"In 1938 an organization not known to most Scouts of the council was introduced to the boys at summer camp, the Order of the Arrow.
"The Scouts who attended camp for the last two years elected from the group the boys whom they considered the best campers, and these were nominated for places in the Order of the Arrow.
"After having attended the Thanksgiving initiation, were they tool the Scout oath anew and took for the first time the oath of the Order of the Arrow, they each returned home with a new desire for better service to others.
"Sweetwater Scouts who are members of the Order of the Arrow are DeWitt Conley (Troop 40), Billy White (Troop 41), Charles Ritter (Troop 40), Lingo Brown (Eagle Scout of Troop 48), Tom Paxton (Eagle Scout) and Charlie Taylor.
"Leaders who live in Sweetwater and are members, are Lee Langley, H. D. Reed, J.M..Pendergrass, Chars E. Paxton (Council President), S. P. Gaskin (Scout Executive) and Paul Brown.
"All leaders of the organization are members."

In a story that appeared in the Sweetwater Reporter on February 9, 1939, H. D. Reed, J. W. Pendergrass (Eagle Scout) and Henry Roberts, Jr. were listed as youth members from Sweetwater.  Adults included were Charles Ritter, Billy White, Jimmie Beall, DeWitt Conley and Charles Paxton.  All were elected the previous summer at Scout Summer Camp (1938) held at Camp Fawcett near Barksdale, TX.

Also with help of an OA National matching grant, they were able to supply water to the back country of Buffalo Trails Scout Ranch which has helped greatly to facilitate their programs out that way. They are building a retaining wall at the corrals and have repaired Buffalo Hall after wind ripped off a large portion of the roof.

At Hughes Aquatic Base, located on Lake Colorado City, the lodge has been working on two massive projects that will take some time yet to complete.  They are building pavilions at the campsites and have now completed two shelters so far.  The other massive project has been the building of a Medic Hut.  They moved a house from property donated to the council to the camp to serve as a new medic hut.  The hut is now in place with a new metal roof, insulated and sheetrocked.  The electrical has been run but they still need to finish out the sheetrock, paint and add a porch. 
 
 

The lodge had accomplished many projects at the aquatic base.  One of their projects was work on and then to float a new dock. The dock was built on land, floated out to the end of the old dock, and then decked.
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This was the first patch of the lodge and was probably worn on a neckerchief which was the popular thing to do in those days.  Warren Wallace has one that is a black cloth neckerchief with the patch sewn on the back.  However, it could have also been worn on the right pocket of the uniform.  Date unknown as to when it was first issued but it was issued sometime prior to 1954.
 

First pocket-flap - 1954	Current trading pocket-flap

This was first issued in 1954 and is the first pocket-flap of the lodge.  Notice how the buffalo has changed shape from the patch above.  According to the Blue Book, 3rd Edition. some 106 different patches have been issued in the lodge.  Of course some of them are just different loom runs of the same patch with a few stitch variations in the run.  The buffalo in the patch has evolved over the years  from being all  black to black and brown, to brown and white, black and white and finally in about 1987  to a white buffalo as shown on your right above.
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Kevin Morris, was webmaster of the web site from about 1997 to 2004. At the beginning the web site was nothing like it is today. The guestbook was added in 1999 but it was a much later addition to the original site.  During his tenure, the web site for the Tatanka Lodge was created and made into a first class online site located at http://www.tatanka141.org/.  In 2004, Matthew Ellsworth became the editor of the web site and Kein Morris became the adult adviser.  At this time, the site was migrated to Microsoft Front Page.  Kevin Morris, graduated from Texas Tech University, commissioned in the Air Force and is attending graduate school at the Air Force Institute of Technology in Dayton, Ohio.
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Calling Out Ceremony -1972 - The following story was provided by Otis Medley, Lodge Chief in 1978-79

"My earliest memories of the Tatanka Lodge came when I arrived at BTSR in the Summer Camp of 1972. Our troop was small, and had just started the fall before. I was a brand new Tenderfoot, and excited about going to camp. Every where I went was evidence of the OA.; Totem poles, the Buffalos at the entrance, and OA Springs. It was all so mysterious, and no one would really tell me anything about it. Then Friday came, and all the families began to arrive. Supper was really quite good, and as the evening turned to dusk everyone began to gather at the chow hall. There were all these Scouts with Arrowmen sashes and their coup beads. Everyone grew quiet, and then these Scouts in authentic looking Indian costumes came in silence. I started to laugh but no one else even seem to think this was strange. We were instructed to to be silent as we were lead down a path lighted by smudge pots, and along the way more serious faced Indians were standing on the rocks above us. Our guide lead with a torch; the second guide brought up the rear, and also had a torch. We were lead in the gathering darkness to the council fire, where we were seated, and the Indians disappeared. The various members of camp staff   gave awards and other instructions were given.

"And then the Indian dancers came and danced to the ancient songs. It was a show of brilliant colors and the hard work of months of research and practice. As a young Scout, though it was just fascinating. When the dancers were through, the lights slowly dimmed, and we became conscious of torches on the road above the council ring. Almost at the same time, high up on Forbidden Mountain, the WWWs were lit. The Tap Out team came down the road and came into the ring; one torch went to a stack of wood on the right, and the other went to the wood on the left, and at the same time the torches were tossed into the wood and the council fire leaped to life. One of the Indians called to another to check and see if the fire was properly set and cheerfully burning. And then the four chiefs began the Tap Out ceremony. As each name was called out in a loud voice, a runner was dispatched to retrieve the Scout. Suddenly, a name was called, a runner dispatched, and the Scout next to me was taken to the ring!

"It was at this time I realized it could be me someday. Each candidate was taken to the ring where one of the chiefs would take him by the shoulders and thrust him towards one of the others. In response, The chief placed his hands on the shoulders of the candidate, and with three swift taps to his shoulder, lowered his hands, and folded them at his chest. The candidate was then turned to the next chief, who took his coup beads off, and with his hands spread at shoulder's width, put his coup beads over the head of the candidate, and tapped both shoulders at the same time. The candidate was given a single eagle's claw, and then rushed off into the darkness up the dry creek bed. Later I found out that each was told not to speak until after breakfast and were to carve an arrow for their ordeal, which was usually held at the end of the summer camp. Ordeals were also held in late May, and late August. We called them Work Weekends, and they all usually had ordeal candidates on the trail."

Ordeal	Brotherhood	Vigil

Chapter colors are:
  Arrowhead - Purple
  Chaparral - Sky Blue
  Cibolo - Green
  Comanche Trails - Orange with Silver Stripes
  Lone Star - White

The beads are awarded by the lodge as follows:

Black Round - Eagle Scout (Only one set per Eagle Scout Arrowman)
Black Flat - Tap-Out Team (Speaking Parts ONLY)
Blue Flat - Vigil Weekend
Blue Round - Lodge Secretary and Treasurer
Blue Cylinder - Lodge Vice Chief
Blue Square - Lodge Chief
Brown Round - 5 O.A. Banquets (Trade 5 purple cylinders)
Brown Flat - Camp Staff
Clear Flat - Presented to Elangomat upon 50% of his clan completing Brotherhood.
Gold Square - Founder's Award
Green Square - Chapter Chief
Green Cylinder - Chapter Vice Chief
Green Round - Chapter Secretary
Green Flat - Brotherhood Ceremonial Team (Speaking Parts ONLY)
Orange Square w/ white stripe - Chapter Assistant Adviser
Orange Square - Chapter Adviser
Orange Round - Committee Chairman
Orange Cylinder - Section Conclave
Orange Flat - Membership Recruitment (SINGLE)
Pink Flat - Elangomat
Purple Cylinder w/ white stripe - Lodge Assistant Adviser
Purple Square - 5 Fellowship Weekends (Trade 5 yellow cylinders for set).
Purple Square w/ white stripe - Lodge Adviser
Purple Flat - Pre-Ordeal Ceremonial Team (Speaking Parts ONLY)
Purple Cylinder - Annual Banquet
Purple Round - Special Service (Only one set  per Arrowman)
Red Square - 5 Years in the Order of the Arrow (Trade 5 red rounds for set)
Red Flat - Taskmaster
Red Round - 1 Year in the Order of the Arrow
Red Cylinder - Ordeal Master
Tan Flat - Unit Election Team
Tan Round - Chapter Participation
White Cylinder - Indian Dance Team
White Flat - Ordeal Ceremonial Team (Speaking Parts ONLY)
White Round - Annual Pow Wow
Wood Round - Member of an official delegation to National Order of the Arrow Event
Yellow Round - 1 Long Term Camp (Summer Camp / Winter Camp, one set per year)
Yellow Cylinder - Fellowship Weekend.
Yellow Flat - Ceremonial Service
Yellow Square - 5 Long Terms Camps (Trade 5 yellow rounds for set)

Information on the lodge bead program was taken from theTatanka Lodge Directory

Information on Lodge Advisers was taken from the Tatanka Lodge Directory
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1952 - Vigils are unknown prior to 1953.
1953 - Billy Reagan
1954 - None
1955 - Robert N. Eastus Jr., Alley Hedrick, Stuart G. Painter
1956 - Jimmy Stephen
1957 - Raymond Fletcher, Johnny Fuglaar, G.N. Hughes, Lloyd L. Longley Jr., Monty Stokes
1958 - Arlen Bryant, E.L. Harvill Sr., E.L. Harvill Jr., Robert Bruce Herring, Roger Hoestenback, Johnny Hollingsworth, Alan Leeper, Kenneth A. Schloemer Jr., Frank Tate Jr.
1959 - Joe Bohannon, K. D. Bryan, Dwayne Cochran, A.C. Doyal, J. Arthur Hawkinson, Gary Hendrick, Leo Lee, Charlie Leeper, William T. McRee, Ross Reagan, James Stevens, William Kirt von Osinski
1960 - Jerry Balkam, Terry Balkam, Larry Cochran, Steve Donaldson, Leroy R. Hackler, Harold Wilson, Tom Wright
1961 - William Jack Bawcom, Carl Lee Brasuell, Gary Corbin, Samuel I. Grant, Stanley Martin, Billy R. Miller, Marvin Stokes, Harold D. Wilson Jr. Raymond Tyra, Jimmy D. Wester
1962 - Don Alexander, Mike Bishop*, John Fanning, Pat A.Farris, R.E. "Dutch" Lunsford*, Garland Tiner Jr., John Underwood, William W . Wallace Jr., William “Warren” Wallace III, Frank N. Ward, R.T. Wilson
1963 - E. Don Campbell, Keith Campbell, O.R. Cockerell*, James Dublin, George Ellenger, Terry Martin, John Oden, Jeff Wallace
1964 - David Akers, Butch Lunsford, Ross Moore, Bill Sanders, Tom Smith*, Eugene Stoves, George Stowe, W.B. Stowe*
1965 - David Akers, B ill Alexander, Mark King Craig, Leon S. Ditzell Jr., James Dublin IV, John R. Gee, John Holt, Larry Mast, Edward Allen Mueller, John Timothy Wallace, Michael E. Williams
1966 - A. Eugene Ashley*, James W . Ashley, Raymond W. Baker, Robert C. Bone*, Kenneth Brame, Gene Corden, Raymond Holt, Samuel “Wade” Howell Sr., Richard Thomas Johnson, Father Raymond Klumbis, Eric L.Michaleson, Stepehn Moore, Steve Napper, Alvon E.Patterson*, John Lee W alker
1967 - William M. Bosworth, George Burns, Franklin Castleberry, Doug Lunsford, Roy Mast, John Pearcy, George L. Prothro*, Jimmy Spradley
1968 - Martin Bosworth, Ronald Corbin, Lee A. Criswell*, Wayne Criswell, Wayne Grable*, Rice W. Harrington, Glenn Harrison, Marshall Horn, Sammy Jones, Tim Patterson, Nord Sailors*, William Tevington, Gilbert O. Tiemann, John R. Tiemann
1969 - Bill Britt, Curtis Burns*, Larry Burns, Ariba Childress, Dick T. Clardy Jr., Clyde Chynoweth, John Chynoweth, Bobby Clayton, C.H. “Creny” Crenshaw, Jack Davis, Jerry Dillard, Harold Ervins, Gary Jones, Forest H. Muire Jr., Dan Peterson, Louis “Pinky” Robertson, Larry Sailors, Mark Steward, Henry Tiem ann, Dub Watley*
1970 - Ray Andergregg*, Randall W. Black, W aymon Childress, Lance Crenshaw, D.W. “Dub” Day, David “Austin” Ferguson*, Dr. Marvin Grice, Bernold “Morris” Hanson, Richard Hungerford Sr., Allen McCain, Darren Owens, Robert Monroe Simmons, Ray L. Swinford
1971 - Dennis Andergregg, Robert Bagley, Kevin Belknap, Curtis Brothers, Kirby Bryn, William Cleere, James Compton, Jack Day, Harod Ervin Jr., Gene Gibbens, Gary Gillihan, Tim Harrison, Richard Hungerford Jr., Carl Johansen, Wyett Lipscomb, Sam E. Mannering, James McCain, John “Buddy” O’Neal*, Harry A. Palmer, Harry E. Palmer, Cyril “Cy” Perusek*, Rex Reynolds, Thomas Savage, Tommy Simmons, Edmund Truex, Ray Ward, John White Jr.
1972 - Vernon Allman, Mark Anderegg, Michael R. Barlow, Greg Bass, Bruce Belknap, Lamar Casparis, Dennis Day, O.B. Draper, Eric Hanson, Billy Hopkins, F.L. Martin, Wayne McBee*, Leland McCain, Dewayne McGuirre, George L. Morris, John Muire, Dennis Neely, Mark Nichols, David Presley, Mark Reynolds, John Slavik, John Stickles, Jerry Tochterman, Christopher D. Truex, John A. White III, Eddie Young
1973 - Tony Anderegg, Jon K. Bagnall, A.L. Casparis, John Ellen, Preston Grissom, Marvin E. Harges, Boyd W. Hughes, Bill Mason*, Bueford R. McGuire, Edmund L. Mulkey, Richard Newbold, Paul Newton, Raymond Nicholas, Randy Sperry, John Stickels, Edgar N. Teutsch Jr., Bryan Wheeler, John White, Edward D. Young
1974 - There were no inductions during the 1974 calendar year because the Vigil Ceremony was moved from the fall of the year to the first weekend after New Year’s Day. Therefore, each Vigil Class starting with 1975 was selected in the previous year, but performed their Vigil during the class year listed.
1975 -  James Armstrong, Charles Bagley, Colin Belt, Charles Brown, Richard Crandall, Robert Paul Dowing, Bryan Hughes, Brian David Jones, Bryce King, John Mendenhall, Jack Pearce, Sam Savage, Rick Schmidt, Dr. Billy Shaw, Jeff Spears, Keith D. Van Horn
1976 - Randy Allman, Don Belt, Danny Burns, Ewell Burns, John Casimer, Leon Clark Jr., David Libson, David Newbold, Tom Newbold, Kurt Nicholas, Earl H. Shaw, Shane Sperry, Craig A. Van Horn, David Vickers
1977 - Phillip Bagley, Rodney Grable, Joey Lemley, Bryant Martin, Don Orren, Charles W. Ross*, George Slover, Rick Warren
1978 - John Blackman IV, David R. Johnson Sr., David R. Johnson Jr., Loren Lewis, Edward Phillips
1979 - Bruce Chadwick, Duawne Donaway, Bill Fidler, Nick Hahn*, Vern Humphrey, Ed Lambert, George Medley, Gerald “Rod” Stephenson, Pat Truex, L.B. W eathers
1980 - Warren Brown Jr., Frank E. Corbin, Cecil Garrett, Charles Han, O tis Medley, D r. Jerry D. Norton, Gerald Petty, Shawn W ilkins
1981 - Philip E. Corbin, Cecil Davis, Duane Ervin, William H. Foster, Bill Houston, Joel Miller, Dr. David Norton*, Mike G. Stephenson, W illiam “Bill” Waddell
1982 - John Fields, Mark Galvan, John T. Gillian, James Hahn, Lucian M. “Chub” Johnson, Kenneth Lantrip, Stephen Lewis, Mac Mannering, Steve Roen, Norman Yee
1983 - Jim W . Adams, Jimmy Charlton, Edward Leps Jr., Jerry tephens, David Stick els, James Waddell
1984 - Glenn Cochran, Jeffery Craig, Frank Crawford*, Monty O’Neal, Phil Rowe, Larry Whiteside, Dick Zimmer
1985 - Jerry Speight G rimes Jr., David Harwell, Nelson Mock, Mark A. Russell, Woodrow Wickman
1986 - Tommy Bizzell, C.A. Blount, Earnest C rawford, Marvin D. Eastman*, Keefer Fields, David Pearce, Mike Wagoner
1987 - Hershell Cavin, Joe Cavin, John Commander, George Crawford, Charlie Robinson, Brad Self, Mark Smith*
1988 - Cliff Barnes, Rusty Buckingham, Ron Harkrider Sr., Bryan Kemper, Tom O. Maxwell, Steve Smith, Paul Thompson, Scott Thompson
1989 - Ernie Davis, Ronnie W. Harkrider Jr., Tony Lucas, Russell Thompson, Gene Washam
1990 - James C. Busby, Tommy Smith, Jaime Subia, Jody Washam
1991 - Paul Benavidez, Blake Hensley, Chris Pearce, Josh Smith, Jody Sneed, Colin Woodall, James “Frank” Woodall Jr.
1992 - Brian Earles, M elvin Hensley, Scott M. Horton, Samuel W. Howell II, Jerry McNew, Nathan Telck, Derek W ingo, Ronald Wingo
1993 - Ottis L. “Bill” Bradford*, Patrick Earles, Bennett R. Poitevint, Carl R. Poitevint , Al Telck, Chris Tipton, Adam Wallace
1994 - Leon Earles, Glen Finley, George Friday, Chris W. Gilbreath, James “Jim” Harrison, Fred A. Morris III, John H. Poitevint
1995 - Gordon Jennings, Matthew Jennings, Dwayne King, Viswa Subbaraman, Timothy Telck, Charles Wade*
1996 - Steve A. Dennis, David Harrington, Benjamin A. Inman, Brian Jennings, Charles E. “Chuck” Smith, Matthew J. Smith, Peter Telck, Wilson R. Van Loon
1997 - James E. Caldwell, Eric L. Harding, Daniel F. Houy, Jeffrey Johnson, Patrick D. Jose, Ralph M. McCain, Ricky D. Sneed, Jeff Suggs, Matthew Woodall
1998 - Daniel R. Bergmann, Jerry M. Cook Sr., Nicholas Cook, Robert Culpepper, Hector Holguin Jr., Robert Martin, John F. McAhon*, Fred A. Morris Jr.
1999 - Baine A. Bean Jr., Debra A. Bean, Jay M. Callaway, Sheila L. Cook, Joe “Turtle” Garner, Ralph J. Harding III, Daniel Holguin, James “Luke” Jackson, Sam C. Martin, Kevin Morris
2000 - Scott M. Downing, Marcus M. Fernandez, Ginger M. Harding, Charles C. Henry, James “Jim” B. Jackson, Dr. Randall T. Kelly, Bill M orris, Benjamin Ormsby, Wesley J. Stephens, Jerred E. Tochterman, Chris M. Yount
2001 - Matt T. Bertrand, Benjamin E. Bias, H arris Clanton, Jerry Cook II, Dusty Culpepper, Gary M. Deutsch, James A. McPherson, Garrett M. Smith, Genebra Smith, Kenneth J. Sm ith Jr., Dennis W ilhite, James Wilhite
2002 - John D. Balden, Zachary G. Bias, Jonathan D. Carr, Steven F. H arry, Aaron A. Kerley, John R. Key, Ryan D. Kraus, Scott McKelvey, Ryan J. Morris, Trevor W . Morris, William R. Page Jr., Matthew Puckett, Karen Telck
2003 - Kristofer Gartenbein, Richard G. Gantenbein, Joshua Gregg, Kris Gregg,  Mark Harding, Mark C. Hedges, Richard M. Key, Raymond Moseley, Kenneth C. Orren, John A. Puckett, Spenser T. Smith, Travis S. Smith, Dan D. Wagoner
2004 - Barney R. Barnes, Alvey Bass, Bryan Bass, James L. Bean, Nathan Burns, Roy E. Daniel*, Billey J. De Busk, Bob L. Harsler, Jr., Michael Prall, David Richardson, Brandon Templeman, Eunice Thizton
2005 -  Clare Andergg, Derek Bass, Chip Chapman, Matthew Ellsworth, Ralph Foust, Kristian Gregg, Brandon Hayse, Sonny Heath, Sammy Hunnicutt, Colin Rust, Ken Rust, Jacob Smith 
2006 - Casey Chapman, James Cooper, Louise Ellsworth, Michael Ellsworth, Logan Foust, Jared Kraus, Samuel McBride, Gerald Menasco, Charles Purcell, Jonathan Purcell, Justin Shanks, Kevin Yancey
2007 - Robert Anderegg, Bob L. Hensler, Sr., Ryan Lineberger, Frank McBride, Rick Smith, Brandon Sweatt, Charles Sweatt, Christopher Thomas
2008 - Kyle Farmer, Mike Miller, Marcus Perez, Becky Yancey

*Deceased
Iinformation on Vigil Honor is taken from the Tatanka Lodge Directory
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*Deceased
Information on the Founder's Award was taken from the Tatanka Lodge Directory
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2000 - Warren Wallace, III
2001 - Sam Mannering
2002 - Jim Harrison
2003 - Baine Bean
2004 - James Busby
2005 - Dennis Wilhite
2006 - John Puckett
2007 - Mark Hedges

Information for the James E. West Award was taken from the Tatanka Lodge Directory

Last Updated:  December 28, 2007
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