OAImages Blog

 I was sitting up one night recently reviewing closed eBay auctions as adding data to my site and I saw a cool flap issued by Wiatava 13, lodge of the 2007 National Chief.     There are also messages from time to time on patch-l  and other collecting forums asking whether someone has a list of all the patches issued for the various national officers.

I have a page on this site where one can run Google powered searches, so I thought I’d give this a try.     This is the first of what I plan to be an ongoing series.     First up is “Home of the National Chief”.

Here is the list of patches I have found in Blue Book for “Home of the National Chief”.      The chiefs are listed in chronological order.

1969:     Jeff Fielder, White Feather 499.   Before 1971, the official title of the top elected office in the Order of the Arrow was “National Conference Chief”.   However that didn’t stop the folks in White Feather lodge from proudly proclaiming themselves the home of the “National O.A. Chief”.    

Nearly a decade would pass before another lodge issued a  similar patch.

1978-1980:   Jeff Herrmann, Shinnecock 360.   Shinnecock issued their S3 in his honor.    

This flap has a special significance for me as this was my orginal lodge.     I was presented the S2 when I completed my ordeal.   The S3 was the first flap I bought to collect.   Also,  Chief Herrmann was the keynote speaker at the first OA banquet I attended, held during his term.

1980-1982:   Brad Starr, Klahicann 331.   Klahican issued their S11 for Chief Starr.

1982-1984:   Robert A. Wade, Ketchikeniqua 238.   The S5 and a matching CSP, X2, were the two issues from this lodge for Chief Wade.     Both patches also did double duty at 1983 NOAC issues.

1985:   Stephen Mimnaugh, Eluwak 59.     Mimnaugh was the first of two consecutive national chiefs to be elected from NE-1B.   Eluwak’s S7 was issued in his honor.  

He was also the first elected youth national chief to be elected to a one year term and not have NOAC held during his term of office. The shortened term was necessitated by the three year gap between the 1983 and 1986 NOACs.

1985-1987:   David Erb, Quanopin 309.    David Erb was the second consecutive national chief to be elected from section NE-1B.   It was during his term that the NOAC was once again held on even-numbered years, skipping 1985.      

Erb was the last national chief elected to a two-year term.   Annual terms, first  used in 1985 were restored for all subsequent officers starting with Jeff Moser’s term in 1988.

Quanopin lodge issued their S17 and S18 in his honor.

1988:   Jeff Moser, Pellissippi 230.   The lodge issued the S26, S27 and X1 in his honor.   A patch was also made by his home troop, listed in Blue Book as ZX1.

1989:   Jack Stephens, Chee Dodge 503.   Chief Stephens was originally a member of Papago 494  and had served as their vice chief before moving from Tuscon.     Chee Dodge’s S10 commemorates his election.

1990:   John Meckley, Woapeu Sisilija 343.   I find it a bit surprising that with all the patches issued in 1990 for the OA’s 75th anniversary, none apparently were issued for that year’s national chief.     Mr. Meckley, now an attorney, is active in politics and was a Republican candidate for Congress from Pennsylvania in 1998.    

1991:   Clint Takeshita, Pomponio 528.       Chief Takeshita’s term was commemorated by a single flap, S26, from Pomponio lodge.

1992:   Sean Cox, Semialachee 239.   One flap was issued for Chief Cox, the S28.

1993:   Brian Beaverstock, Tisquantum 164.   Two varieties of the S18 were issued by Tisquantum lodge for Chief Beaverstock.

1994: Scott Beckett, Nebagamon 312.   Was it a gamble to elect a National Chief from “Sin City”?   I don’t think so.   Scott was the National Chief at my first NOAC.   I  remember how he chose his younger brother, a new Ordeal member, to place the Chief’s bonnet on his head at the opening show.

The lodge displayed their sense of humor on their S16 issued in his honor.

1995:   Josh Feigelson, Manitous 88.     This lodge didn’t issue any special flaps for Chief Feigelson.   However they did issue two chevrons, the X1 and X2, designed to be worn on the uniform pocket below the lodge’s S1 and S2.  

The resulting two part sets could arguably be considered the first such sets issued for a national officer.

1996:   Ryan Pitts, El-Ku-Ta 520.     The S38 and S39 were issued in honor of Chief Pitts.   Blue Book lists signed and unsigned  varieties of each flap.   This was the first time an officer’s signature warranted mention in Blue Book.    

1997:   Chris Rogers, Chemokemon 226.     The 226 S39 was issued for Chief Rogers.     I still need an image of this flap for my site.

1998:   Mathew “Mat” Milleson, Yah-Tah-Hey-Si-Kess 66.   One flap, the S28, was issued to honor Chief Milleson.

1999:   Will Parker, Alibamu 179.     The 179 S26 and S27, with both signed an unsigned varieties listed in Blue Book, were issued for  Chief Parker.

2000:  Carey Mignerey, Egwa Tawa Dee 129.   There were an unusually large number of issues from Mr. Mignerey’s lodge.     They include F1a, F1b, and  S30 through S35.   The lodge’s NOAC flaps, S36 through S42.5, also proclaim Egwa Tawa Dee “Home of the Millenium National Chief”.

I  had the  honor  to briefly meet Carey Mignerey when he was a guest of honor at Tsoiotsi Tsogalii’s 2000 Fall Fellowship.

2001:   Don Cunningham, Susquehannock XI.   Probably the first lodge to write their lodge number in Roman numerals*, Susquehannock  issued two flaps for the 2001 National Chief, their S31 and S32.     They continued lodge 129’s custom of having a special flap, S32, that could only be obtained from the National Chief himself.     This has since spread to other National and Regional officers.

I also met Don Cunningham when he, too, visited our lodge’s Fall Fellowship during his term of office.

2002: Clay Capp, Wa-Hi-Nasa 111.   At the 2002 NOAC, the lodge 111 contingent were sporting eponymous headwear in support of the National Chief.   Fortunately, they didn’t follow this through with a  flap based upon “Devo” or “Men Without Hats“!     The S58 was the sole patch issued by the lodge for Chief Capp.

2003:   Nick Digirolamo, Seminole 85. Three flaps from Seminole appeared for Chief Digirolamo. The S41 and S42 were first issued. The ZS15 later was made (not by Nick!) when Nick ran low on his supply of S42.

2004:   Jeff Hayward, Tetonwana 105.   The S17, which also served as their 2004 NOAC flap, was the only patch issued by Tetonwana for Chief Hayward.

2005:   Patrick Murphy, Wipala Wiki 432.     This lodge issued three cool-looking flaps,  432 S105 - S107, in Mr. Murphy’s honor.   The S106 and S107 have serial numbers embroidered into them, like many other recent issues from this lodge.

Tuwanasavi Chapter of lodge 432 also issued two patches, their R1? and R2?, neither yet listed in Blue Book for Chief Murphy.     These have the distinction of being the only “Chapter of the National Chief” patches to date.

Half Moon 28 was the service lodge for the 2005 NE-3B.     They, too, honored the 2005 National Chief, not because he was from their lodge but rather because he was attending that year’s conclave.     This is listed in Blue Book as S29.   There is also a prototype, YS2, with a different color scheme.

2006:   Sean Murray, Otahnagon 172.   Finally the Order of the Arrow elected a National Chief that I can see eye-to-eye with.       His lodge issued the S20? and S21?, neither yet listed in Blue Book, in his honor.

2007:   Evan Chaffee, Wiatava 13.     This is the flap that inspired me to write this post.   So far two flaps, S42? and S43?, and a chenille have been issued by Wiatava.   I don’t yet have an image of the chenille.

Have I missed any “Home of the National Chief” patches?   If so, please let me know.

Revised:   4/18/2007

Footnotes:

*Does anyone know which was issued first:     The Susquehannock X3, or the Minsi F1?

Additional Credits and Thanks:

•  James Arriola, Bill Chin, Jeff Posey and Steve Silbiger for providing their spreadsheet of known national officer patches.
•  Ray Czech, Ray Kell, Mac McLean, David Scocca, and any other members I have forgotten  of the arrow-l and patch-l listservs for providing addtional information, comments and corrections.

Related Posts:

• 2008 National Officer Patches
• The Youngest National Officer?
• And the New Chief Is…