The Order of the Black Arrow was active at Camp Fawcett in 1928.  This was the first Indian group to be organized in the council.  Troop 2, of Brownwood, Texas, who came to summer there in 1928, brought the concept of this organization back to their own troop after summer camp and eventually organized a similar "Tribe of the Black Arrow" in 1930 in the then Pecan Valley Council.

A story appeared in the West Texas Scout News on September 8, 1937, concerning the revival of the Secret Order of the Black Arrow at Camp Fawcett during the summer camp held there in August 8-21, 1937.  Only the best campers were elected to the society and it was one of the highest honors at camp.

The society admitted thirteen Scouts the first week and six the second week.  No reference was made as to when the group was originally started at Camp Fawcett or if it was also part of the program at Camp Louis Farr that same summer.  We know that Willie Masters, a patrol leader in Troop 91, Eagle Pass, was inducted into the Society that summer.  He remembers having a cedar wreath placed over his shoulder during the ceremony.

In 1922, Arthur E. Roberts, Scout Executive and Camp Director of Camp Friedlander of the Cincinnati Area Council, founded the Tribe of Ku-Ni-Eh.  It was founded as a Brotherhood of Honor Campers who exemplified the Scout Oath and Law.  The Ku-Ni-Eh became almost as popular as the Order of the Arrow and was used by many other councils because they felt that the Order of the Arrow wanted too large of a fee to join.  The Tribe of Ku-Ni-Eh was used by the Cincinnati Council until the early 1950’s.  In  1951 their members chose to join forces with the Order of the Arrow and thus became the Ku-Ni-Eh Lodge #462.  It is now Lodge #145, following a merger into the Dan Beard Council.

Brice Draper organized the Kunieh Camp Society during summer camp at Camp Connellee in 1929.   The camp was located on the banks of the North Concho River about sixteen miles northeast of San Angelo.   J. T. Henderson, Senior Patrol Leader of Troop 2, Ralph Logan and John Logan, were tapped out to be  members of the Kunieh Camp Society along with several other Scouts.  Members of the Society were dressed in Indian costume and printed a black diamond on the candidates' foreheads during the tap out ceremony.

Brice Draper, as Camp Director, made a talk to the new candidates about the Society and their responsibilities as honor campers.  Then, Henderson and the other candidates, were required to sleep out overnight apart from the other Scouts of their troop, keep a fire going all night, and meditate.  Upon completion of this task, they washed themselves to purify themselves early the next morning.  They then went back to their troops but were required to remain on silence for the rest of the day.

Upon completion of all the requirements for membership in the Society, a "black diamond" was stamped on their belt by members of the Kunieh Camp Society.   During the early days of Scouting, each Scout has numerous emblems stamped on their belt to signify certain accomplishments while at camp.  The black diamond was one of the highest honors that could be displayed on a Scout’s belt.  The society was active through September 1932.

A group was active in the Heart-O-Texas Council, Waco, and also in the Comanche Trail Council, Brownwood.  In the latter council, the group was organized in 1935 and was active until 1945.

For additional information on the Tribe of Ku-Ni-Eh go to:

    http://www.usscouts.org/usscouts/honorsociety/kunieh.html

and look at the story on the tribe by David Eby.

Order of the Arrow

Charles "Chuck" Taylor, waterfront director at Camp Louis Farr, was named Lodge Chief of the newly organized "Arrow Point Lodge" of the national "Order of the Red Arrow."  The Lodge was organized during summer camp at Camp Louis Farr, June 7-21, 1941.

In visiting with Taylor by phone, he was able to share several things that he remembers happening at camp that summer.  He was seventeen years old at the time, was on the City of San Angelo Swim Team, and Eagle Scout in Troop 6 (1937), and had served as Patrol Leader of the Hyenia Patrol.  He had been selected to be in the Order while serving on the camp staff that summer for his outstanding service to camp and to his troop.

He remembers that the professional staff in camp put on the ceremony and that Paul Ireland used a wand to tap out candidates.  They wore no costumes except their camp uniform.  He was elected as the first lodge chief by the other members.  He indicated that some sort of group already existed prior to that summer.  This was probably the Knish Camp Society.  He also remembers that there were no books to read from; that they created a ceremony for the tap out and induction ceremony.

In visiting with C. A. McDonald, Jr. of San Angelo in 1989, he said that each troop picked out boys for membership according to the number in their troop at camp for membership.  Everything to do with the Order of the Arrow happened only in camp.  There were no other activities held during the year.  The Scouts were tapped out at the campfire on Thursday night.  When they were tapped out a briar wreath was placed around their neck and they remained at the campfire until everyone else left.

Instructed to Build a Fire  They were told to get a blanket and report back to the flagpole where they were placed on silence and told they would be "dumped off some place in the wilderness."  Each person received two matches and instructed that they would build a fire and keep it going all night.  A leader led them around to the site through the thickest brush they could find.  They were led over logs, through the edge of the river, etc.  He remembers it being a "long night."  Each wore their briar wreath until they got his fire going and then burned the wreath.  They returned to the flag pole the next morning.

The next day they worked at the mess hall, cleaning the camp latrine and other special projects. Most of them got a twig and chewed on the bark all day so that they wouldn't speak.

At the end of the ceremony that night, they received a card and a felt OA Sash with a red arrow stamped on it.  Emmett D. Cox, Council President, and Henry Ragsdale, Council Commissioner, were voted as honorary members of the lodge. James M. Young, who was inducted into the Order of the Arrow in the late 40’s, remembers that they were also required to select an Indian name during their night alone.

Elected to Membership  Those elected to membership that summer at Camp Louis Farr were: Wilbur McCannon and C. H. Taylor, Scoutmaster, Troop 2, San Angelo; Claude R. Stone, Troop 30, Ballinger; Horace Rees and Joe Ballinger; Scoutmaster Reeves, Troop 59, Fr. Stockton; J. B. Morris, Scoutmaster, Troop 55, Texon; Scoutmaster Mitchell, Troop 50, McCamey; Max Lowry, Ft. Stockton; C. A. McDonald, Scoutmaster, Troop 32, San Angelo; and Startton Beesley, assistant waterfront director.

The author has been unable to find records or newspaper stories about the Order of the Arrow being used at Camp Fawcett during the summer of 1941.  However, those elected to membership into the Order of the Arrow that first summer at Camp Louis Farr were:

Troop 2, San Angelo - Wilbur McCannon and C. H. Taylor, Scoutmaster
Troop 30, Ballinger - Claude R. Stone
Troop 31, McCamey - Scoutmaster Mitchell
Troop 32, San Angelo - C. A. McDonald
Troop 55, Texon - J. B. Morris
Troop 58, Big Lake - Horace Rees and Joe Dougherty
Troop 59, Ft. Stockton - J. F. Reves
Others - Assistant Waterfront Director Stratton Beesley, A. C. Doyal of Brady and Bill Hampton of Ballinger.

OA at Camp Fawcett  Dr. Sterling Fly, Jr., of Uvalde, believed that the OA was started at Camp Fawcett in 1941, the same time as it was started at Camp Louis Farr.   A story appeared in a newspaper on July 2, 1943, paper unknown, giving an account of a week’s camp completed at Camp Fawcett, June 20 - 27, by Troop 96 of Crystal City and Troop 9096 of Winter Haven.  In the story a mention was made of the Order of the Arrow.  The story was telling about all the various awards that Troop 96 had earned at camp that summer.

The story told of two of their troop members, Bob Fly and Harold Harkey, who were members of the Camp’s Junior Staff, “received the second Degree (Brotherhood) in the Order of the Arrow, the highest camp award” during camp that summer.  This would indicate that the Order was started in 1941, when the two Scouts would have received the “First Degree,“ (Ordeal) as their names were not again mentioned when the story went on to state that three other Scouts in the troop had received the “First Degree” the previous year in 1942.  Scouts Jimmy Mortensen, Bob Baker and Mike Moore were the three Scouts to receive this honor for their work as Patrol Leaders in their troop.

First Brotherhood Members Inducted  Thirteen members were inducted into the Brotherhood Honor in 1943 at Camp Louis Farr.  This is the first recorded record that we have of members being inducted into this honor in addition to Boy Fly and Harold Harkey being inducted at Camp Fawcett that same summer.

Those inducted at Camp Louis Farr were:

Don Baldwin, Alfred Carthen, Wesley Fox, B. J. Hart, Hardin Jones, Rothnal O’Kelly, Bob Sykes, Clilfford Taylor, Jr., Dick Tucker, Francis Ward, Dwain Dodson, H. S. Guthrie and Paul Ward.

Meaning of “Wahinkto”

Wahinkto is the Blackfoot word meaning “Arrowpoint.”  The lodge totem was the arrowhead, later changed to the running deer, which is still is today.  The Lodge Number 199 identifies the lodge as the 199th lodge to be chartered by the Order of the Arrow.

Lodge Totem

  The first lodge totem was the arrowhead.  Dr. Jack Wright of Big Lake recalls that when he served as a physician at Camp Louis Farr during the summer of 1942, that each new arrowman was presented with the lodge totem.  It was a white woven plastic lanyard with a flint arrowhead in it. The totem was worn around your neck.

Later, when the running deer was selected by the lodge as the lodge totem, a new lanyard was designed and it is still in use today.  This lodge totem is a piece of deer antler treaded on a leather thong and worn around the neck.  An overhand knot is tied on each side of the antler to hold it in place on the thong.  A second antler is added to the thong for the Brotherhood honor.  When a person receives the Vigil Honor, the thongs are each tied into a simple overhead knot at the end of the thongs.  The deer antler is cut into one inch lengths and a hole is drilled through the center of the piece so that the leather thong may be threaded through it.

First Lodge Patch

James M. Young, a Vigil member of the lodge, relates the following story about the first patch.

“About 1950, Jim Strother, Ray Hall Beck and I developed the design for the first Wahinkto Lodge (patch).  The arrowhead was chosen because of he many arrowheads found in the vicinity of the Camp Louis Farr dining hall.  The patch was to be placed on a sky blue triangle neckerchief.  The neckerchief was to have a one inch white border.  The patch was not adopted for wear on the uniform.”

The patch was a three inch round patch with a red twill background and had a gold border.  Around the top of the circle were the words “Wahinkto Lodge” with “WWW” around the bottom of the patch.  In the center of the patch was a gold arrowhead with “199” embroidered in blue.  A blue arrow went from left to right behind the arrowhead at an upward angle.

The first lodge patch, designed to be worn on the uniform, was very similar to the current patch. The main difference is that the arrow at the top of the patch pointed to the right instead of the left when looking at the patch.  This was the correct position of the patch at the time in that an arrowman worn his sash over his left shoulder until he became a Brotherhood member, when he would transfer it to the right shoulder.  We are not sure when this patch was made except that it was sometime between 1950 and 1956.  At the time the brown running deer became the totem of the lodge in place of the arrownhead.

In 1957, a second patch was designed and issued.  The arrow was switched to the right in keeping with the new requirements on the sash.  Unfortunately, the name “Wahinkto” was misspelled and they had to issue yet another patch with the correct spelling on it.  Later, another patch was designed with a white deer on it just for Brotherhood members.

Lodge Neckerchief

J. T. Henderson, in the fifties, designed the lodge neckerchief.  He thought it would be unique to take the lodge name “Wahinkto” and arrange it to look like a deer’s head.  The neckerchief patch is black on red and worn on a white neckerchief.

OA Section Conferences

Wahinkto Lodge has hosted several Section Conclaves over the years.  Here are the ones that we have a record of:

9-D Conference - August 2-4, 1963 at Camp Sol Mayer
9-D Conference - August, 1970 at Camp Sol Mayer
3-B Conclave - August 1-3, 1975 at Angelo State University
3-B Conclave - May 1-3, 1981 at Camp Sol Mayer

Three Have Served as Section Chiefs

Three arrowmen have served as Section Chief from the Wahinkto Lodge.  Steve Joyce, Vigil member of San Angelo, served as Section 3-B Chief in 1976 and was responsible for helping to put together a joint 3-A and 3-B conference held at Baylor University in Waco August 6-9, 1976.  Fifty-one arrowmen from this lodge participated in the weekend along with over 1,000 arrowmen in the combined section conference.  One of the highlights of the weekend was the participation of E. Urner Goodman, founder of the Order of the Arrow, in the activities at Baylor.

Lance Lunsford also served as Section Chief for South Central Region Section 1 in 1995 and 1996.  Both Section Conclaves were held at Sam Houston State University in August.

Lodge Chiefs

In the beginning of Wahinkto Lodge a Lodge Chief was named for each week of summer camp.  The only activities of the lodge were the induction of new members at the end of each week of summer camp so there was no need for a year-round lodge chief.

There is no known record of the first lodge chiefs of Wahinkto Lodge.  In 1951, when the lodge went to year-round lodge chiefs, their names were recorded on the annual Order of the Arrow Lodge Charter and became a matter of record.  During 1986, the lodge changed its term of office from January 1 through December 31 of each year to September 1 through August 30th.  Thus, you will find, starting with Russell Massey, that their term of office overlapped two years even though they served only for a twelve month term.  The lodge went back to the first of the year starting in 1993.

1941

Charles “Chuck” Taylor (Camp Louis Farr)

1942

Unknown

1943

1st week - Wesley Fox  (Camp Louis Farr)

2nd week - Clifford Taylor, Jr.

1944

Unknown

1945

Unknown

1946

Unknown

1947

Unknown

1948

Unknown

1949

Bill Marshall (Camp Louis Farr)

Homer Gathings (Camp Fawcett)

1950

Unknown

1951

Ronald Kelso, Brady

1952

Ronald Kelso, Brady

1953

Johnny Sheedy, III, Brackettville

1954

Lionel Galvan, Crystal City

1955

Michael Kennedy, Uvalde

1956

Wayne Anderson, Del Rio

1957

Wayne Anderson, Del Rio

1958

Gordon McGonsgill, Del Rio

1959

Gordon McGonsgill, Del Rio

1960

Dick Wyatt, San Angelo

1961

Jim Runge, Christoval

1962

Jim Runge, Christoval

1963

John Pipkin, San Angelo

1964

Keith Winslow, Menard

1965

Randy Holdridge, San Angelo

1966

Roland Lee Iredale, San Angelo

1967

John Bob Cody, San Angelo

1968

Claude Townsend, Ft. Stockton

1969

David Perry, San Angelo

1970

Terry Younggren, Ft. Stockton

1971

Barry Heath, San Angelo

1972

Barry Heath, San Angelo

1973

John Kennedy, San Angelo

1974

Edward J. Trust, Eagle Pass

1975

Eddie Heath, San Angelo

1976

Steve Evans, Mertzon

1977

Tom Steckbeck, San Angelo

1978

Peter Mikel, San Angelo

1979

Peter Mikel, San Angelo

1980

Alex Kedziora, San Angelo

1981

Tony Chambless, San Angelo

1982

Frankie Sablan, San Angelo

1983

Frankie Sablan, San Angelo

1984

Wes Harrell, San Angelo

1985

James Berger, San Angelo

1986

Robert Kronenberg, Del Rio

1986

Russell Massey, Del Rio

1987

Monty Gibson, San Angelo

1988

Robert J. Brown, Del Rio

1989

Christopher J. Looney, Uvalde

1990

William F. Harlow, San Angelo (1/2 year)

Daryl Box, San Angelo (1/2 year)

1991

Danny Casillas, Del Rio

1992

Danny Casillas, Del Rio

1993

David O’Neill, San Angelo

1994

David O’Neill, San Angelo

1995

Donnie Lunsford. San Angelo

1996

Wayne Graham, San Angelo

1997

Rickey Medina, San Angelo

1998

Louis Torres, Ft. Stockton

1999

Roger Lopez

2000

Luke L. Burnett, San Angelo

2001

Eric Albert

2002

Jason M. White, San Angelo

2003

Adrian Garcia, Del Rio

2004

Adrian Garcia, Del Rio

2005

Matt Bignall, San Angelo (1/2 year term)

2006

2007

2008

1948 - 49

  Vernon Bucher

  Joe Lindle

}

Sponsors of Farr tribe

  Leonard Lee

1948 - 49

  Homer Gathings

}

Sponsors of Fawcett tribe

  Elmer Fawcett

1960 - 61

  G. Howard Briggs

1962 - 70

  Robert C. "Bob" Warner

1971 - 75

  Thomas Rainey

1975 - 76

  Lawrence "Bub" Williams

1976 - 80

  Ray Kedziora

1981 - 82

  Richard Benton

1983 - 84

  Victor Meza, Sr.

1985 - 88

  Lace E. "Gene" Hinnard

1989 - 90

  Roy Douglass & Robert Kennedy (co-advisers)

1990