Order of the Silver Marmot
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The Order of the Silver Marmot is an honor society within the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), but membership to it is only granted within the Chief Seattle Council. The Order was formed in the 1920s, and as a society was replaced by the Order of the Arrow in 1953. It would continue as a camp honor program afterwards. Many of its members are or were Camp Parsons staff members at one point in time, but membership is also granted to individuals who have staffed at other Chief Seattle Council camps and to Scouts who successfully complete the High Adventure program at Camp Parsons (i.e. a week-long hike in the Olympic Mountains and demonstrable knowledge of the local flora and fauna). The upper three ranks of the order are more restricted to individuals with Camp Parsons staff experience.
The Order is named after the Silver Marmot, or Olympic Marmot, an rodent found only on the Olympic Peninsula. There are seven ranks in the Order of the Silver Marmot, and admission to them is governed by the bylaws of the order and by the Council of the Marmot, consisting of the higher-ranking members of the Order.
The ranks of the Order of the Silver Marmot are as follows:
- Timberline
- Skyline
- Guide
- Sentinel
- Defender
- Marmot
- Silver Marmot
The position of Silver Marmot is reserved for the current Camp Director. Every other position requires one more year on camp staff than the previous rank, except the first two ranks, which are also awarded to Scouts in the High Adventure program.