Back in February 2007 and several times prior, I posted about the Kamargo Lodge #294 F1 first flap; here, here, and here.
There have always been some questions regarding it origins and provenance.
Bill Topkis, the former National Editor of the Blue Book had advised me that at least 5-6 copies existed of the half-moon shaped flap in national collections. Local collectors advised it didn’t exist within the circle of old time lodge members from that time.
John Pannell has the image pictured below on his OA Images site (and used with his permission here).
This flap appeared, as described, in Arapaho II and also in Al Rosenberger’s “The Order of the Arrow in New York State.” Enough questions have come up over time, that the following language “Possible prototype” was added to the desription in the last Blue Book (6th Edition).
Ray Gould had uncovered the following information which would appear to corroborate this change.
XXX is former Lodge Chief for #294 (late 1950’s) and Area II-G Chief (circa 1959-1960 or 1961?). He has been an avid collector of #294 and II-G items (as you know). His perspective on the BB designation for the #294 is clear:
————————
1. (Also F-1 was a prototype. We rejected the samples–around a half dozen–because they were not consistent!!! F-2 is really F-1, and I had it changed to F-3 because F-2 had a squirrel’s tail and not a chipmunk’s tail. Kamargo totem is the chipmunk. They — BlueBook — still hasn’t paid attention. I was the lodge chief and was responsible for the whole series…F-1 through F-3).
Does anyone have anything more toi add to this story?
——————
Technology is a way of organizing the universe so that man doesn’t have to experience it.
Max Frisch
