Silent and Live Auctions
By Cy Roth
If you have attended any Order of the Arrow High Adventure program, National Leadership Seminar, or national event, you have been impacted by the National Order of the Arrow Endowment Fund. The endowment was created for the purpose of creating special OA programs and scholarships. The fund was started over thirty years ago with the sale of Vigil membership cards at NOAC. Since then, the endowment has grown to draw from a variety of different sources. These include the online endowment trading post, the Legacy Fellowship, and the Goodman Society. Here at NOAC 2018, you have the opportunity to contribute to the endowment and get some fascinating pieces of the Order’s history.
The Gladstein Fieldhouse is ground zero for patch traders and enthusiasts, but in the northwest corner of the building, the silent auction is generating money for the National OA Endowment. There, delegates can write bids on a slip of paper attached to an item and if their bid is the highest at the end of the session they get to purchase the item for that price. For the three nights it operates, the silent auction table will offer nearly 90 lots which change each night. These lots are everything from special patches, chenilles, medals, flashlights and more. The silent auction also has a buy-it-now table of memorabilia delegates can purchase on the spot. Check the table out in the Gladstein Fieldhouse and see what you can get your hands on.
Silent auctions are fun, however live auctions are where the party is at. Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m., in the IMU Whittenberger Auditorium NOAC 2018 will be hosting the Live Endowment Auction. The auction will sell 63 lots of varying age, size, and starting bid, but they all are pieces of the Order’s history. One of the hot items of interest is former National Committee Chairman Tom McBride’s 1939 Distinguished Service Award. Also in the lot is an early Merit Badge sash with the Hog Production Merit Badge afixed. The auction will be led by Jason Stribling, a professional heavy equipment and transportation auctioneer and Vigil Honor member of Mowogo Lodge in Northeast Georgia. He encourages anyone interested to register and take part, just as long as you are serious about bidding and will be respectful to those looking to purchase pieces of OA history. Registration starts at 3:30 p.m. at the IMU, and they will accept cash or credit card. There will also be an opportunity to call in for remote delegates and those not present.
Throughout the week there are auction lots available on eBay here. The National Order of the Arrow Endowment needs your assistance to provide future opportunities to members across the world and the endowment auctions is a fun and rewarding way to do so.
The OA Endowment Live Auction Catalog can be found here.