You might be a brand new Ordeal candidate or an Arrowman looking to get reinvolved with the OA. Either way the OA has many opportunities to meet the interests of all Arrowmen. The OA provides leadership opportunities through officers or committee members, but for those who don’t like to lead there are many events through ceremonies, service, and so much more. For many the OA has been a new challenge to experience something new in Scouting. Without the OA many great Scouting opportunities wouldn’t be possible. An amazing program offered through the Order of the Arrow is OA High Adventure, this program allows Arrowmen to participate in Scouting America’s High Adventure bases for a lower price. OA High Adventure allows Arrowmen to experience High Adventure Bases in new ways. OAHA isn’t the OA’s only National or Regional Event with many great experiences available with NOAC, NLS, and Operation Arrow. The major benefit of these events is it gives Arrowmen the ability to grow themselves as individuals. The Order of the Arrow has impacted many over their time as Scouting’s National Honor Society, and a great example is the impact given to Illini Lodge Chief, Charlie Martin.
“I am Charlie Martin, chief of Illini Lodge 55. The OA has had a huge impact on my life, I often think about what life would be like if I was never in the Order or in Scouting. I have grown as a person and as a leader because of the OA. At first I never thought about being Lodge Chief, at least not in 2025. I was the only person eligible to run and our previous chief was unable to run again. This person is our Section Chief, Allison Hemming. As a young chief I looked up to Allison as well as my father, who was chief back when he too was also a 14 year old lodge chief. The Order of the Arrow has given me so much, it has inspired me to want to do more in the Order. After NCOC I was inspired by the journeys of the National Officers that I wanted to forge my own journey.”
Getting involved in all parts of the Order of the Arrow will allow you to grow farther as an individual. For many the OA has allowed themselves to gain skills that have impacted them for the rest of their lives. To achieve the skills and growth the OA offers, one must be willing to put in the effort required to unlock these great rewards. The OA offers opportunities from Chapter to National level; the greatest gift the OA has to offer is the many friends you meet along the way. My favorite memory of the OA is the amount of friends I’ve made all across the world because of the amazing opportunities I’ve gotten to experience. Don’t be afraid to go outside of your comfort zone because there truly is an amazing world of opportunities and experiences in the Order of the Arrow as well as Scouting.