A Historical Look At Our Lodge Through Memorabilia ( )

Transcription

1 A Historical Look At Our Lodge Through Memorabilia ( )

2 Our Beginnings (1916 & 1921 &1939) Why were patches made? What are the different types? What have we made? What does this all mean?

3 1916 An honor society existed at local camps in the Westmoreland-Fayette Area. These honor societies were common throughout summer camps across the nation. No official records exist to what these were, but are honored in early patch designs (i.e th Ann. Arrowhead & 1971 Leather Arrowhead.

4 The first official beginning was in 1921 with the formation of Umpah Lodge 6 in Fayette County. The lodge operated at summer camp and because of lack of funds and organization, it failed in late There is only one known unverified piece from the lodge. (Possibly made by Umpah members after the disbanding.

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6 In 1926, a camp honor society at Camp Wildwood was established by R.C. Witt. It was active until Based off some fraternal traditions and some from the defunct Umpah Lodge6, the tribe was organized, operated at summer camp and had insignia. The Wigwam merged into Wagion Lodge in 1948.

7 The Wigwam Chenille was the ONE PER LIFE patch issued to its members. Rumors exist of an earlier felt patch made of two W s cut from felt but know examples exist.

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9 Soon after the creation of the Westmoreland-Fayette Council (1937) in 1939, Council Exec. J.T. Ewing began the work to apply for a new lodge. At this time 2 Camps were operating, Wildwood (Wigwam) and Wesco (Future Home of Wagion. The application was sent in May to the National Scribe of the order of the arrow. At this time we were issued the number 147 and allowed to use Wagion as the our name and the Thunderbird as our totem. Days later it was announced by mail that a mistake had been made and our number was not to be 147 but 6, because the former Umpah Lodge 6 was still on the books and they saw the new lodge as a reviving of the old one from Uniontown, thus, our number 6, just like today.

10 Lodges patches did not come into affect right at the beginning of the lodge history in At this time we would have been known only for the felt sashes worn by our members. The early years of the lodge were also rocky and there was very little youth leadership. The lodge struggled in these early years ( )

11 The First Lodge Emblem was the R-1. It was introduced in Oct The R-2 was issued after the 1960 National Jamboree in the Fall.

12 (L-R) Glenn Keefer, Lou Stauffer, Jim Meyers, Dan Casper, Arch McKinney, Bud Hayden

13 As like many local lodges in the late 1940 s and early 1950 s in Western PA, Chenilles or (rug patches) were issued, like letterman jacket patches of today. OUR C-1 (circa 1953)

14 We know the age of these chenilles nationally because of the Standard Pennant Company that made them in Big Run, PA. The labels stamped on the back of each one changed over time and were tracked by collects on the backs of Anicus Lodge 67 Chenilles issued at Camp Twin Echo.

15 The First NCs were blue and approved in A blue NC with a T-Bird Chenille sewn on. This NC is rumored to be from the 1948 NOAC. This could be an early edition, most likely homemade. NC Stamping began in 1952 and issued W s for every six hours of service.

16 Many people began collecting patches through travels and as a hobby as the National Events and scout camps throughout the country. At this time with many lodges only issuing one or two patches, many being one for life, it was easier to keep track of these pieces. One Early books to track patches was the Wabaningo or WAB and lists our second chenille in it. So by 1952 we had 2 issues.

17 The early years of the lodge saw Dwayne Welling installed as Lodge Advisor and our current operating order was established, this also saw the expansion of the lodge neckerchief program and neckerchief stamping similar to that of the Camp Stamping Program. The opening of Camp Conestoga in 1949 gave Wagion a permanent home and saw the inclusion of Wigwam into the lodge in late The Camp NC and felt patch were yellow and the lodge NC was brown. The stamping systems were different but both used to recognize scouts accomplishments.

18 As listed here in the 1958 OA Blue Book, our lodge has issued 4 known patches (1 Chenille, 2 Rounds, 1 Flap)

19 This is still a mystery to many collectors and is an unverified piece that could be from out lodge pre- 1954? Two are known to exist. It does had how the name was spelled in some early texts.

20 The Brown NC as we know it today, was redesigned in 1953 to be the Brown cloth and Yellow Wagion. The NC Stamping Program would be evolving over the next few years to include the coup stick, feathers and WWW.

21 The White Lodge Flaps were used in the lodge from the late 1950 s to the 1960 s. Jerry Sutherland Designed the traditional T-Bird over Hemlock design we would use for the next 50 years.

22 In 1966, the lodge hosted the 1966 Area 3-F Meet and celebrate it s 50 th Ann. Based on early lodge history. This history was oral and somewhat wrong. Nevertheless the lodge issued an Arrowhead and NC.

23 In collecting terms S stands for fully embrodiered. Our 3 rd, 4 th and 5 th issued looked very similar, changing size and shape between 3 and 4 and adding a FDL between 4 and 5. These lasted throught the 1970 s.

24 In 1971, The Arrow Power for Boy Power was introduced and this leather patch was avalible also in honor of the lodge s 55 th Ann. This patch was pressed and some have black ink.

25 Starting in 1973, the lodge began celebrating the Nation s Bicentenial with a Patch and NC set. Some of these pieces lasted in the Trading Post for years but are now tough items. The lodge also hosted the Area-5C area Meeting in 1976 at Camp Conestoga.

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30 The 1980 s were fairly quite for the lodge in a patch sense. Only 2 Standard flap changes really look place, a change from the 15+ Year Red Brd. Design to a Purple and then a Blue Boarder Design. The decade would include the Lodge s 65 th Ann. Now referring to 1921 as the Birth of the Order of the Arrow.

31 Ken Koncerak was the chairman and the committee issued a flap in the trading post and a ONE PER MEMBER round patch for completing a participant award. There is a fake of the Flap floating around and has a PURPLE BRD., the Real Flap has a NAVY BLUE BRD.

32 One of the Biggest Mysteries in Lodge History is in reference to the Service/Activies Round at was issued sometime in the 1980 s.

33 The Early 1990 s is the last of the limited patch issuing. Two Different standards were issued from The flaps had a Green Board and variations exist.

34 In 1996, the lodge celebrated the 75 th Ann. Of the Order of the Arrow in the Council. A flap, back patch, 2 leather patches, belt buckle and pin were issued. An arrowhead was issued as a pp award.

35 For the 1997 National Jamboree, a flap was issued with the phrase Second Oldest Lodge In the Nation. This was a very debated issue and the flaps were not re-issued.