By Eric Summerlin
On October 4 – 6 of 2013, Burlington County Council's Hunnikick Lodge and Southern New Jersey Council's Te'Kening Lodge held a merger convention at the Roosevelt Scout Reservation to finalize and ratify a new lodge's by-laws and choose a new name for the merged lodge. Lenape Lodge was thus created on October 4, 2013, with the red tailed hawk as totem, a very common bird in the area. The membership enjoyed a weekend of fellowship, Scout games and fun with a boardwalk-style theme dinner.
With history being a big part of the Order of the Arrow, the legacies of the two lodges that led to the creation of Lenape Lodge should be recognized.
History of Hunnikick Lodge:
The year 1935 was the year that Social Security was signed into law, the year that the DC-3 made its 21 passenger maiden flight, and a year when a Mickey Mouse wrist watch only cost $2.95 with a new car costing $625. It was also the year that Hunnikick Lodge was born.
George Darlington, the council's Scout Executive, had heard of an organization started in the Philadelphia Council. He inquired in early April 1934 about this "Order of the Arrow." Lee Hansman of Trenton wrote to then National Chief Thomas Cairns of Philadelphia to tell him of Burlington County Council's interest in the program. Cairns prepared and sent a folder containing an application to start a chapter, by-laws, and an information booklet about the Order. Darlington reviewed the folder, and saw that it would be advantageous for Burlington County Council to sponsor a chapter. He held several meetings with the council's executive board, camping committee, and a special Scoutmasters' committee. All were in favor of starting a chapter. The application was signed by J. Aubrey Sutton, council president; Edward A. Mechling, camp committee chairman; and George Darlington. On May 15, 1935, the application was submitted to start a chapter that operated out of Camp Mahalala in North Hanover, New Jersey. The application was approved by Cairns and founder E. Urner Goodman on June 7, 1935.
On June 20, 1935, the four members, William Coles, Jr., George Weigand, Larwood Caldwell, and George Darlington held the first lodge meeting. Darlington, as scout executive, was automatically made Supreme Chief of the Fire. He appointed Weigand as chief, Caldwell as scribe, and Coles as treasurer. Darlington and Coles were appointed to look into an Indian name and totem for the lodge. After a bit of research, they picked a name from a 1680 Dutch dictionary of the Lenni Lenape language: Hunnikick. They chose the otter as their totem and registered the name and totem with the national chief.
The members of the growing lodge donated their services to Camp Mahalala whenever possible. Burlington County Council had purchased it from the Jones family in 1928 who had purchased it from Chief Mahalala of the Lenni Lenape. In the summer of 1938, heavy rains washed out the fill leading to the wooden gates of the dam. At that time, Burlington County Council began looking for another camp.
In 1943, the council made a resolution to purchase a new camp and bought Camp Lenape. The lodge found many ways to service the camp. One way was to construct a council ring. They constructed several until it finally moved to its final site in the wilderness of the camp. Many of the areas of the camp were built and maintained by the lodge.
At the spring ordeal in 1968, ground was broken for the lodge house, which was entirely financed and constructed by Hunnikick Lodge. By the spring of 1973 the Lodge was ready to be opened for use. The lodge was officially dedicated during the spring ordeal of 1973 to James Entwistle and James L. Moore, Jr., and it was dubbed the "James" lodge. In 1976 the Vigil Honor members of the lodge added the porch roof and screening on to the cabin. Work continued until Camp Lenape was closed in 1988. While Hunnikick was without a "home" camp, they gave service to the camps in the section. When the council dedicated the Pine Tree Environmental and Educational Center in 1993, the lodge assisted in the maintenance of the buildings and sites in the camp.
The first annual Octoberfest that Hunnikick Lodge held was in 1988. This new custom has become a tradition in the lodge when they hold their officer elections and play their annual football game. For the second time in the lodge's history, chapters were formed within the lodge. Mahalala and Quakesen chapters were formed and have existed since then. They have hosted several events including mystery dinners, and the first annual haunted forest in 1994. Hunnikick sent a dance team to compete at the National Order of the Arrow Conference in 1994 for the first time in its history. While they didn't come home with any awards, they did return laden with experience for 1996. Hunnikick is currently celebrating its 60th Anniversary and hosting the annual Conclave.
History of Te'Kening Lodge:
Te'Kening Lodge was chartered in 1999 to the Southern New Jersey Council after the merger of Lekau Lodge and Apatukwe Lodge. The Te'Kening Lodge totem was the wild turkey.
Lekau Lodge was chartered in 1935 in the Camden County Council located in West Collingswood, New Jersey. The Lekau Lodge totem was the sandpiper.
Apatukwe Lodge was chartered in 1967 in the Southern New Jersey Council located in Millville, New Jersey. In 1967, Apatukwe Lodge was formed in the merger of Kon-Kon-Tu Lodge with Unilachtigo Lodge. The Apatukwe Lodge totem was a white deer.
Kon-Kon-Tu Lodge was chartered in 1938 in the South Jersey Council located in Millville, New Jersey. The Kon-Kon-Tu Lodge totem was a crow.
Unilachtego Lodge was chartered in 1949 in the Gloucester-Salem Council located in Woodstown, New Jersey. The Unilachtego Lodge totem was the American egret. Sometime in the 1950's, they changed the lodge name from Unalachtigo Lodge to Unilachtego Lodge.