The Vigil Honor is the highest honor that the Or­der of the Arrow can be­stow upon its members for service to lodge, council, and Scouting. Membership cannot be won by a person’s conscious endeavors.

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 of office to one or more of the following:

• Lodge 
• Order of the Arrow 
•  Scouting community 
•  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 in a regularly chartered lodge 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. A lodge may nominate a maximum of two percent of their regis­tered Arrowmen once a year, through the Vigil Honor pe­tition, found in the annual re-charter packet. At least 50 percent of all nominated must be under 21 at the time of nomination.