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Our History

National Meeting Cancelled


1942 National Meeting Scheduled to be Held at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Cancelled Because of World War II Travel Restrictions

At the invitation of A. Frank Dix of Tali Taktaki Lodge, Greensboro, North Carolina the 1942 National Meeting was scheduled to go to the South for the first time in history. With the size of National Meetings growing so briskly it was anticipated that as many as 1,000 Arrowmen might attend. No longer could they meet at a Scout camp. The National Executive Committee selected the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as the meeting site. For the first time, delegates would not be responsible for their own bedding.

The selection of the University of North Carolina meant that some fellow brothers in the Order would not be allowed to attend because the University was segregated and would not allow non-whites. As it turned out, the meeting was cancelled and our Order never held a National Meeting at a location that excluded some members.

On July 14, 1942 National Secretary (this is the point in time that the term National Scribe permanently changed to National Secretary) H. Lloyd Nelson sent a letter regretting to inform all lodges that the National Meeting was cancelled because of World War II wartime restrictions. He further stated that the hope was that after the world conflict was over that the OA would re-schedule the event for the University of North Carolina.

The OA did not hold a National Meeting or NOAC in the South until 1977 at the University of Tennessee.