Introduced at the 1981 National Order of the Arrow Conference, the Founder's Award recognizes Arrowmen who have given outstanding service to their lodge. The award is reserved for an Arrowman who demonstrates that he or she personifies the spirit of selfless service, as advocated by founder E. Urner Goodman and cofounder Carroll A. Edson.
While the Vigil Honor is a high mark of distinction, the Founders Award is used to recognize those Arrowmen, youth and adult, who have impacted the lodge in a positive and lasting way. This is a rare and distinguished honor, to recognize the spirit of our Founders in another. Lodges may petition the national Order of the Arrow committee to present between two and four awards annually, depending on the number of members in the lodge. If the lodge presents more than one award, at least one must be awarded to a youth under the age of 21.
The award is a handsome bronze medallion bearing the likenesses of E. Urner Goodman and Carroll A. Edson, with a wooden base and a brass plate suitable for engraving. Available for uniform wear is a gold-colored arrow suspended from a red ribbon.
| Year | Name | Lodge | Youth/Adult |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Heather McConville | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2023 | Liam Lynch | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 2023 | William Beardsley | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 2022 | Theodore “Todge” Sutkowski | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2022 | Patrick Lynch | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 2022 | Jason Abiuso | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 2021 | Craig Cless | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2021 | Luke Clancy | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 2021 | Luke Cihak | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2020 | Rhys Wallace | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2020 | Lee Faden | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2020 | Aidan Campbell | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 2019 | Steven Mach | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2019 | Michael Comfort | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2019 | Jim Burkhardt | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2019 | Michael Calliagas | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 2018 | Matthew J. McGovern | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2017 | Dennis G. Abernethy | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2016 | Gregg Y. Slocum | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2015 | Timothy D. English Sr. | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2015 | Timothy H. Reppert | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 2014 | Brian "Skip" Burkhardt | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2014 | Edward J. Lester Jr. | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2014 | Ronald J. Pleis | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2014 | David W. Gibbons | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 2013 | Christian F. Brenner | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2012 | Todd Malora | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2012 | Christian J. Grandzol | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2012 | Jon L. Messerschmidt | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 2011 | James L. Clark | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2011 | Craig "Chuck" Tomlin | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2011 | Kyle R. Hallowell | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 2010 | Charles "Chuck" Brill | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2010 | Rick Arcangel | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2010 | Brendan Fulmer | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 2009 | Lawrence C. Neibauer | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2009 | Thomas J. Richards | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 2008 | Robert J. Miller Jr. | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2007 | Frank Barger | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2007 | David E. Schaub | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 2006 | Philip M. Hittner | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2006 | John M. Bickel | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 2005 | John R. Grandzol | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2004 | James E. Price | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 2003 | Kenneth Nygard | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2003 | Bruce Dordick | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2003 | Michael P. Hilferty | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 2002 | Michael J. Coyne | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2002 | Joseph Brooke | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2002 | Edward T. Clifford III | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 2001 | Graham Park | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 2001 | Jonathan Alessi | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 1999 | George Warren III | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 1999 | Glenn P. McCrea | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 1999 | Ryan Brooke | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 1999 | Donald Blank | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 1998 | L. Griff Watkin | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 1998 | Daniel Adams | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 1998 | Michael McCrea | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 1997 | John "Butts" Macmillian | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 1997 | Brian Wallace | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 1997 | Jeremy Detwiler | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 1996 | Ernest Scardecchio | Delmont Lodge | Adult |
| 1996 | David Fortunato | Delmont Lodge | Adult |
| 1996 | Ronald Whelan Sr. | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 1996 | Raymond Ferry | Delmont Lodge | Youth |
| 1996 | Mark Bonitatibus | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 1995 | William "Bill" Hunsberger | Delmont Lodge | Adult |
| 1995 | Gerald A. Lessard Jr. | Delmont Lodge | Youth |
| 1995 | Michael A. Cipresso | Delmont Lodge | Unknown |
| 1995 | Jason Shepherd | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 1995 | Robert "Bob" Kestler | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 1994 | Joseph E. Phillips | Delmont Lodge | Adult |
| 1994 | Derek Pillie | Delmont Lodge | Youth |
| 1994 | John R. Bryant Jr. | Delmont Lodge | Unknown |
| 1994 | Dennis Snee | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 1994 | Ronald Whelan Jr. | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 1993 | Robert "Bob" Johnson | Delmont Lodge | Adult |
| 1993 | Travis Hammond | Delmont Lodge | Youth |
| 1993 | Daniel Price | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 1993 | Brian Fowler | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 1992 | John W. "Mac" MacFarland | Delmont Lodge | Adult |
| 1992 | Dennis Teefy | Delmont Lodge | Youth |
| 1992 | Scott A. Rubin | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 1992 | Robert Arcangel | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 1991 | William D. Douglass | Delmont Lodge | Adult |
| 1991 | Joseph Wojton | Delmont Lodge | Unknown |
| 1991 | Michael G. Murdoch | Delmont Lodge | Youth |
| 1991 | Robert Murset | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 1991 | Angel Torres | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 1990 | Robert Smith | Delmont Lodge | Unknown |
| 1990 | Reynolds "Reyn" Richie | Delmont Lodge | Unknown |
| 1990 | Steven A. Ranjo | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 1990 | Jeffrey A. Aster | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 1989 | Ward Yorks | Delmont Lodge | Adult |
| 1989 | Thad Yorks | Delmont Lodge | Youth |
| 1989 | David King | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 1989 | Larry Arinsberg | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 1988 | Fred Schindler | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 1988 | Frank Jaquett | Delmont Lodge | Unknown |
| 1988 | Robert J. Grow Jr. | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 1988 | Duke Donnelly | Delmont Lodge | Unknown |
| 1987 | John T. Ruppert | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 1987 | Richard Jaquett | Delmont Lodge | Unknown |
| 1987 | Frank J. Campisi Sr. | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 1987 | Jack Bittig | Delmont Lodge | Adult |
| 1986 | Steven M. Burinsky | Delmont Lodge | Youth |
| 1986 | David H. Sirken | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 1986 | Joseph Sposato | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 1985 | Thomas Tanner | Delmont Lodge | Adult |
| 1985 | John A. Nawn | Delmont Lodge | Adult |
| 1985 | Steven J. Gerber | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 1985 | Allen D. Geller | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 1985 | Mark J. Chilutti | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 1984 | Joseph "Jody" Troyan | Delmont Lodge | Adult |
| 1984 | Gerald F. Reed | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 1984 | Frank J. Campisi Jr. | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 1983 | Emrys D. Nuneville | Delmont Lodge | Adult |
| 1983 | Richard M. Ruffino | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 1983 | George Keller | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |
| 1983 | Timothy P. Kelly | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 1982 | Albert J. Roby III | Unami Lodge, One | Youth |
| 1982 | Joseph A. Conway | Unami Lodge, One | Adult |