National Society of Scabbard and Blade

What National Society of Scabbard and Blade does

The National Society of Scabbard and Blade is a U.S.-based non-profit military leadership honor society founded in 1904 at the University of Wisconsin by five senior cadet officers (Leo M. Cook, Albert W. Foster, Victor R. Griggs, Charles A. Taylor, and Harold K. Weld). Its mission is to build and empower the next generation of military leaders by developing the "Five Stars" — Efficiency, Loyalty, Obedience, Courage, and Good-fellowship — through chapters (called "companies") embedded in ROTC programs at colleges and universities and JROTC programs at high schools across the United States. The organization is composed of three formal entities: the National Society of Scabbard and Blade, the National Honor Society of Scabbard and Blade, and Scabbard and Blade Endowment Resources.

Core offerings include the National Honor Society program for ROTC cadets and midshipmen and the Military Leader digital platform (militaryleader.us), which serves as the central hub for company formation, membership information, downloadable forms, and member resources. Supporting products include company forms and documents (Company Report, Petition for Chapter, nomination forms), online payment processing for membership fees and donations, the Member Directory Project (developed in partnership with Publishing Concepts, distribution targeted for June 2027), the Alumni Memoirs Project featuring the book "Writing 101 for Warriors," the Scabbard and Blade Endowment Resources, and the Five Star Challenge leadership program. Technology is limited to a website, payment links, and standard reCAPTCHA — there is no proprietary platform architecture.

Revenue is generated through a mix of streams: lifetime and recurring membership dues, merchandise sales, member directory sales (in partnership with PCI), alumni memoir publishing and donations (a $35 donation tier yields two books), and general charitable donations. Go-to-market is community-led: senior cadre officers nominate candidates, local companies are established or reactivated at host institutions, and outreach occurs via the website, email, ROTC/JROTC program engagement, member referrals, and community events such as Wreaths Across America. Pricing details are not publicly disclosed; a small staff of 1-10 supports operations from Stillwater, Oklahoma, with regional support via a Southwest headquarters at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Name

National Society of Scabbard and Blade

Legal name

National Society of Scabbard and Blade

Website

https://scabbardandblade.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1904

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The National Society of Scabbard and Blade is a U.S. non-profit military leadership honor society founded in 1904. It runs ROTC and JROTC "companies" at colleges and high schools, developing the Five Stars of Efficiency, Loyalty, Obedience, Courage, and Good-fellowship through membership, mentorship, and alumni programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Military Leadership Honor Society

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) & Officer Candidate Schools (OCS/OTS) (EDAHAOAJ)

Keywords

• Military leadership honor society
• ROTC program membership
• JROTC leadership development
• Military officer recognition
• Cadet honor organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Stillwater

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Revenue generated from membership fees including lifetime membership payments and regular society membership.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of Scabbard & Blade branded merchandise and products to members and supporters.
3. Member Directory Sales: Revenue from the sale of member directories to National Society of Scabbard and Blade members. The directory is available for sale only to members.
4. Alumni Memoirs Publishing: Alumni memoirs project generates revenue through book publishing services and donations.
5. Donations: The organization accepts donations to support society programs and initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The National Society of Scabbard and Blade is a nonprofit military leadership honor society that confers lifetime membership recognition on qualifying cadets and midshipmen in U.S. ROTC and JROTC programs. It develops officer candidates around five essential qualities of military leadership, supported by affiliated company chapters at colleges and high schools, a member directory, and published resources for members.

Product overview

The National Society of Scabbard and Blade operates a multi-component offering centered on military leadership development and honor society programs. The core products include the National Honor Society of Scabbard and Blade (for ROTC cadets and midshipmen) and the Military Leader digital platform. These are complemented by supporting services including downloadable company forms and documents, online payment processing for memberships and donations, a member directory project (in partnership with Publishing Concepts), and an Alumni Memoirs Project offering memoir publishing assistance. The organization also includes Scabbard and Blade Endowment Resources as part of its structure. Together, these products support the society's mission of building and empowering the next generation of military leaders through scholarship, military education standards, and development of essential officer qualities: Efficiency, Loyalty, Obedience, Courage, and Good-fellowship.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Scabbard and Blade Lifetime Membership

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• PCI (Publishing Concepts)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Partnership with PCI (also known as Publishing Concepts), a family-owned business based in Dallas, TX that has published directories for educational institutions, fraternities, sororities, and military organizations for over 100 years. The partnership is producing a new member directory for Scabbard and Blade, allowing the organization to receive important database updates, preserve organizational history, generate non-dues revenue, and engage members.
• Emery-Riddle Aeronautical University Scabbard & BladecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmery-Riddle Aeronautical University serves as the Southwest Region Headquarters for Scabbard and Blade, providing help and suggestions for organizing Society companies in the region. They distribute newsletters and support the establishment of new companies.
• S&B Alumni AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe S&B Alumni Association partnered with Publishing Concepts for the Oral History Project and now continues collaboration on the Alumni Memoirs Project to help members write and publish their military experiences.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Kappa Alpha Order: College social fraternity founded in 1865 with deep historical roots in VMI and military culture; comparable as a long-lived, military-affiliated, university-chapter-based membership society with honor/leadership traditions.
• National Society of Pershing Rifles: Honor fraternity for Army ROTC cadets founded in 1894, with the same student-military-leadership focus, local-company model, and dual national/regional structure as Scabbard & Blade.
• Sigma Nu: Fraternity founded at VMI in 1869 with a long military heritage and similar model of university chapters emphasizing leadership, ethics, and brotherhood — directly comparable as a military-roots membership society.
• Military Order of World Wars: Veterans' patriotic organization with membership-based structure, patriotic/military-leadership mission, and national-local chapter model closely mirroring the S&B structure.
• Arnold Air Society: National honor society of Air Force ROTC cadets, directly analogous to Scabbard & Blade in concept (ROTC honor society with local 'squadrons' at host universities), and the closest peer in mission, structure, and target audience.
• Silver Wings: National honor society for Army ROTC cadets, parallel to Scabbard & Blade in serving the Army ROTC pipeline through university-based chapters and recognition programming.

Others

• Junior ROTC (JROTC) Programs: The high school JROTC programs hosted by the U.S. military services are the host environment for Scabbard & Blade's Junior companies and represent the upstream feeder audience and institutional partner for the society's membership pipeline.
• Association of the United States Army (AUSA): Private nonprofit supporting the U.S. Army with a membership-base and educational-programming model that overlaps the S&B ecosystem as a downstream, mission-adjacent military-membership organization.

Broad incumbents

• Military Officers Association of America (MOAA): Largest U.S. military officer association; while it serves active/former officers rather than cadets, it represents the broader professional-membership orbit S&B members typically enter after commissioning.
• Reserve Officers Association (ROA): National military association supporting reserve component officers and the broader ROTC/commissioning pipeline; comparable as a larger, broader-incumbent military membership organization in the same ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Society of Scabbard and Blade