About Kunamokst Lodge
Kunamokst (prounouned koon-uh-moxt), meaning “Together” in Chinook Wawa. It is the Order of the Arrow lodge serving the Pacific Crest Council. Formed in 2025 by uniting Tsisqan and Lo La’Qam Geela Lodges, our name reflects our deep commitment to unity and collaboration. We believe that by working together, we can achieve more and better serve Scouting and our communities.
Our lodge totem is the elk, a symbol of the Pacific Northwest’s majestic spirit. We actively promote the core principles of the Order of the Arrow: brotherhood, cheerfulness, and service. Through our various events, activities, and service projects, we strive to foster a sense of belonging and shared purpose among our members. We honor the rich heritage of our preceding lodges while forging a new legacy as a single, strong lodge.
Kunamokst Lodge actively builds a community built on a foundation of shared values. We are committed to fostering brotherhood by creating an environment where every member feels supported and connected. We encourage cheerfulness in all our endeavors, approaching challenges with a positive attitude and a spirit of fun. Finally, and above all, we live the ideal of service by dedicating our time and energy to helping others, both within the Scouting program and in our wider communities.
About the Order of the Arrow
The Order of the Arrow (OA) is Scouting’s National Honor Society and for over a century, has recognized Scouts and Scouters who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives.
Members of the Order of the Arrow are known as Arrowmen. They are chosen by their peers for their demonstration of a cheerful heart and their dedication to the ideals of Scouting. Through a variety of service projects and leadership opportunities, Arrowmen live out the three guiding principles of the OA: brotherhood, cheerfulness, and service. The OA is an integral part of the Scouting program, inspiring young people to become leaders and to give back to their communities and.
Vision
To be why Scouts want to stay in Scouting.
Mission
To achieve the mission of Scouting America through transformative fellowship that ignites limitless Scouting journeys.
Purpose
As Scouting’s National Honor Society, we forge lifelong bonds among the leaders in Scouting and:
- Recognize those who exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives and, through that recognition, cause others to act in the same way.
- Reinforce a life purpose of leadership in cheerful service to others.
- Create and deliver peer-led, adult-guided, advanced leadership experiences for Scouts and Scouters that positively impact their unit, community, and ultimately our nation.
- Be an integral part of Scouting America and encourage participation in all it offers through units, outdoor adventures, and national events to further the Scouting experience.
Organization & Structure
The Order of the Arrow has three distinct organizational levels; lodges, sections, and regions. Lodges carry out the Order of the Arrow program at the local level and are closely tied with Scouting councils. Sections consist of several lodges within a geographic area and regions, in turn, consist of sections that span half the country. Lodges, sections, and regions each have a distinct set of responsibilities that ensures that the OA program runs smoothly.
National
The Order of the Arrow is led by the National Order of the Arrow Committee, which governs the organization at a national level. This committee establishes policies, oversees national programs, and manages the organization’s activities beyond the local lodge level.
The Order of the Arrow is organized into two regions, the Eastern and Gateway regions. Each region is led by a youth region chief, a volunteer region chair, and a professional region staff adviser. A committee of youth and adult volunteers may also support this leadership team.
The region leadership helps implement national programs locally, runs the National Leadership Seminar (NLS) and Developing Youth Leadership Conference (DYLC), and facilitates communication between local and national levels of the organization.
Kunamokst Lodge is in the Gateway Region.
Regions
Sections
An Order of the Arrow section is a group of lodges in a specific area. It’s led by a chief, vice chief, and secretary, who help local lodges and plan an annual conclave. They may also lead training sessions, promote national programs, and provide resources.
Annually, about forty elected section chiefs attend a national planning meeting. They form the conference committee for the next year’s national event, like the National Order of the Arrow Conference (NOAC), which is guided by the National Order of the Arrow Committee.
Kunamokst Lodge is in Section G16.
At the local level, lodges serve Scouting councils and individual units. Kunamokst Lodge, for example, serves the Pacific Crest Council.
Each lodge is led by a youth lodge chief, a volunteer adult lodge adviser, and a staff adviser. The lodge chief heads the lodge executive committee, which runs the lodge’s yearly program. Kunamokst Lodge has six vice chiefs and several committee chairs, each supported by a team of adult advisers.
Lodges
Chapters
Chapters are an organizational unit of the lodge and provide the ability to engage members year-round at the local level by providing meetings and events closer to home. The chapter is central to providing quality unit visits for camping promotions and unit elections.
Kunamokst Lodge consists of seven chapters, each corresponding with one or more districts in the council. Each chapter has its own elected youth officers and an adult chapter adviser.
Membership Requirements
Unit elections are permitted in Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Sea Scout units. The Order of the Arrow membership requirements are as follows:
- Be a registered member of Scouting America.
- Have experienced 15 nights of Scout camping while registered with a troop, crew, or ship within the two years immediately prior to the election. The 15 nights must include one, but no more than one, long-term camp consisting of at least five consecutive nights of overnight camping, approved and under the auspices and standards of Scouting America. Only five nights of the long-term camp may be credited toward the 15-night camping requirement; the balance of the camping (10 nights) must be overnight, weekend, or other short-term camps of, at most, three nights each. Ship nights may be counted as camping for Sea Scouts.
- At the time of their election, youth must be under the age of 21, and hold one of the following ranks corresponding to the type unit in which they are being considered for election: Scouts BSA First Class rank, the Venturing Discovery rank, or the Sea Scout Ordinary rank or higher, and following approval by the Scoutmaster, Crew Advisor or Sea Scout Skipper, be elected by the youth members of their unit.
- Adults (age 21 or older) who meet the camping requirements may be selected following nomination to and approval by the lodge adult selection committee.
Membership Levels
While there are three levels of membership (called “honors”) in the Order of the Arrow, all members—regardless of honor—are considered equal.
Ordeal
The induction ceremony, called the Ordeal, is the first step toward full membership in the Order. During the experience, candidates maintain silence, receive small amounts of food, work on camp improvement projects, and sleep apart from other campers. The entire experience is designed to teach significant values. All candidates for membership must complete the Ordeal.
Candidates have 18 months from the date of election to complete their Ordeal.
Brotherhood
After 6 months of service as an Ordeal member and fulfilling certain requirements, a member may take part in the Brotherhood ceremony, which places further emphasis on the ideals of Scouting and the Order. Completion of this ceremony signifies full membership in the Order.
Vigil Honor
After two years of exceptional service as a Brotherhood member, and with the approval of the national Order of the Arrow committee, a Scout or Scouter may be recognized with the Vigil Honor for their distinguished contributions to their lodge, the Order of the Arrow, Scouting, or their Scout camp. This honor is bestowed by special selection and is limited to one person for every 50 members registered with the lodge each year.