Awards and Honors

The Vigil Honor is the highest honor that the Order of the Arrow can bestow upon its members for service to lodge, council, and Scouting. Membership cannot be won by a person’s conscious endeavors.

The Vigil Honor is a high mark of distinction and recognition reserved for those Arrowmen who, by reason of exceptional service, personal effort, and unselfish interest, have made distinguished contributions beyond the immediate responsibilities of their position of office to one or more of the following:

• Lodge
• Order of the Arrow
• Scouting community
• Scout Camp

Introduced at the 1981 National Order of the Arrow Conference, the Founder’s Award recognizes Arrowmen who have given outstanding service to their lodge. The award is reserved for an Arrowman who demonstrates that he or she personifies the spirit of selfless service, as advocated by founder E. Urner Goodman and cofounder Carroll A. Edson.

The Centurion Award aims to highlight “Hometown Heroes,” or Arrowmen who have meaningfully contributed to the forming, maturing and ongoing operational excellence of their local council’s lodge, and who, in doing so, inspired others to follow in their footsteps.

This award is a one-time recognition associated with the centennial anniversary of the OA that is bestowed by the national Order of the Arrow committee. It is modeled after a similar program in the BSA’s 100th anniversary celebration, the 2010 National Hall of Leadership. Accordingly, this recognition is an opportunity to highlight lodge development over the last century and the many individuals, both youth and adult, who were instrumental to this success. These honorees will serve as exemplars of leadership, modeling to others a commitment to cheerful service as the Order of the Arrow enters its second century.

OA – Centurion Award

The Distinguished Service Award (DSA) was created in 1940 to honor those who rendered service to the Order beyond the lodge level. The award is presented to Arrowmen, youth and adult, who have rendered distinguished and outstanding service to the Order on a sectional, regional, or national basis. The award is presented at National Order of the Arrow Conferences. Since the time the first awards were presented, less than 1000 Distinguished Service Awards have been awarded.

The award is a sterling silver arrowhead bearing an arrow pointing up and to the wearer’s right. The award is suspended from a white neck-ribbon on which red arrows are embroidered. A white square knot embroidered on red cloth is available for uniform wear and a silver arrowhead lapel pin is available for civilian wear.

The Bob Morrison Service Award was created by Sequoyah Lodge in 2014 in honor of past Lodge Adviser – Bob Morrison.  The award is give to Arrowmen in Sequoyah Lodge who have given invaluable service to Camp Davy Crockett above and beyond traditional expections.

Bob Morrison was a 30+ year Lodge Adviser for Sequoyah Lodge, serving from the mid-1980’s to 2006.