Octoraro Lodge
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| Octoraro Lodge 22 | |||
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| Totem | Canada Goose | ||
| Owner | Chester County Council | ||
| Headquarters | Exton, Pennsylvania | ||
| Location | Chester County | ||
| Country | United States | ||
| Founded | May 17, 1927 | ||
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| Website www | |||
Octoraro Lodge 22 is the Order of the Arrow lodge affiliated with Chester County Council.[1] Its purpose is to support camping in the Horseshoe Scout Reservation in the Chester County Council.[2] The lodge, which takes its name from the Octoraro Creek that flows around Horseshoe Scout Reservation, uses the Canada goose as its "totem" or symbol.[3]
History
[edit]Octoraro Lodge was formed in 1927 under the leadership of Charles Heistand and Joseph Brinton. Heistand, the council executive, inquired about starting an Order of the Arrow lodge in the council, ans contacted then-National Chief E. Urner Goodman. After a failed attempt in trying to get the Philadelphia Council's Unami Lodge to install its chartered members, Goodman himself conducted the first induction ceremony at Camp Hillsdale near West Chester. Heistand, Brinton (who later became the National OA Conference Chief and Chief Scout Executive), and several other members were inducted, and Octoraro Lodge was born as the twenty-second Order of the Arrow lodge.[4]
In 1946, in the spirit of the lodge's chartering by Dr. Goodman, members of the lodge traveled south to Norfolk, Virginia and inducted the first members of Blue Heron Lodge 349. Both Octoraro and Blue Heron share good relationships and invite members to each other's fall fellowship weekends in September (Octoraro Lodge) and October (Blue Heron).[4]
Awards
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Octoraro Lodge bestows various awards upon its members. These include the Achgeketum Award, presented annually to an adult member for dedication to the lodge's youth members, and the Wipinquoak Award, given to brothers for their lifetime of contributions to the lodge. Additionally, the Allouchsit Allogagan (or Might Servant) Award recognizes individuals whose service to the lodge has made a lasting impact, and the Chesimus Wulihan Award is presented to a new brother in the lodge who has demonstrated commitment to the lodge and the principles of the order.[5]
As part of the Order of the Arrow's centennial celebration in 2015, Octoraro 22 presented ten of its members with the Centurion Award, given to those who meaningfully contributed to the formation and ongoing excellence of the lodge.[6][7]
References
[edit]- ^ "Paoli Troop 181 congratulates new Eagle Scouts". Mainline Media News. 2010-03-30. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
- ^ "Troop 95 of Georgetown continues summer camp traditions". Cape Gazette. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
- ^ Octoraro Lodge 22 Website
- ^ a b "About Us". www.octoraro22.org. Retrieved 2025-02-03.
- ^ "Awards – Octoraro Lodge 22". Retrieved 2025-03-01.
- ^ "Centurion Award Recipients – Octoraro Lodge 22". Retrieved 2025-03-01.
- ^ "Former scouts remember Boy Scout leader Ernie Heegard". Daily Local. 2024-05-03. Retrieved 2025-03-02.