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Our History

First Flap - Ajapeu Lodge


Ajapeu Lodge Creates the First Flap Patch

Over the years there have been over 25,000 different flap shaped badges made for the OA. In total over ten million (10,000,000) patches have been made, worn, and of course, traded. The members of Ajapeu Lodge, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, wore the first of all of those flaps on their uniform shirts. It was also against BSA insignia guidelines.

At first they did not order a separate patch for their shirts. Circa 1942 lodge members began bringing their shirts to a local seamstress who would directly embroider the lodge totem, a running deer with an arrow behind it, onto the uniform pocket flap. A few years later they found it easier to have the design embroidered onto a piece of uniform colored material that could be crimped onto the pocket flap. Later circa 1949 they made a more finished flap patch with their name and other relevant information.