Bob White Lodge 87
Established in 1936 by Chief J. Rucker Newbery, Bob White Lodge #87 prides itself on being the oldest lodge in the Deep South. A unique aspect of the lodge is their ownership of an 1813 log cabin that has been a part of their history since 1938, where Knox Scout Reservation currently plays home to the historic River’s Lodge Cabin. The lodge is also unique because their name is “Bob White” with two words rather than one like their totem bird, the bobwhite quail. Bob White became the first lodge in the country to incorporate the centennial totem on a Council Strip Patch, gaining national attention.
Santee Lodge 116
Among the requests received for Order of the Arrow Charters by the National Boy Scouts of America in 1938 one was postmarked Florence, South Carolina. Apparently, Mr. J. Rucker Newbery had inspired local scouts to become part of the rapidly growing organization of honor campers. The lodge chartered to the Pee Dee Council was the 116th Order of the Arrow Lodge. After a selection period, the name “Santee” was settled upon and duly registered with BSA. The lodge grew slowly, suffering numerous difficulties, which eventually led to a return visit by Mr. Newbery to reorganize the group. After his return, the lodge began to expand and become more involved in the Order and service to the Pee Dee Area Council. Like most lodges, Santee Lodge is closely tied to its summer camp, and it spends a great deal of time helping to make improvements to Camp Coker. Santee was the first lodge to conduct an OA member’s only week of summer camp. The tradition began about 1958 when Arrowmen were encouraged to attend the last week of camp to present a special parent’s night program. Over the past sixty years, Santee Lodge 116 has become an active, viable part of the Pee Dee Area Council.
Tsali Lodge 134
In 1938, Arrowmen of Bob White Lodge #87 in Augusta, GA chartered Tsali Lodge #134 of Daniel Boone Council in Asheville, NC. The Lodge was named after the Cherokee Chief Tsali who sacrificed his own life so those of his people could remain in the Appalachian Mountains. In the coming decades, Tsali Lodge grew in number and in 1964, Tsali Lodge hosted its first Dixie Fellowship at Camp Daniel Boone. The Fellowship’s theme was “Catch the Higher Vision.” In 1998, due to extensive flash flooding, Tsali Lodge was forced to give up hosting the annual Dixie Fellowship. In 2000, Tsali Lodge hosted the Dixie Fellowship “Your Journey Is Just Beginning” at Camp Daniel Boone. A year later, the Lodge launched its first online webpage. Between 2006 and 2012, Tsali Lodge earned six medals for Indian Affairs at the NOAC. The Lodge was named “Lodge of the Year” for the SR-5 Section in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013.
Atta Kulla Kulla Lodge 185
Over 75 years ago, the Blue Ridge Council chartered Atta Kulla Kulla Lodge in 1940 with the first induction conducted by Tsali Lodge. Our brothers of the past chose the whippoorwill to serve as the lodge’s totem with the namesake of Chief Attakullakulla, the legendary peace chief of the Cherokee people. Ever since its inception, the lodge flap is one of the few remaining in the nation to stay the same. In 1944, AKK assisted in the formation of Skyuka Lodge and conducted their first ceremonies. Throughout the lodge’s history, Atta Kulla Kulla Lodge has seen many outstanding individuals including many who would go on to serve as leaders in the section, region, and the nation.
Itibapishe Iti Hollo Lodge 188
Dr. E. Urner Goodman founded the Order of the Arrow in 1915. Twenty-five years and 187 lodges later, Itibapishe Iti Hollo Lodge was founded as part of the Central North Carolina Council which was then headquartered in Concord. Itibapishe Iti Hollo means “brothers together.” In 1940, Itibap was a member of Area H which included many of the lodges currently in E7, but extended down through Atlanta into Tampa, Florida. In 1944, Itibap became a member of Region 6, Area I, which included the Greensboro, Raleigh, Wilson, Winston-Salem, Asheville, Reidsville, and High Point Lodges. The South Carolina lodges formed what was then known as Area Z. During the war years, Itibap was critical to the growth of the Order of the Arrow in North Carolina, providing Ordeal and Brotherhood Honor teams for other lodges throughout the state. Itibapishe Iti Hollo helped organize Nayawin Rar Lodge 296 in Goldsboro, NC. Under the leadership of Scout Executive G. E. Ashwill, Assistant Scout Executive Ralph P. Mullinax, C. D. Hemphill, and Hubert Powell, the lodge successfully hosted the 1946 and 1947 Area Meeting at Morrow Mountain with over 200 Arrowmen in attendance. Itibap hosted the Dixie Fellowship in 1954 at Camp Dick Henning, near Ellerbe, North Carolina. In the following years, the lodge hosted the Dixie Fellowship in 1967, 1972, 1979, 2001 and 2012 all at Camp John J. Barnhardt. In 1981, Itibapishe Iti Hollo changed from the old Section 3B to Section 7, in which they remained in until January 1, 1997. In April of 1993, Itibap attended the last SE7 Old North State Conclave hosted by Occoneechee Lodge 104. Following that weekend, the region and section were realigned to include four new lodges from Virginia. The section was then named SR7 because of the newly formed Southern Region. Effective January 1, 1997, Itibap and two other North Carolina Lodges left SR7 and joined SR5 which includes lodges from South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. Currently, the lodge covers seven counties and is divided into three chapters: Sënihële, hmùkwinùnt, and Onacona.
Muscogee Lodge 221
June 15, 1942 marked two beginnings for scouting in central South Carolina. One was the official opening of the new Camp Barstow at its Gaston area location. The other beginning was the chartering of Muscogee Lodge #221. By 1944 Muscogee Lodge had grown large enough to finally have 50 candidates to pass their Ordeal. In March, 1947 Muscogee Lodge hosted the first Area Z Conclave meeting at Camp Barstow. For only three dollars, the brothers of Area Z came together for this historic event. In 1955 the lodge issued its first pocket flap which had a notch for the button and was a modification of the first patch. National once again realigned the sections in 1973; when this move took place we entered into Section SE-3B, made up of lodges of South Carolina and part of North Carolina. This new section’s conclave took the nickname from the area to which many of the member lodges had previously belonged, and became known as the “Dixie Fellowship.” On April 26-28, 1985, Muscogee Lodge hosted the Dixie Fellowship at Camp Barstow. The theme celebrated, “70 years in the Spirit,” was in honor of the seventieth anniversary of the founding of the OA. In 2005, Muscogee hosted Dixie at Camp Barstow after a frantic effort to build new structures for this great event.
Unali’Yi Lodge 236
For nearly 75 years, Unali’Yi Lodge #236 has cheerfully served the Coastal Carolina Council of the Boy Scouts of America, headquartered in Charleston, SC. The lodge was founded in May 1943 after the founder, “Chief” J. Rucker Newbery, was hired as Scout Executive of the council. Newbery was a former OA Area Leader for Region 6, responsible for organizing many of the OA lodges in the Region. The initial Ordeal was held at Camp Ho-non-wah on May 14-16. Thirty Three candidates went through this first Ordeal, under the guidance of six brothers from Tomo-Chi-Chi Lodge #119 of Savannah GA. The lodge name was derived from the Lenape language translated as “Place Where Friends Gather.” 1948 was a busy year for the lodge. That year, they hosted the first Area Fellowship, the Area Z Meeting, at HNW. That year, Newbery wrote and compiled the first OA Handbook which was printed in Charleston. In 1952, the lodge hosted its second area fellowship, this time being a member of Area 6B. This weekend had tremendous historical significance as it was the first to be called “The Dixie Fellowship.” From the very beginning, the lodge has had an active Native American program. In 1977, Unali’Yi hosted the 25th Anniversary of the Dixie Fellowship with OA founder Dr. E. Urner Goodman as our special guest. In 1985, the Tacha Kan To Kan Dance Team (Dancers of the Deer) was born. Over the next two decades this team would make its mark on both the Dixie Fellowships and the National Conferences.
Skyuka Lodge 270
In June of 1934, the National Council approved the Order of the Arrow as an affiliate to the Boy Scouts of America. Palmetto Council, before this time, had incorporated two other service organizations known as KANAWA and KUNIEA. During or about 1944, upon suggestions by the National Council, Palmetto adopted the service organization now known as the Order of the Arrow. After research into the cultural background of the area, it was decided the Lodge name would be SKYUKA. It would be named after an American Indian who escorted colonial soldiers through the woods of the Green River valley up through what is now Camp Bob Hardin (Previously Camp Palmetto), to the top of a nearby mountain where the soldiers surprised and defeated the unsuspecting Cherokees. Skyuka was later captured by Indians who cut out his tongue and left him to die on the face of a cliff. A committee within the organization was formed to develop an emblem. The first lodge patch was a green triangle with an outline of Skyuka Mountain on it. After a while, the Brotherhood members wanted a patch of their own or at least a special Brotherhood patch of some sort. The patch design was the headpiece of the fire ceremonial totem pole of the Kwaticut Indians of British Columbia and Alaska. The lodge adviser had seen this totem pole while serving with the Canadian Army and recommended it to the lodge. It was so colorful that all members accepted it. We know this totem pole design as our own double-headed thunderbird. As a point of interest, Skyuka Lodge members (Brotherhood) ran the first Brotherhood Ceremonies for Atta Kulla Kulla Lodge in Greenville (Blue Ridge Council).
Catawba Lodge 459
Catawba Lodge was founded on June 18th, 1951. It was the second Honor Society in Mecklenburg County, the first one being the Order of the Pawnee. Catawba Lodge is named after the Catawba Indians. The totem is a hornet’s nest. They first hosted our first Dixie in 1953 with Section 6B. They have had many Section officers with Tanner McFeeters being Section Chief in 2012-2013. Catawba has had 1 Region Chief, Dustin Counts in 2006. During its sixty-five years of existence, Catawba Lodge has had a long history of service to scouting and the community. Catawba Lodge was founded on June 18, 1951 in Area 6B by John Holland, Gene Grimes, and Fred Van Treece. Six Arrowmen from Catawba have been awarded the Distinguished Service Award: Olvin Alexander Crenshaw, Jr (1977), Herbert H. Dusty Sparks, Jr. (1981), Nelson Craig Bass (1981), David B. Moody (1986), Frank Sturges (2009), and Dustin Counts (2009). Nine Catawba Arrowmen have served as Section Chief with 13 others serving on a section level. Dustin Counts has also served as the Southern Region Chief in 2006, and David Moody served as National Conference Vice-Chief of Training in 1983.
Eswau Huppeday Lodge 560
Eswau Huppeday Lodge, bearing the national registration number 560, was one of the last lodges to be chartered. It was 1964 before our lodge was chartered and organized. On August 15, 1964, the first business meeting of the Piedmont Council Order of the Arrow Lodge was called to order. The lodge name and totem were chosen, and the first officers were elected. Eswau Huppeday, the Catawba name for the Broad River, was chosen to be the lodge’s name. The lodge’s dance team has won first place in the regional group dance competition over a dozen times, and has taken first place at the National Order of the Arrow Conference several years. They have also had several individual dancers win at the National Order of the Arrow Conference, as well as at Dixie. In 2014, they celebrated the 50th year anniversary for Eswau Huppeday Lodge.