Joe Rosenthal

Order of the Arrow Service

• Wisumahi Lodge # 478 (1954 – 1961)
• Ut-In-Selica Lodge # 58 (2000 – 2018)
• Lodge Chief, Wisumahi Lodge (1959)
• NOAC AIA Staff (2004 – 2015)

Awards and Honors

• Vigil Honor, Wisumahi Lodge (1959)
• Founder’s Award, Ut-In-Selica Lodge (2011)
• Order of the Arrow Centurion Award, Ut-In-Selica Lodge (2015)

Education

• Bachelor of Science – Honors, University of California at Berkeley (1964)
• PhD, Chemistry, Yale University (1968)
• Postdoctoral Fellow, UCLA (1969)

Career

• Hired as Research Chemist, Chevron Corporation (1969)
• Retired as Technical Director, Chevron International Oil Company (1998)
• Consulant (1999 – 2005)

What were some of the most memorable experiences you had in the Order of the Arrow and Scouting?

The list is very long, but I’ll give you the truncated version.

My first camping trip as a Tenderfoot. I’d never slept under the stars, eaten with a mess kit, or washed dishes in a bucket of soapy water! But I was hooked. Our troop camped once a month and I looked forward to each outing.

There are two especially fond OA memories, my tap out and my Vigil night. Both were very rewarding because I was chosen by others.

The enduring memory of my tap out was following Kichkinet who was wearing a warbonnet. I vowed to make one for myself someday…which I did many, many times!

As I was doing my Vigil, I realized that it was on the very same mountain where I had done my first Scout camping trip. There was poetry in that. The night sky was clear and the stars bright in that special way that high mountains make possible.

I am especially grateful to Scouting for giving me a true appreciation of Nature and all its wonders.

What roles did you lead as a youth leader or adult adviser?

• As a youth:

  Assistant Patrol Leader
  Patrol Leader
  Senior Patrol Leader
  Crew Leader
  Senior Crew Leader
  Camp Staff, Camp Arataba
  Lodge Chief, Wisumahi

• As an adult:

  Troop Camping Chairman
  Lodge Regalia Adviser
  NOAC Staff

How did your experience in the Order of the Arrow help you in your life?

Actually, it was both my OA experience and my broader Scout/Explorer experiences that made a difference. Both gave me leadership opportunities that translated nicely to my adult career.

I learned to listen, to make decisions, to sort through conflicts, to be assertive, and to rely on the talents of others.

I greatly credit certain leaders who gave me helpful guidance. There is almost no substitute for excellent mentoring.