By Taylor Bobrow
The Alapaha and Immokalee Lodges recently merged to form Withlacoochee Lodge, as a result of the merger of the Alapaha Area Council of Valdosta, GA and the Chehaw Council of Albany, GA into the South Georgia Council. The new lodge serves 29 counties in southern Georgia and will be divided into three chapters based on the council's new districts.
Both lodges recently convened at the 2013 SR-9 Conclave to elect the first set of Withlacoochee lodge officers. The merger was roughly six months in the making and the work of many allowed the transition to go as smoothly as it did. Amazingly, Withlacoochee Lodge left their first conclave taking home the Conclave Spirit Award.
Andrew Smith, 2010 Alapaha Lodge Chief, said, "From a past chief's perspective, I think this merger will give us the opportunity to strengthen what the Order has to offer for our Arrowmen, especially for the youth. The larger membership will allow us to accomplish much more than in past years, and I'm looking forward to what lies ahead for us."
The new Withlacoochee Lodge has 351 chartered members—including more than 200 youth. The lodge's membership will serve both camps of South Georgia Council: Camp Osborn and Camp Patten. Lodge members selected the Gopher Tortoise as the totem for their new lodge because it is the Georgia state reptile and there are active Gopher Tortoise burrows on both the council's camps. Withlacoochee was chosen as the lodge name because the Withlacoochee River runs through the council area. "Withlacoochee" means "Little Big River" in the Muskogean language.
Lodge Adviser Merrill Dickinson spoke on behalf of the lodge saying "Withlacoochee Lodge would like to thank the members of Southern Region, Section 9 for their support, encouragement and recognition as we begin a new legacy in the Brotherhood of Cheerful Service."
Revised 4/13/2014