Order of the Arrow

Unami Lodge Number One

General Nash Chapter

Chapter Chief: Chris Kulp

Troop OA Representative: Troy Radcliff

Background

The Order of the Arrow is Scouting's National Honour Society. The Order was founded in 1915 on Treasure Island by E. Urner Goodman and Carroll A. Edison. They decided to use the lore and legends of the Delaware Indians as the basis for the Order, in part, because Treasure Island had been an Indian camping ground since early times. The Unami Lodge is Lodge Number One, or the Mother Lodge, of the Order. The first members of the Order were elected from the troops encamped at Treasure Island during the summer of 1915.

The purpose of the Order of the Arrow is:

-To recognise those campers--Scouts and Scouters--who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives and by such recognition cause other campers to conduct themselves in such manner as to warrant recognition.

-To develop and maintain camping traditions and spirit.

-To promote Scout camping, which reaches its greatest effectiveness as a part of the unit's camping programme, both year-round and in the summer camp, as directed by the camping committee of the council.

-To crystallise the Scout habit of helpfulness into a life purpose of leadership in cheerful service to others.

Each Boy Scout Council can have only a single Order of the Arrow Lodge and when the Philadelphia and Valley Forge Councils merged on October 1, 1996, into the Cradle of Liberty Council, Philadelphia's Unami Lodge #1 and Valley Forge's Delmont Lodge #43 were merged into a single Order of the Arrow Lodge. In view of the historical significance of Unami being the first OA Lodge, it was decided to keep the name and number of the Unami Lodge for the new merged Cradle of Liberty Lodge and Delmont Lodge #43 was dissolved as of September 30, 1996. Each Lodge of the Order may design its own distinctive pocket flap to be worn by lodge members on the flap of the right-hand pocket of the Scout uniform. The current flap of the Unami Lodge is shown above.

Membership in the Order is conferred by a Scout's fellow troop members through an election held once a year, usually prior to March. In order to be eligible to be elected to membership, a Scout must have participated in at least 14 nights of camping in the previous two years, of those 14 nights, no more than six may be from a long term camp, such as summer camp or a jamboree, but the Scout must have participated in at least one long-term camp within the two years prior to election. Additionally, the Scout must have attained the rank of First Class Scout.

The General Nash Chapter holds monthly meetings from September through June at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Lansdale. The meetings are held on the second Wednesday of every month, the same night as the District Roundtable, and begin at 7:30 p.m. All Chapter members are welcome and encouraged to attend the monthly meetings.

Recent Events

2003 Spring Service Weekend One - Musser Scout Reservation

The Unami Lodge held its first spring service weekend at Camp Hart at Musser Scout Reservation during the weekend of 25-27 April 2003. During that weekend, three Troop 461 members successfully completed their Ordeal and were inducted into the Unami Lodge of the Order of the Arrow as Ordeal Members. The Troop 461 members who were inducted into the Order of the Arrow at Camp Hart were Chris Kulp, Sam Schwyter and Nathan Johnson.

After completing their ordeal, the three were inducted into the Order as Ordeal members at a ceremony at the Camp Hart OA Ceremonial Grounds on Saturday evening. While not attending the full weekend, Scoutmaster Harold Frederick and ASM Tim Wile attended the induction ceremony. The photo at left shows Scoutmaster Frederick (on far right) with the troop's newly inducted OA members, Chris Kulp, Sam Schwyter and Nathan Johnson.

2003 Spring Service Weekend Two - Resica Falls

Unami Lodge held its second spring service weekend at Resica Falls Scout Reservation during the weekend of 16-18 May 2003. Troop 461 had six members in attendance for this service weekend: Zach Wile, Greg Saltzman, Troy Gärthe, Nathan Johnson, Sam Schwyter and ASM Tim Wile. Greg Saltzman and Troy Gärthe sealed the bonds of their membership in the Order of the Arrow by taking their Brotherhood during this weekend.

The photo above left shows the Troop 461 contingent to the Resica Falls OA Service Weekend. Left to right in the second row are Greg Saltzman, Troy Gärthe and Zach Wile. Left to right in the front row are Sam Schwyter and Nathan Johnson. Zach Wile served as an Elangomat during the weekend, mentoring the Ordeal candidates and sharing the hardships of their ordeal until their induction ceremony Saturday night at the Resica OA Ceremonial Grounds. The photo above right shows Zach following the completion of his Elangomat duties.

The photo above left shows Greg Saltzman and Troy Gärthe as they are inducted into the Brotherhood level of membership in the Order of the Arrow. The photo above right shows Elangomat Zach Wile and his Ordeal candidate charges Saturday afternoon preparing to be led to the Resica OA Ceremonial Grounds for the Ordeal induction ceremony.

2003 Fall Service Weekend - Treasure Island

Unami Lodge held its 2003 Fall Service weekend at the Treasure Island Scout Reservation near Point Pleasant, Pennsylvania. Attending the weekend were Nathan Johnson, Sam Schwyter, and Zach Wile. Sam Schwyter served as an Elangomat during the weekend while Greg Chicarelli took his ordeal and was inducted as a member of the Order and Unami Lodge. Troop Members at Lodge Meeting Dock at Treasure Island

Treasure Island is precisely that, an island. The photo above left shows the dock at TI from the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River. The only way to and from the camp is by barge. The photo above right shows Troop OA Representative Nate Johnson, ASM Tim Wile and General Nash Chapter Chief Zach Wile at the Lodge General Membership meeting that ended the service weekend. Hurry up and wait! Sam, Greg, Nate & Zach

The photo above left shows Sam Schwyter, Greg Chicarelli, Nate Johnson and Zach Wile after the Lodge Meeting, all packed up and ready to leave. Sam Schwyter served as an Elangomat for Ordeal candidates for the weekend and Greg Chicarelli successfully took his ordeal and was inducted into the Lodge.

2004 Spring Service Weekend 1 - Treasure Island

The first spring service weekend for Unami Lodge was held during the weekend of April 23-25, 2004, at Treasure Island Scout Reservation on the Delaware River. Six troop members and one adult leader were in attendance for this weekend. Andrew Isban and Nathan Lanan took their order and were inducted as Ordeal members of the Lodge at ceremonies Saturday night. Chris Kulp, Nathan Johnson, and Sam Schwyter sealed their membership in the Lodge by taking their Brotherhood

and becoming Brotherhood members of the Lodge. The photo above left shows, from left to right, Sam Schwyter, Andrew Isban, Nate Johnson, Chris Kulp and Nathan Lanan, who became Ordeal and Brotherhood members of the Lodge. The photo above right shows General Nash Chapter Chief Zach Wile (left) and Chapter member Jeff Weber (right) taking a break from their work on Baker Lodge.

The priority project for the Lodge during this service weekend was the completion of the renovation of Baker Lodge at Treasure Island. Baker Lodge had originally been built and dedicated in 1964 to the memory of George Baker, Chief of the Unami Lodge in 1930 and a prominent Scouter in his adult life. The building had deteriorated to the point where it was not used by Scouts for more than a decade and faced demolition. Unami Lodge undertook the task of renovating the building which essentially required the removal of the entire interior due to water damage caused by a defective roof. During the fall service weekend, a roofing crew from the General Nash Chapter installed a new roof on Baker Lodge, replacing nearly half of the

original roof sheathing. The photo above left shows Bob Miller, General Nash Chapter Advisor, and ASM Tim Wile working on the exterior of Baker Lodge. The photo above right shows Dale Miller completing repairs on the chimney of Baker Lodge. Baker Lodge was rededicated on the afternoon of Saturday, April 24th, in a ceremony that included members of the Baker Family. The renovation of Baker Lodge cost approximately $12,000.00.

The Spirit - the Official Publication of Unami Lodge One

(click on edition to download issue-Adobe Acrobat or Reader Required)

2003-2004 - Issue 1 - November 2003

2003-2004 - Issue 2 - February 2004

2003-2004 - Issue 3 - May 2004

2003-2004 - Issue 4 - July 2004

2004-2005 - Issue 1 - December 2004

2004-2005 - Issue 2 - March 2005

2005-2006 - Issue 1 - December 2005

2005-2006 - Issue 2 - February 2006

Upcoming Lodge/Chapter Events

(click on date to download registration forms)