NOAC 1971

For the second time, the Order of the Arrow met at the University of Illinois, Champaign Urbana. Another NOAC attendance record was set, this time with 5,112 delegates. The size was so large; it was actually unwieldy as any picture of registration or memory of a delegate can attest. Future meetings would be smaller… for a while.

The 1971 NOAC attendance record would stand until the 75th Anniversary NOAC in 1990 and the 401 lodges present will stand as the record for all time (because with mergers, there will never be enough councils with lodges to break this mark). Chief Scout Executive Alden Barber was the featured speaker. Barber had entered the Order as one of ten charter members of Tamet Lodge in 1942 at Camp Josepho in the Santa Monica Mountains of California.

Training retained a vital role at the conference. For the first time, Operation REACH, the BSA drug abuse awareness plan was included. There was a brotherhood flame that was kept burning throughout the Conference extinguished at the closing ceremony when the OA Distinguished Service Award (DSA) was presented and Goodman delivered his challenge to all Arrowmen.

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1971 DSA Recipients

The Distinguished Service Award (DSA) is presented to those Arrowmen who have rendered distinguished and outstanding service to the Order on a sectional, regional, or national basis. The following were presented the DSA at the 1971 National Order of the Arrow Conference - Louis J. Boggio, George D. Carr, Maury M. Clancy, Harry J. Deyo, Thomas J. Doran, Bernard M. Drock, Thomas E. Fielder, Alan S. Gaynor, George E. Harvey, Mark T. Kempenich, Francis J. Maguire Jr., Thomas J. McGuire III, Russell M. McKinney, Edward A. Pease, Raymond C. Petit, Dennis Prefontaine, Gerald L. Schomacker, J. Steve Taylor, Donald E. Wilkinson, William D. Winder and Larry A. Young.

3, Awards, OA, Scouting

1972 National Planning Meeting

Unlike previous years, the National Planning Meeting made an exception and did not travel to the campus that would be hosting the upcoming Conference. That is because the NOAC was scheduled for the University of California, Santa Barbara. All of the previous Conferences (starting in 1948) had been held at centrally located Midwestern universities.

The furthest west the OA had traveled was Laramie Wyoming. It was much easier and less expensive to hold the meeting in the east. The meeting was held at Schiff Scout Reservation, Mendham, New Jersey.

Cliff Harmon, Pellissippi Lodge, Tennessee was elected National Chief and Greg Guy, Tonkawa Lodge, Austin, Texas was elected National Vice Chief. Deputy National Conference Chiefs selected were Eddie Stumler, Steve McMurtry, Stan Galloway, Dan Segersin, Ken Beale and Jay Degarmo.

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Area System Reorganized

On January 1,1973 the OA announced the greatest change to the Area/Section system of lodge organization in 25 years.

This time the change was not from expansion. Instead it was triggered by the contraction of the region system from 12 numbered regions to six named regions. Also, with the rising number of council/lodge mergers reorganization, it made sense to consolidate.

This time each region was first broken down into areas with subdivisions called sections.

For example North Central Region was divided into three areas. They were Area NC-1, Area NC-2 and Area NC-3.

These Areas were further subdivided into sections, so in Area NC-1 there was a Section NC-1A and an NC-1B.

This system remained in place until December of 1992 when the six BSA regions were consolidated to four regions.

At that time the lodges were reassigned in a similar fashion to the 1973 reorganization.

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1973 National Jamboree

The 1973 National Scout Jamboree was split between two locations: Farragut State Park, Idaho (August 1 to 7) and Moraine State Park, Pennsylvania (August 3 to 9) with the theme “Growing Together”. A total of 73,610 Scouts participated in this first and only dual Jamboree that featured “home troops” as opposed to the traditional council contingent jamboree troops.

The intent was to have “one” Jamboree at two locations, so event results and activities were shared and communicated between the two sites. There were no regional winners, but there was one Jamboree winner for each event. Scouts at the Jamboree West saw comedian Bob Hope and Scouts at the Jamboree East saw entertainer Danny Thomas.

“Firsts” that occurred at the two Jamborees were the introduction of a Merit Badge Midway, an Arts and Sciences Expo, and the inclusion of a host of new patrol and individual competitions, including athletic events and an orienteering test.

The OA provided a total of 10 Service Troops (5 at each location) with each troop comprised of 37 Scouts and three Leaders. Service duties at both Jamborees included supporting activities such as traffic control, assistants at the arena and the shows, aides to personnel, office assistants, program aides and a variety of other tasks.

In addition, the 1973 jamboree would, for the first time, use a Youth Advisory Committee formed from OA members. A total of 36 Arrowmen were elected at the 1971 NOAC (three from each of the then twelve Regions) to serve on the committee.

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OA Day at Disneyland

On Monday, August 20, 1973 the Order of the Arrow (OA) hosted the first, and only, Order of the Arrow Day at Disneyland theme park in Anaheim, California. For most Arrowmen this was their first visit to one of the Magic Kingdoms. This event was held the day before the 1973 NOAC officially started.

The price was $5.50 per person, which included admission, 11 rides, and a meal. Most participants arrived early in the afternoon and stayed in the park until after the 9:30 PM renowned Main Street Electric Light Parade.

The only similar event in OA history was in 1933, when delegates to the Grand Lodge Meeting in Chicago went to the Chicago Century of Progress World’s Fair.

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1969 DSA Recipients

The Distinguished Service Award (DSA) is presented to those Arrowmen who have rendered distinguished and outstanding service to the Order on a sectional, regional, or national basis. The following were presented the DSA at the 1969 National Order of the Arrow Conference - David W. Boone, Marcel Cinquina, Vincent J. Dunn Jr., William Fuller, Robert C. Griffin Jr., William C. Ingersoll, Donald Jorgenson, Dabney Kennedy, Alvin W. Kidder, David H. King, B. Edward Luckett, Peter J. Osina, Frederick J. Peters, Randolph R. Scott, A. J. Stanovich and Robert F. Szczys.

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Onward Arrowman Plan

Mindful of our High Tradition we, as Arrowmen assembled for our Golden Anniversary National Conference, hereby resolve to dedicate ourselves, our lodges, our areas, and national organization to the following quests in cheerful service:

The above was the preamble to the Onward Arrowman Plan announced at the 1965 NOAC. The plan was divided into four quests, the first letter in each quest spelling the word “PLAN”.

Personal Quest – What was expected of each Arrowman.

Lodge Quest – What each Lodge should strive to complete.

Area Quest – Called for Area Conferences, training conferences and more.

National Quest – Spelled out the goals of the National OA Committee.

Today the Onward Arrowman Plan is partially divided into the National Standard Lodge / Quality Lodge program and the national OA Strategic Plan.

3, Awards, OA, Scouting

1966 National Planning Meeting

The year-end 1966 National Planning Meeting was held at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, the site scheduled for the 1967 NOAC. Robert F. Szczys from Chatoka Lodge, Bottineau, North Dakota was elected National Conference Chief and Mark Samios from Shingis Lodge, McKeesport, Pennsylvania was elected National Conference Vice Chief. The Deputy Conference Chiefs selected were Paul A. Leonardi, Roger D. Maine, Gary Tomlinson, David W. Tharp, Charles Marr, David Boone, Stephen E. Lickey and Michael J. Moseman.

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First OA Jacket Patch Issued

Prior to 1967 the Order of the Arrow did not have a jacket patch. In fact, they really did not have a logo. They had of course used American Indian themes, but there was no standardized design. That all changed with the introduction of the first jacket patch featuring a multicolored American Indian chieftain. The design had been introduced circa 1961 and was used extensively starting at the 1961 NOAC.  The design is attributed to Martin Mockford.  The jacket patch was an immediate hit and became iconic in Scouting. At the 1967 World Jamboree it was among the most sought after items by the rest of the world. The design was retired in 1976.

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1967 World Jamboree in USA

The 1967 XII World Jamboree was hosted by the Boy Scouts of America and was held at Farragut State Park, Idaho, from August 1 to 9, the 60^th anniversary of Baden-Powell’s experimental Boy Scout Camp on Brownsea Island.

A total of 12,011 Scouts participated in the Jamboree representing 105 countries. The BSA host country allotment was limited to 4,282 Scouts.

The theme was “For Friendship” and featured Arena shows, skill-o-rama activities, an adventure trail, aquatics activities, a representation of Baden-Powell’s Brownsea Island Camp, a Jamboree-wide game and the thrills and spills of a real Western. Key visitors were Lady Baden-Powell and U.S. Vice President Hubert Humphrey.

OA Service troops supported headquarters operations for the Jamboree including commissary service, dining area service, telephone service, traffic control, and conservation demonstration areas.

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NOAC 1967

Building on the great success of the 1965 NOAC, 4,148 delegates traveled to the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Over 400 different lodges had a contingent. The Conference theme "With Hearts and Wills United" also built on the 1965 theme. They both came from the same stanza of the Ordeal ceremony:

We who bear the obligation

Of the Order of the Arrow

Mindful of our high tradition

Ponder that which is our purpose

Pledge ourselves to cheerful service

With the guidance of our Maker

We with hearts and wills united

Pledge to serve His holy purpose.

Golden Sun Lodge of the Cornhusker Council served as the host lodge. Alden Barber, Scout Executive of Chicago Area Council was the keynote speaker. Barber had recently been selected to become Chief Scout Executive upon Joseph Brunton’s retirement. E. Urner Goodman gave his traditional challenge at the close of the conference.

Along with the traditions of training, Indian Pageant and the OA Distinguished Service Award (DSA) presentation, this conference had an unusual first (and likely last). The NOAC program started with a parade. The parade began with five white Chrysler Imperial convertibles. The first contained incoming Chief Scout Executive Alden Barber and the Lt. Governor of Nebraska. The next contained the Founders, Goodman and Edson. Unami Lodge led off the parade of lodges that were presented in lodge number order with all 4,000 delegates marching along. They carried banners and blow-ups of their lodge flaps. There were floats, Indian dancing with music provided by the Offutt Air Force Band and the Brotherhood Arrow Band. The parade took an hour to pass in review.

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