A Georgia Girl in Germany

While I was TDY to Poland, Zachary had a weekend campout with his Boy Scout troop, and family was invited to attend the evening campfire the second night. I was really disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to attend, but was fortunate that several folks took photos that evening to share with me. I knew this campout was when scouts would be “tapped out” if they’d been selected to join the Order of the Arrow, and suspected that Zachary would be tapped out this year...and he was!

OA is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America and uses American Indian-styled traditions and ceremonies to bestow recognition on scouts selected by their peers as best exemplifying the ideals of scouting. The society was created in 1915 as a means to reinforce the Scout Oath and the Scout Law, with the goal of establishing these as lifelong guidelines, and to encourage continued participation in scouting and camping.

Once inducted into the order, members are known as Arrowmen or Brothers, and they continue their fellowship through camping and serving Boy Scout councils and their communities. Members also wear identifying insignia on their uniforms, most notably the OA sash. Zachary’s “ordeal” weekend, when he’s officially inducted into the order is a few weeks away. Once he completes the ordeal, he’ll earn his sash -- represented here by the arrow on his arm.

Labels: Boy Scouts, Zachary