Tutelo Lodge Spring 1973 activity patch

While this patch might appear plain and boring to some collectors, it was issued in the Spring of 1973 for a significant event in Virginia OA history – the first activity of the newly formed Tutelo Lodge 161.

In 1972 the council boards of Piedmont Area Council and Blue Ridge Council voted to merge. On January 1, 1973 their two Order of the Arrow Lodges, Koo Koo Ku Hoo 161 and Powhatan 456, respectively, formed Tutelo Lodge. Tutelo was the name of the last Indian tribe to inhabit the area where Camp Powhatan is now located.  The Tutelos were a branch of Souian Indians, who eventually became extinct after being forced from their tribal grounds by white settlers.

The lowest charter number of 161 was retained and a new Lodge totem of three arrows was chosen, since it was the totem of the Tutelo Indians according to historical accounts. Early patches from Tutelo Lodge show the arrows in several different arrangements. This patch shows them joined at their ends on a single bowstring.  In the early 1990s, the totem was modified to be three red arrows crossed in the center of a bronze shield.

The inaugural event patch for Tutelo 161 honors the two Lodges that merged to create it by featuring their names prominently in the design. While it’s not evident if the event was a Spring Ordeal or  Fellowship, it was an historical beginning for a strong lodge with a rich heritage.

Sources:

• Blue Ridge Mountains patch site – Tutelo Lodge
• Tutelo Lodge History