The July 1945 issue of the National Bulletin
writes of a new universal arrow pin for uniform wear. When the latest
list of areas was printed, Area J, which was the same Area Ini-To
would be aligned with later in the year, was the latest area. Few
records regarding the lodge were kept by the Council, due mainly to
the lack of record keeping space.
Mr. John M. Vantrease, Council Scout
Executive at the time, was one of the chief instigators in forming
an Order of the Arrow Lodge in the Flint River Council. Records indicate
that an induction team from the Georgia Carolina Council, headquartered
in Augusta, Georgia, conducted the original "Calling Out"
ceremony on October 17, 1945, at Camp Thunder. Members of the Bob
White Lodge #87 comprised the induction team. The twelve candidates
were tapped by an arrow, which was never broken.
Candidates for this initial Ordeal were
picked by Mr. Vantrease and their Troop peers, and were informed at
summer camp to come to camp on the Ordeal date. The twelve charter
Arrowmen misunderstood Mr. Vantrease when he told them they would
be inducted into the Order of the Arrow. They thought he had said
'Order of the Error'.
Candidates slept under the stars with
no sleeping bag. They were allowed only a mattress cover. Hazing did
occur during Ordeal night. Charter candidate, Arthur Maddox recalls
he was placed by the steps of a camp building and had to move during
the night due to the flea infestation under the steps. Candidates
were given two matches to start the fire for their next morning's
breakfast.
Ordeal work consisted of building a fire
altar at the location of the camp council ring of that day, and establishing
the original Order of the Arrow council ring. This was located in
the swamp, approximately 200 feet north of Thundering Springs and
approximately 200 yards east of the lake dam. This site was in use
for the next five years and was years later submerged by the construction
of the now existing canoeing lake.
The large stones for building the fire
altar were pulled from the hillside, near the present winter cabin,
by one of the Bob White Lodge Arrowmen, and handed to the candidate
to be carried to the site by the lake.
The youth conducting the Ordeal, (no
adults were in the camp), each had a paddle with holes drilled in
it. The paddles were used during the day to make it appear as more
of an ordeal In truth, the paddles were never used. This first Ordeal
ceremony was conducted in the area around the old swimming lake, now
known as the upper, or trout lake.
The Charter Arrowmen did not receive
an Ordeal sash, but a sterling silver dangle. An example of the dangle
is pictured above. Ini-To's original name was Thundering Springs Lodge.
The twelve Ini-To Charter members were:
1. Ray Barron
2. Sammy Brewton
3. Paul Dawkins
4. Ray Howard
5. Arthur Maddox, Jr. (D)
6. Dick Mauney (D)
7. Jim Moore
8. Norman "Moose" Morris
9. Walter Murphy
10. Dick Osborne (D)
11. Ira "Dutch" Slade
12. Tee Suddith
Arthur Maddox, Jr.
Jim Moore
Walter Murphy
?
None
Mr. John M. Vantrease (D)
Griffin
Thomaston
Thomaston
?
None
Griffin
Ini-To's alignment in the Charter year
was in Area J. The Area J Fellowship meeting in 1945 was held at Camp
Echockotee, in the northeast portion of Florida, and was hosted by
Echockotee Lodge #200. A leather patch was issued to those arrowmen
in attendance. No Ini-To arrowmen attended this November meeting.
An example of the neckerchief slide can be viewed in Appendix C-5
under Conclave Patches.
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
None
Mr. John M. Vantrease
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
None
Griffin
Again on November 2 4, the Area J Fellowship
was held at Camp Echockotee in northeast Florida, with Echockotee
Lodge #200 as host. A leather neckerchief slide was issued to each
arrowman in attendance. The Order of the Arrow National Treasurer,
J. Rucker Newberry was in attendance. Area J consisted of eleven lodges
from South Carolina, Georgia and portions of Florida. The author has
found no evidence of an Ini-To arrowman in attendance. An example
of the issued neckerchief slide can be viewed in Appendix C-5, under
Conclave Patches.
Mr. Charlie Smith, the first caretaker
of Camp Thunder died. He served from 1938 until 1946. He was replaced
by Mr. J. W. Ansley.
In the July 1946 National Bulletin, recommendations
by the National Executive Committee on Brotherhood were made. They
were:
(1) That at least 12 months
tenure be required.
(2) That candidates have attended the majority of Lodge functions.
(3) That candidates be registered in the Boy Scouts of America.
(4) That a candidate be at least 15 years old.
The last piece of printed material the
Lodges received before the 1946 National meeting was a booklet on
Indian ritual costumes. It was compiled by a committee of Orville
Boss, J. Faryl McChanaban, and Vincent Pokrak (all of Owassippi Lodge
#7 of Chicago) . Archie Wilson of Pokagon Lodge #110 from Hammond,
Indiana also contributed to the booklet.
On August 26 29 the first National Lodge
Meeting saw 984 delegates from l 14 Lodges from 24 states. The National
Chief was Robert H. Heistand from Baltimore, Maryland.
Paul Dawkins
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
None
Mr. John M. Vantrease
Thomaston
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
None
Griffin
On March 14 16, 1947, the first Area
Z fellowship meeting was held at Camp Barstow, South Carolina. The
meeting was hosted by Muscogee Lodge #221. Area Z consisted of the
Lodges in South Carolina, and the northern half of Georgia. During
this time, the Host Lodge Chief also served as the Area Chief. The
scout who served in this capacity was Eugene Pate. A felt patch was
issued, and the fee for the weekend was $3.00. No evidence of any
of our Lodge members in attendance exists. An example of the patch
issued at this meeting can be viewed in Appendix C-5 under Conclave
Patches. In December 1947, the Order of the Arrow National Secretary
John C. Norsk reports there were 331 active Lodges with 46, 270 arrowmen,
including 40,660 Ordeal, 5,141 Brotherhood and 469 Vigil members.
The first Order of the Arrow Handbook, by Rucker Newberry, was released.
John Vantrease left our council in February
1948, to continue his scouting career by becoming the Council Executive
in Augusta, Georgia, for the Georgia Carolina Council. Mr. Vantrease
was instrumental in forming Ini-To Lodge, which just three years earlier,
had conducted its original CallingOut ceremony. Our Lodge was constituted
mainly due to the efforts of this one man. Reflecting upon what the
Lodge has become, we would do well to remember what the labor of one
dedicated individual can ultimately accomplish.
The first rifle range was established
at Camp Thunder.
On March 29, 1948, Mr. Joseph A. Brunton,
Scout Executive for the Greater New York Council, wrote Chief Scout
Executive, Mr. Elbert K. Fretwell, suggesting that the Order of the
Arrow be integrated into the Boy Scouts of America. In May of the
same year, at the National Council Meeting, the National Executive
Board approved the full integration of the Order of the Arrow into
Scouting. In early July, the Order of the Arrow Executive Committee
met and approved relinquishing it's authority to the Boy Scouts of
America. Those individuals sitting as members of the Order of the
Arrow Executive Committee became the National Committee of the Order,
a sub committee of the National Camping and Special Events Committee.
Mr. Joe L. Ballanger became the Council
Scout Executive of Flint River Council and the Supreme Chief of the
Fire of Ini-To Lodge. Mr. Fred Hayes was Assistant Scout Executive
and Staff Advisor to the Lodge. Elections for the lodge officers were
held in the spring.
The Lodge Pre Ordeal and
Ordeal Teams were composed of the following members:
Mighty Chief
Guide
Guard
Medicine Man
Paul Dawkins
Norman "Moose" Morris
Ray Barron
Ira "Dutch" Slade
Unali'yi Lodge #236 of Charleston,
South Carolina, hosted the 1948 Area Z Fellowship, at Camp Ho
Nan Wah. Participants during this meeting were encouraged to bring
material to swap. From this was born patch trading in our area.
Harold Leamond was the Area Chief. Robert H. Heistand, the National
Chief, attended. A cloth patch was issued, which can be viewed
in Appendix C-5, under Conclave Patches
Candidates for the Ordeal Honor were
seated in a general area, off to the side of the other scouts
in attendance, and were tapped out while still seated by Chief
Paul Dawkins. After dancing the dance "of the dying crow",
Paul would tap the candidates on the shoulder with a feather.
Candidates would then return to Camp Thunder after summer camp
had ended, to take on the rigors of the Ordeal. Scout Troop 62,
of McDonough, Georgia, gave Chief Dawkins a double trailer Chiefs'
bonnet, in kit form.
The Ordeal consisted of gathering
rocks to be used in construction of the stone gate located at
the gate cabin, or the caretaker's cabin, as it was known in those
days. This gate is located at the walk beside the current dining
hall.
Mr. J. W. Ansley, second caretaker
of Camp Thunder, resigned. He served from 1946 through 1948.
September 13 marked the National
Meeting, held at Indiana University. Over 1,000 arrowmen from
across the nation gathered for this meeting. Seminars were held
in a way to set the agenda for national meetings to come. Patch
swapping took place and was even encouraged. From the time earlier
in the year, when the Order of the Arrow merged with the Boy Scouts
of America, the Order of the Arrow would rely on the development
and use of youth leadership. The 1948 National Meeting came to
a dose with H. Lloyd Nelson, past National Secretary and Chief,
talking of the Order of the Arrow integration into the Boy Scouts
of America. He pointed out the trend toward more youth leadership
at all levels in the Order. He encouraged more use of youth leadership
at the area level. The National Meeting Committees were served
by a Chairman, who was a member of the Order of the Arrow Committee,
and a Junior Chairman selected from the different Lodges throughout
the nation. This would become more evident as time passed. Founder
E. Urner Goodman gave the keynote address, speaking on "The
Obligations of Select Men".
He set four objectives for the "select"
of the Order:
(1) That true greatness
is in humility.
(2) That the members seek to join our new aristocracy of service
instead of the aristocracy of means and birth.
(3) That the earnest members must have "unquenchable
optimism" to persevere in service.
(4) That all of us need the devotion and faith of a crusader.
J. Rucker was National Secretary. George Chapman was
Chairman of the Vigil Honor. National Chief Robert Heinstand installed
Kellock Hale as the first Order of the Arrow committee Chairman.
Participants of this meeting were issued a metal pin, which can
be seen in Appendix D-1, under NOAC.
Sammy Brewton
Ray Barron
Dick Mauney
Unknown
None
Mr. Fred Hayes
Thomaston
Griffin
Griffin
Unknown
None
Griffin
The Lodge's Indian name of Ini-To
was chosen by Mr. Joe Ballanger, (Scout Executive of the Council
and founder of our Lodge) Jack Langford, Jr., and Dick Mauney.
Its proper pronunciation is "e natoe. " The Lodge name
is in the language of the Navajo Nation, and is roughly translated
"Thundering Springs". "Ini" means "Thundering",
and "To" means "Water".
Mr. Tallman O. Riggins was appointed
as the third caretaker of Camp Thunder in 1949.
A-1
The original arrowhead shaped lodge
patch shown above was designed by Dick Mauney and Jack Langford,
Jr., both of Griffin, Georgia. The Lodge ordered 200, at a cost
of $0.11 each. The patch is commonly referred to today as the
A-1. An example can also be viewed in Appendix E 9, under Lodge
Patches.
The Lodge Pre Ordeal
and Ordeal Teams were composed of the following members:
Mighty Chief
Guide
Guard
Medicine Man
Dick Osborne
Dick Mauney
Ray Barron
Ray Howard
The third and last Area Z Fellowship
was held at Camp Old Indian and hosted by Atta Kulla Kulla Lodge
#185 near Greenville, South Carolina. Ini-To Lodge was represented
by Paul Dawkins, Floyd Brown and Moose Morris. An Area Z softball
game was organized, and the Lodges present from Georgia were formed
into a team with Ini-To charter member Moose Morris as Captain.
A cloth patch was issued, which can be viewed in Appendix C-5,
under Conclave Patches.
A-1
