Perhaps the most recognizable mark distinguishing an Arrowman is the Order of the Arrow sash. Worn over the right shoulder with the official Scout uniform, the sash is rich in both symbolism and purpose. To the outside observer, the sash identifies a Scout as an Arrowman. To that Arrowman, the sash represents the obligation taken upon induction: to lead in cheerful service. The sash of the Order of the Arrow has a history as rich as the Order itself, from its earliest days at Treasure Island Scout Reservation to the present.
The first OA sashes looked much different than those of the present day, and even went by a different name. Early ceremonies referred to the sashes as arrow bands, which were black in color. Differing accounts suggest that either a white vertical stripe or a white arrow pointing over the right shoulder adorned the black sash. There are no original black sashes known to exist today.
The earliest known photograph in existence depicting Arrowmen wearing sashes dates to a 1919 Treasure Island council fire. The photograph shows sashes worn on both the left and right shoulders of the Arrowmen in attendance. This is due to the fact that the 1918 Ritual for the Second Degree (Brotherhood) included the moving of the sash from the right shoulder to the left shoulder before the conclusion of the ceremony. A sash worn over the left shoulder was the official indicator of a Second Degree (Brotherhood) member. The color of the bands in the black and white photograph appears to be white, but the color of the arrow cannot be confirmed.
Another 1921 photograph from the Camp Biddle Rededication Ceremony at the formation of the grand lodge, the first national organization of the Order of the Arrow, depicts the Order’s founder Dr. E. Urner Goodman and co-founder Carroll A. Edson, adorning the Third Degree (Vigil Honor) bib-type sash. This sash consisted of a large triangle worn on the chest in the shape of a “fraternal bib.” Little else is known about the bib’s use.
The earliest sashes created by the newly established grand lodge were white wool-felt sashes with red wool-felt arrows sewn on to the white fabric. This sash was used by First Degree (Ordeal) and Second Degree (Brotherhood) members of the Order. Third Degree (Vigil Honor) members adorned a similar white sash with a wool-felt red triangle sewn on to the middle of the band. Three white arrows were sewn on to each of the sides of this red triangle. This symbol—a red triangle with three white arrows—is similar to the triangle found in the middle of the arrow on the Vigil Honor sash today. Variations of these sashes were used from 1921 to 1948.
In 1948, the process for making sashes changed so that instead of sewing a wool-felt red arrow on to the sash, the arrow could be silk-screened on to the sash. In particular, the sash of the Vigil Honor now consisted of sewing the large red felt triangle directly on to the Ordeal/Brotherhood sash. These sashes persisted up to 1950, when the decision was made that all sashes would be worn on the right shoulder. At this time, the bars were added to the Brotherhood sash to distinguish it from the Ordeal sash. It was also around this time that the large triangle on the Vigil Honor sash was shrunken to size so that it could fit on the sash itself. This simplified the manufacturing process since the Vigil Honor sash could be made through the same silk-screening process as the Ordeal and Brotherhood sashes. For the first time, three sashes existed to indicate the three levels of membership of the Order of the Arrow.
A change to the sashes in 1955 marked the end of the wool-felt, silk-screened arrows. Sashes were now manufactured using twill material and embroidery. The sash itself was made from two layers of material so that the embroidered arrow did not show on the opposite side. The only notable change between 1955 and 1988 was a change in the type of stitch used to secure the two layers of material together.
1988 saw the introduction of sashes on which the arrow, Brotherhood bars and Vigil Honor triangle were ironed. These iron-on arrows, which peeled off when washed, were regarded as insufficient in quality. The embroidered twill sashes were reinstituted in 1990, and are still in use today.
The Order of the Arrow sash, just like the Order of the Arrow as a whole, has evolved over the past century into its current version. The sash, in whichever form it takes, will continue to identify and define the members of the Order of the Arrow for years to come.