Any of the awards of the Order of the Arrow (OA) may be presented to an individual regardless of which membership level they have achieved.
New Vigil Honor members are nominated, approved, and inducted annually in all current OA lodges.
Those members whose lodges' nominations have been approved by the National OA office are inducted during a special ceremony, and are bestowed with a name of honor translated in both a Native American/American Indian language as well as English.
[2] The award is intended to recognize only those extraordinary Arrowmen who have deeply influenced and significantly contributed to the vision, direction, and growth of the Order of the Arrow, faithfully demonstrated a lifetime of servant leadership, and, through their daily example, illuminated and reinforced the significance of the values found in the Scout Oath and Scout Law.
The prestige of the award requires the criteria be general in nature to allow members of the National Committee to exercise wisdom, flexibility, and discretion in the evaluation and selection of a worthy recipient.
Nominations will be submitted to members of the Recognition & Awards Subcommittee for evaluation and recommendation to the National Committee.
[3] The first awards were presented at Camp Twin Echo, Pennsylvania, to E. Urner Goodman, Carroll A. Edson, and eight others at the 1940 national meeting.
The award is a sterling silver arrowhead, bearing an arrow pointing upward and to the wearer's right, suspended from a white neck-ribbon upon which are embroidered red arrows (the first awards were suspended from a forest green ribbon – the current ribbon has been in use since the 1960s).
This award honors Arrowmen in the Order of the Arrow (OA) for unselfish service above and beyond their normal duties to their lodge.
Recipients received a certificate and a metallic centennial totem suspended from a red and white neck-ribbon.
Each year since 1969, the National Council of the Order of the Arrow selects two lodges from each of the (currently two) regions to receive the E. Urner Goodman Camping Award.
This award recognizes lodges that have made outstanding contributions to promoting (and increasing) camping within their host council.
The Lodge must petition for the award and show proof of their accomplishments, in addition to being certified a Quality Lodge for that year.The E. Urner Goodman Scholarship is awarded annually by the Boy Scouts of America to members of the Order of the Arrow who are preparing for a professional career in Scouting.
This scholarship was established in 1998 to honor the spirit and the memory of Josh Sain, a former National Vice Chief of the Order of the Arrow.