It was just a regular day in Huntsville, Alabama when Nathaniel Kelton's phone rang. Not recognizing the incoming phone number, he answered the phone. The voice on the other end of the phone belonged to someone Nathaniel knew well but had never talked with. The caller said: “My name is Nick Dannemiller and I'm the national chief of the OA." Nathaniel immediately thought he was being pranked. “There was no way that the actual national OA chief was calling to tell me that the design I submitted for the 100th Anniversary identity contest had been chosen to be the Order’s official totem and logo for the centennial," Nathaniel reflected.
Meet Nathaniel Kelton: the designer of our centennial logo and totem. Kelton is from Troop 466 of Huntsville, Alabama and the Coosa Lodge. Having completed his Ordeal last year and recently became a Brotherhood member in our organization, he is a very excited about the OA. Nathaniel is a Life Scout and serves as an OA troop representative. Additionally, he serves as an Elangomat in his lodge and worked on summer camp staff at Camp Sequoyah last summer.
Kelton's idea for the totem originated in art class at Virgil I. Grissom High School. Taking his original idea home, he added to the design, then submitted it to the OA's 100th Anniversary Identity Contest last fall. Nathaniel said that he loves the symbolism included in the design. The wheel symbolizes the never-ending cycle of service in our Order and our united rolling forward motion into the next century. The white arrow on the red background represents the special sashes that participants will receive at the 2015 NOAC. Moreover, the three W's formed by the wheel's spokes and the corners of the triangle represent Wimachtendienk Wingolauchsik Witahemui. Lastly, the triangle in the center is the symbol for the Vigil Honor, our Order's highest membership level and exemplary to service for all.
Kelton started Scouting because of his dad, John, who was a Scout when he was younger and an active member of the Cherokee Lodge, one of the three lodges that merged to make the present day Coosa Lodge. Additionally, Kelton praised his father and mother who have been there to support him every step of the way in Scouting. He has two sisters, Auburn and Laurel. Auburn serves as the Vice-President of Training for Venturing in the Greater Alabama Council and Laurel is active in Girl Scouts.
Many people have influenced Kelton, including neighbor and Scouter Charlie Thorpe, Scouters Ken Boyd, Tom Ginn and Robin Bridges, and fellow Scout David Hurt. He is proud to be an Arrowman and that it a huge honor to be inducted into the OA.
As the designer of the centennial totem and logo, Kelton will be recognized at the 2015 National Order of the Arrow Conference with an exclusive commemorative patch set capturing what he helped to create. As an added bonus, Nathaniel will have his NOAC fee paid for by the national Order of the Arrow committee and he will serve as a member of the 100th Anniversary Youth Advisory Committee.