1980 National Planning Meeting

The 1980 National Planning Meeting was held at the end of the year in Austin, Texas, home of the University of Texas and scheduled site for the 1981 NOAC. The majority of the meeting was consumed with preparations for the upcoming NOAC. Brad Starr of Klahican Lodge, Wilmington, North Carolina was elected National Chief. Kevin Moll of Ha-Kin-Skay-A-Ki Lodge, Colorado Springs, Colorado was elected National Vice Chief. The Regions Chiefs elected were, Richard Aberle - Northeast Region, Allen Cooper - Southeast Region, Rob Akes - East Central Region, Jim Rhodes - South Central Region, Arnold Heck - North Central Region and Kurt Christiansen - Western Region.

3, Elections, OA, Scouting

1962 National Planning Meeting

As had become the tradition, the Area Conference Chiefs and the National OA Committee met at the end of the year to plan the upcoming National OA Conference at the National Planning Meeting. In 1962 they met at site of the 1963 NOAC, The University of Illinois, Champaign and Urbana, Illinois. During the meeting Robert B. Ellsperman was elected Conference Chief. Ellsperman resided in Lakewood, Colorado and was a member of Tahosa Lodge.

For the first time since 1946 (when it was an adult position) a National Vice Chief office was created. Gerald R. McNellis of Agaming Lodge, St. Paul, Minnesota was elected National Conference Vice Chief. The seven appointed Deputy National Conference Chiefs were Ed Salter, Rick Ayers, Ralph Bollinger, Randolph Scott, Larry Teshara, Ronald Wilkinson and James Knepler.

3, Elections, OA, Scouting

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

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

1951 National Planning Meeting

The National OA Committee and Area Chiefs from around the nation gathered at Miami University at Oxford, Ohio for the second National Planning Meeting. This was the only National Planning Meeting where the Area Chiefs did not elect the next Conference Chief. National Conference Chief James R. Montgomery of Pellissippi Lodge, Knoxville, Tennessee had been elected at the 1950 NOAC. Following the meeting the OA actively promoted that “active youth participation would be the real National Meeting highlight…” Conference Chiefs would be running the show at the 1952 NOAC.

3, Elections, OA, Scouting

First National Planning Meeting

On December 29 – 30, 1949 the National OA Committee met with a conference of Area Conference Chiefs (the predecessor name for Area Chiefs and then later Section Chiefs, that were elected to a full year term) for the first National Planning Meeting. In the early years of National Planning Meeting only about half of all Area Conference Chiefs were invited. The tradition of holding a National Planning Meeting between the end of the year holidays has since been repeated more than 40 times, becoming annual in 1987. The inclusion of youth Area Conference Chiefs was new and in keeping with the new direction the OA was taking since the 1948 merger of the BSA and OA. This meeting was held at Alpine Scout Camp, Alpine, New Jersey. Future meetings would be held at the location of the next NOAC so that facilities could be reviewed or be held at or near the national BSA headquarters.

This meeting marked the beginning of youth involvement in planning NOAC’s. Youth then meaning under age 21 at the time of their election. The Area Conference Chiefs also held the first election for national youth leadership. This too would become the standard model for national officer elections (with the exception of the 1952 Conference Chief). Elected, to be 1950 National Conference Chief was future National Secretary to the OA J. Richard Wilson, known as Dick Wilson of Chimalus Lodge, Washington, Pennsylvania. Today we consider a National Conference Chief to be the equivalent of the OA National Chief.

3, Elections, 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

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

Fifth Grand Lodge Meeting

For the Fifth Grand Lodge Meeting and 10th Anniversary of Wimachtendienk, W.W. the Grand Lodge returned to Philadelphia and Treasure Island with Unami Lodge the host. 27 delegates from nine lodges attended the assembly. At the meeting it was determined that certain changes had to be made in ceremonies to satisfy religious organizations. Also a full update of the constitution was passed. The greatest change was in nomenclature. First, Second and Third Degrees would now also be called "Ordeal", "Brotherhood" and "Vigil".

A Statement of Policy was also created. The policy stated that the Order of the Arrow was an adjunct of Scouting and no OA policies could be in conflict with the BSA. It further stated that the mother tongue of WWW was Lenni Lenape and that the Order was a “camp honor brotherhood of the Boy Scouts of America, designed to further Scout ideals therein.” Other points included that meetings of the lodge could be for business, social, planning or operational purposes to serve camp and camp spirit between seasons. One point specifically cautioned against over emphasis of Indian lore. Another policy stated that only First Class Councils (those with a full time professional) could have Wimachtendienk. A key guideline was an admonition that the Order must grow under its own merits and that no propaganda or promotion shall take place.

The last point in the guidelines was a requirement that lodges maintain the tradition of non-members electing members. Lodges were not allowed to replace what Goodman considered important democratic principles. Lodges also were forbidden from vetoing a candidate elected by his peers. This provision prevented blackballing; where a single member for any reason or no reason could keep someone out even if duly elected.

E. Ridgeway Carrick of Sanhican Lodge, Trenton, New Jersey was elected Grand Chieftain. Joseph D. Carstang from Cowaw Lodge was elected to the newly created Grand Vice Chieftain. Harvey A. Gordon, also of Cowaw Lodge was re-elected Grand Scribe. Lester Harrison of Chappegat Lodge was elected Grand Treasurer.

2, Elections, National Event, OA, Scouting

First Meeting of the Grand Lodge

In 1921 Wimachtendienk, W.W. (a common way at the time of referring to what we know as the Order of the Arrow) was ready to have a national structure. Patterned similar to the Freemasons, it was decided that each lodge would become a member of the Grand Lodge. On October 7 and 8, 1921, the first Grand Lodge Meeting hosted by the Philadelphia lodges, Unami and Unalachtigo was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and at their Camp Biddle. These meetings would later become known as National Meetings and are the distant predecessors of today’s NOACs. The first meeting was attended by eight of the eleven known lodges. The use of the term “known” was deliberate in the meeting minutes. Our young Order had spread by word of mouth. In the early days of Scouting it was common for multiple councils/camps to share the same lake. For example, in upstate New York near Tuxedo Park there were more than thirty Scout camps around the Kanohwanke Lakes including council camps for Ranachqua Lodge and Pamrapaugh Lodge. It is still not known exactly which other lodges had formed in these early years, but clearly Goodman and Edson were aware that others had formed and they had no way to contact them.

Co-founder Edson was selected to chair the first meeting. During the meeting four committees were formed. One of the committees was formed to frame the Grand Lodge Constitution. Another committee was formed to re-write and provide for further revisions of the ceremonies. Committees were also created regarding insignia and record keeping. Grand Lodge officer elections were held.

At the conclusion of the first day of the meeting the delegates traveled to Camp Biddle and held a re-dedication ceremony. The image of this ceremony is a significant historical photograph of our Order. In the image can be seen the founders in the original black robes with turtle totems. It is also the only known image that shows the three-part Third Degree (Vigil) bib sash.

1, Ceremonies, Elections, Founders, Goodman, Insignia, National Event, OA, Scouting

Second Grand Lodge Meeting

Minsi Lodge in Reading, Pennsylvania on October 6 and 7th, 1922 hosted the second meeting of the Grand Lodge. There were seven lodges in attendance and 14 delegates. While the early Grand Lodge and National Lodge meetings were the precursors of today’s modern National Conferences, in the early years they much were more similar to a lodge or section executive meeting. They were business meetings, made up largely of Scout professionals and were not immune to politics.

The Second meeting of the Grand Lodge was at times contentious and political. At stake was determination of who would lead the Order as the second Grand Chieftain. There were two distinguished candidates.

The first was co-founder Carroll A. Edson, a logical follower to Goodman. Edson was there from the beginning, having worked side by side with Goodman in founding the Order as Assistant Camp Director at Treasure Island. He was the second Third Degree honoree and he was actively expanding the Order founding new lodges on what at the time was Wimachtendienk’s frontier in the Chicago area.

The second candidate was Grand Treasurer Arthur Schuck who later would best be known as a Chief Scout Executive of the BSA. Schuck was the first Third Degree (Vigil) Honor member outside of Unami Lodge and like Edson was a professional Scouter. Schuck was serving as the Scout Executive for the host council for the meeting.

In the early years the Grand Chieftain was determined by a vote of the lodges. Each lodge would receive one vote. As the roll call was taken, five lodges that had been present at the first meeting were present. In addition, the Grand Scribe announced that two new lodges had been formed in the previous year. One was the new lodge in Baltimore (This lodge is listed as “Naticahe Lodge”, “Naticoke Lodge” and the “Baltimore Lodge” in the minutes. It is what we now know as Nentico Lodge.) The second was a lodge described in the minutes as an outgrowth of Minsi Lodge (Schuck’s Lodge) in Harrisburg (today’s Susquehannock Lodge, although the name does not appear in the minutes). Schuck had found a new vote and appeared to have secured a 4-3 lead in the votes.

However, Edson chances were not over. The representative from Chicago presented a letter from Edson (who was not present at the meeting) that stated that there were now three lodges operating in Chicago and that Chicago should have two more votes. This would have given Edson a 5-4 lead in the vote. After much discussion it was determined that these two new votes would not be allowed, as the applications had not been received timely.

In what the minutes describe as “strenuous balloting”, Arthur A. Schuck was elected the second Grand Chieftain. W. Perry Bradley of the lodge from Baltimore was elected Grand Scribe and Bartram H. Dilks from Harrisburg the Grand Treasurer. E.R. Carrick was subsequently selected to serve in the new position of Grand Lodge Chief Supply Officer.

Ironically, the lodge formed by Schuck in Harrisburg that cast the vote that put Schuck himself over the top for Grand Chieftain was gone within a year. Its Scout Executive disbanded it before the next Grand Lodge Meeting.

2, Elections, National Event, OA, Scouting

Arthur Schuck

Arthur A. Schuck was one of several early pioneers of the Order of the Arrow who went on to have a long and distinguished professional Scouting career. Schuck entered Scouting in Newark, New Jersey as a Scoutmaster in 1913 at the age of 18. He became a professional Scouter in 1917 and subsequently became the Scout Executive for Reading Council, Reading, Pennsylvania. While in Reading, Schuck became acquainted with the Wimachtendienk and determined it would be a good fit in his council and their Camp Indiandale. E. Urner Goodman came to Reading to initiate Indiandale Lodge (Indiandale changed their name to Minsi Lodge the following year) as the fifth lodge on June 1, 1921. Schuck immediately assumed the role of Gegeyjumhet, the Supreme Chief of the Fire. Later that year Arthur Schuck attended the first meeting of the Grand Lodge and was elected the Order’s first Grand Lodge Treasurer. On July 28, 1922 Arthur Schuck traveled to Treasure Island and became the first official Third (Vigil) Degree member from outside of Unami Lodge. Schuck’s Vigil name was Wulapeju meaning “The Just”.

In 1922 Arthur Schuck and Minsi Lodge hosted the second Grand Lodge Meeting. Arthur Schuck defeated Carroll Edson in a tight election to become the second Grand Lodge Chieftain of Wimachtendienk. Later in 1922 Schuck was reassigned to the National Office in New York City. In 1931 he became Director of Operations working along side his old friend Goodman who was Director of Program. As Director of Operations, Schuck was in charge of the 1937 National Jamboree. In 1942 Schuck was one of three Arrowmen to receive the Distinguished Service Award.

In 1948 Schuck became the third Chief Scout Executive. Schuck served as Chief Scout with distinction through 1960 and received the Silver Buffalo Award from the BSA and the Bronze Wolf Award from the World Scout Committee. Schuck passed away in 1963 at the age of 67.

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