South Georgia Council, BSA (Including the Histories of Alapaha Lodge and Immokalee Lodge)
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
The History of Withlacoochee Lodge South Georgia Council, BSA (Including the Histories of Alapaha Lodge and Immokalee Lodge) Complied for the Order of the Arrow CENTENNIAL HISTORY PROJECT Electronically presented to The National Order of the Arrow Committee Copyright © 2014 South Georgia Council, BSA. All Rights Reserved. August, 2014 DEDICATION Dedicated To Those Who Came Before By Those Of Us Here In The Present For Those Who Come After Us We are Withlacoochee Lodge of the Order of the Arrow, South Georgia Council, Boy Scouts of America. We are members of Scouting's National Honor Society all of whom were chosen by our fellow scouts to receive that honor. We are a service organization aiding and assisting camping in the council whenever and wherever needed. We are bound together by a unique experience in the lives of young men, one of the last true tests of both physical and mental endurance, which is known as The Ordeal. We share memories of nights alone under the stars, of arduous tasks for the betterment of others, and of the feast on Saturday night. We share memories of torches seen moving afar off in the woods, of the smell of council fires burning bright and of ceremonies late at night and deep in woods of camp. We share memories of joining together with others brothers for Fellowships, Conclaves and Conferences. In time, our brothers move on and some leave us forever, but we will all forever be the WIMACHTENDIENK, WINGOLAUCHSIK, WITAHEMUI! Therefore, in conjunction with the Centennial of the Order of the Arrow, this book The History of Withlacoochee Lodge, South Georgia Council, BSA is presented to the National Order of the Arrow Committee. This the 2nd day of September, 2014. _________________________ _________________________ Matt Hart Noah Phillips Chief of the Fire Lodge Chief Withlacoochee Lodge Withlacoochee Lodge ________________________ _________________________ Preston Parker Merrill Dickinson Lodge Staff Advisor Lodge Advisor Withlacoochee Lodge Withlacoochee Lodge _________________________ J. Michael Greene Withlacoochee Lodge Historian Compiler and Editor – Centennial History Table of Contents Part I - Withlacoochee Lodge .................................................................................................................... 1 The Formation of Withlacoochee Lodge in 2013 ...................................................................... 1 Alapaha and Immokalee Lodges Joint Activities Prior to the Merger ................................... 6 Charter Year Activities ............................................................................................................... 7 The Burrow .................................................................................................................................. 17 Patch History ............................................................................................................................... 20 Fellowship, Banquet and Ordeal Patches .................................................................................. 24 Other Withlacoochee Items ........................................................................................................ 28 Table 1 -- Members Voting to Merge the Lodges at the 2013 SR-9 Conclave ..................... 31 Table 2 -- Withlacoochee Lodge Charter Members ............................................................... 32 Table 3 -- Withlacoochee Lodge Charter Vigil Members ...................................................... 38 Table 4 -- Withlacoochee Vigils ................................................................................................ 41 Table 5 -- Withlacoochee Lodge Chiefs and Advisors ............................................................ 42 Table 6 -- Withlacoochee Ceremony Dates ............................................................................. 43 Table 7 -- Withlacoochee First Ordeal Members ................................................................... 44 Table 8 -- Withlacoochee Founders’ Award Recipients ......................................................... 45 Exhibit 1 -- The First Tortoise Tale ......................................................................................... 46 Part II – The Territory of Withlacoochee Lodge ................................................................................... 50 The Formation of South Georgia Council ................................................................................. 50 The Area Before South Georgia Council ................................................................................... 52 The Area before the Georgia Plan ......................................................................................... 52 The Area under the Georgia Plan .......................................................................................... 52 The Area Formally Known as Chehaw Council ................................................................... 58 The Area Formally Known as Alapaha Area Council ......................................................... 62 South Georgia Council Camps ................................................................................................... 63 Camp Chase S. Osborn ........................................................................................................... 63 Camp Patten ............................................................................................................................ 66 Part III - Immokalee Lodge ..................................................................................................................... 68 The History of Immokalee Lodge ............................................................................................... 68 The Legion of Immokalee ........................................................................................................... 70 Tap-Outs and Ordeals ................................................................................................................. 72 Ordeal, Brotherhood and Vigil Dates ........................................................................................ 83 Member Records ......................................................................................................................... 87 Immokalee Section History ......................................................................................................... 90 Immokalee Stories ....................................................................................................................... 98 Patch History ............................................................................................................................... 101 Fellowship, Banquet and Ordeal Patches .................................................................................. 138 Other Historical Items ................................................................................................................ 152 Table 1 -- Immokalee Lodge Chiefs and Lodge Advisors ...................................................... 154 Table 2 -- Immokalee Lodge Sections and Areas .................................................................... 156 Table 3 -- Immokalee Lodge Section Seminars ....................................................................... 160 Table 4 -- Immokalee Lodge Section Officers ......................................................................... 161 Table 5 -- Immokalee Lodge Vigil Members ........................................................................... 169 Table 6 -- Immokalee Lodge Founders Award Receipients ................................................... 172 Exhibit 1 -- The First Owl Hoot ............................................................................................... 173 Part VI - Alapaha Lodge ........................................................................................................................ 175 Page i The History of Alapaha Lodge ................................................................................................... 175 Alapaha Section History ............................................................................................................. 177 Alapaha Conclave Contigents..................................................................................................... 179 Patch History ............................................................................................................................... 180 Fellowship, Banquet and Ordeal Patches .................................................................................. 197 Pilthlako Lodge - Alapaha Lodge’s Predecessor Lodge ........................................................... 200 Table 1 -- Alapaha Lodge Vigil Members ............................................................................... 201 Table 2 -- Alapaha Lodge Founders Award Recipients ......................................................... 203 Table 3 -- Alapaha Lodge Chiefs and Advisors ...................................................................... 204 Exhibit 1 -- Earliest ‘The Shaft’ ............................................................................................... 206 Page ii PART I WITHLACOOCHEE LODGE Chapter I The Formation of Withlacoochee Lodge in 2013 On November 1st, 2012, Alapaha Area Council merged with Chehaw Council to form South Georgia Council. BSA policy required the lodges to merge within six months of the Councils. On March 9th, 2013, at the joint