Lodge 188: Possible Concord Chapter Items
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Chris Jensen recently acquired a collection that had several pieces in it that might be of interest to lodge 188 collectors. They might be issues from this lodge’s Concord Chapter. Like a couple of other recent posts here, I throw these out for your comments and discussion.
The first item, pictured at the top of this post, has the strongest claim to being an issue from lodge 188’s Concord Chapter. Even though it does refer to the Concord District Spring Camporee it is conceivable the O.A. Callout was an chapter or lodge run event at this camporee. Beyond referring to an event specific to the Order of the Arrow program, the patch also prominently features an Ordeal sash oddly draped across a backpack.
(Editorial Aside: Before I go much further, I hope folks who thought lodge numbers were too difficult to keep track of notice that I use this lodge’s number throughout this post rather than its far more cumbersome name. Perhaps we should ban long lodge names next!?)
The next two patches have a weaker claim to being OA pieces. They are for a district level winter camporee. It is not at all unusual for an Order of the Arrow chapter to sponsor and run such events. A local example is the Yamni Wakpa chapter of Occoneechee lodge.
The 1984 patch features the OA arrow, what is probably the Vigil triangle, and a dancer it its design. It also memorializes Norman Alston.
C. Norman Alston was a prominent Scouter and former lodge adviser to lodge 188. SR-5, this lodge’s section, has named their conclave Spirit Award in his honor. This could easily explain the OA related design elements, even if the patch was not issued by lodge 188 or one of its chapter.
(pdf link from the 2005 Dixie Fellowship referring to this section’s Spirit Award)
The 1986 patch makes a clearer case in its design for OA involvement in this event. I believe the scene is meant to be a representation of this council’s camp during the Winter. Some artistic license was required as snowfall like this is not a common site in south central North Carolina. The patch also incorporates an arrow with “OA” superimposed over it.
It appears the patch is telling us the OA had some involvement in this event. However, it is not clear to me whether the chapter or district issued the piece.
The last two pieces have the weakest case of any of these for their being lodge 188 chapter pieces. Both are silk screened items with an identical design, just reversing the colors used.
They are dated 1981 and issued for “Handicapped Awareness”. 1981 was near the end of my youth involvement in Scouting and “handicapped awareness”, was the hot topic of the time coinciding with the introduction of the “Handicapped Awareness” Merit Badge. The name of the merit badge has since been changed.
I don’t know if this was some sort of event in that district this year. The possible nod towards the OA on these patches is the arrow behind the fleur d’lis. At best, this is a tenuous connection. Of all the piece here, I am most doubtful of these being OA items.
If these items are accepted as Lodge 188, Concord Chapter, items I propose the following listings for them:
| Chapter | Issue | Bdr Color/Type | Bkgd | Name | fdl/BSA | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concord | eR1981-1? | WHT | C | DBL | WHT | WHT | fdl; ssc, Concord District Handicapped Awareness 1981 |
| Concord | eR1981-2? | DBL | C | WHT | DBL | DBL | fdl; ssc, Concord District Handicapped Awareness 1981 |
| Concord | eA1984? | RED | R | WHT | RED | DYL | fdl, RED BSA; Concord District Deep Freeze 1984 |
| Concord | eX1986? | LYL | R | LBL | LYL | LYL | fdl; Concord District Frozen Sunshine Winter 1986 |
| Concord | eA1989? | WHT | R | RED | WHT | DYL | fdl; Concord District Spring Camporee 1989 O.A. Callout |
| Itibapishe Iti Hollo 188 page on OAImages.com | |||||||
In H. Eves Mathematical Circles Squared, Boston: Prindle, Weber and Schmidt, 1972.
John,
Chris Jensen told me that the 85 y/o scouter from whom he got these patches remembers distinctly OA chapter involvement with these events, including the last two. Chris says the man’s memory was quite good despite his age. I am of the opinion that it is fair to consider them as chapter events.
John,
I agree with Woody. It looks like this OA Chapter had a lot of envolvement in their District’s activities…much like your reference to Yamni Wakpa Chapter of Occoneechee Lodge.Therefore, thses pieces should be considered as Chapter activity patches.