As part of the Order of the Arrow’s centennial anniversary, the Centurion Award has been made available for local lodges to submit nominations. The Centurion Award aims to highlight “Hometown Heroes,” or Arrowmen who have meaningfully contributed to the forming, maturing, and ongoing operational excellence of their local council’s lodge, and who, in doing so, have inspired others to follow in their footsteps. This award is a one-time recognition that is bestowed by the National Order of the Arrow Committee. It is modeled after a similar program in the BSA’s 100th anniversary celebration, the 2010 National Hall of Leadership.
Local Order of the Arrow lodges are in the process of vetting Centurion nominations, which must be approved by the Lodge Key 3 and then submitted to the national office by February 28, 2015. Lodges may nominate a number based on a ratio of 1 per 100 chartered members or fraction thereof, according to 2013 membership data (i.e., data provided for rechartering in or around December 2013). Lodges with fewer than 800 chartered members will use the same ratio but may petition the National OA Committee for such additional slots to increase their total nominating capacity to eight. There are a variety of opportunities for Centurions to be recognized at the local, regional, and national levels.
One such opportunity will take place during the 2015 National Order of the Arrow Conference in August. All attending Centurions will be encouraged to wear their commemorative medallion when in Class A uniform. Additionally, the NOAC Centennial Celebrations Committee plans to honor the deeds of Centurions at key conference events. For example, Centurions will be highlighted during the Centennial Show and invited to a special reception at the Centennial Festival. The Centennial Gala will also acknowledge the contributions of Centurions over the course of the banquet program.
Other opportunities include a digital publication on the national OA website that will chronicle the story of each of these Arrowmen, a spotlight on each region’s ArrowTour static display for Centurions from that particular geographic area, as well as local recognition at each lodge’s holiday banquet or commensurate event.
Look for further details in an upcoming edition of Scout Wire. Additional program details, including a suggested timeline, FAQs, and forms are available on the national OA website.