Over the past few months, lots of information that has been released regarding the 100th anniversary of the Order of the Arrow. Many lodge leaders may be wondering how the centennial program is shaping up. So, here's a recap of all the information thus far regarding the centennial celebration.
Two events, ArrowTour and NOAC 2015, will be held to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Order of the Arrow. Each of these events will help to spread the centennial celebration to every Arrowman across the country.
ArrowTour: Our National Centennial Experience was rolled out in May at the BSA National Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee. Taking place during the summer of 2015 and executed by each of the four regions, ArrowTour will partner with summer camps to provide a unique experience for Arrowmen. As a part of the rollout, a new website was released and a contest was launched to see how far word about ArrowTour can spread. If you see someone with an ArrowTour boarding pass, make sure you ask them about ArrowTour and register the pass for a chance to win one of any number of cool prizes. ArrowTour will conclude when all four region ArrowTour caravans converge on Michigan State University for NOAC 2015.
With a goal of 10,000 Arrowmen to attend NOAC from August 3-8, 2015, the Order of the Arrow is preparing for its largest conference yet. The NOAC 2015 fee was set as $475 at the 2013 National Planning Meeting, and key leadership for the conference was announced. To help incentivize lodges to boost their attendance at NOAC, the Centennial Challenge was created. Lodges that send 6% of their 2013 recharter membership or increase their lodge's NOAC participation by 15% will have met the Centennial Challenge. For lodges that wish to go further in their attendance goals, two additional tiers have been created. These tiers are the 100+ Club, which recognizes lodges that bring more than 100 members to NOAC 2015, and the Chiefs' Circle, which lodges qualify for by bringing either 15% of their 2015 recharter membership or by doubling their NOAC 2012 participation. Lodges that meet any of these challenges will be specially recognized at NOAC 2015. Contingent and staff registration open on August 1, 2014 at https://registration.oa-bsa.org. NOAC 2015 will also see the culmination of the Lodge Legacy Project announced at NOAC 2012. Further, as a special bonus, all NOAC 2015 attendees will receive a limited edition red sash.
The things tying all of these events together are the centennial logo, totem, and theme. These items, shared in April, form the foundation to celebrate our centennial anniversary together; these items are used in accordance with the Centennial Anniversary Brand Guidelines, released at the same time as the logo and totem. These brand guidelines govern the use of the 100th anniversary logo on printed and web materials as well as the totem's use on patches, among other things. Our theme, "Centuries of Service," reminds us of our past century of service to Scouting, and calls us to action towards a future of continued service.
For more details on any of these items, or to keep up to date with all of the events and programs surrounding the 100th anniversary of the Order of the Arrow, visit the 100th Anniversary Section. This section will be an invaluable tool for lodge leaders as they prepare for the 100th anniversary of our Order.
Joe Donahue Centennial Update Centennial 2015