When were chapters first used in the Order of the Arrow? I’m not sure what the answer is, but while doing some research on the Ten Mile River Scout Museum Archive web site, I came across the 1929 Brooklyn Council Yearbook. Page 18 of the yearbook is written by Edwin Nicholson described as (3rd Degree) Deputy Chief of the Fire and his article is entitled The Wimachtendienk W. W.
The quote which caught my eye was:
In the summer of 1925, the Brooklyn Lodge, known as the Shu-shu-gah (Blue Heron) Lodge, was formed at Camp Kanohvet. Every unit of the Brooklyn Camps now has a chapter. The organization is primarily concerned with the summer camp program and functions efficiently in building morale and good spirit in each camp.
Each chapter has a sacred shrine in the woodlands where members may hold forth during summer months in good fellowship or in the ceremonial of inducting new candidates into the rites and mysteries of the order.
Prior to Brooklyn Scout Camps moving to Ten Mile River Scout Camps in 1928, they were located at Kanohwahke Scout Camps in what is now Harriman or Bear Mountain State Parks.
So Shu Shu Gah Lodge, to use the modern convention was born at Kanohwahke Scout Camps and than moved to Ten Mile River. As quoted elsewhere in the 1929 Yearbook, these were the twelve camps which made up Brooklyn Scout Camps.
Some of these names survived as chapters and were used in latter years. Sacut Chapter had a chapter patch, which is probably the earliest known patch from Shu Shu Gah Lodge.
Can anyone date chapters prior to 1928/29?
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