Back in 2010 I announced the formation of Tschipey Achtu lodge as a result of the merger of Ty-Ohni 95 and Ganeodiyo 417.   At the time I was told they would use the number 397, which is also their council number.   This created a bit of controversy as that number is currently in use by Chilantakoba lodge in Louisiana.   I also announced their first flap.   Other than a 2010 Jamboree issue no further news from this lodge made it to me.

I was talking with a Roger Ward last night who was at the recent Winter South Carolina Trade-O-Ree.  He tells me it has not been quiet in that lodge.   The use of 397 was problematic.  Many wanted to choose a different number.   Some wanted to claim the number zero, but that was not well received given the special place Unami 1 holds in the Order of the Arrow.   The Scout Executive, I am told, stepped in and told the lodge they will use the lower number from the two merged lodges.

The lodge is now known as Tschipey  Achtu 95.    I have updated the site to reflect this current information.   Several new issues have also been added.

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I received word earlier today from Randy Stiegler, VP of Program for Long Beach Area Council (LBAC), that this council has just recently formed an OA lodge.  LBAC was one of two councils (to my knowledge) within the BSA that did not have an Order of the Arrow lodge.

Randy tells me the current lodge membership is just 22 but that will rise rapidly over the next few months.   The new lodge will have its first call out and Ordeal in May.   There is no news yet on a lodge name, totem or patches.   I will share that here when I know something.

The Tribe of Tahquitz will remain an integral part of LBAC.   It will work side by side with the OA lodge to support the council and its programs.

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Some of those who know me personally, know that I have gone over to the “Dark Side” and have started using Apple products.  I bought an iMac a couple of months ago and just recently got an iPad.   My brother is trying to tell me that my Droid’s days are numbered.

I really like my iPad and started day dreaming about an OAImages app for it.  I have no idea how to go about writing this and it would take me into an entirely new area from what I know.   It’s not something that would happen easily or soon.  Here’s your chance to give feedback.   What do you think about an OAImages app?  What would you put in it?   Do you have any thoughts on how it would be distributed  or how much it would cost?

Please feel free to comment.   Comments are moderated for those who have not successfully had a comment published on this blog before in order to control spam.  I will do my best to approve comments as quickly as possible in order to facilitate a discussion.

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My friend Jason Spangler, also known as the Santee Swapper and host of the Scouting Hot Finds newsletters and podcast has assembled a free guide to spotting the fake Chinese made OA patches currently appearing on eBay.

A Guide to Identifying Recent Chinese Fakes on eBay

This is an extensive 24 page treatise on these patches, with many illustrations.   It documents the fakes produced by various sellers over the past several years.   It also discusses the marketing strategies of those who produced these fakes including the stealing of images from this website.

This is a must read for almost any collector who wants to avoid being taken by these fakes.

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Tipisa 326: 2011-2012 Year Patch

As is the custom in Tipisa Lodge (326), the incoming Lodge Chief is responsible for the theme for his year’s patches.  The chief for the 2011-2012 year decided that the lodge needed a renewal of the lodge program, almost a re-birth.  And as a fitting theme for his efforts, the lodge’s activity items for his year have the theme of “A Renaissance Of Brotherhood”, featuring adaptations of artwork from the Renaissance period, with Scouting themes.  the year patch, for example, is an adaptation of “The Birth Of Venus”, by Botticelli.

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Echockotee 200: 70th Anniversary Flap

In 2011, Echockotee Lodge 200 commemorated their 70th anniversary with the issuance of a flap (S-45?), 800 made, and sold unrestricted.  The basic design is based on the 25th anniversary flap (S-5), with a fleur-de-lis embedded in each lower corner; embroidered to match the design.  What stands out with this issue is the “70″ in the middle.  It was embroidered over what is known as “foam injection”, to create a three-dimensional effect.

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237 Aal-Pa-Tah: 2011 Year Patch

The Aal-Pa-Tah Lodge 237 activity patch set for 2011 utilized older lodge designs for the weekend itemsfor the “year patch” (a J-type activity patch, used by many lodges in Florida as an additional piece in the year’s themed set).  The year patch utilized the “gator on a log”, that was used as the lodge’s basic flap design from the 1950s to the 1980s.

The five weekend patches all have the same basic design, with changes in color and the name of the weekend activity.  This basic design was first used as a weekend patch in 1959, and again in 1988.

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Echockotee 200: 2011 Fall Fellowship

As previously reported, the activity patch set theme for Echockotee Lodge 200 for the 2011 year was “Ships Named Florida”.  The year has been completed, with the year’s jacket patch and five weekend pieces (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall Fellowships, and the 2011 Section S-4 Conference), with depictions of the different vessels in the US Navy that has carried the state’s name throughout the years.

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