The Order of the Arrow is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America. The Order of the Arrow (OA) recognizes Scouts and Scouters who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives. This recognition provides encouragement for others to live these ideals as well. Arrowmen are known for maintaining camping traditions and spirit, promoting year-round and long-term resident camping, developing leaders, and providing cheerful service to others. OA service, activities, adventures, and training for youth and adults are models of quality leadership development and programming that enrich, support, and help to extend Scouting to America's youth.
The Order of the Arrow (OA) was founded by Dr. E. Urner Goodman and Carroll A. Edson in 1915 at the Treasure Island Camp of the Philadelphia Council, Boy Scouts of America. It became an official program experiment in 1922 and was approved as part of the Scouting program in 1934.
Colonneh Lodge is the Sam Houston Area Council's Order of the Arrow Lodge. The lodge is named in honor of General Sam Houston; who was called Colonneh, meaning raven, when he lived with the Cherokee Indians. The lodge totem is the raven.
At the national level, the Order of the Arrow is governed by the National Order of the Arrow Committee. The national committee sets program policy, directs the national program of the Order, and broadly manages the organization above the lodge level. The OA has three distinct organizational levels beneath the national organization: lodges, sections, and regions. Lodges carry out the Order of the Arrow program at the local level and are charged to BSA councils.
The national Order of the Arrow organization is divided into two geographic regions (the Eastern and Gateway regions). Colonneh Lodge is located in the Gateway Region. The Gateway region is divided into Sections (consists of lodges located within a geographic vicinity). Colonneh Lodge is part of section G2 which includes nine lodges in the southern Texas area.
Order of the Arrow members are able to participate in exclusive lodge, section, regional and national events and special high adventure treks. The OA has something for everyone. For more information, contact your chapter.
The purpose of the Order of the Arrow, Boy Scouts of America’s National Honor Society, is to:
- Recognize those who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives, and through that recognition, cause others to conduct themselves in a way that warrants similar recognition.
- Promote camping, responsible outdoor adventure, and environmental stewardship as essential components of every Scout’s experience, in the unit, year-round, and in summer camp.
- Develop leaders with the willingness, character, spirit and ability to advance the activities of their units, our brotherhood, Scouting, and ultimately our nation.
- Crystallize the Scout habit of helpfulness into a life purpose of leadership in cheerful service to others.