Our Order's History
In 1915, Camp Director E. Urner Goodman and Assistant Camp Director Carroll A. Edson searched for a way to recognize select campers for their cheerful sprits of service at Treasure Island Scout Camp in the Delaware River. Goodman and Edson founded the Order of the Arrow when they held the first Ordeal Ceremony on July 16th of that year. By 1921, as the popularity of the organization spread to other camps, local lodges attended the first national gathering called a Grand Lodge Meeting.
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The Order of the Arrow was one of many camp honor societies that existed at local Scout camps across the country. As the years went on and more camps adopted the Order of the Arrow’s program, it gained prominence and became part of the national Boy Scout program in 1934. By 1948, the OA, recognized as the BSA's national brotherhood of honor campers, became an official part of the Boy Scouts of America. Toward the end of the twentieth century, the OA expanded its focus to include conservation, high adventure, and servant-leadership.
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Throughout the years, the Order of the Arrow has played an integral role in the program of the Boy Scouts and in the community service its members contribute to their communities. To date, more than one million people have been members of the Order of the Arrow.
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Presently, the Order of the Arrow consists of nearly 300 lodges, which form approximately 48 sections in four regions. Leadership positions and voting rights are restricted to members under the age of 21. Through the program, members live up to the ideals of brotherhood, cheerfulness, and service set forth by E. Urner Goodman and Carroll A. Edson.
Our Lodge's History
Ittawamba Lodge was officially chartered to the West Tennessee Area Council, Boy Scouts of America on May 7, 1943. Mr. C.L. Carlisle, Council Scout Executive at the time, was primarily responsible for the founding of the Lodge. He brought a team of Scouts from the Yocona Area Council, members of Chicksa Lodge 202 of Tupelo, Mississippi, to Camp LaJoy in Chickasaw State Park to hold the first ordeal.
This ordeal was held over the Thanksgiving weekend of 1942, and about 40 Scouts were inducted. Their work project on that weekend was to build a council ring. These 40 charter members chose the name "Ittawamba", who was a Choctaw tribal chief from that area, as the official name of the Lodge. The tulip poplar leaf was chosen as the lodge totem. (The tulip poplar is the state tree of Tennessee.) These new members also held the first lodge election in 1943, and Jim Hodge of Jackson was elected the lodge's first chief.
In the summer of 1945, Ittawamba Lodge assisted in the founding of Kaskanampo Lodge #310 of Huntsville, AL. The ceremony team from Ittawamba traveled to Camp Westmoreland near Scottsboro, Alabama and performed the first ordeal ceremony for 18 charter members.
The first Vigil Honor recipients in Ittawamba Lodge were Bruce C. Fails and C.L. "Scottie" Carlisle in 1950. This was also the first year that Region 5 had Vigil recipients.
The Order of the Arrow cabin was converted from the old Camp Director's cabin in 1987. It houses memorabilia and is used for sleeping quarters and meetings.
Lodge Chiefs & Lodge Advisers
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1958 - 1959 Wiley B. Jones, Adviser
1959 - 1960 John Fumbanks, Chief & Wiley B. Jones Adviser
1960 - 1961 Bill Jones, Chief & Wiley B. Jones, Adviser
1961 - 1962 John Jennings, Chief & Wiley B. Jones Adviser
1962 - 1965 Bob Carney, Chief & Wiley B. Jones, Adviser
1965 -1966 Pat Hundley, Cheif & Wiley B. Jones, Adviser
1966 - 1967 Mickey Granger, Chief & Wiley B. Jones, Adviser
1967 - 1968 Marion Fowlkes, Chief & Bud Rankin, Adviser
1968 - 1969 Steve White, Chief & Bud Rankin, Adviser
1969 - 1970 Richard DeBerry, Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
1970 - 1971 Lee Nethery, Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
1971 - 1974 Ron Darby, Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
1974 - 1975 Eddie Russell, Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
1975 - 1976 Jay Whitley, Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
1976 - 1977 Larry Fowlkes, Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
1977 - 1979 Doug Reem Jr., Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
1979 - 1980 Danny Cleavanger, Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
1980 - 1981 Randy Wilson, Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
1981 - 1982 John Lott, Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
1982 - 1984 Steve Williams, Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
1984 - 1985 Brian Pope, Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
1985 - 1986 Jimmy Rhodes, Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
1986 - 1988 Terry Webb, Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
1988 - 1989 Chris Price, Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
1989 - 1991 Trey Carney, Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
1991 - 1992 Scott Ribble, Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
1992 - 1993 Brian Davis, Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
1993 - 1995 David Hudson, Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
1995 - 1996 Chris McDaniel, Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
1996 - 1997 Jim Cheatham, Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
1997 - 1998 Matt Stine, Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
1998 - 1999 Brian Irick, Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
1999 - 2000 Charles McDaniel, Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
2000 - 2001 Phillip Eubanks, Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
2001 - 2003 Neil Johnson, Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
2003-2004 Caleb McLaughlin, Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
2004 - 2005 Matthew Young, Chief & Dr. Bob Carney, Adviser
2005 - 2007 Jeremy Fair, Chief & Rick Ribble, Adviser
2008 Trey Climer, Chief & Rick Ribble Adviser
2009 Owen Lewis, Chief & Jim Cheatham, Adviser
2010 - 2011 Clint Beilke, Chief & Jim Cheatham, Adviser
2012 - 2014 Nick Varnick, Chief & Joe Craven, Adviser
2015 Paylor Eubank, Chief & Dr. Brian Jackson, Adviser
2016- 2017 Joshua Waffird, Chief & Dr. Brian Jackson, Adviser
2018 Cooper Barton, Chief & Joe Vandyke, Adviser
2019 John Wayne, Chief & Joe Vandyke, Adviser
2020 Nathan Redding, Chief & Joe Vandyke, Adviser
2021 Nathan Redding, Chief & Joe Vandyke, Adviser
2022 Chase Winchel, Chief & Steve Argo, Adviser
2023 Mitchell Haggard, Chief & Steve Argo, Adviser
Section, Regional, and National Awards and Service
Lodge Awards:
E. Urner Goodman Camping Award
2006, 2007
Distinguished Service Award
1986- Dr. Robert (Doc) Carney
1996- David Shettles
2002- Jim Cheatham
Regional Officers & Advisers
2000
Jim Cheatham
Southern Region Chief
National Committee Members
1998-00
David Shettles
National OA Committee Member
Area or Section Officers
1963 - Dan McGehee - Area V-C Chief
1971 - Richard DeBerry - Area 5-D Chief
1974 - Ron Darby - SE-2A Chief
1991 - Trey Carney - SE-2 Vice Chief
1992 - Scott Ribble - SE-2 Vice Chief
1994 - David Hudson - SR-6A Vice Chief
1995 - Jason Russell - SR-6A Vice Chief
1995 - Matt Stine - SR-6A Secretary
1997 - Jim Cheatham - SR-6A Vice Chief
1998-99 - Jim Cheatham - SR-6N Chief
1999 - Phillip Eubanks - SR-6N Secretary
2002 - Neil Johnson - SR-6N Vice Chief
2008 - Jeremy Fair - SR-6N Vice Chief
2016 - Paylor Eubank - SR-6 Section Secretary
2017 - John Wayne - SR-6 Section Secretary
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Section Advisers
2009-11 - Jim Cheatham - SR-6 Associate Adviser
2012- Present - Jim Cheatham - SR-6 Adviser
Founders' Award Recipients
The national Order of the Arrow Committee created the Founder’s Award in 1980. The purpose of the Founder’s Award is to recognize those Arrowmen who memorialize in their everyday life the spirit of achievement as described Founder, E. Urner Goodman and Co-Founder, Carroll A. Edson.
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Youth Recipients
2023
Adult Recipients
James Steele
Youth Recipients
2022
Nathan Redding
Adult Recipients
Steven Argo
Youth Recipients
2021
Adult Recipients
Youth Recipients
2020
Adult Recipients
Youth Recipients
2019
Joshua Waffird
Adult Recipients
Bonnie Ward
Youth Recipients
2018
Christian Webb
Adult Recipients
Phil Craig
Youth Recipients
2017
Houston Phillips
Adult Recipients
Lee White
Youth Recipients
2016
Christopher Walker
Adult Recipients
Neil Johnson
Youth Recipients
2015
Chris Schwartz
Adult Recipients
Don Eubank
Youth Recipients
2014
Travis Geisel
Adult Recipients
Steve McCool
Youth Recipients
2013
Ryan Burlesci
Adult Recipients
Mike Irick
Youth Recipients
2012
Nick Varnick
Adult Recipients
Shane Lynch
Youth Recipients
2011
Clint Beilke
Adult Recipients
Leonard VanDyke
Youth Recipients
2010
Owen Lewis
Adult Recipients
John Taylor
Youth Recipients
2009
Adult Recipients
Robert Price
Youth Recipients
2008
Trey Climer
Adult Recipients
Harry Lane III
Youth Recipients
2007
Preston Field
Adult Recipients
Darlene Mott
Youth Recipients
2006
Jeremy Fair
Daniel Proffitt
Adult Recipients
Youth Recipients
2005
Jason Russell
Adult Recipients
Bobby McDill
Youth Recipients
2004
Adult Recipients
Tom Gamble