1945 Area I Meeting
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Bill Mulrenin has been doing a periodic series of posts on his blog covering the memorabilia of the Section Conclaves and Area Fellowships for New York lodges. Since things are slowing down a bit here, I thought I would take the chance to do the same for conclaves here in North Carolina. Perhaps, I’ll also cover other sections in the Southeast if there’s interest and I get sent the necessary images.
The first OA area fellowship, the precursor of today’s section conclaves, in North Carolina was held in 1945 at Camp Graystone. Tali Taktaki 70 served as the host lodge. Area I, in existence from 1945-1949, covered the entire state of North Carolina. Memorabilia from these early meetings are arguably the most highly prized conclave insignia from North Carolina.
The nine lodges then serving North Carolina gathered for this first meeting. Nayawin Rar 296 had just been founded that Spring. Klahican lodge would not be formed until the next year. The OA would not complete serve North Carolina council’s until the founding of Catawba lodge (1951) and finally Eswau Huppeday lodge (1964).
The only insignia from this first meeting was a neckerchief slide, pictured at the top of this post. Only text is on this slide. It indicates it was for the “N.C. Order of the Arrow Fellowship Meeting”, and gives the date of the meeting. Notice that then the meetings were held in the Fall.
It was only in these early years that all of the North Carolina lodges were in the same area or section. In 1950 Tsali and Itibapishe Iti Hollo lodges were separated from the rest of North Carolina and placed into Area 6-B, which would soon become the Dixie Fellowship. While Itibapishe Iti Hollo, Catawba and Eswau Huppeday lodges would later be reunited with the lodges of eastern and central North Carolina, Tsali lodge has never returned.
Of note–this particular slide design was used more than once for pre-1950 Area Meetings. There is another slide almost exactly like this one–except that “NC” is replaced with “Area J” and the date “Sept. 29, 30″ is replaced with “Nov. 2, 3, 4″. (Area J I believe included lodges in Florida and Georgia.)
There is also a very similar slide from Area A dated 1948.
Does anyone have anything to indicate any Area I event before 1945?
OA Conclave Handbook, by Dingwerth and Jensen has a national listing that shows Area I going back to 1943 (not to be confused with the 1940-42 Area I Michigan lodges). While I’m sure this is accurate, *at least on paper*, it also shows a patch from a 1944 event. However, it’s just a narrow strip with the words “MORROW MT’44″. Without any other wording, I’m betting it’s just a summer camp type patch tab, so I’m curious if anyone has ever heard otherwise.
Until then, I’ve changed Area I’s 1944 entry back to a ? on my Areas A-Z page
John, as always great research on these tough issues!
[...] Conclave History from North Carolina, John Pannell has begun a series of posts beginning with the 1945 Area I Meeting. John has been a bit more methodical than me, and is progressing through the years in order. His [...]
[...] North Carolina Conclave Memorabilia. The piece is almost identical in design and text to the 1945 Area I Fellowship Meeting neckerchief slide. 1945 Area J Fellowship Meeting [...]
[...] and Section Conclaves. He began the series with one of the earliest North Carolina OA Issues, the 1945 Area I Fellowship Meeting Slide. The first OA area fellowship, the precursor of today’s section conclaves, in North Carolina was [...]