Cowikee Lodge History

Cowikee Lodge #224 was organized August 8, 1942, at a pilgrimage held by Alibamu Lodge #179 at Camp Rotary near Montgomery. Charter members who were inducted included Jack Banks, Tom Brooks, Arthur Brown, James Capell, Billy Dyes, Bobby Hall, Bernard Jordan, Stanley Liebert, Rance Osborne (Scout Executive), Alfred Parish, Charles Pelham, Gene Ramage, Robert Taylor, Albert Wendling, Guy Wilkes, and Harvey Yarbrough.

The Lodge took its name from the creek which ran through the council’s summer camp, Camp Rotary, located just North of Eufaula, Alabama. The name Cowikee is from a historic Muskogean (Creek) Indian tribe that had a village at the fork of the big and little Cowikee Creek before it flowed east toward the Chattahoochee River. The name Cowikee is literally translated “river that meets itself”. The first Lodge totem, designed around 1948, was a design of three white clouds with an orange lightning bolt (known by many as the “Three Cloud”). The Lodge’s current totem first appeared in 1953, and is a design of two crossed Calumets, which represents an Indian symbol of good luck.

Cowikee Lodge has been active in every Area Conference and Section Conclave since their beginning, and has hosted section conclaves in 1957, 1963, 1971, 1978, 1985, 1993, and 2004. James Kelley, from Cowikee Lodge, became the first elected Area Chief in 1953.

Cowikee Lodge has provided many past section officers, including James Kelley (1953, Area Chief), Morgan Weed (1962, Chief), Frank Gaines, III (1963, Vice Chief), David Ellis (1964, Chief), Sam Jones (1968, Vice Chief), Sam Jackson, Jr. (1971, Chief), Rick Williams (1971, Vice Chief), Doug Gibson (1973, Vice Chief), Leckie Mattox (1978, Chief), Joey Maxwell (1984, Secretary), and Leandro Fugate (2002, Secretary).

Morgan Weed, our Lodge and Area Chief in 1962, was presented the Distinguished Service Award (DSA) at Indiana University in 1965 for his contributions to the Order beyond the lodge level. Morgan was killed in service during the Vietnam conflict. Cowikee Lodge established the Morgan Weed Award, given annually at the Section Conclave, to commemorate his service and dedication to the Order of the Arrow.

Cowikee Lodge celebrated its 50^th Anniversary from 1992 to 1993 through a series of events including a rededication ceremony at Camp Rotary and the hosting of the ‘93 Section Conclave at Camp Alaflo. In 2007, Cowikee Lodge celebrated its 65^th anniversary at the Fall Fellowship which included a lodge reunion luncheon and drum and dance team training.

This year will be our 66^th anniversary.