Order of the Arrow Lodge History Center

HISTORY OF
ORDER OF THE ARROW SILVER TOMAHAWK LODGE #80


By Bill Dorrell





Silver Tomahawk Lodge was established in 1935 and continued until the fall of 1958. At that time Mr. Earl Ring moved from Kansas City to become the Scout Executive for the then Southeast Iowa Council and under Mr. Ring's directive the Order of the Arrow charter was dropped and The Tribe of the Silver Tomahawk, a Mic-O-Say organization, was established.

In 1964 Mr. Ring died and the new Scout Executive, Bill Kephart, rechartered us as Silver Tomahawk Lodge 80. At that time both the standard O.A. program and some of the Mic-O-Say traditions were used together. The single biggest change was that once again boy officers were elected and an L.E.C. structure was used.

Over the next few years the organization was in flux, with changes in ceremonies occurring almost weekly. To solidify things an ad hoc group got together and created a more unified blend of the two organizations. When they submitted their proposal, a majority of it was accepted by the Scout Executive.

When Mr. Kephart moved on many of the Mic-O-Say traditions he did not approve of were gradually re-instituted. With minor modifications the mixed program continued until Southeast Iowa Council was combined with Saukee Area Council and Silver Tomahawk Lodge 80 was merged with Meheegun Lodge 136 to form Ka-Ti-Mississippi Lodge 37.

Almost all of the Mic-O-Say traditions were dropped and there was great discontent on the Silver Tomahawk side. After two years of heated discussion and communication with the National Order of the Arrow, the boys from the two former lodges were allowed to vote as to what they desired and both lodges voted, Meheegun Lodge by 92% and Silver Tomahawk Lodge by 96%, to return to the original two lodges.

Today, Silver Tomahawk Lodge 80 continues to be a unique blend of both the Order of the Arrow program and the Mic-O-Say program.

Bill Dorrell
Vigil/Keeper of the Wampum
Silver Tomahawk Lodge 80



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