History of the Abooikpaagun Lodge

Curtis Belin ~2011~

The Order of the Arrow was founded by Dr. E. Urner Goodman and Carroll A. Edson in 1915 at the Treasure Island Camp of the Philadelphia Council, Boy Scouts of America. It became an official program experiment in 1922 and was approved as part of the Scouting program in 1934. In 1948 the OA, recognized as the BSA's national brotherhood of honor campers, became an official part of the Boy Scouts of America. Also in that year, the De Soto Area Coucnil formed the Abooikpaagun Lodge.

The Abooikpaagun Lodge was created to promote camping and to the honor those campers that beside exmplified the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives. Therefore, throughout the summer camp season at Camp Loblolly those campers who chosen for the first ordeal where tapped out. That one summer solidified the foundation for what has become a proud lodge.

As the Order of the Arrow evolves, the Abooikpaagun Lodge also grows with the changes. Understanding that our focus cannot solely be based on camping, the Abooikpaagun Lodge meets the challenge to develop leaders with the willingness, character, spirit and ability to advance the activities of their units, our Brotherhood, Scouting, and ultimately our nation.