Howard B. Olson, former Wa-Hi-Nasa Lodge and section adviser passed away October 31, 2008 at the age of 80.Those who had the honor to be advised by him will never forget how a quiet, unassuming man could offer direct and profound advice that often begin with a simple question; “Got a minute?” Through simple questions and inspired advising, Mr. Olson, more than any other, transformed Wa-Hi-Nasa Lodge to one of the strongest Order of the Arrow lodges in the nation. Here is a link to a memorial video of Mr. Olson. “For four decades, Mr. Olson has been the iconic figure of our lodge. His concern, wisdom and dedication to the Order for so many years has no equal,” said former Lodge Adviser Chris Snoddy.

Throughout his lifetime, Mr. Olson received many prominent awards including: Eagle Scout, Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope, and the OA Distinguished Service Award. In addition to being lodge and section adviser, he was Scoutmaster of Troop 92 in Nashville, Southern Region Area VI Vice President, and a Middle Tennessee Council board member for over 40 years. Mr. Olson worked for many years as a financial adviser with Merrill Lynch. He proudly served in the United States Marine Corps and credited his experiences in the Corps with teaching him many of the same skills that he used to advise and train so many in Scouting.

Having been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1955, Mr. Olson never complained of his illness. Despite many signs of exceptional pain, he always loved traveling and visiting other lodges throughout the section. Former Lodge Adviser and current National OA Committee Member Ray Capp stated, “Overcoming great obstacles, Howard, literally showed us how to really walk the walk in a lifelong commitment to mentoring young men to be the best they could be.”

Former Lodge Adviser David Garrett, who served as Lodge Chief while Mr. Olson was Lodge Adviser stated, “He is the reason that Wa-Hi-Nasa Lodge has been a leading lodge in the nation for so many years. He brought a sense of professionalism, a major commitment and determination to help the youth be the best officers they could be. He expected it of us, and he expected it even more of himself.”

Mr. Olson advising style and method is often discussed among his former advisees. He strongly emphasized basic, yet fundamental rules.When put together and followed, these served as a strong foundation for running an OA Lodge and served their adherents well in later life. He consistently stressed rules like never giving away your only copy of any document or making sure someone else was prepared to step in and run your event in case something happened to you. Former Section Chief Jim Schwab remembered, “As Section Adviser he gave each of us officers an egg timer to use when making phone calls. He felt that it was always important to have a plan before making a phone call and encouraged us to use the egg timer to keep focused on the topics that needed to be covered and make sure we didn't miss anything. The egg timer ensured we were aware of the costs and used the time wisely.”

Mr. Olson leaves behind his wife, Glora Olson, children Chris, Gary, Vincent, and Ramona, along with many other grandchildren and extended family.

In 1995, the OA lodge building at Boxwell Reservation was renamed in his honor.