After months of deliberation, the Order of the Arrow’s centennial anniversary identity has been selected and approved by the national committee and the 100th Anniversary Task Force. The identity, which includes a totem and a logo, will commemorate the theme of our celebration, Centuries of Service.
Although dozens of impressive designs were submitted to the Centennial Anniversary Identity Contest last year, one rose above the rest. The winning submissions were designed by Arrowman Nathaniel Kelton of Coosa Lodge and feature many references to symbolism found within the Order of the Arrow. The simplistic, but meaningful designs of the totem and matching logo make them worth both using and remembering.
The purpose of the totem is to provide the Order of the Arrow with a symbol for the centennial celebration. Similar to the 75th anniversary totem, lodges and sections are encouraged to feature this totem on all centennial anniversary memorabilia. As a way of preserving the Order’s celebration of the centennial, lodges are being asked to send one of each item to the National Scouting Museum in Irving, Texas. These items - including shirts, flaps, buckles, etc. - will be put into a large collection to archive our 100th anniversary.
The centennial logo, which includes the totem, is designed to unify the many parts of our celebration. Chapters, lodges, sections, and regions are encouraged to use the centennial logo to brand all of their centennial activities and promotional materials. The logo will also be utilized to unify the Order of the Arrow’s national program brands in 2015. Three different iterations have been designed for use with specific audiences when promoting the centennial anniversary.
A comprehensive branding guide has been developed and provides direction on how to appropriately employ the centennial totem, logo, and theme statement. The full guide is available with this announcement.
The centennial anniversary is quickly approaching and our year-long celebration will soon begin. For now, though, the centennial anniversary identity is here to help us prepare for the momentous occasion.