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.

The foam injection was also used for their next flap (S-46?), the lodge’s service flap.  The patch is available for purchase by lodge members, one for each eight hours of service given.  The basic service flap design has been largely unchanged since the late 1950s, with changes made to become compliant with BSA trademark guidelines in 1977 (adding fleur-de-lis, changing to a rolled edge).  Changing to different vendors since 1977 have created different issues in the last 34-plus years, but this latest order created a different flap, without changing the design.

In November, Echockotee hosted the 2011 Section S-4 Seminars, a Section-wide training event and planning meeting to prepare for the next year’s Section Conference, held in Florida almost every year since 1977.  While attendance is much smaller than that of a Section Conference, over 340 Arrowmen came for the weekend.  Echockotee issued only one item as the host (S-47?); 600 made, sold unrestricted.

Other new issues: an Elangomat patch (P-6?, with a BLU BSA), for those that serve as an Elangomat at a lodge Ordeal, and a “First Year Arrowman Award” (X-32?), for new Arrowmen that meet certain participation requirements.

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.

One variation was created in the 2011 set, that was with the Spring Fellowship patch.  Five hundred patches were created for the weekend, with more than 450 in attendance, and another 100 were ordered to take care of those wanting extras.  The original order has a maroon colored button cord, and the second order has a red cord (border color is the same, despite what the scanned images may show).

For the activity patches for  2011, Echockotee Lodge 200 will be have a theme of “Ships Named Florida”, depicting US Navy ships that bore the name of the state.  The year patch for the series depicts the battleship Florida, part of the fleet from 1911 to 1931.

The first weekend patch depicts the first ship in the Navy fleet named Florida, a sloop from the eartly 19th century.

At the recent Echockotee  200 Summer Fellowship, the lodge had two new flaps available for sale.   The first flap (tentatively S-43*) is for the lodge’s participation in the 2010 Section S-4 “FourCorps” service project in the Ocala National Forest. The design is taken from the lodge’s neckerchief, shaking hands with the bear** used in the section’s FourCorps patch.   A total of 200 were produced, with 25 set aside for lodge members participating in FourCorps.

The other flap sold at the Summer Fellowship celebrates the centennial of the BSA (S-44?).   A total of 500 were created and sold out.

Here is the patch for the Summer Fellowship, part of the annual theme for Echockotee’s activity items for 2010, “Centennial of Scouting“.   This is a scan sent from the manufacturer; due to a production problem, the patches were not delivered on time for the event, and were to be mailed out afterward.

* The two flaps were sold at the same time.   The FourCorps flap was authorized prior to the Centennial flap, so it received the lower number.

** The danger of actually trying to shake hands with a bear.

In March, Echockotee 200 held their Spring Fellowship, continuing with the second weekend patch of the 2010 series theme, featuring important figures in the history of the BSA.   The Spring Fellowship patch features E. Urner Goodman, founder of the OA and one-time member of Echockotee Lodge.

Also issued at that weekend was a second version of the 2010 year patch,  this time with the JACKSONVILLE community strip in Cub Scout colors.

Apieka Chapter (Gainesville area) has come out with two monochrome versions of their chapter patch, in ORG (X3) and BLU (X4) colors.

Echockotee Lodge 200 recently held their 2010 Winter Fellowship (a weekend in Florida where the temperature dropped to 19 degrees), with the beginning of their 2010 series, celebrating the centennial of Scouting.   The year patch for this theme features a collage of several patches that were worn in North Florida Council over the years, with a large BSA fleur d’lis in the middle, stitched so that is elevated over the rest of the patch.   The order of 125 patches was a complete sell-out.

The patches for the lodge’s weekend activities will  highlight important figures in the history of American Scouting.   The  Winter Fellowship design depicted Waite Phillips, donor of Philmont Scout Ranch.

In October, Echockotee  ran the annual North Florida Council “Special Needs Camporee”.   While the fund-raising flaps were sold in September, the staff patch was not available until the event was held.    

In late 2009, Onathequa Chapter ran their district’s  annual Camporee, and issued a Service Corps patch of their own.

Echockotee 200 S40?

For almost twenty years, Echockotee Lodge 200 has worked with North Florida Council for an event for children  with special needs, to provide them with a day and a night of camping and other outdoor activities.   Since 2006, a patch has been created for the members of the lodge staffing the event.   Previous  blog entries about the patches can be found here, and here, and here.

In 2009, funding that had been planned for the event dried up, requiring the lodge to raise funds.   Making money means making patches.   The lodge authorized a flap to be created for fund raising, and 250 were made of the design in full color (200-S-40).   A second version was also created, another 250 were made of a matching white monochrome (200-S-41).

Echockotee 200 S41?

But, there’s more.

After the two flaps were shipped to the lodge, the vendor was contacted by the manufacturer, that another 350 were made of the white monochrome, missing all of the background embroidery above the horizon line.   These were shipped to the vendor, and then offered to the lodge for their own use  or to have this unrequested order destroyed.   Echockotee accepted this third flap, making it an official issue (200-F-2).

Also sold was the patch for the Fall Fellowship, the last of the 2009 series (here, here, and here).

For the 2009 National OA Conference, Echockotee Lodge 200 will continue with the “farm” designs with their two-piece set (200-S-39? + X-28?).   The contingent’s theme, “Hoosier Brother” that was on the “tractor” registration patch, is now on the side of a painted barn.   The tractor is still there, plowing the back 40.

Along with the two-piece set, there will also be a “Founders Day” flap (200-S-40?), with a design like the two-piece.   To get one, come by the Echockotee booth at Founders’ Day; they will be traded for one of your NOAC patches.

And to celebrate the University of Florida Gators’ National football championship of 2009, there will also be a NOAC CSP (200-X-29?).   The Gator’s head has been stitched extra high, over the felt surface of the rest of the patch.

Echockotee 200 2009 Summer Fellowship

Echockotee Lodge 200 recently held their Summer Fellowship event, marked with their latest in the 2009 series of activity patches depicting feathers, on a shield-shaped design.   The “CC” on the patch is not a Roman numeral depiction of the lodge’s number (pure coincidence); it is the initials of the designer of the patch (see also the Winter and Spring 2009 pieces).

Echockotee 200 Elemukulek Chapter 2009 Camporee Staff

Floating around are two other patches that have the Echockotee name, but are not issued by the lodge.   Elemukulek Chapter ran the River Bend District 2009 Camporee, and had planned on two patches with their chapter’s name on each  (one for all attendees, another for Staff).   Somewhere between design and production, however, “ELEMUKULEK” was replaced with “ECHOCKOTEE LODGE”.   Staff patches are much harder than the attendee items, as most Staff pieces were sewn on hats.

Echockotee 200 P5?

The calendar may indicate that Spring does not begin for another two weeks, and snow  may still be on the ground up north.   But here in Florida, this is the beginning of Spring Training for major league baseball, and Spring activities for the lodges of Florida.   This past weekend (March 6-8), six of the eight Florida lodges in Section S-4 held weekend events.

Echockotee 200 2009 Spring Fellowship

Also issued was the patch for the Spring Fellowship.   The shape of the patch invokes those that the lodge made in the early and mid 1960s.

Echockotee 200 2009 Winter Fellowship

Echockotee Lodge 200 recently held their 2009 Winter Fellowship, with more different patches than one has seen before.   At least from a lodge from their end of the state of Florida.   First was the weekend patch; with only 300 made for   weekend attended by 260+, several registered attendees did not get their patch

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Echockotee 200 2009 Year Patch

The annual year theme patch was also available (I’m still trying to find the theme), with only 50 patches made.   No wonder they sold out within 30 minutes, and two were sold at the annual patch auction the following night for $55, each.

Echockotee 200 S33?

The lodge distributed their latest flaps, made as a fundraiser for the Jimmy Horne Campership Fund.   One hundred of each of four border colors were made (S-33, BLU bdr; S-34, GLD bdr; S-35, GRN bdr; S-36, RED bdr), and sold for $10 each, or $40 for the set.

Echockotee 200 2008 LLD

Two patches for activities in 2008 were distributed at the Winter Fellowship.   For the first time, Echockotee made a patch for their LLD weekend (back in September), with 70 made (one for each participant, one for the lodge collection, one more for the auction).   The other was for staffing the North Florida Council Special Needs Camporee.

Lastly, the first 2009 NOAC patch for Echockotee was released, available to those that have paid their deposit to attend the Conference.   This is in addition to the embroidered epaulet.

On the weekend of May 16-18, Echockotee held its Summer Fellowship, and continued with the 2008 activity patch series of “Florida’s Coral Reef”.   The weekend patch featured the design of a snapper.

A few weeks earlier, at the Nok-Su Chapter Conch Craziness Weekend, a discovery was made that could potentially add a patch to the series.

The patch design that was used for the 2008 Spring Fellowship patch was also used (by agreement) for the Buccaneer District Cub-O-Ree event for the Cub Scouts in the Keys, held a few weeks earlier.   While the manufacturer changed the verbiage on the patch to reflect the purpose of the Cub Scout event, the manufacturer failed to remove the WWW from the patch.

For those that are involved with the classification of emblems, does this become (pick one or more):

> An Echockotee patch?
> An Echockotee curiosity?
>  An O-Shot-Caw 265 patch?
> An O-Shot-Caw curiosity?
> None of the above?

This past weekend was the annual “Conch Craziness Weekend”, hosted by Nok-Su Chapter of O-Shot-Caw Lodge 265 in the Florida Keys. Folks came from four different lodges to attend, with the furthest attendee travelling over 500 miles to Camp Sawyer (Mile Marker 34 oceanside, just north of Big Pine Key). Still, a longer trip than the Cuban refugees that sailed their raft a few weeks ago, to land on the shores of the camp.

Along with the sun, camping, fellowship, and great food, there were, of course, patches. The patch for the weekend depicts a pelican, which is also the unofficial totem of Camp Sawyer. There was a Vigil Breakfast patch; same design as the regular patch, with the word VIGIL stitched into the side.

Onathequa Chapter of Echockotee Lodge 200 sold their own patch, to help pay for the gasoline and the tolls for their 480 mile trip. This is the fourth year in a row that Onathequa created an emblem for their contingent. This year’s design featured the “tourist” owl totem standing at “Mile Marker 0″, the southern end of US Highway 1.*

John Pannell is still learning the new “gallery shortcode” in this version of Word Press, so he adds the gallery of all images related to this post. You can click on any of the images below to see the complete full sized image.

* Full disclosure: Robert is the advisor for Onathequa Chapter.

John has beaten me to the punch with postings about the recent Section S-4S Conference. Osceola Lodge 564 hosted the event, held at Flying Eagle Scout Reservation near Bradenton. Over 1000 Arrowmen were in attendance. The number of patch traders seemed to be lower than usual, making it hard to find some of the more difficult items. Along with the host items that John had previously mentioned, three lodges (Aal-Pa-Tah 237, Echockotee 200, and O-Shot-Caw 265) made items for their lodges’ attendance at the Conference.

Besides the conference items, Osceola had a large selection of items to commemorate their role in the event. Three flaps were available: GRN border for all Osceola members, unrestricted (1200 made), YEL bdr for service to prepare for the Conference, 2/ member (450 made), and a PUR bdr for the chairmen and advisors for each of the Conference host committees, 2/ person (150 made). The PUR border has the word WITAHEMUI in WHT thread. Eight flaps were made with a PUR border and no word; seven to be given to key leaders of the Conference, with the eight to go in the lodge collection. Also produced was a host pocket patch with no restriction, and a “blood donor” patch (more on that later). An embroidered host neckerchief was also made, and host back patches and chenilles were back-ordered by the vendor.

Two topics for discussion, one that comes up every year: first is, how to classify Conference attendance patches made by non-host lodges. The need for those that decide on consistent classifications across the country can determine that such non-host, non-flap shaped emblems. The distinction between host and non-host, to me, is a real difference; a host item is for the lodge’s work over several months to prepare for the event, while non-host items are for a lodge to commemorate their attendance at the weekend event.

With that in mind, the Florida collectors tend to consider non-host items as activity patches, rather than classifying them as X, R, or A emblems. Of the three lodges that have made such items, O-Shot-Caw has had their attendance items as a part of the annual themed set every year since 1993, except for the theme for this year (for reasons that cannot yet be explained). Echockotee has had their two patches match the themed sets for 2006 and 2008. Aal-Pa-Tah bases their attendance design on the design used for the Conference (2006-2008), incorporating their totem of the alligator in the design when possible. No lodge has yet to make an attendance flap, so I won’t worry about classifying what isn’t yet in existence.

The second question is for a new item for 2008, the “host patch” for donating blood. The local blood bank was on hand to solicit donations, with a special patch (150 made) for those that either donated, or attempted to donate but were unable to do so. The only reason why this is an Osceola patch, instead of a Conference item, is the OSCEOLA HOST at the bottom. But any attendee, in theory, could receive the patch for their participation, not just host lodge members.

So, in both cases, what should be the overriding factor in determining the classification of a piece: purpose, shape, or distribution? Discuss.

Several of the S-4S lodges issued odd-shape patches for their delegates to the 2008 S-4S conclave. Collectors are not united in their opinion on how to list lodge delegate patches that are not flaps. Until the listing are officially updated, I have listed them as odd-shapes, “X” issues, in the main body of lodge issues.

Echockotee lodge’s issue is a gray bordered oval. In keeping with the lodge’s sea life theme for its 2008 activity patches, this issue depicts an eel. I have listed this on the site as “X26?”.

At the Echockotee Lodge 200 Spring Fellowship last weekend, the Ceremonial Committee released their set of patches created as an incentive to increase participation in their programs. The set includes a pocket patch with a WHT background (X-21?; 250 made), to be sold for $7 each, in order to finance the incentive program, and a BLK background (X-22?; 100 made), to be given to those that participate in a ceremony as a character. The last piece is a jacket patch (J-3?; 100 made), to be given to those that participate in four ceremonies.

Some of the lodge members noticed a few problems with these patches:
1) On the pocket patches, there are no button loops; therefore, no way to wear them on the pocket.
2) On the jacket patch, there is no lodge name, number, WWW, or anything that relates this emblem with Ceremonies. Aside from the handclasp (totem of Echockotee 200), future collectors may ponder the origin of this item.
3) At 9.75 inches in diameter, this is the largest patch in the Echockotee collection. It is also too big to fit in a standard binder, with the rest of the lodge collection.

As an adult member of Echockotee 200, my own opinion has the equivalent value of squat. But for what it is worth, patches and other collectables are seen by many leaders and executives as the first and easiest available option to create incentives for participation and fundraising, when there are other ways to attract activity without depending on collectors. To paraphrase Rick Obermeyer: “It is assumed that there is something magical that happens in the Ordeal ceremony, that turns ordinary Scout and Scouters into patch collectors.”

And, there was also the patch for the Fellowship, part of the 2008 series “Florida’s Coral Reef”. 600 patches were made, and with over 400 in attendance, all have been sold.

At the 2008 Winter Fellowship this past weekend, Echockotee 200 began their series of themed event patches for the year, along with the annual “year patch”.   With the theme of “Florida’s Coral Reef”, the year patch measures 10.25 inches at its widest point, by 7.25 inches at its tallest point.   And it has 22 colors.

The patches for each of the lodges four weekend events and the contingent to the 2008 S-4S Conference depict the fish on the year patch; for the Winter Fellowship event, the design was that of a parrot fish.    

It was also discovered this weekend that the patch made by Echockotee for staffing the  2006 “Special Needs Camporee” (previously named as one of the “ugliest OA patches ever” here and here) has a variety.   A re-order of fifty patches had been made, and came back with darker green lettering, lines, and fleur-de-lis.   Oddly enough, this  actually made the design look worse.    The Winter Fellowship  was the first weekend where a comparison was made of the two orders.

Echockotee also held their annual patch auction, raising over $1,000 to go toward youth fees for NOAC 2009.

Also made available this weekend is a flap (S-34?)  by Echockotee 200, for the ArrowCorps5 trip this summer.    The lodge sold these for $15 each, and all 250 were sold out.

In October, Echockotee Lodge 200 served as the staff for the North Florida Council Special Needs Camporee, serving Scouts and other children  involved in special educations  classes.   As regular readers of this blog will remember, John had referenced the patch for the 2006 event as one of the ugliest OA patches ever made.   Well, some improvement hase been made.

Echockotee’s Oglala Chapter recently served as the staff for their district’s Fall Camporee, with a patch produced for their members.   A total of 50 were made.   They also celebrated their second consecutive win of the lodge’s “Best All Around Chapter Award”, with another patch (R-1), producing 100 of these emblems.

Onathequa Chapter served as the staff for their own districtà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Camporee, and made 75 of their own patches, with a sateen background.

Normally this is something Robert Mathis would be more likely to take up on but I will this time.     It gives me the opportunity to go a little further afield.   Echockotee 200 has issued a patch for its 2007 Fall Fellowship.     Unless I am missing some issues, I believe this would be listed as eX2007-4.

This is not yet on the Echokotee page but I will add it soon.

This is the most recent entry in 2007′s ceremonial principals series.       The designs and wording should be very familiar to all Order of the Arrow brothers.   They’re all  cool, my only reservation is that I would have questioned the propriety of the text included on the patches.   I would   have pushed either to have that text entirely excluded or have much shorter quotes used.

It’s kind of neat to see how far the use of laser cut-edge technology can be used on patch, but I wonder how these will hold up over time.     I would imagine that the bow and arrow are very fragile, prone to bending and breaking.

The lodges in Florida have a long history of color and innovative activity patches.     Several lodges have taken up the custom of having annual themes for their issues.     Some of these themes may seem a bit odd.     While some might scratch their heads over  a series of patches for Florida’s pests, remember there was once a lodge whose totem was the mosquito!

It’s obvious a lot of thought and skill went into the creation of these.   If you want to see what can be done on a patch you might want to check these out.     In addition to Echockotee 200, also take a look at what the brothers of O-Shot-Caw 265, Tipisa 326,   Timuquan 340, and Osceola 564 have done.