Third (and last) Official Jeweler

The Order of the Arrow beginning in 1922 had selected an Official OA Jeweler, to make insignia including totem pins. The first jeweler was the National Jewelry Company. In 1927 The Grand Lodge selected Hood and Company as the second Jeweler. In Early 1945 Jennings Hood sold his company to J.E. Caldwell and Company and went to work for them. His stunning jeweler dies were retained; the back die was changed to show the new hallmark.

J.E. Caldwell like the two previous Official Jewelers was located in Philadelphia. Their quality was considered so fine; J. E. Caldwell was called the Tiffany’s of Philadelphia. Because the vast majority of known Brotherhood and Vigil totem pins bear the Caldwell hallmark, the pins are often called “Caldwell Pins”.

Caldwell remained the official jeweler throughout the 1950s. Most lodges ceased using totem pins by 1962. They were still listed as the Official Jeweler in the OA National Bulletin as late as winter, 1968. In early 1973 the OA stated that J.E. Caldwell was no longer the Official Jeweler and to direct all inquiries to National Supply.

2, Insignia, OA, Scouting

DSA Profile

The Distinguished Service Award (DSA) was created in 1940 to honor those who have rendered distinguished and outstanding service to the Order on a sectional, regional, or national basis. It is given primarily for dedicated service to the Order and Scouting over a period of years.

The first recipients were recognized at the 1940 national meeting at Camp Twin Echo Pennsylvania in celebration of the 25^th anniversary of the Order. E. Urner Goodman, Carroll A. Edson and nine others were the first recipients. Chief Scout Executive James E. West was one of the first recipients but did not receive the award until December 29, 1942, presented at the 28^th annual meeting of Unami Lodge. Ten of the original 11 were current or former professional Scouters, the lone exception being H. Lloyd Nelson.

The award is a sterling silver arrowhead, bearing an arrow pointing upward and to the wearer’s right. Originally the ribbon was dark green to “to remind us of the great outdoors in which the program was centered.”

Between 1942, 1946, 1948, and 1950, the national lodge posed a tight limit on the number of awards with only three to six presentations for certain years. At this time in our history as a national organization, the award was rare.

During the December 1960 National OA Committee meeting at Indiana University, members discussed and agreed to change the color of the DSA ribbon from its forest green to explore a new color combination. The last awards presented with the forest green ribbon were at the 1965 National OA Conference (NOAC), which at that time there were only 111 recipients.

In 1966, during a National OA Committee meeting in Dallas, Awards Chairman Kellock Hale reported, “that at last the new ribbon was available.” The new design was a white ribbon with four embroidered red arrows on each side. The National OA Committee mailed all former recipients with the green ribbon the “new” replacement ribbon. The Class of 1967 was the first recipients to receive the new ribbon during their presentation.

The DSA is traditionally part of the pageantry at NOAC. During the early years through the mid-1970s new recipients were not announced until the show, which was a mystery to even the new awardees. In later years a formal announcement has been made beforehand and a formal letter was mailed.

Professional and adult Scouters received most of the awards in the formative years. Youth area chiefs, the forerunner title to a current section chief, were invited to help plan the 1948 National OA Conference. This opportunity allowed more youth to get involved nationally and to help plan their local area conferences, which became known as conclaves nationwide. The first youth recipients did not occur until the mid-1950s. National officers and national conference vice chiefs were elected at the planning meeting, which at the time was every two years to plan the upcoming NOAC. Participation for youth to help plan a national event is a unique and special opportunity, and afforded more youth leadership responsibility.

In the modern era of Scouting there is more opportunity for both youth and adult to serve on various levels: NOAC staff, National Jamboree, NLS, and the high adventure programs.

The DSA is the only award in the BSA that youth, adult volunteers, and professional Scouters can receive. Recipients that have been awarded include section chiefs who have contributed high-quality program to their respective sections, adult volunteers of the National OA Committee, Scout Executives, Chief Scout Executives, and Presidents of the Boy Scouts of America.

Gradually more DSA presentations were awarded, as there were more opportunities to serve in the increasingly diversified OA national programs. Between 1981 and 2012, there have been groups of DSA recipients presented at a NOAC ranging in size from 39 to 69, and a total of 908 awards have been presented in history. The total number may sound high, however, one has to consider the total BSA membership of over 800,000 and the national OA membership of over 171,000.

A special newsletter for recipients was started in the fall of 2008 called "The Silver Arrowhead". One goal of the newsletter is to reach out to former recipients, as many are not active in Scouting. Another goal is to share narratives about early recipients to share their story.

Awards, Background, OA, Profile, Scouting

200th Lodge Formed

On July 9, 1941, Echockotee Lodge of Jacksonville, Florida became the Order’s 200^th Lodge. It had taken nearly 22 years for the Order to form it first 100 lodges. The Order added the second 100 in just over four.

1, OA, Scouting

National Meeting Cancelled

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.

2, National Event, OA, Scouting

First Official Uniform Insignia

Even though the Order had existed for over a quarter century and had always used insignia, it was not until 1942 that Arrowmen could “officially” wear any OA item on the uniform. In a sign of the growing importance of the expanding official Scout program, the BSA Uniform Committee authorized the Universal Arrow Ribbon. The first Universal Arrow Ribbon was very similar to what is still used today. It was made to fit over the right shirt pocket button and was a red and white silk ribbon with a sterling arrow. These first arrows were designed to point left instead of right. It would be three more years before the first patches were authorized for uniform wear.

3, Insignia, OA, Scouting

First Flap - Ajapeu Lodge

Over the years there have been over 25,000 different flap shaped badges made for the OA. In total over ten million (10,000,000) patches have been made, worn, and of course, traded. The members of Ajapeu Lodge, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, wore the first of all of those flaps on their uniform shirts. It was also against BSA insignia guidelines.

At first they did not order a separate patch for their shirts. Circa 1942 lodge members began bringing their shirts to a local seamstress who would directly embroider the lodge totem, a running deer with an arrow behind it, onto the uniform pocket flap. A few years later they found it easier to have the design embroidered onto a piece of uniform colored material that could be crimped onto the pocket flap. Later circa 1949 they made a more finished flap patch with their name and other relevant information.

2, Insignia, OA, Scouting

H. Lloyd Nelson

Nelson started Scouting in Goodman’s old Troop 1 in Philadelphia. He was inducted into the Unami Lodge at Treasure Island in 1919. Nelson was in attendance at the 1921 First Meeting of the Grand Lodge. He served on the camp staff at Treasure Island Scout Reservation and served as the 1925 Lodge Chief of Unami Lodge. On September 17, 1925 H. Lloyd Nelson kept the 45^th Vigil in the Order at Treasure Island during the Fifth Grand Lodge Meeting.

Nelson remained active in Scouting and the Order while attending the University of Pennsylvania and in 1933 was elected Grand Lodge Scribe. What was distinctive about Nelson from all other previous Grand Lodge officers was he was not a professional Scouter. Other Grand Lodge officers had been Scout Executives and Field Executives working in the Order in a volunteer capacity. This distinction gave insight to Nelson that other officers lacked. That insight and connection with non-Professional Arrowmen equipped Nelson well when as a national officer Thomas Cairns included him on the Transition Committee.

The Transition Committee became the National Executive Committee, which became the National OA Committee. Nelson served from 1933 until 1955 on these committees. The first nine years was as the Grand Lodge Scribe (which during Nelson’s tenure was also called the National Tribe Scribe, the National Lodge Scribe and finally the National Lodge Secretary.) In 1942 Nelson was selected as the National Chief, which in 1942 was the equivalent to today’s National OA Committee Chairman. Nelson served as Chief until 1946 and then continued on the National Executive Committee as Past Chief. From these leadership positions Nelson was instrumental in directing the Order of the Arrow in achieving it’s most significant goal of its first half century, full integration into the BSA in 1948.

In 1949 Nelson became the second National OA Committee Chairman and he served until his untimely death at the end of 1955. All of the Order mourned his death. In a special and unique tribute, a memorial was held in H. Lloyd Nelson’s honor at the 1956 NOAC in Bloomington Indiana. During the memorial instead of the traditional flowers, lodges placed their empty chief’s headdresses and bonnets on the stage.

1, OA, Profile, Scouting

Second Group of 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 - Joseph H. Brinton, Thomas J. Keane and Arthur A. Schuck. At the time the plan was to limit the award to only three recipients per National Meeting. Because of World War II, the 1942 and 1944 meetings were canceled. In 1946 there were six DSA awards and then in 1948 the rule limiting the award to three recipients per meeting was re-instated. The 1942 DSA recipients were the only DSA class not to primarily receive the award at a National Meeting or NOAC.

3, Awards, OA, Scouting

National "Areas" Created

As 1938 began, the Order of the Arrow was experiencing expansion at an unprecedented rate. The Order was at almost one hundred active lodges (more than 100 had been chartered). With BSA approval and regional supply lines the pace of expansion was increasing in speed. Just as had been predicted, now that the OA was official, councils all over the country were inquiring about Wimachtendienk. National Chief Joseph Brinton announced plans crafted by the National Executive Committee for a system where the lodges in the nation would be divided into 15 areas.

The 15 areas were to allow better service to new lodges and to promote the OA. National Chief Brinton appointed a leader for each area to serve as his representative to advise Scout Executives in the local lodges and for prospective councils.

The area system was loosely based on the BSA 12 Region system, except Regions 2 and 3 were each divided into two areas and Region 7 was divided into three areas. There was no area for Region 11 because there were still no lodges in that region (the first lodge in Region 11 was Tsisqan Lodge, Eugene, Oregon, six years later in 1944). While the areas were much larger than today’s areas, because of the number of active lodges at the beginning of 1938 there were an average of about six lodges per area, very similar to today’s local areas.

3, OA, Scouting

Twelfth National Lodge Meeting

Shawnee Lodge, St. Louis, Missouri at their Camp Irondale, hosted the 1938 National Meeting. Just like the 1936 National Meeting, the 1938 National Meeting was no longer handling Order of the Arrow business, with the notable exception of National Lodge officer elections. The National Executive Committee handled the business of the Order and had increased in number from three to five members plus a National Council BSA representative.

The official statistics reported at the meeting demonstrated the dramatic growth of the OA. At the time of the meeting there were 103 active lodges and for the first time over 10,000 active members and over 25,000 initiated. The OA was a nationwide growing phenomenon. A record 448 delegates attended the meeting from a record 44 lodges. After traditional reports from the national officers, the meeting broke into eight discussion groups.

The discussion groups each had a theme and delegates decided which one was of greatest use or interest to themselves and their lodge. This is the first example of training at a national conference of Arrowmen where multiple class options were offered. Training has remained over all of the years an essential function of national gatherings of Arrowmen.

The groups were:

Lodge Service – How the lodge can best serve their council, camp and community.

Lodge Activity – Discussion of events, social and service related for lodges. In 1938 many lodges had still never held a lodge fellowship.

Costuming Honors Teams – This was a discussion dedicated to regalia for the Ordeal, Brotherhood and Vigil ceremony teams.

Lodge Secretaries – Led by National Scribe Nelson, this was a session dedicated to the role of lodge secretaries. Nelson advocated that an adult should be in charge of the records in multiple year terms for continuity because of its complexity and importance. This concept, adult officers is how the Order had always been.  Ten years later, Nelson had a very different view about the need for youth leaders.

Lodge and Chapter Chiefs – This group discussed the role of lead officers in the Order. In 1938 chapters were almost exclusively in highly populated councils. The typical chapter in New York or Chicago had a dedicated Scout camp for their district or division. A chapter chief represented as many or more Arrowmen than the typical lodge chief.

Camp Attendance Promotion – It is a long held tradition of the Order to give service in the promotion of summer camp and camping to the troops throughout the council. The OA was still at its core a camp society.

Lodge Activities in Lone Troop Camps – In 1938 there were still areas of the country, typically rural areas, where troops had not or could not form. Many lodges had council boundaries that included Lone Scouts. This session discussed ways to involve Lone Scouts in the Order.

Order of the Arrow in the Scout Troop – This session discussed what Arrowmen could do within their troops.

National officer elections were held. The nominating committee selected two Arrowmen for each office and 10 choices for the five Executive Committee positions. For the first time only the winners’ names were recorded in the minutes. All of the officers elected were adults and professional Scouters with the exception of H. Lloyd Nelson now of Kuwewanik Lodge, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who was re-elected National Scribe. Future Chief Scout Executive Joseph A Brunton of Anicus Lodge, Wilkensburg, Pennsylvania was elected National Chief. Brunton was the second National/Grand Lodge Chief that would later serve as the head of the BSA as Chief Scout Executive. George Mozealous from Owasippe Lodge, Chicago, Illinois was elected National Treasurer. The Arrowmen elected to the National Executive Committee were Joseph Brinton, Carl Bryan, Thomas Cairns, Walter Gunn and Merle Shippey, the Supreme Chief of the Fire for the host lodge, Shawnee.

2, Elections, National Event, OA, Scouting

National Bonnets

The original golden eagle feather bonnet worn and passed down by the national chiefs of the Order of the Arrow (OA) was made in 1938 by members of Anicus Lodge, East Boroughs Council located in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania. Former Anicus Lodge Chief, Joseph A. Brunton, Jr. was the first chief to wear the bonnet. He had recently been elected chief of the National Lodge at the twelfth National Lodge Meeting hosted by Shawnee Lodge 51 at Irondale Scout Reservation located in Irondale, Missouri. Subsequently, Anicus Lodge presented this bonnet to the National Lodge of the Order of the Arrow in 1940 when they hosted the Order of the Arrow’s 25th Anniversary meeting at Camp Twin Echo, located near Ligonier, PA. Chief Brunton was the host council’s Scout Executive at the 25th Anniversary meeting and it was Brunton that ceremoniously passed the bonnet to the newly elected National Chief, George Mozealous of Owasippe Lodge. The ceremonious passing of the bonnet is a tradition that still continues to this day.

Like many of the bonnets of that era, the original bonnet was made from authentic eagle feathers. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service consider today, both golden and bald eagles threatened species, and federal law now protects the feathers and body parts from these species. The laws regarding the possession or trade of feathers and body parts from these species are both promulgated and enforced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and now require a special permit. However, the original bonnet was in the BSA / OA’s possession before such laws were enacted, and therefore no special permit was required to maintain legal ownership.

The original bonnet was used ceremoniously by the Order of the Arrow for its national chief for over 40 years. The national chief at the opening and closing shows of National Order of the Arrow Conferences (NOAC) typically wore the bonnet. The bonnet was also worn at National Planning Meetings following national officer elections. The bonnet was also occasionally worn or displayed at other national events to promote the Order of the Arrow. The original bonnet was used continuously during this time even after the National OA Committee issued its policy known as the “Protected Feather Clarifications” effective January 1, 1976. This policy, which was heavily encouraged by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, prohibited the use of animal parts in the construction of Native American regalia used at Scouting events. However, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made an allowance for the use of the original bonnet by the national chief of the Order of the Arrow.

Tragically, the original bonnet was destroyed in a fire that occurred at the BSA’s national office in Irving, Texas on November 6, 1980. A young security guard whose intention was to be the ‘big hero’ by discovering and putting out the fire deliberately set the blaze. Unfortunately, the fire quickly got out of his control into an area that housed many of the OA’s records and memorabilia, including the original national chief’s bonnet.

After the loss of the original bonnet, the National OA Committee announced that it had decided to construct two new replacement bonnets for its national officers, which for the first time would include a bonnet for the national vice chief. However, due to the passing of federal laws against the sale, trade, or possession of authentic eagle feathers and body parts since the original bonnet was made, any creation of replacement bonnets consisting of such material would typically have been prohibited without a special federal permit for organizations other than those of Native American origin.

In an attempt to remedy the situation, National OA Committee member Don Thom made an offer at the December 1980 National Planning Meeting to disassemble an authentic eagle feather dance bustle that he had in his possession for use in constructing the new replacement bonnets. This generous offer, as well as other possible solutions, was the subject of much discussion by the National OA Committee over the following several months. However, even though these discussions eventually proved to be successful in finding a permanent solution, the Order of the Arrow was still currently without a bonnet for its national chief. In addition, the National OA Committee was facing an immediate dilemma as to what bonnet the national chief might use at the upcoming 1981 National Order of the Arrow Conference being held at the University of Texas at Austin. As a possible solution for this pending dilemma, OA National Secretary William F. “Bill” Downs suggested that a bonnet worthy of use by the National Chief at the upcoming 1981 NOAC be identified from the local area. Once identified, arrangements could be made to temporarily borrow the bonnet for the conference. Remarkably, just such a bonnet was located, and the 1981 OA National Chief Bradley D. Starr subsequently wore it for this event.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service were made aware of the BSA / OA’s unique situation by Walter Wenzel (BSA’s Director of Conservation and former Interior Department employee), and they eagerly came to their aid for a permanent bonnet solution. After first confirming the fact that the original bonnet was made with authentic eagle feathers that were obtained prior to the enactment of such prohibitive laws, they allowed for the replacement of the original bonnet with two new ones constructed of a similar nature. Each of the two replacement bonnets were constructed using 32 authentic golden eagle feathers, tipped with owl feathers. The feathers were provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and came in the form of two crudely constructed, eagle feather bonnets. These bonnets had been in someone’s illegal possession, and had been confiscated in Idaho by federal law enforcement agents. Although the confiscated bonnets were crudely made, the golden eagle feathers that they each contained were absolutely beautiful.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service offered these bonnets to the BSA / OA for use in constructing the two new replacement bonnets via a special permit / loan agreement for scientific and educational purposes. It was signed on May 7, 1982 on behalf of the Boy Scouts of America / Order of the Arrow by Bill Downs (OA National Secretary) and on behalf of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by Gust J. Nun (Special Agent in charge of law enforcement – District 6). This special permit / loan agreement became effective on May 12, 1982, and it has never been revoked. Additionally, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service required that a sign indicating that the possession and exhibition of these items were by their permission should accompany any display of these bonnets.

With a supply of authentic golden eagle feathers now legally in hand, the National OA Committee set out to find a craftsman who was an expert in authentic Native American regalia. They discovered and subsequently commissioned Ed Benz of Borger, Texas to construct the two new replacement bonnets. Mr. Benz was an Eagle Scout and former OA region chief (Region 9A). He was also a well known Native American regalia designer and craftsman. Once Mr. Benz was in receipt of the confiscated bonnets, he worked diligently over the next several months to use their feathers to construct the two new replacement bonnets. Mr. Benz completed the bonnets sometime late in 1982, and he delivered them to Bill Downs on December 15th of that same year. National Chief Robert A. Wade and National Vice Chief William B. O’Tuel first wore the new replacement bonnets at the National Planning Meeting in December of 1982, and subsequently at the 1983 National OA Conference held at Rutgers University located in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Of special note: the National OA Committee attached a yellow memorial ribbon to the bonnet of the national vice chief in memory of Josh Sain. Josh was serving as the national vice chief when he was tragically killed in an auto accident on October 24, 1997. The memorial ribbon is a permanent reminder of Josh’s cheerful service, and his life long dedication to servant leadership.

The national chief and vice chief ceremoniously used the replacement bonnets on a regular basis for over 20 years. However, in keeping with its “Protected Feather Clarifications” policy, the National OA Committee decided to retire the authentic golden eagle feather bonnets and to acquire new bonnets for the national chief and vice chief that were made from imitation eagle feathers. In keeping with tradition, it was decided that the new bonnets had to be exact replicas of the retired bonnets. The construction of these replica bonnets was assigned to Ron Bell and Wayne Dukes of the National OA Committee. These two Arrowmen were also Lead Advisers with American Indian Events (AIE). Ron was tasked with creating the beadwork and Wayne was tasked with the bonnet’s feather construction. To assist them in their work, they both had requested photographs of the retired bonnets in order to replicate their designs down to the smallest detail. Ron and Wayne collectively spent countless hours of extremely meticulous work to produce the replica bonnets that are still in use today. The retired bonnets were last used by the National Chief Jeff Hayward and National Vice Chief David Dowty at the 2004 National Order of the Arrow Conference held at Iowa State University, located in Ames, Iowa. In addition, the new replica bonnets were first used by the National Chief Sean Murray and Vice Chief Christopher Schildknecht at the National Planning Meeting in December of 2005, and subsequently by them at the at the 2006 National Order of the Arrow Conference held at Michigan State University located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The authentic golden eagle feather bonnets that were created as replacements for the original bonnet are themselves now treated as historical artifacts of the OA and are still on permanent loan to the BSA / OA. These bonnets are placed on permanent display at the National Scouting Museum in Irving, Texas.

1, National Event, OA, Profile, Scouting

Joseph Brunton

Joseph A. Brunton, Jr. (June 26, 1902 – July 8, 1988) was an Arrowmen and a career professional for the Boy Scouts of America. He served as National Lodge Chief in the Order from 1938 to 1940 and in the BSA National Council as the fourth Chief Scout Executive from 1960 to 1966.

Joseph A. Brunton, Jr. was one of the charter members of Octoraro Lodge, West Chester, Pennsylvania in 1926. In 1936, at the meeting of the National Lodge, Brunton, serving as Scout Executive for East Boroughs Council, Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania was elected National Lodge Treasurer and then in 1938, at the age of 35, he was elected National Lodge Chief. Under his tenure as chief, the idea of area “fellowship” meetings was established. This would be the start of “sectional” meetings to be held in each area; what we know today as Section Conclaves.

Chief Brunton was instrumental in creating the OA Distinguished Service Award (DSA). In 1940, at the 25th Anniversary National Lodge Meeting, he presented the first DSA to E. Urner Goodman. He himself later received the Award in 1946.

Brunton became a professional Scouter at an early age, and served in several local council positions, including Council Scout Executive. He became a member of the BSA National Council in 1952 as Director of Church Relations. In 1957, he was promoted to National Council senior management. He was appointed by the BSA National Executive Board to become Chief Scout Executive in 1960. Brunton was the second National Chief to rise to the position of Chief Scout Executive; the man he succeeded, Arthur A. Schuck (Chief Scout Executive 1948-1960) had served as the second Grand Lodge Chieftain in 1922.

During Brunton’s tenure, youth membership continued to expand in both Cub Scouting and Boy Scouting. Various changes were made to the Exploring program, including a stronger emphasis on career exploration and post specialty programs, in order to retain teenage youth members and attract additional teens to the program.

Brunton was awarded the Bronze Wolf, by the World Scout Committee for exceptional services to world Scouting, in 1965. In 1966 he was awarded the Alpha Phi National Distinguished Service Award and in 1973 he received the Silver Buffalo Award.

2, Elections, National Event, OA, Profile, Scouting