Arrowman Celebrate Founders Day

Wednesday, August 2, is a day of celebration. Ninety-one years ago, Dr. E. Urner Goodman and Col. Carroll A. Edson founded the Order of the Arrow.  On Wednesday of NOAC, our founders were honored with the Founders Day Festival. Founders Day is a day of fun and excitement honoring the lodges, the conference, and the beginnings of the Order. It is a day-long celebration that begins with an opening parade where regions and sections are encouraged to use their creative skills to decorate their own golf cart, and join in the parade. The parade included both Regional and National entries.

The parade concludes at the Goodman Games field, where a Founders Day Opening Ceremony will be conducted. Following the ceremony, the Goodman Games commence with lodge contingent teams competing during pre-registered time slots. While awaiting their assigned Goodman Games time slot, lodge contingents were able to visit the TOAP site and enjoy stage performances scheduled throughout the morning.

In the afternoon, Founders Day shifts attention to the Founders Fair area. During the afternoon, participants were able to visit lodge displays from across the country. This is always an inspiring and fun-filled event. Included will be inflatable games, a Pow-Wow coordinated by the American Indian Activities Committee, stage performances and an opportunity to silk screen a T-shirt with a one-of-a-kind Founders Day logo. Another aspect of the Founders Fair is the lodge booths in which the lodges from across the nation set up displays about their home area and in the process distribute literature, food and knick knacks to all who stop by.

In addition to the lodge displays there were also a series of booths from National Council and the National Order of the Arrow which highlighted such items as the 2010 Jamboree, the OA High Adventure Programs and the National Order of the Arrow website. Overall Founder’s Day was a huge success and was a penultimate event for this year’s NOAC.