The National Service Award was established in 1999 to recognize lodges in each region that have performed outstanding service, both in a qualitative and a quantitative sense, to their council. The National Service Award Petition is submitted along with the lodge recharter application. To be considered for the National Service Award, a lodge must be certified as a National Quality Lodge the year in which the National Service Award Petition is submitted. Two lodges per region will be granted National Service Award each year.

The National Service Award petition requires lodges to submit information on current lodge membership (the size of a lodge is a factor when considering the magnitude of the service it has provided), a detailed description of the largest and most meaningful service project the lodge has completed for its council, and a record of all service performed by the lodge for the council since the last recharter process. Service for this award is defined as any project that has directly benefited the Scouting program in the council.

**Starting in 2019 the application process for this award is handled through the charter renewal wizard within OA LodgeMaster. Specific questions will be asked to gather information and award determination will be made after the beginning of each year.