President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on Friday, November 22nd, 1963 in Dallas, Texas while traveling in a motorcade. There has been an immense amount of controversy over who actually shot Kennedy. The Warren Commission (which included Eagle Scout and future president of the United States, Gerald R. Ford), conducted the investigation into the assassination; however the commission’s conclusions were questioned almost as soon as they came out.
Some say that when the Beatles made their first appearance on American television on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964, it was and remains a seminal event in the history of rock and roll music. Mass hysteria resulted wherever the Beatles appeared, thus “Beatlemania” ensued.
The Order of the Arrow (OA) celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 1965. The celebration was a national event, and each lodge, chapter, and Arrowman was urged to participate to the fullest. Area fellowship training conferences placed special emphasis on the 50th Anniversary program of service, and the celebration culminated with the 50th Anniversary National Order of the Arrow Conference (NOAC).
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o recognize individual service, a 50th Anniversary Award was created for each Arrowman under twenty-one years of age who fulfilled specific requirements during the 1965 calendar year. These requirements were outlined on an official scorecard, and were to be completed and signed off by the Arrowman’s unit leader and lodge adviser prior to November 1. They included such things as active interest in the lodge and unit; attendance at summer camp; participation in an OA service project; rank advancement; and new member recruitment. There were 26,576 successful Arrowmen who received a special 50th Anniversary Award, and this cloth emblem was to be worn in the designated location on the Arrowman’s sash.
Following the success of the 50th Anniversary Award the OA subsequently offered a 60th Anniversary Award and a 75th Anniversary Award
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From 1957 to 1965, the war was mainly a struggle between the South Vietnamese army and Communist-trained North Vietnamese rebels known as the Viet Cong. During this time, the U.S. provided military advisors and China and the Soviet Union supported the Vietnamese Communists with war materials but not troops. The first U.S. combat troops entered Vietnam in March 1965 and most of the fighting was between North Vietnam and the United States. By 1969, the Vietnam War seemed endless, and the United States slowly began to withdraw troops.
The Distinguished Service Award (DSA) is presented to those Arrowmen who have rendered distinguished and outstanding service to the Order on a sectional, regional, or national basis. The following were presented the DSA at the 1965 National Order of the Arrow Conference - Robert B. Ackerman, H. Jack Beamish, James M. Becker, Milton R. Bossier, Don Sterling Boyer, Milton M. Fluegelman, Ray A. Garrabrandt, Robert C. Gilman, James L. Knepler, Earl P. Leiby, Joseph Mancini, Charles B. McKee, Edgar A. Oglesby, Frank H. Wadsworth, William H. Wadsworth and Morgan W. Weed.
Starting in 1965 the DSA medal was changed from a green ribbon to a white ribbon with red embroidered arrows. Previous recipients were asked to change their ribbons.
The Distinguished Service Award (DSA) is presented to those Arrowmen who have rendered distinguished and outstanding service to the Order on a sectional, regional, or national basis. The following were presented the DSA at the 1958 National Order of the Arrow Conference - Richard L. Chappell, Paul A. Siple, Kenneth K. Bechtel, John R. Donnell, David M. Dunbar, L. George Feil, Fred J. Gehl, Jr., C. M. "Jack" Hedinger, Carl M. Marchetti, Harry M. Maxwell, John F. C. Sheridan and Russell A. Turner.
The Bechtel family has a long and strong Scouting tradition. The Bechtel family runs the privately held Bechtel Corporation, a worldwide engineering, construction, and project management company. The international company is well known for completing major projects, such as the Hoover Dam and the Hong Kong International Airport.
Stephen D. Bechtel Jr. became an Eagle Scout in 1940, and received both the Silver Buffalo Award and the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. His uncle, Kenneth K. Bechtel served as National President of the Boy Scouts of America from 1956–1959 and received both the Silver Buffalo Award and the Order of the Arrow’s Distinguished Service Award. Kenneth was the first president who had been a Boy Scout in his youth. The expanding age of flight made it possible for him to cross the country every three months to conduct meetings of the National Executive Board. Using his private plane to attend many other Scouting functions, at the time he became Scouting’s most traveled president.
Scouting’s new high adventure base, and permanent home to National Scout Jamborees will be called The Summit: Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve. It is being made possible in part by a $50 million contribution to the project from the Stephen D. Bechtel Jr. family.
NATIONAL LODGE
ORDER OF THE ARROW
Presents
The Distinguished Service Award
To
PAUL A. SIPLE
Explorer, Geographer, Eagle Scout, Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow, member of Alpha Phi Omega Scouting Fraternity, member of the National Committee on Camping and member of the National Court of Honor. Accompanied Admiral Richard Byrd on the first Antarctic Expedition, after selection as the outstanding Scout among 600,000 then enrolled. This being the first of many exploits and assignments as a civilian and commissioned officer in the United States Army. He was the first President of the American Polar Society, and more recently served as scientific leader of the United States participation in the Geophysical Year. Presently he is Director of the Army’s office of Polar Affairs. Through his achievements and personal life he has brought distinction to the organization with which he has affiliated and captured the imagination and admiration of youth throughout the land.
---- excerpted from a Paul A. Siple DSA Certificate awarded in 1958
T
his s
tatement from the D
SA certificate presented to Paul Siple (rhymes with disciple) in 1958 summarizes in one paragraph the life of an extraordinary man.
In 1928 Commander Richard Byrd selected Eagle Scout Paul Allman Siple (December 18, 1908–November 25, 1968) from thousands of applications of Eagle Scouts to accompany him on a journey to explore the South Pole. Siple eventually took part in six Antarctic expeditions.
Siple was born in Montpelier, Ohio but his family moved to Erie, Pennsylvania, where he graduated from Central High School in 1926 and later became a member of Eriez Lodge. Prior to being selected for the journey, Paul had spent 35 weeks in total under canvas, including four weeks' winter camping in snow conditions as a Boy Scout and a Sea Scout. He became an Eagle Scout in 1923 with 59 merit badges (a far more extraordinary total at that time than it is today).
After an extensive nationwide search in 1928, he was the first Eagle Scout selected for the 
Antarctic expedition. Siple's place on the expedition had to be publicly funded; "pennies, nickels and dimes" were raised by the Weekly Reader "to help send Paul to the Antarctic."
Paul maintained a log and was determined to document his adventures on his return. Siple’s first of four books, A Boy Scout with Byrd was published in 1931. Admiral Byrd tells in his preface to Siple's book that he had not read Siple's account and had no intention of doing so until it was published, as he had no wish to influence it in any way, knowing that the book would be accurate.
Paul remained active in the WWW after his journey to the South Pole. On September 7, 1936 Eriez Lodge 46 (now Langundowi) bestowed the Vigil Honor and gave him the Lenape name Pehachpamhangik, translated as Seafarer.
After his initial expedition to the South Pole, Dr. Siple attended Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts where he received a Ph.D. in 1939. His dissertation was on "Adaptations of the Explorer to the Climate of Antarctic". He worked in the Army Scientific Office for most of his career.
Siple received the Silver Buffalo Award for distinguished service to boyhood from the BSA in 1947. His hero and former leader Admiral Byrd presented the award to Siple.
This extraordinary man graced the cover of Time magazine on December 31, 1956. His major scientific accomplishment has dominated winter weather reports for the past four decades. Paul Siple coined the well-known term wind-chill, used to describe human comfort due to the impacts of cold temperatures and wind, in his doctoral thesis research on the freezing rate under breezy conditions.
As an author, Siple wrote a total of four books, A Boy Scout With Byrd (1931), Exploring at Home (1932), Scout to Explorer: Back with Byrd in the Antarctic (1936) and 90 Degrees South (1959).
Siple became a hero among Scouts. He made frequent appearances at area conferences and the National OA Conference. In 1958 Siple was presented with the Order of the Arrow Distinguished Service Award and the Hubbard Medal from the National Geographic Society.
Siple is permanently memorialized with the naming of geographical features that bear his name, Siple Island, Mount Siple and the Siple Coast in Antarctica and Siple Station, the United States' scientific installation in Ellsworth Land.
The Feil family of Kansas City, Kansas served the Order of the Arrow for decades. The first member of the family to hold a leadership position was James R. (Jim) Feil. Jim, of Tamegonit Lodge. He was elected in 1953 to serve as National Conference Chief for the 1954 National Conference held in Laramie, Wyoming. For his service Jim received the Order’s Distinguished Service Award in 1956.
Jim’s father, L. George Feil was appointed to the National OA Committee in 1955. In 1958, George followed his son and received the Distinguished Service Award; the first father / son OA DSA Award recipients. In 1960 George Feil was selected as the fourth National OA Committee Chairman. Feil served in that capacity longer than any other chairman retiring after 18 years in 1978.
During his time as Chairman, Feil’s steady hand guided the Order. Among his and the National OA Committee’s accomplishments during Feil’s tenure:
• Chairman for a record nine NOACs
• Chairman for the OA 50th Anniversary festivities and activities
• Established the National Standard Lodge Program
• Established the Red Arrow Award
• Established the Goodman Camping Award
• Established the Lodge Achievement Award
• Provided initial support to initiate National Leadership Seminars (NLS)
• Led the Order to a self-sufficient financial status
• Chairman for the start of OA Indian Seminars
• Chairman for the 60th Anniversary / Bicentennial activities
• Improved growth of training for ceremonies through the use of CAG (Ceremonial Advisory Group)
• Separated youth training from adult training at conferences
• Supported extensive filming of Goodman to insure more archival footage
• Expanded role of the OA at Jamborees
Perhaps Feil’s greatest accomplishment was the establishment of the OA regional structure. This included increasing the number of youth leaders by creating the Region Chief positions, establishment of Regional OA committees each with an appointed Regional Committee Chairman.
After George Feil stepped down as National OA Committee Chairman in 1978 he continued to serve the National OA Committee as a member of the Founder’s Advisory Council until his death on May 26, 1985. In 1979, George’s wife, Mary L. Feil along with the Founder’s wife, Louise Goodman, received the Order’s highest award for non-OA members, the Red Arrow Award.
The 35th President of the United States was also the youngest U.S. President elected to office at age 43. John F. Kennedy was a former Naval Officer (Lieutenant) while serving in WWII. President Kennedy was a Boy Scout in Troop 2 of Bronxville, NY for two years. He also was active in the Boston Council from 1946-1955 as District Vice-Chairman, member of Executive Board, Council Vice-President, and National Council Representative. In 1961, as is the custom of presidents, he was the Honorary President of the Boy Scouts of America.
The Distinguished Service Award (DSA) is presented to those Arrowmen who have rendered distinguished and outstanding service to the Order on a sectional, regional, or national basis. The following were presented the DSA at the 1961 National Order of the Arrow Conference - J. Paul Conover, John A. Dunaway, Robert E. Finehout, Howard Gifford, Otto C. Hornung, Daniel S. Ling, Elliott W. Mangam, Louis Marchetti, Richard R. McGee, Cedric D. Sintzenich, Ford E. Smith, Zell Spry, Donald Carl Thom, John R. Vaughn Jr., Charles J. Weber and Willis H. Williams.
The BSA awarded E. Urner Goodman the Silver Buffalo in 1954. Three years earlier, Missouri Valley College had awarded him an honorary doctorate in humane letters.
2, Awards, Founders, Goodman, OA, Scouting