Fourth National Secretary

On December 1, 1958 Phillip W. Robins accepted a District Executive position with his hometown Portland Area Council. Robins had served the Order and the National OA Committee for five years, the longest tenure of any previous National Secretary. Martin Mockford replaced Robins effective February 1, 1959. Mockford had previously been an Assistant Scout Executive for Golden Empire Council in Sacramento, California and had a long resume of Scouting volunteer and professional service.

Unlike previous National Secretaries, Mockford was not in his early twenties and was a seasoned professional. His official BSA title was more than just National Secretary for the OA. The job title had been elevated to include Assistant National Director in the Camping Service. The position was more than just a clerical position. The job now included supervision of lower level clerical employees working on OA affairs and Mockford was qualified to be more a partner rather than an assistant to the National OA Committee.

3

Fourth National OA Committee Chair

After five years of service, J.P. “Judge” Hunter resigned for health and business reasons as Chairman of the OA National Committee. In his place L. George Feil of Tamegonit Lodge, Kansas City, Kansas took over the helm. George Feil was the father of 1954 National Conference Chief Jim Feil and had been serving on the National OA Committee since 1955.

George Feil served longer as National OA Committee Chairman than any other Arrowman, leading for 18 years from 1960 until 1978. During his tenure the OA would mature and grow. Regional youth leadership would expand with the first youth Region Chiefs. Feil was known for his steady hand and consensus building while guiding the OA into the future.

3

1953 National Planning Meeting

Because the scheduled site for the 1954 NOAC was the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming, the National Planning Meeting was held centrally in St. Louis, Missouri. The Area Conference Chiefs elected Jim Feil of Tamegonit Lodge, Kansas City, Kansas National Conference Chief. Jim Feil’s father, George Feil later served as National Committee Chairman. Two Deputy National Conference Chiefs were elected, Jack Frost and Otto Ludecke. Together the new National Conference Chiefs, Area Chiefs and the National OA Committee planned the 1954 NOAC.

3

1954 DSA Recipients

The following were presented the Order of the Arrow's Distinguished Service Award (DSA) at the 1954 National Order of the Arrow Conference in Wyoming to - M. G. Boswell, Dr. Joe C. Carrington Jr., H. Edward Dike, Frank W. Hall Jr., Henry J. Henning, J. Powell Hunter, Phillip W. Robins and Scotty Williamson.

3, Awards, OA, Scouting

H. Lloyd Nelson Passes

On December 27, 1955, National OA Committee Chairman H. Lloyd Nelson passed away unexpectedly at the age of 52.

Nelson was living in Birmingham, Alabama when he suffered a fatal heart failure. All of the Order mourned.

Nelson joined Goodman’s Troop 1, Philadelphia in 1915. He was inducted into the OA in the teens and was at the very first Grand Lodge Meeting in 1921. Nelson had served as Chief of Unami Lodge in 1925. He later served as National Chief during the war years. Nelson served on the National OA Committee and its predecessor National Executive Committee since they were first created in 1933. As the first volunteer to serve as an officer of the Grand Lodge, Nelson was the transformational influence that guided the Order from an autonomous organization run by Scout professionals to an Official BSA organization run primarily by Scouters.

3

Third National OA Committee Chair

With the sudden passing of H. Lloyd Nelson the OA was without a National OA Committee Chairman. James “Judge” P. Hunter was selected by John M. Schiff, past President of the BSA at the March 1956 BSA Executive Board Meeting to be the Order’s third Chairman. Hunter was already serving on the National OA Committee. He was from Atlanta, Georgia, Egwa Tawa Dee Lodge.

3, OA, Scouting

Sashes Change From Felt to Twill

From the late teens until 1948, Grand Lodge / National Lodge issued sashes or bands were made of wool felt with wool felt arrows sewn onto the sash. Over the years because of a variety of manufacturers, the width of the sash and length of the sash varied. The same happened with the shape of the arrows sewn onto the sashes. The snaps also varied.

In 1948, the sashes underwent a change and there was more uniformity in the sashes, arrows, and snaps. The sash material remained the wool-felt composition, but the arrows were silk-screened flocked onto the sash. The flocking of crushed felt used in the silk-screen process left a fuzzy textured arrow.

In 1955, the National OA Committee changed from the wool felt sash and the silk-screened arrow to a twill material sash with the arrow embroidered onto the twill material. The sash had two plies of material. The top ply had the arrow embroidered onto it and the bottom ply was a backing. The two plies were sewn together with a double tracking of thread that resembled a train track.

3

1955 National Planning Meeting

The 1955 National Planning Meeting was held at the site of the upcoming NOAC, Indiana University. This time nearly all of the Area Chiefs were in attendance, 56 in total, as together with the National OA Committee they planned the 1956 NOAC. James L. Waters, Jr. of Egwa Tawa Dee Lodge, Atlanta, Georgia was elected Conference Chief. Chief Waters appointed 7 Deputy Conference Chiefs: Gary Gloster, Don Good, Tom Jones, Jim Kennedy, Sandy Sutton, Bill Posey and Walt Schramm.

3, Elections, OA, Scouting

1956 DSA Recipients

The following were presented the DSA at the 1956 National Order of the Arrow Conference at Indiana University - Herman Brandmiller, William D. Campbell, Jack Champion, James R. Feil, Julius Hayworth, Lyndon S. Holm, Walter Hubbard, Sidney B. North, Jack Obermeyer, Henry Vassel, and James L. Waters.

3, Awards, OA, Scouting

Brotherhood Rituals Change

In 1956, the National OA Committee, after consultation with medical advisors, determined that it was no longer safe to draw and exchange blood between two people in the “Blood-rite” of the Brotherhood Ceremony.

The ceremony was changed to only “symbolically” draw blood. Many lodges were very slow in changing this practice of actually pricking the thumb or finger (or in some cases the palm with a knife) and mixing blood between two Arrowmen. There are accounts well into the 1960s of the practice continuing.

Today all lodges understand that it is a significant health hazard to comingle blood between two people and it is not tolerated at any ritual. The August 1956 Brotherhood Ceremony pamphlet officially incorporated the change from drawing blood to symbolically drawing blood.

This change and one other minor edit were made as follows (script difference in the 1956 ceremony):

“…cheerfully suffer…” becomes “…suffer cheerfully…”

“…draw drops of blood… “ Was changed to read “…symbolically draw ‘blood’ so that you may mingle your ‘blood’ …”

3, Ceremonies, OA, Scouting

1957 National Jamboree

The 1957 National Scout Jamboree was held at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, from July 12 to 18 with the theme “Onward For God and My Country”. 52,580 Scouts and Explorers paid $50 to participate in the Jamboree not including the cost to get there. For the opening show, Scouts were greeted by Vice President Richard Nixon and during the Jamboree were entertained by Jimmy Dean and the “Harmonica Rascals”.

One OA service troop was provided as at the two previous Jamborees. A meeting of all Arrowmen attending also occurred. The service troop once again provided service as needed to assist in the operation and logistics of the Jamboree. Typical duties were traffic support, aids to staff and special visitors, ushering at arena shows and a host of other projects wherever they were needed.

3

1957 National Planning Meeting

The Area Chiefs and National OA Committee met at Kansas University in Lawrence, the scheduled site for the 1958 NOAC for the 1957 National Planning Meeting. James W. Kolka from Otyokwa Lodge, Eau Claire, Wisconsin was elected National Conference Chief. Elected Deputy Conference Chiefs were Fred Gehl, Charles Martin, Paul Kelly, Dick Honsinger, John Lehman and Frank Naylor.

3, Elections, OA, Scouting