200th Lodge Formed
On July 9, 1941, Echockotee Lodge of Jacksonville, Florida became the Order’s 200th Lodge. It had taken nearly 22 years for the Order to form it first 100 lodges. The Order added the second 100 in just over four.
On July 9, 1941, Echockotee Lodge of Jacksonville, Florida became the Order’s 200th Lodge. It had taken nearly 22 years for the Order to form it first 100 lodges. The Order added the second 100 in just over four.
At the invitation of A. Frank Dix of Tali Taktaki Lodge, Greensboro, North Carolina the 1942 National Meeting was scheduled to go to the South for the first time in history. With the size of National Meetings growing so briskly it was anticipated that as many as 1,000 Arrowmen might attend. No longer could they meet at a Scout camp. The National Executive Committee selected the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as the meeting site. For the first time, delegates would not be responsible for their own bedding.
The selection of the University of North Carolina meant that some fellow brothers in the Order would not be allowed to attend because the University was segregated and would not allow non-whites. As it turned out, the meeting was cancelled and our Order never held a National Meeting at a location that excluded some members.
On July 14, 1942 National Secretary (this is the point in time that the term National Scribe permanently changed to National Secretary) H. Lloyd Nelson sent a letter regretting to inform all lodges that the National Meeting was cancelled because of World War II wartime restrictions. He further stated that the hope was that after the world conflict was over that the OA would re-schedule the event for the University of North Carolina.
The OA did not hold a National Meeting or NOAC in the South until 1977 at the University of Tennessee.
2, National Event, OA, Scouting
Even though the Order had existed for over a quarter century and had always used insignia, it was not until 1942 that Arrowmen could “officially” wear any OA item on the uniform. In a sign of the growing importance of the expanding official Scout program, the BSA Uniform Committee authorized the Universal Arrow Ribbon. The first Universal Arrow Ribbon was very similar to what is still used today. It was made to fit over the right shirt pocket button and was a red and white silk ribbon with a sterling arrow. These first arrows were designed to point left instead of right. It would be three more years before the first patches were authorized for uniform wear.
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.
Nelson started Scouting in Goodman’s old Troop 1 in Philadelphia. He was inducted into the Unami Lodge at Treasure Island in 1919. Nelson was in attendance at the 1921 First Meeting of the Grand Lodge. He served on the camp staff at Treasure Island Scout Reservation and served as the 1925 Lodge Chief of Unami Lodge. On September 17, 1925 H. Lloyd Nelson kept the 45th Vigil in the Order at Treasure Island during the Fifth Grand Lodge Meeting.
Nelson remained active in Scouting and the Order while attending the University of Pennsylvania and in 1933 was elected Grand Lodge Scribe. What was distinctive about Nelson from all other previous Grand Lodge officers was he was not a professional Scouter. Other Grand Lodge officers had been Scout Executives and Field Executives working in the Order in a volunteer capacity. This distinction gave insight to Nelson that other officers lacked. That insight and connection with non-Professional Arrowmen equipped Nelson well when as a national officer Thomas Cairns included him on the Transition Committee.
The Transition Committee became the National Executive Committee, which became the National OA Committee. Nelson served from 1933 until 1955 on these committees. The first nine years was as the Grand Lodge Scribe (which during Nelson’s tenure was also called the National Tribe Scribe, the National Lodge Scribe and finally the National Lodge Secretary.) In 1942 Nelson was selected as the National Chief, which in 1942 was the equivalent to today’s National OA Committee Chairman. Nelson served as Chief until 1946 and then continued on the National Executive Committee as Past Chief. From these leadership positions Nelson was instrumental in directing the Order of the Arrow in achieving it’s most significant goal of its first half century, full integration into the BSA in 1948.
In 1949 Nelson became the second National OA Committee Chairman and he served until his untimely death at the end of 1955. All of the Order mourned his death. In a special and unique tribute, a memorial was held in H. Lloyd Nelson’s honor at the 1956 NOAC in Bloomington Indiana. During the memorial instead of the traditional flowers, lodges placed their empty chief’s headdresses and bonnets on the stage.
The Distinguished Service Award (DSA) is presented to those Arrowmen who have rendered distinguished and outstanding service to the Order on a sectional, regional, or national basis. The following were presented the DSA - Joseph H. Brinton, Thomas J. Keane and Arthur A. Schuck. At the time the plan was to limit the award to only three recipients per National Meeting. Because of World War II, the 1942 and 1944 meetings were canceled. In 1946 there were six DSA awards and then in 1948 the rule limiting the award to three recipients per meeting was re-instated. The 1942 DSA recipients were the only DSA class not to primarily receive the award at a National Meeting or NOAC.
(Do we) find the cost of freedom, buried in the ground
Mother earth will swallow you, lay your body down
Find the cost of freedom, buried in the ground
Mother earth will swallow you, lay your body down
Find the cost of freedom buried in the ground
- lyrics Find the Cost of Freedom by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Having both lived and served through the Great War as young men, the most horrific of personal losses struck the co-founders of the Order of the Arrow in a five week period during World War II.
Both then-Lt. Col. Carroll Edson and E. Urner Goodman lost sons in combat in neighboring corners of the war in Europe.
In October 1944 First Lieutenant Stuart Partridge Edson – Partridge was his mother’s maiden name -- was serving as the Adjutant for the 23rd Armored Infantry Battalion in the area of Overloon, The Netherlands. The 24-year-old Eagle Scout was the Edson’s oldest son.
In those duties Lt. Edson had just signed the official After Action Report of the Battalion for the month of September on 4 Oct. 1944 (military dates place the date first then the month then the year) – placing him near the fluid front, which had degenerated into almost trench warfare.
Lt. Edson and Tech Sgt Norman D. Penn, his driver, were driving from the rear area, at night, to the front line in newly acquired territory. While the territory was a flat area it was festooned with trees and hedges and constantly peppered with shrapnel, rifle and machinegun fire. In the darkness, driving upon unfamiliar roads they apparently took a wrong turn and went missing.
It was not until after the war, when Lt. Col. Carroll Edson urged a British area major who was the administrator for the liberated area to attempt to locate Lt. Edson’s remains. He found them, not in one of the many temporary military graveyards, but in the Trans-Cedron Roman Catholic Cemetery at Oostrum. In August of 1945. The grave was marked with a cross that read "Lt. Stuart Edson / 7 Americk Pz. D. / Born 20/6/1920 / Died 5/10/1944 (European dates feature the day before the month - October 5, 1944).
Interviews with three residents in the area determined that a German soldier, apparently driving a motorbike, brought Lt. Edson’s body to the Marten family in Oostrum. He explained that the officer had died during transit. Lt. Edson’s remains were subsequently relocated to a military cemetery on 5 March 1946.
While Stuart Partridge Edson and Norman D. Penn were dying in Holland, Private First Class George Goodman and his fellow infantrymen of the 324th Infantry Regiment, 44th Infantry Division, were fighting their way towards the German border just above its convergence with Switzerland. PFC Goodman, the youngest son of E. Urner and Louise Goodman, was fighting with the Company B on 14 November 1944 Bravo Company near Embermanil, France.
As he advanced across open terrain towards an enemy-held woods, Private First Class Goodman, acting scout for his squad, was hit in the leg by a sniper’s bullet. He immediately returned the fire, either killing or wounding the enemy sniper. During this action a hostile machinegun located on the edge of the woods opened fire on his squad. With complete disregard for his own safety, Private First Class Goodman gallantly charged the enemy machine gun nest, firing his rifle as he limped into the hail of enemy fire. The courage and fighting spirit displayed by Private First Class Goodman are in keeping with the finest traditions of the Armed Forces. Private First Class Goodman was later reported fatally wounded as a result of this action.
-General Orders Number 182, 8 May 1945 Award, Posthumous, of the Distinguished-Service Cross.
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest award for valor awarded by the U.S. Department of the Army exceeded only by the Congressional Medal of Honor. PFC Goodman’s body lies in rest in the American Military Cemetery at Epinal, France.
It is ironic that both Goodman and Edson, two men that devoted their lifetime to serving the young men of America, lost their own young sons in service to the country.
2, Founders, George Goodman, Goodman, OA, Scouting, Stuart Edson
The Order of the Arrow beginning in 1922 had selected an Official OA Jeweler, to make insignia including totem pins. The first jeweler was the National Jewelry Company. In 1927 The Grand Lodge selected Hood and Company as the second Jeweler. In Early 1945 Jennings Hood sold his company to J.E. Caldwell and Company and went to work for them. His stunning jeweler dies were retained; the back die was changed to show the new hallmark.
J.E. Caldwell like the two previous Official Jewelers was located in Philadelphia. Their quality was considered so fine; J. E. Caldwell was called the Tiffany’s of Philadelphia. Because the vast majority of known Brotherhood and Vigil totem pins bear the Caldwell hallmark, the pins are often called “Caldwell Pins”.
Caldwell remained the official jeweler throughout the 1950s. Most lodges ceased using totem pins by 1962. They were still listed as the Official Jeweler in the OA National Bulletin as late as winter, 1968. In early 1973 the OA stated that J.E. Caldwell was no longer the Official Jeweler and to direct all inquiries to National Supply.
Waite Phillips (Jan. 19, 1883 - Jan. 27, 1964) was much more than the prototypical oilman, wildcatter and businessman. He was also a philanthropist. The generosity of he and his family resulted in a major change for Scouting – the creation of its High Adventure Program.
Lewis “Lew” Franklin Phillips and Lucinda Josephine “Josie” (Faucett) Phillips sixth and seventh of 10 children were twin boys – Waite and Wiate -- born to the couple at their home near Conway Iowa. As 16-year-olds the twin boys left their small farm and headed west where they worked a variety of jobs including building railroads, mining, lumbering and even one winter spent fur trapping in the Bitterroot Mountains. A bout of acute appendicitis claimed Wiate’s life on July 16, 1902, when the 19-year-old young men were in Spokane, Washington. Distraught over the loss of his twin brother, Waite returned to Iowa. After a short time in college he went to work for his older brothers, Frank (Silver Buffalo recipient 1942) and L.E. Phillips, as they continued their oil and gas business out of Bartlesville, Okla., in 1906. Frank and L.E.’s company became Phillips Petroleum Company.
In 1909 Waite married Genevieve Elliott in Knoxville, Iowa. Waite and Genevieve had two children, Helen Jane (July 1, 1911 - May 19, 1963) and Elliott "Chope" Waite (January 11, 1918 - ) (Silver Buffalo recipient 1998; Silver Sage recipient 2005). After eight years Waite sold his shares to his brothers and struck out on his own as an independent oil producer, refiner and marketer. By 1918 Waite and Genevieve had moved to Tulsa, Okla., where his 40-year career took firm hold. In Tulsa three of the structures Phillips built have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places – Philtower, Philcade and Villa Philbrook, a 72-room Italian Renaissance-style home, which, after being donated to the city of Tulsa in 1938, was renovated into the Philbrook Museum of Art.
Phillips’ industriousness was not just confined to the petroleum industry. He was also actively involved in banking and real estate and the development of a number of ranches in the Rocky Mountains, and it was there his admiration for a new youth program and his love of the mountains would meld into Scouting’s crown jewel of high adventure. After buying and selling several ranches, Phillips developed a 300,000-acre spread on the eastern slopes of the Sangre de Cristo range of the Rocky Mountains extending into the western fringes of the Great Prairie. He named it the UU (Double U) Ranch. There as with all of his other business interests, he threw himself into creating a diversified operation involving farming, ranching and – for recreation – the ability to get into the backcountry for hunting, fishing and camping expeditions.
All through the times he was working for his brothers and then on his own, Phillips followed the successes of a bourgeoning youth movement – the Boy Scouts of America. One of the earliest troops in the United States was formed in 1909 (before the founding of the BSA in 1910) in nearby Pawhuska, Okla. In 1937 Phillips made one of the most magnanimous gestures in philanthropy – the family donated 35,857 acres of their UU Ranch – much of what Philmonters call “the South Country” to the Boy Scouts of America. That generous donated included the Villa de Philmonte, cattle, horses, hunting cabins and more.
There were just three stipulations:
--that it remains a working cattle ranch, which it is.
--that his favorite horse “Gus” be allowed to roam freely and live out his life on the ranch. He did.
--And that the Phillips family be allowed to visit whenever they please. They have.
The first couple of years were limited operations, but seeing the potential and the enthusiastic response in 1941 Phillips added another 91,520 acres bringing the total to 127,395. The gift included the best of Phillips’ camp lands, as well as the ranching headquarters and the Villa de Phimonte – the family’s mountainside home with its majestic view of the Tooth of Time. To help finance the annual operations of the ranch he added the Philtower Building in Tulsa.
The camp was first named Philturn Rocky Mountain Scout Camp and then later was renamed Philmont. Waite Phillips died on January 27, 1964. Waite and Genevieve Phillips are buried in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. What is left unexplained about Waite Phillips is why he never received the BSA's Silver Buffalo Award.
On June 5th, 1939, the Order added its 150th Lodge. Nakona Lodge 150 of Lubbock, Texas had received its charter into the still rapidly growing Order.
In 1940, the OA, which had previously been divided into Areas 1 - 15 in 1938 was changed again. This time they used letters A - O. Each area was basically assigned the letter that corresponded with the number previously assigned (i.e. Area 1 became Area A, Area 2 became Area B, and so on). As new lodges were added to an area, if they became too large, then a new lettered area was added. In December, 1942 letters A – U were assigned in BSA Region order. Region 1 was assigned the letter “A”; Region 2 was assigned letters “B”, “C” and “D” and so on until Region 12 received Area “U”.
As the OA spread from council to council, certain regions saw greater growth. In March 1944 three more areas were added. Lodges in the regions that had new areas added were always re-allocated. In July 1945 two more Areas were added, “Y” and “Z”. In August of 1946 they were out of letters. Area’s A – Z remained the same except for Region 12’s Area “U”. Area “U” was divided into Areas 12A, 12B and 12C, a forerunner of further changes.
The twenty-fifth anniversary of any organization is a time for celebration and reflection. The celebration took place at the 25th Anniversary National Meeting held at Camp Twin Echo. The delegates wore silver colored neckerchiefs. The Distinguished Service Award recognizing those individuals most responsible for leadership and service in the Order was created. From such humble beginnings Wimachtendienk has become a growing nationwide Scout phenomenon.
At the end of the first summer of OA in 1915 there were 25 Arrowmen. 25 years later the Order was active in 164 councils with an active membership of 16,000 Arrowmen. Over 37,000 Scouts and Scouters had been inducted.
The most significant milestones were the formation of The Grand Lodge in 1921. That gave the Order a national structure. In 1922 the OA was recognized as an official BSA experiment. That allowed the Order to grow on its own merits. In 1934 the OA achieved recognition as an official BSA program. That allowed them to grow in the regions around the country and gave them the legitimacy needed to have a national structure.
What remained was full integration in to the National BSA; that would allow the Order to expand to nearly 100% of the councils in the nation. Professional Scouters still led the Order on the National level (with the notable exception of H. Lloyd Nelson). The National Executive Committee had not yet been transferred to volunteer Scouters with support from Scouting professionals. Likewise adult Scouts, both professional and volunteer led the lodges. That still needed to evolve to volunteer advisors working with youth leaders.