| The Tribe of Papago was an honor camper society started in
1923 in Catalina Council at Camp Lawton. The society was invented, and all the ceremonies
were written, by the Camp Director and Professional Scouter Harry Ogle. This society has
continued to this time, although it began to be diminished in the late 1960's when a Sioux
System was used for a few years. The different levels of the Tribe of Papago required
advancement in Scout rank, leadership practice, and service hours. The order of the
different levels was: Hunter, Warrior, Medicine Man and Chief, and for adults who were not
Chiefs: Elder, for men, and Squaw, for women. Norman R. Horwitz, a 1938 Vigil member
from Owasippi Lodge #7 in Chicago, moved to Tucson in 1948. In 1952 he asked the Scout
Executive, Merle Kruiish, to form a committee to look into the formation of an Order of
the Arrow Lodge. Horwitz chaired the committee, Kruiish was the Adviser, and the other
members were Otis Chidester, Clinton Helbig, LeBaron Jones and Edward Ronstadt. Horwitz's
plans for a Papago Lodge were accepted and a national charter was granted on May 29, 1953.
Horwitz conducted the 1953 ceremonies single-handedly, as the first Papago Lodge Chief.
With the 84 new Ordeal members, elections were held and David Zinder was elected the first
youth Lodge Chief. Through the following years the Lodge has performed exceptional service
for the Catalina Council and the southern Arizona community. In 1964 the Victorio Lodge,
founded in 1940, merged into the Papago Lodge, enhancing the history and traditions of
both Lodges. Technically, since Lodges all count their age from their oldest component,
1990 was the 50th anniversary of this combined Lodge.
The first totem of the Papago Lodge was an "Arrowhead inscribed with a Flying
Bird." Apparently this totem was never used on anything during the first years of the
Lodge. In May 1957 the first Papago Lodge totem used was a steer skull entwined with a
rattlesnake, which was used on the first Lodge pocket flap patch. In 1961 the totem was
changed to the Hohokam conception of the Gambel's quail. The Victorio Lodge totem was the
wild turkey. When these two Lodges merged they decided on the Gambel's quail totem.
Several Lodge votes have been taken to change this totem, but none have passed.
The proud accomplishments of the Papago Lodge span the whole history of the Lodge. From
1957 to 1961, the first 5 Area Conferences (Section Conclaves) were presided over by
Papago members. In 1958 and again in 1966 the Papago Lodge had Dance teams that were among
the most outstanding in the nation. In 1965 Papago Lodge members helped in the formation
of Salado Lodge #551. From 1968 to 1974 Carroll A. Edson, co-founder of the Order of the
Arrow in 1915, was a member of Papago Lodge. In 1984, George Fell, retired Chairman of the
National OA Committee, was a Papago Lodge member. Jack Stephens, a 1985 Papago Lodge Vice
Chief, moved to Chee Dodge Lodge #503, and in 1989 he was elected the National Chief,
while again living in Tucson. In 1988 the Papago Lodge had one of the most outstanding
Ceremony Teams in the nation. Over the years the Papago Lodge has earned the right to
honor nearly 200 Vigil members.
This history, covering fifty years, is probably finally being written because the Lodge
is now in outstanding shape, and success stories are more fun to tell. The membership is
up, the ceremonies are spectacular, the finances are outstanding, and the flaps and
insignia of the Lodge are the most sought-after in the nation.
In addition to these general accomplishments, the Papago Lodge has provided individual
recognition for about 5,000 honor campers of the Boy Scouts of America. These honor
campers, in turn, have promoted camping, provided service, and exemplified the ideals of
Scouting for hundreds of thousands of southern Arizona youth and adults.
This summary was taken with minor modifications from the introduction of the 2nd
edition (1991) of the "History of the Papago Lodge". |
