A Brief History of
Ahoalan Nachpikin Lodge No. 558, W.W.W.
Order of the Arrow
The 1994 Fall Fellowship was a joint event between the 345 KOI Hatachie and 406 Chickasah lodges. The Chickasaw and Delta councils were in the process of merging. The fall elections were held during the fellowship at Camp Tallaha, located outside Charleston, MS, to select the new Lodge Executive Council (LEC).
It was agreed to have a balanced representation of leadership from the two merged lodges. After an arrowman from 406 was elected Lodge Chief, nominations were then limited to members of 345 for 1st Vice Chief. All the other offices were open to arrowmen from either lodge. Only the position of 2nd Vice Chief ran opposed.
The event offered identically designed pocket and back patches featuring the combined totems of the Thunderbird (Chickasah) and White Panther (Koi Hatachie).
Later, the newly elected lodge officers met at the Chickasaw Council office to determine the new lodge totem and name. After several attempts, they selected the black bear and the name Ahoalan-Nachpikin, which means “We Who Love the Outdoors“.
The new lodge was officially chartered on January 1, 1995. It was a member of Section SR-9 from 1995 to 1997. It was then moved to Section 6-N where it is remains today.
Initially, each district in the lodge was represented by a chapter. In August of 2000, restructuring occurred to form four chapters, each comprised of two or three districts. The chapters that make up the new lodge structure are:
Macheu Machque (Great Bear): Central, Southwest, Thunderbird
Lippoe Blaknik (Wise Flying Squirrel): Crittenden, Loosahatchie, Nashoba
Nashoba Tohbi (White Wolf in the Choctaw): Malmaison, NW Mississippi,
Tallaha, Washington
Sakima Machque (Chief Bear): Choctaw, Eastern
The Okla Kamassa Chapter was added in 2003 and consists of the Malmaison, Tallaha, and Washington districts.
Okla Kamassa (Strong People): Malmaison, Tallaha, Washington
The lodge supports year-round week-end camping, training and special events at each of the council camps: Kia Kima, Currier, Tallaha, and Sardis. Usually, two Ordeal, Brotherhood and Service weekends are sponsored by each of the four chapters. Many service projects are completed in connection with these events. Among the many projects supported by the Order of the Arrow over the years were:
· Construction of the new fire ring at Kia Kima
· Installing new tile flooring and roofing for the administration building at Kia Kima
· New signage at Camp Tallaha
· Road maintenance at Camp Currier
· Campsite preparation at Camp Sardis
· Campsite and tent construction at each of the council camps
In recent years the lodge has become rededicated to the purpose of the Order of the Arrow as outlined in the Order of the Arrow Handbook:
To recognize those campers - Scouts, Explorers and Scouters - who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives and by such recognition cause other campers to conduct themselves in such manner as to warrant recognition.
To develop and maintain camping tradition and spirit.
To promote Scout camping, which reached its greatest effectiveness as part of the unit's camping program, both year-round and in the summer camp, as directed by the camping committee of the council.
To crystallize the Scout habit of helpfulness into a life purpose of leadership in cheerful service to others.
All lodge activities are judges against the purpose of the Order of the Arrow and only those activities which contribute, directly or indirectly, to those aims are included in the lodge program.
As a result of that rededication, the lodge's camp promotion effort has been greatly expanded:
· The lodge hosts a special dinner each year for Scoutmasters to kick-off the camp promotion plan.
· The lodge sponsors a promotional brochure for Kia Kima and Tallaha.
· The lodge has as its goal to visit every Scout troop in the council to promote the camping program.
· The lodge sponsors promotional efforts at council events such as Scout Base.
· The lodge recently published a new edition of its where-to-go-camping guidebook for Scout troops.
· The lodge chief and adviser now represent the lodge on the council executive board and camping committee.
· The lodge has expanded its activities at Kia Kima and Tallaha during the summer camp season to include weekly Brotherhood ceremonies and Fellowships, in addition to the call-out ceremonies.
From its inception, the Ahoalan Nachpikin Lodge has been of vital service to Scouting in the Mid-South. Its current officers and members are looking forward to years of even greater service in the future.