Tatanka Lodge History

This page is an excerpt from Frank Hilton's Tatanka Lodge History, which can be found here.

Order of the Arrow Founded in 1915

The Order of the Arrow is a national brotherhood of honored campers inside the Boy Scouts of America.  The organization was founded during the summer of 1915 at Treasure Island, the summer camp of Philadelphia Area Council, by E. Urner Goodman and Carroll A. Edison.  The OA is based on the lore and legends of the Lenni-Lenape or Delaware Indians.  E. Urner Goodman was the camp director at the camp and Carroll A. Edison was serving as assistant director in charge of the commissary.

Founded in 1938 in Buffalo Trail Council

As the Order of the Arrow spread from word of mouth from one camp to another over the ensuing years, lodges were organized in those Boy Scout Councils.  Tatanka Lodge 141 of the Buffalo Trail Council, Midland, Texas, was chartered in 1938.  The following story appeared in the Sweetwater Reporter on February 9, 1940, by Charlie Taylor:

"In 1938 an organization not known to most Scouts of the council was introduced to the boys at summer camp, the Order of the Arrow.

"The Scouts who attended camp for the last two years elected from the group the boys whom they considered the best campers, and these were nominated for places in the Order of the Arrow.

"After having attended the Thanksgiving initiation, were they took the Scout oath anew and took for the first time the oath of the Order of the Arrow, they each returned home with a new desire for better service to others.

"Sweetwater Scouts who are members of the Order of the Arrow are DeWitt Conley (Troop 40), Billy White (Troop 41), Charles Ritter (Troop 40), Lingo Brown (Eagle Scout of Troop 48), Tom Paxton (Eagle Scout) and Charlie Taylor.

"Leaders who live in Sweetwater and are members, are Lee Langley, H. D. Reed, J.M. Pendergrass, Chars E. Paxton (Council President), S. P. Gaskin (Scout Executive) and Paul Brown.

"All leaders of the organization are members."

In a story that appeared in the Sweetwater Reporter on February 9, 1939, H. D. Reed, J. W. Pendergrass (Eagle Scout) and Henry Roberts, Jr. were listed as youth members from Sweetwater.  Adults included were Charles Ritter, Billy White, Jimmie Beall, DeWitt Conley and Charles Paxton.  All were elected the previous summer at Scout Summer Camp (1938) held at Camp Fawcett near Barksdale, TX.

Currently the lodge has 616 Arrowmen and has been recognized by OA National as an honor lodge.  For the past sixty-four years the lodge has served cheerfully throughout numerous projects at the Buffalo Trails Scout Ranch, Camp Ed Murphy, and Hughes Aquatic Base.   They have just in the last couple of years finished a project at Buffalo Trail Scout Ranch called the "Great Wall" which extended the parade ground. Also with help of an OA National matching grant, they were able to supply water to the back country of Buffalo Trails Scout Ranch which has helped greatly to facilitate their programs out that way. At Hughes Aquatic Base, located on Lake Colorado City, the lodge has started two massive projects that will take some time yet to complete. One is the building of many pavilions at the campsites to help provide shade. The second is that they moved a house from property donated to the council to the camp to serve as a new medic hut. The house has been moved, but still much work needs to be done fixing it up.

Photo at right is of Warren Wallace performing the Eagle Dance.  The photo is part of a larger display that is hanging at Buffalo Trail Scout Ranch.

Totem

"Tatanka" is translated as "Buffalo."  The "white buffalo" has become the symbol of the Buffalo Trail Council and the totem of  the Tatanka Lodge.

First Patches of the Lodge

This was the first patch of the lodge and was probably worn on a neckerchief which was the popular thing to do in those days.  Warren Wallace has one that is a black cloth neckerchief with the patch sewn on the back.  However, it could have also been worn on the right pocket of the uniform.  Date unknown as to when it was first issued but it was issued sometime prior to 1954.

First pocket-flap - 1954	Current trading pocket-flap

This was first issued in 1954 and is the first pocket-flap of the lodge.  Notice how the buffalo has changed shape from the patch above.  According to the Blue Book, 3rd Edition. some 106 different patches have been issued in the lodge.  Of course some of them are just different loom runs of the same patch with a few stitch variations in the run.  The buffalo in the patch has evolved over the years  from being all  black to black and brown, to brown and white, black and white and finally in about 1987  to a white buffalo as shown on your right above.

Calling Out Ceremony (1972)
The following story was provided by Otis Medley, Lodge Chief in 1978-79

"My earliest memories of the Tatanka Lodge came when I arrived at BTSR in the Summer Camp of 1972. Our troop was small, and had just started the fall before. I was a brand new Tenderfoot, and excited about going to camp. Every where I went was evidence of the OA.; Totem poles, the Buffalos at the entrance, and OA Springs. It was all so mysterious, and no one would really tell me anything about it. Then Friday came, and all the families began to arrive. Supper was really quite good, and as the evening turned to dusk everyone began to gather at the chow hall. There were all these Scouts with Arrowmen sashes and their coup beads. Everyone grew quiet, and then these Scouts in authentic looking Indian costumes came in silence. I started to laugh but no one else even seem to think this was strange. We were instructed to to be silent as we were lead down a path lighted by smudge pots, and along the way more serious faced Indians were standing on the rocks above us. Our guide lead with a torch; the second guide brought up the rear, and also had a torch. We were lead in the gathering darkness to the council fire, where we were seated, and the Indians disappeared. The various members of camp staff gave awards and other instructions were given.

"And then the Indian dancers came and danced to the ancient songs. It was a show of brilliant colors and the hard work of months of research and practice. As a young Scout, though it was just fascinating. When the dancers were through, the lights slowly dimmed, and we became conscious of torches on the road above the council ring. Almost at the same time, high up on Forbidden Mountain, the WWWs were lit. The Tap Out team came down the road and came into the ring; one torch went to a stack of wood on the right, and the other went to the wood on the left, and at the same time the torches were tossed into the wood and the council fire leapt to life. One of the Indians called to another to check and see if the fire was properly set and cheerfully burning. And then the four chiefs began the Tap Out ceremony. As each name was called out in a loud voice, a runner was dispatched to retrieve the Scout. Suddenly, a name was called, a runner dispatched, and the Scout next to me was taken to the ring!

"It was at this time I realized it could be me someday. Each candidate was taken to the ring where one of the chiefs would take him by the shoulders and thrust him towards one of the others. In response, The chief placed his hands on the shoulders of the candidate, and with three swift taps to his shoulder, lowered his hands, and folded them at his chest. The candidate was then turned to the next chief, who took his coup beads off, and with his hands spread at shoulder's width, put his coup beads over the head of the candidate, and tapped both shoulders at the same time. The candidate was given a single eagle's claw, and then rushed off into the darkness up the dry creek bed. Later I found out that each was told not to speak until after breakfast and were to carve an arrow for their ordeal, which was usually held at the end of the summer camp. Ordeals were also held in late May, and late August. We called them Work Weekends, and they all usually had ordeal candidates on the trail."