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Vigil Honor

Vigil HonorAlertness to the needs of others is the mark of the Vigil Honor. It calls for an individual with an unusual awareness of the possibilities within each situation.

The Vigil Honor is a high mark of distinction and recognition reserved for those Arrowmen who, by reason of exceptional service, personal effort, and unselfish interest, have made distinguished contributions beyond the immediate responsibilities of their position or office to one or more of the following: their lodge, the Order of the Arrow, Scouting, or their Scout camp. Under no circumstances should tenure in Scouting or the Order of the Arrow be considered as reason enough for a Vigil Honor recommendation.

Any member of the Order of the Arrow registered in Scouting and in good standing is eligible for recommendation to the national Order of the Arrow committee for elevation to the Vigil Honor provided that at the time of the recommendation, the individual has been a Brotherhood member for a minimum of two years.

Click here for a complete listing of Vigil honorees

Founders Award

Founders AwardIntroduced at the 1981 National Order of the Arrow Conference, the Founder's Award was created to honor and recognize those Arrowmen who have given outstanding service to the lodge. The award is reserved for an Arrowmen who demonstrates to fellow Arrowmen that he or she memorializes in his or her everyday life the spirit of achievement as described by founder E. Urner Goodman and cofounder Carroll A. Edson.

Founders Award RibbonThe Award is a handsome bronze medallion bearing the likenesses of E. Urner Goodman and cofounder Carroll A. Edson, with wooden base and brass plate suitable for engraving. Also available is a special Founder's Award arrow ribbon, with a gold colored arrow suspended from a red ribbon.

Lodges may petition the national Order of the Arrow Committee to present up to four awards annually, based on lodge membership. If the lodge presents more than one award, one must be to a youth under the age of 21. Nominations must be made on form No. 24-137.

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To recognize someone for this award please fill out this form.

Ted Green Memorial Arrowman of the Year

Ted GreenCahuilla Lodge's "Arrowperson of the Year Award" was renamed the "Ted Green Memorial Award" after Ted's untimely death at the age of 44 on June 6, 1993. Who was Ted Green & why was this honor accorded to his memory?

Ted was a good husband and father of three sons and a daughter, all of whom were members of our Council's Scouting Program. He was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who was wounded during his last tour of duty in Vietnam. As a youth Ted was an active Cub Scout. He was a Cubmaster and a Scoutmaster who resurrected Scouting in his home town of San Jacinto. He was also the Chapter Adviser of our Yamiwa Chapter. At the time of his passing he was Cahuilla's Lodge Adviser and at the same time he was the Commander of the Hemet-San Jacinto American Legion Post. Ted was also very involved with our Council's Training Committee and earned his Wood Badge beads

Ted received the Vigil Honor, Founders' Award, Silver Beaver, District Award of Merit, Commissioner's Arrowhead, Scouter's Key, Council's Scouter of the Year & Philmont OA Certificate.

All of the above only gives an inkling of what made Ted a real leader in Scouting and his community. It can be summarized in just one sentence: "Ted showed the right stuff by leading from the front." Anyone who ever came into touch with Ted left with the impression of him being a polite, quiet Scouter who always said "Can Do" and never failed to deliver. He loved Scouting and what it meant to the youth of our Council & Lodge. He was a true believer in Scouting.

The Ted Green Memorial Award is presented annually at the Cahuilla Lodge Banquet to one youth and one adviser for the previous year.

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To recognize someone for this award please fill out this form.

John Mulkern Tribute and Memorial Award

For excellence in the area of Native American Affairs

Words cannot describe the loss with the passing of John Mulkern. True to his Native American roots, he had the rare ability to share his love for Indian traditions to youth and inspire them to achieve. His work as the Indian Affairs Committee chairman was exemplary, and he was instrumental in the success of the Shadow Lodge and Morning Star drum teams. His legacy will live on in this time that he will be sorely missed.

John is survived by a wife with 4 children, three of which are in Scouting. He was active in the native american community thru pow wows and various programs in addition to the Shadow Lodge and Morning Star drum groups. He was also dedicated to his faith, serving the LDS Church and served his mission with the Cree Indians in Canada which really started him in the Native American tradition. He was part Cherokee indian.

In commemoration of John's service, the Lodge Executive Committee in October 1998 established the John Mulkern Award, given annual to the individual or individuals whose service in the area of Indian Affairs is exemplary and warrants recognition.

Some Lasting Thoughts About John Mulkern

John MulkernJohn meant a lot to me. When I was lodge chief, in 1996, I had to cover the Indian Affairs for one lodge that did not get the job done. I asked a man I did not really know named John Mulkern if he could run the Indian Dancing at the conclave. I attended and was in awe with how he interacted with the kids. Some were very proficient, most were novices, but he treated them all like what they were doing was special. He got in and joined them. He gave them tips. Everyone had a ball.

And when it came time to award the best dancers, the last place Traditional Dancer got 8th place, not last. He grew to be a great friend. Just last Fall Fellowship, only two weeks ago, we sat at my computer playing with the web site, joking around about whether Macs or IBMs were better machines. And when he judged the sandpainting, there weren't any last place finishers, but a couple of kids did get fourth place. I don't know if eternity is online yet, but if they're accessing the internet, I just want John to know he will be missed.
-Tracy Schultze

We were all saddenned to hear of John's untimely death. At such a time words are very hard to gather. As I said at Thursday's meeting I ask that our thoughts and prayers be with Tim, Ian, and all of the Mulkern Family. John was a good scouter and a great friend. He will be missed by us all.
-Vinney Williams

John Mulkern was the type of man, that did what he could to not only help, but teach others as well. The first time I met him, we were at a Fall Fellowship, we had just built our Chapter Drum and we were hitting it and chanting Whi-Al- Lum, John came up and in his low, deep voice, told us that we were disrespecting the drum. If we wanted to do this, then do it right. He showed us, never getting up set at us. Then when we went to NOAC in 1996 and 1998 John was always there cheering on not only the teams, but the boys were just there to experience it. If you ever had a question, he would always try to answer it. If you ever needed to talk to someone, he was there. My thoughts go out to John's family and I hope that John will still look down up on us once in a while.
-Steven Bartel

It is sad to lose a man like John. He has departed this world and we will all miss him and his assistance with Indian Affairs. Anyone who really knew John realized that he believed that death is just the beginning of a more wonderful adventure with his Heavenly Father, that there was a need for John on the other side, an important job. I was looking forward to going to the Pow Wow in Devore next weekend and seeing John, along with other friends, but it will seem empty there without seeing him dancing and enjoying the circle. Remember that we have not lost a friend forever, we will all see him when our time comes on the other side, welcoming us and showing us to the circle.
-Robert Langevin

Thank you for all the support that you have all shared with me over the past few days. After hearing the news from Rusty Shoemake, regarding John's passing, I felt a big pain and a hole in my heart. Going to the Lodge Meeting, I felt that it was going to be difficult for me to face all of you and do my job. However, the care and support that you all shared with me made it easier to deal with. John touched a lot of people both in Scouting and on the Pow-Wow circuit. He will be deeply missed because of all the things that he was involved in.

But, fear not my friends, he would have told us all to continue to work on those things that we have started. "Don't stop just because I'm not there," would have been what he would have told us as he coached us on. I can only think of the good things about John. The great times that we shared sitting on my truck's tail gate as the Morning Star Singers practiced in preparation for NOAC. The times we just sat and talked about our experiences.

To many John was a teacher, and we all were his students. There is now a large void to fill where he stood amongst us. But, we are the mighty Cahuilla Lodge, we have the most spirit of any of the Lodges in our Section. We are a caring group of Arrowmen that any Lodge has ever had. We are the most concerned for our own. We will be there for each other. Help me to be like the Navajo, and speak forever more of the good thingsabout John. Never again speak badly about this Arrowmen who is certainly with our founders. Keep John forever in your hearts
-Peter Mandery Sr.

Click here for a complete listing of award winners

To recognize someone for this award please fill out this form.

James E West Fellowship Award

The James E. West Fellowship Award is a national recognition for individuals who contribute $1,000 or more in cash or securities to their local council endowment trust fund. This contribution is in addition to, and does not diminish or replace, the donor's annual gift to the council's Sustaining Membership Enrollment or Friends of Scouting Campaign.

Organizations or individuals may contribute an award in honor of someone--an Eagle Scout, a Silver Beaver recipient, council president, or district chairman, or in memory of a departed loved one, business associate, Scout or Scouter.

James E West KnotThe James E. West Fellowship Award is an attractive 8-by-10-inch certificate, personalized with the donor's name, date of gift, and council name. In addition, there will be a distinctive lapel pin/charm and an embroidered square knot for uniform wear. While it is a national recognition, the James E. West Fellowship award is authorized and presented by the local council. Appropriate national recognition will be given at a special reception held in conjunction with the National Annual Meeting.

The award is named after the first Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America who exemplified Ralph Waldo Emerson's observation that "an institution is the lengthened shadow of one man." Scouting today is the "lengthened shadow" of more than three decades of the farseeing and dedicated leadership of Dr. James E. West.

Those who are recognized by the James E. West Fellowship Award will cast their own "lengthened shadow" as they help ensure the Scouting legacy for future generations of young people and create the financial stability of the program in the twenty-first century for their local council.

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To recognize someone for this award please fill out one or two page history of this individuals contributions to the Order and to Scouting.

Centurion Award

Centurion AwardFor 100 years, the Order of the Arrow has purposefully recognized Scouts and Scouters who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives. Therefore, our organization's centennial provided a unique opportunity to commemorate those among us who are exemplars of the "high ideals and purpose of the Order of the Arrow."

The Centurion Award recognizes Arrowmen who have meaningfully contributed to the forming, maturing and ongoing operational excellence of their local lodge, and who, in doing so, inspired others to follow in their footsteps.

This award is a one-time recognition associated with the centennial anniversary of the OA that was bestowed by the national Order of the Arrow committee. These honorees serve as exemplars of leadership, modeling to others a commitment to cheerful service as the Order of the Arrow enters its second century.

Ian McLeod - Sean Sedey - Hayden Martois - Andrew Blessum - Mathew Brandt - Frank Sydow - Gary Wood - William Woodward

Lodge Awards

E. Urner Goodman Camping Award

The E. Urner Goodman Award was established in 1969 as a tribute and testimonial to the Order's founder, E. Urner Goodman. Its purpose is to encourage and challenge Order of the Arrow members and lodges to increase their effectiveness in promoting and increasing Scout camping in each council. Awards are presented to two outstanding lodges in each region annually. Cahuilla Lodge is one of the leaders in the nation in camping promotion earning this award many times.E Urner Goodman Camping Award

  • 1983, 1996, 2002, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016, and 2017

National Service Award

The National Service Award was established in 1999 to recognize lodges in each region that have performed outstanding service, both in a qualitative and a quantitative sense, to their council. The National Service Award Petition is submitted along with the lodge recharter application. To be considered for the National Service Award, a lodge must be certified as a National Quality Lodge the year in which the National Service Award Petition is submitted. Two lodges per region will be granted the National Service Award each year.

  • 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, and 2017

Innovations Award

The Order of the Arrow Innovation Award was established in 2012 to recognize chapters and lodges for developing creative and innovative solutions to challenges faced during the implementation of their annual program plans. Two awards in each Region are presented annually.

  • 2015, 2016, and 2017


Lodge Performance Measurement Program

  • 2019 - Thriving | 2020 - Thriving | 2021 - Thriving | 2022 - Thriving


Lodge Journey to Excellence Award

  • 2012 - Gold | 2015 - Bronze | 2016 - Silver | 2017 - Silver | 2018 - Silver


W4S Niganet Award

  • 2011, 2014

W4S Spirit Award

  • 2014, and 2015


W4B Lodge Excellence Award

  • 1997, 1979, 1985, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

W4B Niganet Award

  • 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2007

W4B Spirit Award

  • 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007