge associated with the Council where you hold your primary registration. Even if you pay a registration fee to more than one Council, you must choose only one Lodge. 

The Order of the Arrow wants to encourage Arrowmen to focus their efforts in one individual Lodge and the Council it is created to support rather than having their energies scattered throughout different Lodges.

If you believe that you were a member of the Order of the Arrow, Talk with the Lodge Chief and/or Lodge Adviser. Perhaps you can find an old newsletter clipping, photos, your sash, lodge flap, or be able to describe your Ordeal. 

From all of us here at Ho-Nan-Ne-Ho-Ont Lodge, good luck on your move and future endeavors! 

We are more than happy to keep you involved with the Lodge but remember you can only be a member of one Lodge at a time.

To stay on our Mailing List as an out of council recipient, contact us at - oalodgemaster@ahcoa165.org 

(Youth Please CC Your Parent(s) or Guardian(s) to your email to help in following Youth Protection Guidelines. Failure to do so may result in no reply)

Of course. You are an Arrowman for life.

Once you are settled in and have registered with your new Council, you can formally request your OA records from us here to provide to your new Lodge. 

Welcome to Ho-Nan-Ne-Ho-Ont Lodge 165! We're happy to welcome you into our Lodge. For more details on transferring your membership into our Lodge visit our transferring membership page. 

Yes. 

All members are required to pay annual membership dues to maintain their registration with the Lodge. 

Find more information about dues here. 

Yes. 

Once your membership dues have been paid, visit your member portal account and you can print your membership card for the year.

Information on how to setup a Member Portal Account can be found here, if you do not have an Account setup yet.

If you have your Member Portal Setup, Visit the Update Your Profile tab and under Lodge Member Information there will be a box labeled Dues Paid Through with how far your dues are paid.  

Members can also use the form found here to find out if their dues are paid, if they do not have a Member Portal Account setup yet.

Information on how to setup a Member Portal Account can be found here.

Not Currently, but maybe in the future. 

Lifetime Membership is not recognized by the National Order of the Arrow. 

This is because you must be registered as a member of Scouting America and active at the Unit, District or Council Level.

Please Note: The Lodge still honors those who have previously purchased lifetime dues membership but failing to recharter in some position (listed above) every year will cause your “Lifetime” status to END and your name to be removed from the Active Membership Roster of the Lodge until such time you re-register with Scouting America.  You then will have to pay the Annual Membership Fee, as the Lodge no longer sells lifetime memberships.

Annual Membership Dues for Ordeal Members are included in the Induction (Ordeal) Weekend Fee.

All Scouts BSA Troops, Venturing Crews, and Sea Scout Ships

Each Unit is allowed to hold one Order of the Arrow Unit Election per year.  

Our election year usually runs from February to November of each year, for exact dates please visit our Unit Elections Page Here. 

Around February: Every unit will receive an email from the Lodge's database system. This Email comes from no-reply-382@lodgemaster.oa-bsa.org and currently will contain a request link that must be used. (Also, Reminder Emails are sent from the system about every 15 days until the unit has set a date for an election or the unit has declined an election for the year) Sadly, These emails can be blocked by some email servers, and we ask that you check your “Junk” or “Spam” folders, You can also white list the domain lodgemaster.oa-bsa.org to help these emails from being blocked.

We are NO LONGER able to accept requests via email, verbal, or postal for OA Unit Elections, or OA/Camp Visitations, as ALL Requests, and Unit Election Data must go through the Inductions Module. This Also Means Units Cannot Run Their Own Unit Election and Send Us the Results.

NO

The Guide for Officers and Advisers says: 

Induction: Election to Ordeal 

2. The lodge, through the unit elections committee, should work with the unit leader in establishing the actual time and place to conduct the election. The OA should be represented by a two or three-member team from the lodge or chapter unit elections committee. All elections teams must be trained and in proper uniform during the election.

NO

From the Guide for Officers and Advisers:

Elections outside the Registered Council.

All elections must be conducted by the Order of the Arrow Lodge of the Council in which the unit is chartered. No unit may visit outside its own Council and hold an OA election under the auspices of an OA Lodge of another Council.

- Note: The Lodge may allow an Election to happen if there are Arrowmen from Ho-Nan-Ne-Ho-Ont Lodge (outside of the unit) on site.  

No. No one over the age of 21 may cast a vote in the election.

No.  

If the Unit leader feels that a certain member or members of the unit do not exemplify the high ideals of the OA, they do not have to list them as eligible for election even though they may meet the membership requirements. The Unit leader has full discretion as to the eligibility of any unit member for the election, but they may not waive the membership requirements. The Unit Leader must sign the election form certifying that all those on the ballot are eligible for election. This certification takes place prior to the election and cannot be changed once the election takes place. 

No.  

Provided they all meet the eligibility requirements.

Adults may be nominated by their unit (Scouts BSA Troop, Venturing Crew, and Sea Scout Ship) committee or the district or council committee for district/council nominations. 

At the Unit Level unit committee must submit a complete adult nomination form (for each Adult they wish to nominate) to the Lodge Unit Elections Team. This is done AFTER the Unit as had their election. Adult Nominations are now done via the same system used to request the election and submit information on eligible youth. After Election Results have been entered into our inductions module, an email will be sent from the system with a link to submit Adult Nominations.    

Once received all adult nominations are then sent to the Lodge Adult Selection Committee who reviews each nomination and ultimately approves or rejects the nomination.

As of August 05, 2020:

For unit-level adult leaders, the requirement that states at least one youth must be elected in a unit for any adults to be chosen remains. However, instead of the usual one adult per three youth ratio, we are now permitting two adults to be selected per three youth elected.

As an example, if a unit holds an election in which 10 youth are elected, they would be entitled to nominate 6.67 adults. Rounding up means they can nominate up to 7 adults.

As a reminder, an unlimited number of council and district-level adults can be nominated to join the Order. As always, nominees must serve to provide a positive example to the youth and benefit the OA program.

In terms of camping requirements, unit-level adults must have at least 15 nights of camping while registered with a troop, crew, or ship within two years prior to the unit election. The 15 nights must include one, but no more than one, long-term camp consisting of at least five consecutive nights of overnight camping, approved by the standards set by the BSA. For council and district-level adults, however, the camping nights requirement may be waived by the lodge adviser or scout executive.

The Answer provided above is directly from - https://oa-bsa.org/article/increasing-induction-adult-unit-leaders

Once an Adult Nomination is submitted to the Lodge Unit Election Team, the nomination is sent to the Lodge Adult Selection Committee for review. 

This Committee is made up of Adult Arrowmen and is a mix of both male and female members, and The Council Scout Executive. 

During the review process, the selection committee looks for the following things: 

• Is the nominee is registered in the Allegheny Highlands Council?

• Does the nominee meet the camping requirement as indicated on the nomination form?

• The adult’s ability to perform the necessary functions to help the OA fulfill its mission and purpose.

• How the adult will be an asset to the Lodge?

• Will the adult be a positive role model for the youth?

OA membership is NOT a recognition for service either past or present nor is it a reward for achievement or position. 

ALL Adult Nominees must receive the approval of both the Lodge Adult Selection Committee and the Scout executive. 

Notification of candidacy for adult nominees will come directly from the lodge. 

Units SHOULD NOT INFORM the adult of their nomination, nor should they publicly announce the adult nominee, until a reply from the Lodge has been given. 

The induction ceremony, called the Ordeal, is the first step toward full membership in the Order. During the experience, candidates maintain silence, receive small amounts of food, work on camp improvement projects, and sleep apart from other campers. The entire experience is designed to teach significant values. All candidates for membership must complete the Ordeal.

Candidates will be notified of upcoming induction opportunities by email. The lodge may also make a phone call to candidates with information about upcoming inductions. It is important to have accurate contact information in order for candidates to receive this information. To Update your Contact Information Please visit your Member Portal or use the google form found Candidates Here and Arrowmen Here.

Information on how to setup a Member Portal Account can be found Here, if you do not have an Account setup yet.

Contact the Lodge membership team Here with any questions or problems.

From the time of your election, Candidates will have 18 months from the date of election to complete their Ordeal. 

Once a Candidate has completed their induction, they are an Arrowman for Life, as long as they are Actively Registered in Scouting America with a Council and pay their membership dues to a Lodge. 

As an Arrowmen, members are entitled to all the rights and privileges thereof including wearing the OA sash, wearing the lodge flap and attending OA Events. 

Arrowmen also have access to special opportunities such as the National Leadership Seminar and OA High Adventure.  

The National Order of the Arrow rules require candidates to complete their Ordeal within 18 Months of their election. If they are not able to do so, they must again meet the eligibility requirements and be re-elected/nominated.

Yes! 

All participants (Youth and Adult) in Scouting activities that last less than 72 hours in duration, including Lodge events and activities, are required to have an Annual Health and Medical Record (Part A & B). 

Note: A pre-participation physical is needed (Part C) is Needed for Events lasting Longer than 72 Hours 

• Example- For resident campers (summer or winter camps)

This form is valid one year from the date on the form and, it is a Good Idea to Make a Copy of this Form and Keep a Master Copy

Medical forms are collected during the registration process at an event and are required in order to check-in. 

Ho-Nan-Ne-Ho-Ont Lodge 165 will give all medical forms back to the Arrowmen at the end of the event unless otherwise stated (Reason for Keeping a Master Copy.)

* Section, Region, and National Events Annual Health and Medical Record Guidelines may be different depending on the event. * 

Download Annual Health and Medical Record Here

For any medical issues, we always have (a) designated health officer(s), and your emergency contact info should be supplied on the Annual Health and Medical Record, and Event Permission Form (which are both required to attend).

This is 100% up to you.

For most events there is a Trading Post that will be open.  They have stuff like patches, assorted Order of the Arrow items, T-Shirts etc.

You can also pay your membership dues at most events

Please Note: Some Events or Activities may need extra money to do things at. Example, a Lodge Movie Night at a Movie Theater you may want to buy snacks and drinks. 

With each event and activity being different our Program Team tries to have a "packing List" made for each event. This "packing list" if applicable will be listed or linked on the event or activity page.

Registration for all Events and Activities is done ONLINE via the scoutingevent.com system

The easiest, fastest, way to register for an event is by visiting the Event's Page found on our Calendar of Events.

If you need help with Registration, we have added a Support Page Here.

If you have any questions about registering for an event, please contact events@ahcoa165.org.

We use a product called OA LodgeMaster to record all membership and activity information for all members in our Lodge. When you are elected, you or your unit provided your Scouting Member ID Number to the Lodge. This unique ID Number is also your OA ID Number. 

If you have your Member Portal Setup, Visit the Update Your Profile tab and under Basic Information there will be a box labeled Scouting Member ID, this box will show the Scouting Member ID Number we currently have on file for you.

If you do not have a Member Portal Account setup yet, information on how to setup a Member Portal Account can be found here.

If your Scouting Member ID Number is not listed or your member portal account is not setup and you are not sure of your OA/Scouting Member ID Number, you can get your Scouting Member ID Number from your Unit Leader, Committee Chairperson, your Advancement Chairperson, or the Council Office.

Depending on the event, a refund may be given, we ask that you please check the refund policy for the event on the events registration page. 

If you have any questions or need to request a refund, please contact the Lodge Registration Team at events@ahcoa165.org.

• • Youth Please CC Your Parent(s) or Legal Guardian(s) to your email to help in following Youth Protection Guidelines. Failure to do so may result in no reply

 
Please Note: Refunds are given as listed under the Refund Policy for the event on the registration page and the timeframe the request was made. 

• Exceptions may be made for certain extenuating circumstances.  

* Section, Region, and National Events may be different depending on the event. * 

Each event will have its own Refund Policy listed on the events registration page.

If a Candidate or Arrowmen is unable to attend an event they can request a refund, by emailing the Lodge Registration Team at events@ahcoa165.org. 

• • •  Youth Please CC Your Parent(s) or Legal Guardian(s) to your email to help in following Youth Protection Guidelines. Failure to do so may result in no reply

Please Note: Refunds are given as listed under the Refund Policy for the event on the registration page and the timeframe the request was made. 

• Exceptions may be made for certain extenuating circumstances.  

* Section, Region, and National Events may be different depending on the event. *