What is Brotherhood?
Sounds like a simple question, doesn’t it? Actually, in this context it’s two questions. you have just completed your Ordeal and you are now a brother in Mikanakawa Lodge. You share a bond of brotherhood with Arrowmen throughout our council and across the nation. We are a Brotherhood of Cheerful Service and we welcome you to Scouting’s National Honor Society. The members of your troop selected you because you represent the ideals of the Scout Oath and Law in your daily life. It is only right that you would find fellowship with like-minded Scouts who truly enjoy helping other people at all time, and with a cheerful spirit. For us, Brotherhood is that spirit of brotherly love that permeates everything we do as we render Cheerful Service to our units and districts and to the Scout camping program. Welcome to the Order of the Arrow!
The second question, “What is Brotherhood?” refers to the second level of membership in the OA. Brotherhood membership — What is it and how do you attain it? Brotherhood members can be recognized by the bars above and below the arrow on their sash. They attained Brotherhood member status by committing themselves to continued service to Scouting and to their unit for a period of at least 6 months after their Ordeal weekend. Then, they wrote a brief statement of their desire to rededicate their lives to Cheerful Service. Finally, they completed the Brotherhood ceremony. All of this is available to you and, frankly, we encourage you to complete your journey in the OA by becoming a Brotherhood member, too. Your Brotherhood is quite different from your Ordeal. For one thing, it isn’t a work weekend like the Ordeal. Brotherhood membership comes from the culmination of the work you’ve done in the 6 months since your Ordeal. The Brotherhood Walk and Brotherhood Ceremony merely reinforce the lessons of the Ordeal and help you to crystalize the habit of Cheerful Service into a lifelong purpose in Scouting and beyond. We urge you to spend the next 6 months giving back to your unit who elected you to OA membership. Then, come back and complete your Brotherhood. Complete your induction and get the bars that complete your sash!
Should I Attend My Chapter Meetings?
The short answer is — yes, of course you should. But why should you attend? Well… Would you skip the meeting of your Troop? Of course you wouldn’t. So, why, then do you attend Troop meetings? We have OA Chapter meetings for many of the same reasons we have Troop meetings — to have fun, to share information about important events, and to learn and practice Scout and Leadership skills. Just as you work on advancements and projects at Troop meetings, Chapter meetings consist of working on regalia for ceremonies, learning how to dance, practicing ceremonies, or planning service projects. Along with being your primary resource OA activates, every chapter provides Scout Skills training, including presentations on cold camping techniques or how to cook safely. Not only do Chapter meetings involve learning, they also provide a chance for older Scouts from different Troops to hang out with other older Scouts. The chapters, just like the Lodge, are really youth led because they are comprised of the best youth of every Troop gathered in the district.
Chapter meetings are also the primary source of knowledge about upcoming Lodge and Chapter events. Arrowmen, during induction weekends at our Council camps, work to prepare the camps for your Troop and other Cub Packs and Scout Troops to use. the Lodge also calls on Chapters to assist with service projects; one example is Trevor Rees – Jones Scout Camp, where OA members built a bridge across a swampy area to move a trail off a dangerous roadway.
The Chapter is a source of information for National OA events too. Every two years, approximately 7,000 to 8,000 Arrowmen gather at a preeminent university for the National Order of the Arrow Conference for the most amazing program you can imagine! Fellowship with Brothers from all across the nation, the freshest & most advanced training available to Arrowmen, competitions in sports, American Indian dance, drumming & ceremonies and super fun patch trading await those who attend this phenomenal national experience. The next NOAC is just around the corner. Talk with your Chapter leadership — you will want to start making plans now to attend! Going to a Chapter meeting after completing your Ordeal is one of the most important steps you can take to stay active in the Order of the Arrow. The Chapter meetings are where you will find friends amongst your fellow Arrowmen. chapter meetings also often provide you with the latest information on Chapter, Lodge, and regional OA activities. Check out the bottom of this page to find the location and time that your Chapter meets.
Mikanakawa Lodge History
Our Lodge has been around for over 100 years. We have had countless individuals and groups who have won honors or placed top 10 in the nation on our ceremony and dance teams. Also, we have one of the largest Lodges in the United States with an average membership just under 3000. For a detailed version of Mikanakawa’s history click HERE.
What’s the Next Step for Me?
Once you have completed your Ordeal you are an Arrowmen for life and you are entitled to wear the Order of the Arrow sash. Wearing a Lodge flap, however, indicates that you are a current dues-paid member of the specific Lodge that the flap represent. National policy stipulates that if an individual has not paid their annual dues, they should remove the flap from their uniform. Mikanakawa Lodge dues are $25. If you completed your Ordeal in the fourth quarter of the year, your dues are included for the following year. Otherwise, dues open on December 1st for the following year. Once you pay your dues you can start attending our Lodge events. Click on the button below to sign up for our upcoming lodge events.
Ready, Set, Go!
In the table below you can locate your district and find when and where your chapter meets. Once again, congratulations on your inductions and we hope to see you at one of our wonderful Lodge events soon!
| District / Chapter | Meeting Location |
| Rising Sun / Tlanuwa | 1st Thursday every month 7pm, at St Mark’s United Methodist Church. 3117 Motley, Mesquite |
| Eagle Trail / Haokah | 3rd Thursday every month 7:30pm, at Christ the Servant Lutheran Church. 821 S. Greenville Ave, Allen, TX 75002 |
| Iron Horse / Adanvdo Ditlihi | 2nd Thursday every month 7:39pm, St. Phillips Episcopal Church. 6400 Stonebrook Pkwy, Frisco, TX 75034 |
| Chisholm Trail / Cha’wat | 2nd Thursday every month 7:15pm, Messiah Lutheran Church, Education Building, 2nd floor. 1801 W. Plano Parkway, Plano, TX 75075 |
| Post Oak / Ayastigi | 2nd Thursday every month 7pm, First United Methodist Church. 600 S Buffalo St, Canton, TX 75103 |
| Duck Creek / Atoskata | 3rd Thursday every month 7:30pm, Troop 100 Firehouse downtown Garland. 116 S 6th St, Garland, TX 75040 |
| Western Horizon / Ah-Shu-Ko | 2nd Wednesday every month 7:00pm, First Methodist Irving. 211 W. 3rd Street Irving, TX 75060 |
| Elm Fork / Pechan Ozate | Last Sunday every month 2pm, St. Rita’s Catholic Community. 12521 Inwood Road, Dallas, TX 75244 |
| Texoma Valley / Okiciyapi | 1st Thursday after the 1st Tuesday every month, Waples UMC Scout Hut. 830 W Main Denison, TX 75020 |
| Lone Star / Wicahpi | 1st Thursday every month 7pm, Trinity Presbyterian Church. 5871 Virginia Pkwy, McKinney, TX 75071 |
| Soaring Eagle / Takoda | 2nd Thursday every month 7pm, First Christian Church. 203 S Main Street, Duncanville, TX 75116 |
| Southern Star / Alankw Shaoneyunk | 4th Thursday every month 7pm, Waxahachie Log Cabin. 1109 Brown St, Waxahachie, TX 75165 |
| Tejas Caddo / Pischk | 2nd Thursday every month 7pm, Centeral Lutheran church Dallas. 1000 Easton Rd, Dallas, TX 75218 |
| Northern Trail / Arapaho | 2nd Tuesday every month 7:30pm, First United Methodist Church Richardson. 503 N Central Expy, Richardson, TX 75080 |
| East Trinity Trails / N’wingi | 2nd Thursday every month 6:45pm,Grand Heritage Club House. 200 Grand Heritage Blvd, Lavon, TX 75166 |