Order Of The Arrow
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Susquehannock Lodge was first chartered on March 4, 1922. On March 16th, members of Minsi Lodge #5 under the direction of Gegeyjumhet (Supreme Chief of the Fire) Arthur A. Schuck installed the new lodge. The lodge name, pronounced Sus-que-han'-nok, was taken from an Iroquois tribe living along the Susquehanna River. It appears to have been an Algonquin name meaning the "people of the Muddy River" (Susquehanna). What the tribe called itself is unknown. The lodge totem is a thunderbird. No known local records for the early years of the lodge exist, although it is known that the lodge was represented at the 1922 Grand Lodge Meeting in Reading,Pennsylvania where R. H. Dilks of Harrisburg was elected Grand Treasurer of the Order.
The earliest local records of the lodge date from 1943, when 15 unnamed members were inducted into the Order by a visiting ceremonial team. The Ordeal was conducted at that time by Paul Wemple, the Assistant Scout Executive. Ordeals were conducted every week of summer camp in 1944 and the first known Brotherhood ceremony was conducted in 1946. Membership records of those arrowmen have not been found. The lodge experienced a period of inactivity before a reorganization effort began in early 1949. At this time, a permanent recordkeeping system was established.
In 1951, Robert Dolbin became the first Vigil Honor member of the lodge. Sometime around 1951 or 1952, the lodge officers decided the lodge could better serve its members and the Keystone Area Council by dividing the lodge into three smaller areas called chapters. Those three chapters were the Uchowig Chapter serving Susquehanna, Paxton and Upper Dauphin Districts, the Wesepeca Chapter serving West Shore, Perry County and Carlisle Districts, the Unilatchigo Chapter, serving Conodoquinet and Conochocheaque Districts.
Shortly afterwards, the Minquas Chapter was formed to serve the new Swatara District that was originally part of Susquehanna and Paxton Districts. Later the Tuscarora Chapter was formed to serve the Perry County District and Carlisle District, leaving the Wesepeca Chapter renamed Attaock Chapter, with the West Shore area.
Then the Lakota Chapter was formed taking Upper Dauphin District away from the Uchowig Chapter. Then, the Allumoppie Chapter formed and assumed the Perry County District from the Tuscarora Chapter. The Lenape Chapter was formed and took over the Conochocheaque District. Confused? It will change again later.
On December 20, 1955, the first Rules of the Lodge were established. These rules were soon followed by the Manual of Administration to govern the operations of the lodge through its elected officers and committees. These publications have been revised several times since 1955 but are still used effectively today. The years between 1955 and 1967 reflected a slow but steady growth in the membership role and attendance at lodge and chapter activities. In May 1957 the lodge hosted the Area III-E Pow-Wow at Camp Hidden Valley.
In 1965 Susquehannock hosted the Area III-E Conference at Camp Hidden Valley in Loysville, Pennsylvania and took 2nd place in the Indian Dance competition. During the year 1968, the lodge held six ordeals for the induction of 705 new brothers into the order with 420 of those new members becoming Brotherhood members and 24 of those becoming Vigil Honor. This was a peak of the lodge’s membership. In August of 1969 Susquehannock Lodge hosted the Area III-E Conference again. This time the lodge took 1st place in the Display competition.
At the 1970 Area III-E Conference hosted by Swatara Lodge 39 at Camp Bashore Susquehannock Lodge placed 1st in the Display competition. The following year at the Area III-E Conference hosted by Tuckahoe Lodge, Susquehannock Lodge again took the 1st place Display competition trophy. At the 1972 Area III-E Conference hosted by Wapsu Achtu Lodge at Camp Karoondinha, the lodge placed 1st in the Display competition for the third year in a row. At the final Area III-E Conference in 1973 hosted by Wunita Gokhos Lodge 39 at Camp Bashore, Susquehannock Lodge made it four in a row in the Display competition and added a 1st place finish in the Indian Dancing competition.
BSA reduced the number of regions from 12 to 6. Pennsylvania became part of the new Northeast Region. Susquehannock Lodge became part of new Section NE-5B. The highlight of June 1974, was the visit of the Koshare Indian Dancers of LaJunta, Colorado. They are members of a Scouting Explorer Post who, for over forty years, has brought the dances of the American Indian to the public. The lodge treated the Post to two nights at Hidden Valley, canoeing, on the mighty Sherman’s Creek, a guided tour of the Gettysburg Battlefield and a steak dinner that was prepared in their honor by the lodge members.
The first NE-5B conclave in 1974 was scheduled to be at Camp Kline, but had to be moved to Camp Karoondinha when flooding and wind damage closed Camp Kline. Susquehannock Lodge once again took 1st in the Display competition and 2nd in the Indian Dance competition.
A large delegation attended the 1975 Section NE-5B Conclave at the ever wet Seven Mountains Scout Camp. Following the Conclave, eight members of the lodge attended the National Conference held in August at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. During the conference Harrison Renninger kept his Vigil.
The next year, 1976, was a very busy year for the lodge. Under the leadership of Lodge Chief Steve Thompson, the lodge achieved the National Standard Lodge Honor for the first time. The lodge hosted the Section NE-5B Conclave in August and it was the largest Section NE-5B Conclave ever. At that Bicentennial year Conclave, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives presented citations to the Section Chief and the six Lodge Chiefs. Those present heard a taped message from the beloved founder of the Order of the Arrow, Dr. E. Urner Goodman. Susquehannock Lodge placed 1st in the Display competition.
During the years 1976 and 1977, the council realigned the Districts within the Keystone Area Council. This changed the Chapter system, again. All Chapter names were changed along with the area responsibilities. The new Chapter names became: Shikellamy Chapter, serving the Cumberland Valley District, Shawnee Chapter, serving the Triangle District, Cepowig Chapter, serving the Blue Mountain District, and Andastes Chapter serving the Union Canal District.
At the 1977 NE-5B Conclave hosted by Winingus Lodge 30 at Camp Brule Susquehannock Lodge won the Display competition trophy. Also in 1977, eighteen delegates from the lodge attended the National Conference at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. Mark Pyles the Section Chief urged the lodge to take the lodge display along and it won the Section Conclave display competition.
Steve Campbell, the Lodge Secretary in 1978, undertook the irksome task of compiling a more accurate listing of membership. His efforts solved the long standing problem that had plagued the lodge for years, poor lodge communications between members. His list was used as a mailing list by the lodge and council. At the 1978 NE-5B Conclave hosted by Tuckahoe Lodge 386, the lodge placed 1st in the Display competition and 2nd in the Indian Dance Team competition.
At the 1979 NE-5B Conclave hosted by Wyona Lodge 18 at Camp Lavigne, the lodge again took 1st place in the Display competition. The section united in the spirit of the arrow during 1979. A direct result was the lodges of Section NE-5B attended the National Conference at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado as a group. The Section chartered a bus for the long trip and the lodges traveled together to Colorado. A delegation of 16 members from Susquehannock Lodge XI went to the conference.
Susquehannock Lodge received National Standard Lodge status in 1979.
A lodge picnic was added in 1980 to the list of annual activities of the lodge. In that year, the lodge also assumed the proper role in camp promotion with the formation of a camp promotion committee. Allen Keller provided the leadership for the committee to develop a slide show on the over all camping program offered by Hidden Valley. He devised a program to visit all the troops within the Keystone Area Council with the slide show. The slide show program was frequently updated with new slides to include the new programs being offered in camp. The lodge provided and presented the theme presentation at the region meeting at the national conference. It was an elaborate multi-projector slide show, entitled “Back to Basics”. The slides and tapes of this presentation have been used widely since then by lodge’s through out the Northeast Region.
The year 1980 will be long remembered as the year lodge chief Bill Travitz Jr. led the membership in a “clean sweep” at the Section NE-5B Conclave hosted by Woapeu Sisilija Lodge 343 at Camp Karoondinha. The lodge took ist place in the Display competition, Dance Team competition, and the Ceremonial competition. The ceremonial competition was a new event added that year.
Again in 1980 Susquehannock Lodge XI achieved the National Standard Lodge Award. In October of 1980 six members of the lodge attended the fall fellowship weekend of Nentico Lodge 12 at Camp Broad Creek near Baltimore MD. It was at thisevent that the lodge was able to verify the information regarding the original founding of the Susquehannock Lodge in 1922. The lodge members shared in fellowship and exchanged knowledge of Indian dancing and lodge traditions.
The Lodge Service Beads awarded to Arrowmen by the lodge chief for service began in 1981. Many Arrowmen have been awarded these symbols of service to the lodge in the years since the inception of the award. At the NE-5B Conclave hosted by Monaken Lodge 103 at Seven Mountains, the lodge brought home 1st place trophies in the Display and Dance competitions and 2nd in the Ceremonies competition.
Susquehannock Lodge XI again hosted the Section NE-5B Conclave in 1982 which coincided with the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Order of the Arrow.
At the 1983 Section NE-5B Conclave hosted by Tuckahoe Lodge 386 the lodge took 1st place in Ceremonial and Display competitions and 2nd in the Dance Team competition. Also in 1983, the lodge sent a twenty two member delegation to the National OA Conference at Rutgers University in New Jersey. This was also the year that the lodge realigned its chapters again. The four chapters became two. The East Shore Chapter served the Blue Mountain and Union Canal Districts while the West Shore Chapter served the Triangle and Cumberland Valley Districts. The Indian names were “Wapaneau Aptanogan” for the East Shore and “Wundchenneu” for the the West Shore.
In 1984 the lodge again renewed its effort for camp promotion by setting a goal of having the camp promotion and elections teams visit every troop in the council. The lodge also added a Third Vice Chief to be responsible for unit elections and a Fourth Vice Chief to be responsible for camp promotions. At the NE-5B Conclave hosted by Winingus Lodge 30 at Camp Brule, Susquehannock Lodge swept the Ceremonies, Dance and Display competitions.
It was during 1985 the National OA Committee added a Philmont Trek to the National OA Program. The lodge sent ten youth and four adults to the first year trek, ranking the lodge second in size and Section NE-5B first in size to send Arrowmen to the Trek. As a member of the Susquehannock Lodge Luke Huggins served as the Section NE-5B Chief and also served on the Trek staff.
In 1985 the dance team was reformed and had its chief chosen by the dance team members. The team performed at the 1985 Conclave hosted by Woapeu Sisilija Lodge 343 at Camp Karoondinha where the lodge again swept the Ceremonies, Dance and Display competitions. The team also performed at Scouting and civic group events that year. In 1981 the national committee created the “Founders Award” as a means for the local lodge to recognize individuals for their outstanding service to their lodge. The visible award is a solid red ribbon pin presented to the Arrowman. The lodge first presented this award to Joseph Mockaitis and J Edgar Sellers Jr. in 1985. <Click here for a complete list of Founders Award recipients.>
The Dance and Ceremonial teams repeated their championship style at the 1986 Section NE-5B Conclave hosted by Wyona Lodge 18 at Camp Lavigne. The dance team also performed every Friday night at summer camp during the 1986 and 1987 summer camp seasons. For the 1986 National OA Conference at Central Michigan University, the lodge chartered a minibus for the sixteen member delegation.
The lodge was involved in the 1987 Council Camporall, supporting the program with the performances of the dance team and having members available to help the council staff where possible. Under the leadership of Lodge Chief Warren Swanger II, Susquehannock Lodge XI received the special distinction of being recognized by the National Order of the Arrow Committee as a “National Honor Lodge” for the year 1987. At the 1987 NE-5B Conclave hosted by Monaken Lodge 103 at Seven mountains, the lodge placed 1st in the Ceremonies competition and 3rd in the Inter-Lodge competition.
In 1987, the lodge presented the troops of Keystone Area Council a new edition of the “Where to go Camping” booklet entitled “The Outdoor Adventure Camping Guide”. The OA camping guide was a year long project of several very dedicated Arrowmen. This three ring binder camping guide was designed to be updated rather than to be replaced. This new edition of the guide has been offered to more than just the troops of the Keystone Area Council. District representatives, roundtable commissioners, outdoor camping committees, and other non troop scouters have received issues of the guide. Several editions of the guide were awarded to scouters from outside the Council by the lodge to promote the spirit of service for the Spirit of the Arrow.
During the 1988 Hidden Valley Summer Camp season, Susquehannock Lodge XI purchased and erected two teepees. One teepee was set up in the field between the camp administration building and the dining hall and the other teepee placed in cub village. These two teepees were made of canvas and lodge pine Poles and are about 30 feet tall and about 15 feet in diameter. At the final NE-5B Conclave hosted by Tuckahoe Lodge 386, the lodge placed 1st in the Ceremonial and Display competitions and 2nd in the Dance Team and Camp Games competitions.
Due to the realignment of the Northeast Region, the lodge was reassigned to Section NE-6 in November of 1988.
In 1989 Susquehannock Lodge attended its first NE-6 Conclave at Nentego Lodge 20's Camp Rodney. The Dance Team brought home a 1st place trophy.
At the 1990 NE-6 Conclave at Camp Mack, Susquehannock lodge placed 2nd in Indian Dance.
The 1991 Section NE-6 Conclave was hosted by Amangamek Wipit Lodge 470 at Prince William Forrest Park in Triangle, VA. Susquehannock Lodge won first place in the Indian Dance competition.
The lodge hosted its first NE-6 Conclave in 1992 at Hidden Valley.
In 1993 the lodge traveled to Ahtuhquog Lodge 540's Camp Potomac in Old Town, MD for the NE-6 Conclave. Susquehannock finished 2nd in the Display competition.
Section NE-4C was established in June of 1994, following a realignment of the councils and areas of the Northeast Region. The Section had been formerly known as NE-6 until the realignment, which resulted in the elimination of Area 6.
At the 1995 NE-4C Conclave hosted by Wunita Gokhos Lodge 39 at Camp Bashore the Dance Team captured first place as did the Pre-Ordeal Ceremony Team.
In 1996 Amangamek Wipit Lodge 470 hosted the NE-4C Conclave at Camp Rock Enon. At the conclave Susquehannock placed 2nd in Indian Dance and the Brotherhood Ceremony.
The 1998 NE-4C Conclave was only a short trip for the lodge. It was host by Tuckahoe Lodge 386 at Camp Tuckahoe in Dillsburg. The Dance Team won the 1st place trophy.
The lodge hosted the NE-4C conclave at Hidden Valley in June of 1999 with the theme "Closing the century with service". The lodge took 1st place in OA Jeopardy and 2nd place in Volleyball.
The Dance Team took 1st place at the 2000 NE-4C Conclave at Camp Rodney. Don Cunningham was elected NE-4C Section Chief in 2000 and then National Chief in 2001. A delegation of 14 youth and 7 adults attended the 2000 NOAC held at the University of Tennessee. The Pre-Ordeal Team consisting of Andrew Thumma, Mike Stefanic, Eric Shott, and Juan Paden competed in ceremonies. Ryan Crider and Ryan Worden competed in the individual dance competition.
In 2001 Susquehannock Lodge won the Volleyball competition at NE-4C Conclave hosted by Guneukitschik Lodge 317 at Camp Sinoquipe.
At the 2002 NOAC at Indiana University past National Chief Don Cunningham received the Distinquished Service Award for service to the order on a national level. Ryan Worden placed in the top 10 in the nation at the individual dance competition finals.
Susquehannock Lodge sent 12 arrowmen to the 2004 National Order of the Arrow Conference Iowa State University in Ames, IA. Eric Kissinger competed in his first dance competition, Spencer Powell made it to the third round in the dance competition and the cermonies team competed in the Pre-Ordeal Ceremony.
On May 20-22, 2005 the lodge hosted the Section NE-4C Conclave at Hidden Valley. Conclave coordinator Joe Antoine and adviser John "Pooh Bear" Runshaw put on an outstanding conclave. The highlights were the Saturday night Luau dinner complete with our lodge members in Hawaiian shirts and the hypnotist at the campfire later that night. The lodge won the Volleyball and Basketball competitions. Our Web Page received a 2nd place award.
In July 2006 Lodge Chief Scott Dunlap led a delegation of 8 adults and 12 youth to the National Order of the Arrow Conference at Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI. Three additional adults, Ken Barber, Mike Chew and Jim Greene served on the NOAC staff. Spencer Powell danced in front of 8,000 arrowmen during the Native American show, placed in the top 11 in Old Style and also won the Native American craft competition with five judges choice awards.
Over the years, Susquehannock Lodge XI has promoted Scout camping within the Keystone Area Council by providing many tens of thousands of man hours service at Hidden Valley Scout Camp. The lodge has supplied crews to help the operation of camporees and similar functions of the council and the districts.
The lodge constructed Thunderbird Lodge, which was the first building in the development of the West Camp of Hidden Valley. This project was undertaken at a cost of $2400. The lodge also purchased 42 acres of additional land for the camp for $2100. and built the program shelter for another $2400. Canoes, rifles, a riding mower, and many walk behind power mowers, VCR equipment for the council office, and five fireplace inserts for five lodges in camp were purchased by the chapters and the lodge. These were given to the council in the spirit of great pride for our camp and to promote the high quality of scout camping provided at Hidden Valley.