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About Us
Te’kening Lodge 37 was formed on January
1, 1999 as a result of the merger between Camden County Council and the old
Southern New Jersey Council. The council merger set in motion events that
would inevitably lead to the merger of Lekau Lodge 77 of Camden County
Council and Apatukwe Lodge 107 of the old Southern New Jersey Council. Both
lodges boasted strong roots in Order of the Arrow tradition of southern New
Jersey.
Lekau Lodge 77 was founded in 1935. Its
name is Lenape for Sandpiper, the Lodge’s totem. The charter members of the
Lodge included: Thomas Hillegas, Thomas Lilley, Lewis Davis, Frank Mercer,
Gordon Sheddy, Ronald Sheldon and Andrew Weatherby. In 1948, thirteen years
before it was to become required, Lekau elected Howard Shimp, a youth
member, as its Chief. Lekau hosted numerous local Order of the Arrow
gatherings including: 1951, 1959 and 1967 Area 2C Conferences and the 1975,
1985 and 1994 Section NE-4B Conclaves.
Apatukwe Lodge 107 was founded in 1967,
itself the product of the merger of Kon-Kon-Tu Lodge 107 (Cumberland County
Council and later the old South Jersey Council) formed on January 13, 1938
and Unalachtigo (later Unilachtego) Lodge 411 (Gloucester-Salem Council)
formed on May 3, 1949. Apatukwe Lodge’s totem was a White Stag. Apatukwe
hosted numerous local Order of the Arrow gatherings including: 1970 Area 2C
Conference, the 1978, 1986, 1993 Section NE-4B Conclaves and the first new
NE-2A Conclave in 1998.
Meetings spanning the Fall of 1998 helped
to form the Te’kening Lodge. The totem of Te’kening Lodge is that of a wild
turkey. Te’kening, in the Lenni-Lenape language, translates into "In The
Woods." Te’kening Lodge of the new Southern New Jersey Council serves both
Pine Hill Scout Reservation and Roosevelt Scout Reservation. The first Lodge
weekend went off well at Roosevelt Scout Reservation, May 14-16, 1999, where
it saw the election of its first Lodge Chief, Brian Favat, and Lodge
Officers.
Te’kening Lodge 37 hit the floor running
with its first Executive Board meeting in January 1999. A Lodge Chairman,
Steve Martin, was appointed to fill the role of Lodge Chief until our first
elections in May 1999. The lodge newsletter, "In The Woods," had its
inaugural issue in mid-March 1999 and continues to serve as an informational
source to the Brothers of the Southern New Jersey Council.
Although Te’kening Lodge stems from
mighty lodges of the past, we look forward to greater opportunities and
continued service, brotherhood and fellowship in the future. We have
contributed both on a sectional, regional and national level. Te’kening sent
delegates to the 1999 National Leadership Summit in Fort Collins, CO as well
as Northeast Region NLS’s and NOAC 2000. Our past lodges and heritage will
remain with us as we progress and unite into the next millennium. |
