High Adventure Triple Crown Award First Awarded

The Order of the Arrow High Adventure Triple Crown Award was created in 2005 to recognize those Arrowmen who attended and completed the three high adventure programs offered at each of the national high adventure bases: The Order of the Arrow Trail Crew at Philmont Scout Ranch, the Order of the Arrow Wilderness Voyage at Northern Tier, and the Order of the Arrow Ocean Adventure at the Florida Sea Base. Beginning in 2010, the Order of the Arrow Canadian Odyssey was created at Northern Tier and now can be used in place of the Order of the Arrow Wilderness Voyage to complete the Triple Crown award. With the opening of the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve, a fifth High Adventure opportunity was created that would count toward the Triple Crown Award, the Order of the Arrow Summit Experience program. This is the only National OA award available only to youth Arrowmen.

The award was formerly a 4” round patch with a red mylar border. It had the image of the Tooth of Time from Philmont Scout Ranch in the background, a tall sailing ship and a Native American in a canoe to signify the Florida Sea Base and Northern Tier and has the wording “Order of the Arrow – High Adventure Triple Crown” surrounding the images. Each award recipient was awarded one patch for free with the option to purchase an extra.

Arrowmen seeking to achieve the new OA Triple Crown Award can complete any three of the five Order of the Arrow High Adventure programs as long as they do so at three separate bases. These Arrowmen are also expected to give a presentation about their experiences at a lodge or section event encouraging others to participate. Upon completion, they should submit an OA Triple Crown Application. After verifying attendance, the Arrowmen receives a patch set and a certificate signed by the national officers recognizing this accomplishment. The patch set consists of a universal center patch surrounded by three "rockers" to signify the three programs completed.