Orca
Lodge is the product of the merger of two lodges, both
of which have a long and colorful history. Mow-A-Toc
Lodge 262 of the Redwood Area Council was first
chartered in 1944 and hosted its first conclave in 1954
at Elk River Scout Camp. Cabrosha Lodge 537 was first
chartered in 1959 and hosted its first conclave in 1967
at the City of Ukiah Municipal Park.
In 1992, the Redwood
Empire Council was formed from a merger of the Redwood
Area Council and the Sonoma Mendocino Area Council. Two
intense years of planning and organizing finally came to a
close with the formation of Orca Lodge 194. Orca Lodge
held its first Lodge Dinner in January of 1994. It is only
fitting that 194 was granted as the Lodge's number, as it
symbolizes the date (1/94) of the founding of the Lodge.
The totem of the Lodge is that of the Killer whale, or
Orca. Orca Lodge was initially comprised of two chapters,
representing the two merged Lodges: the Cabrosha Chapter
and the Mow-A-Toc Chapter. "The Orca Spouts" is the Lodge
newsletter, and it conveys information to all of the
members of the Lodge. With the dawning of the Internet
age, Orca Lodge was one of the first in the nation to go
online with a website in 1994.
Since its beginning, Orca
Lodge has been very active. In 1995 the Lodge sponsored a
Council Camporee, as well as hosting the Section W3B
Conclave at Two Rock Coast Guard Station. Orca Lodge was
one of the few lodges to send members to the OA Philmont
Trail Crew in 1995 and 1996. The lodge has sent a
contingent to each NOAC since its start in 1994. 1998 saw
the Orca Lodge send 22 members to the National Order of
the Arrow Conference at Ames, Iowa--the most ever. Most
recently, Orca Lodge sent 15 members, six of whom were on
staff, to the 2002 NOAC at Indiana
University. Orca Lodge is very proud to have been chosen
to receive the E. Urner Goodman Camping Award for 1997,
one of eight lodges nationwide. We were awarded this again
in 2008 and 2009. In 1995, and again in 2001, Orca Lodge
received the Bald Eagle Award, given to the lodge most
active at the Section Conclave. At the 2002 NOAC, Orca
Lodge also received the National Honor Award in both
website and newsletter competitions.
In 2006 we were awarded a
National Service grant to work on the showerhouse at Camp
Riggs Johnston
In 2008, we were awarded
the National Service Award.
3 members of our Lodge have
been awarded the Distinguished Service Award:
- Ray Leonard - 1986 (Cabrosha Lodge)
- Matt Dukeman - 2004
- Bruce Mayfield - 2009
Due to a Council
realignment, our Mow-A-Toc chapter was reallocated to Lo
La'Qam Geela Lodge in 2012.
After the Lodge
realignment, Orca Lodge was restructured into new Chapters
to support the individual districts within Redwood Empire
Council.
The Lodge is very active in
the Section and frequently has members elected to Section
offices as well as supplying many of the Advisers.
Orca Lodge has had a
strong beginning and is looking forward to a mighty
future.