Pushmataha Area Council
Encyclopedia
The Order of the Arrow
is represented by the Watonala Lodge. It supports the Scouting programs of the council through leadership, camping, and service.
leaders from the Pushmataha Area Council attended an Order of the Arrow
Area Fellowship in Birmingham, Alabama
, and learned about the purpose and mission of the Order. Upon returning to the Pushmataha Area Council, an application for a charter was submitted to the National Order of the Arrow office. The initial charter was issued in the latter part of September, 1939.
When the initial charter was issued, it was issued in the name of the local council, as Pushmataha Lodge. In January, 1942, Pushmataha Lodge chose its native American name, Watonala Lodge. In the Choctaw language
, Watonala means "white egret", or "white water bird".
The first lodge event was held in the Spring of 1940 at the Natchez Trace
Game Preserve, near Houston, Mississippi
. Lodge membership began to grow, as new Arrowmen were inducted during each council camporee
. Membership slowed considerably during World War II
, but resumed its pre-war growth during the few years immediately following World War II.
The founding of Watonala Lodge in 1939 is well documented, although there is an oral history
that places the origin of the lodge ten years earlier, in 1929.
. The lodge also publishes an online "Where To Go Camping Guide" at www.Watonala.Org, aimed at helping other Boy Scouts and the general public find good places to camp, canoe, and hike.
, the white egret. The totem is usually shown in profile, facing the viewer's left, and headed upward in flight. There are numerous variations of this design, with the totem image varying slightly with each new patch issue. The lodge issues a new lodge flap every two or three years, and sometimes issues specific patches for OA events, such as Conclave, National Order of the Arrow Conference (NOAC ), and service events.
Compared to many OA lodges, Watonala Lodge has always been comparatively small in membership numbers. This is due largely to being in a rural council having only ten counties. Because of smaller membership, the quantity of Watonala memorabilia available is usually smaller than most OA lodges.
Order of the Arrow
The Order of the Arrow is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America . It uses American Indian-styled traditions and ceremonies to bestow recognition on scouts selected by their peers as best exemplifying the ideals of Scouting. The society was created by E. Urner Goodman, with the...
is represented by the Watonala Lodge. It supports the Scouting programs of the council through leadership, camping, and service.
History
On September 1, 1939, five adult Boy ScoutBoy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
leaders from the Pushmataha Area Council attended an Order of the Arrow
Order of the Arrow
The Order of the Arrow is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America . It uses American Indian-styled traditions and ceremonies to bestow recognition on scouts selected by their peers as best exemplifying the ideals of Scouting. The society was created by E. Urner Goodman, with the...
Area Fellowship in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, and learned about the purpose and mission of the Order. Upon returning to the Pushmataha Area Council, an application for a charter was submitted to the National Order of the Arrow office. The initial charter was issued in the latter part of September, 1939.
When the initial charter was issued, it was issued in the name of the local council, as Pushmataha Lodge. In January, 1942, Pushmataha Lodge chose its native American name, Watonala Lodge. In the Choctaw language
Choctaw language
The Choctaw language, traditionally spoken by the Native American Choctaw people of the southeastern United States, is a member of the Muskogean family...
, Watonala means "white egret", or "white water bird".
The first lodge event was held in the Spring of 1940 at the Natchez Trace
Natchez Trace
The Natchez Trace, also known as the "Old Natchez Trace", is a historical path that extends roughly from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee, linking the Cumberland, Tennessee and Mississippi rivers...
Game Preserve, near Houston, Mississippi
Houston, Mississippi
Houston is a city in and one of two county seats of Chickasaw County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 4,079 at the 2000 census. The land on which Houston, MS resides was donated to the city by Judge Joel Pinson on the condition that it would be named for Sam Houston, a childhood...
. Lodge membership began to grow, as new Arrowmen were inducted during each council camporee
Camporee
A camporee is a local or regional gathering of Scouting units for a period of camping and common activities. Similar to a camporee, a jamboree occurs less often and draws units from the entire nation or world.-Boy Scouts of America:...
. Membership slowed considerably during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but resumed its pre-war growth during the few years immediately following World War II.
The founding of Watonala Lodge in 1939 is well documented, although there is an oral history
Oral history
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews...
that places the origin of the lodge ten years earlier, in 1929.
Service
Watonala Lodge devotes much of its service time to development and maintenance of their home camp, Camp Seminole, which is located five miles north of Starkville, MississippiStarkville, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 21,869 people, 9,462 households, and 4,721 families residing in the city. The population density was 851.4 people per square mile . There were 10,191 housing units at an average density of 396.7 per square mile...
. The lodge also publishes an online "Where To Go Camping Guide" at www.Watonala.Org, aimed at helping other Boy Scouts and the general public find good places to camp, canoe, and hike.
Memorabilia
The dominant theme of most Watonala patches and memorabilia is its totemTotem
A totem is a stipulated ancestor of a group of people, such as a family, clan, group, lineage, or tribe.Totems support larger groups than the individual person. In kinship and descent, if the apical ancestor of a clan is nonhuman, it is called a totem...
, the white egret. The totem is usually shown in profile, facing the viewer's left, and headed upward in flight. There are numerous variations of this design, with the totem image varying slightly with each new patch issue. The lodge issues a new lodge flap every two or three years, and sometimes issues specific patches for OA events, such as Conclave, National Order of the Arrow Conference (NOAC ), and service events.
Compared to many OA lodges, Watonala Lodge has always been comparatively small in membership numbers. This is due largely to being in a rural council having only ten counties. Because of smaller membership, the quantity of Watonala memorabilia available is usually smaller than most OA lodges.