Order of the Arrow - In Memory of John Dowe and Charley Sullivan

In Memory of John Dowe and Charley Sullivan

John Dowe

Dowe was 96 and had served on the National OA Committee from 1959 to 1995, attending many national conferences as an adviser to activities and other committees. He was a mentor and friend for generations of Scouts including former National Committee Chairman, Ed Pease, and the current Chairman, Brad Haddock. Dowe knew and worked with OA Founder E. Urner Goodman and was instrumental in the founding of several lodges in Alabama and Northern Florida. He was the Lodge Adviser of Alibamu Lodge for seven years. He served in the Army Air Corps for over three years during World War II and was a Scoutmaster of the troop at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Montgomery for over 20 years. He was made a Knight of the Order of St. Gregory by Pope Pius XII in 1952 and held the St. George Award of the church, as well as the Vigil Honor, Distinguished Service Award and Silver Beaver Award. Known throughout the Order for his caring attitude and mentoring of generations of young people, Dowe's characteristic bear hug endeared him to countless Arrowmen.

Charley Sullivan

Charley Sullivan, 87, was Lodge Adviser of Occonneechee Lodge in the Raleigh area in the early 1970s and joined the National OA Committee in 1977 where he remained until his death. He was well known for his insistence that for Scouting to survive, it needed to be fun for the volunteers, as well as the youth members. One of his great contributions throughout his Scouting service was to use humor to help more serious leaders keep their perspective. Part of his fun was to find ways to playfully prod those who were a bit too intense in their worry about BSA rules (or lack of them). As a result he promulgated several schemes which he always told with a straight face to "get the goat" of those who were rule minded. Most famous of these was the "Vigil Raffle" which purposed to let youth get a better shot at Vigil by doing more service and adults by making more financial contributions. He also suggested a "Merit Badge Bonus" plan in which one month each year a Scout would be allowed to pick one bonus merit badge for every other one he earned. This helped weaker Scouts as they could choose an easy badge and use the bonus to get a hard one, like Lifesaving. He once completely reversed the patches on a uniform shirt to get the patch hounds worried about how he was dressed. When finally confronted, he said it made sense to have a reversed uniform, since he was left handed! Yet Sullivan, was deeply dedicated to Scouting and understood all its good and challenging aspects and, like Dowe, committed his life to supporting and helping young men achieve the benefits of Scouting and the OA. He was recognized with the Silver Beaver, Vigil Honor, Silver Antelope and OA Distinguished Service Award.

The Order of the Arrow will miss these legends who did so much for young people and who set such a tremendous example for generations of Scouts and Arrowmen who will carry on the tradition set by these two great Scouters.

Revised 12/05/2007

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