Order of the Arrow – Boy Scouts of Greater St. Louis

Learn more about the Order of the Arrow!

What is the OA?

For over 100 years, the Order of the Arrow (OA) has recognized 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, 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 and help to extend Scouting to America's youth.

The Mission and Purpose of the Order of the Arrow

The Order of the Arrow was founded in 1915 to serve a useful purpose: to cause the Scout Oath and Law to spring into action in all parts of the nation. To this day, the Order is dedicated to this high purpose.

History of the Order

The Order of the Arrow has a rich history spanning 100 years, from its beginnings at a Boy Scout summer camp to its present role as a part of the Scouting program.

Organization & Structure

The Order of the Arrow has over 150,000 members nationwide. Although the Order of the Arrow is a thing of the spirit, there are several layers of organization, each with its own role.

Membership Requirements and the Inductions Process

Learn about the requirements to become an Arrowman, the induction process, and the levels of memberships within the Order.

Leadership

The Order of the Arrow is led by youth leadership (national chief, national vice chief), the national Order of the Arrow chairman, the OA director and the OA specialist. In addition the national Order of the Arrow committee provides direction for the yearly program.

OA lodges of the Greater St. Louis Area Council

The Greater St. Louis Area Council is comprised of four Order of the Arrow lodges. Each lodge serves a geographic area and is made up of districts. You can find your lodge by finding your district below. Not sure which district you’re in? Click here to view a map of all districts.

Anpetu-We Lodge
1. Big Muddy
2. Cherokee
3. Egyptian
4. Shawnee
5. Sioux
Nisha Kittan Lodge
1. Black Gold
2. Cahokia Mounds
3. Illini
4. Kaskaskia
5. Piasa Bird
6. Clair
Shawnee Lodge
1. Boone Trails
2. Grand Towers
3. Gravois Trail
4. New Horizons
5. North Star
6. Osage
7. Ozark Trailblazers
8. Pathfinder
9. River Trails
10. Thunderbird
Woapink Lodge
1. Arrowhead
2. Redhawk

Specific OA Lodge information

Specific information for each lodge’s membership, events, and more can be found on their website:

Anpetu-We Lodge – https://www.anpetu-we.org/
Nisha Kittan Lodge – https://nklodge.org/
Shawnee Lodge – http://www.shawneelodge.org/
Woapink Lodge - https://central.oa-bsa.org/woapink/

Section, Region, and National OA Event Information

The Order of the Arrow has a strong tradition of coordinating section, region, and national events. These can be anything from trainings like the National Leadership Seminar (NLS) to the annual Section Conclave. Every two to three years, all Arrowmen in the country are invited to attend the National Order of the Arrow Conference (NOAC). Please check back regularly for updated information on upcoming events.