Lodge History
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Aal-Pa-Tah Lodge was founded in 1942. “Aal-Pa-Tah” is from the Seminole language, meaning “Alligator”. Our lodge consists of 9 chapters presently, from the northern border of Indian River County to the southern border of Palm Beach County, and west through Okeechobee and Osceola Counties. When our lodge was founded there were only 2 or 3 chapters, which consisted of the area immediately north and within Palm Beach County. Our council camps are Camp Oklawaha in Sebastian and Camp Tanah-Keeta in Tequesta. We have hosted 7 Area/Section Conferences over the years, those being in 1953, 1962, 1972, 1981, 1988, 1997, 2004, and will host again in 2012. We have also hosted one Section Seminars in 2000, with another coming in 2008.
Our lodge publications has a long history, dating back to when it was called “The Tipi” from the 50s all the way to the late 90s, and then became “The Gator Tales”. We did have a dark period, though, when our lodge was closed down for about a year in the late Seventies, but since then we have rebounded. Throughout our history, Aal-Pa-Tah has produced more than 10 outstanding youth who have gone on to serve as our Area or Section Chief, and many of them have served as a NOAC Vice-Chief. In 1986, Kelly Landers became the first, and so far only, person from Aal-Pa-Tah Lodge to receive the Distinguished Service Award, the highest OA award there is. He had also been the first, and so far only, youth to serve as a Section Chief for 2 years, and was also the first youth recipient of the Founders’ Award. The last person to have served as a Section Chief and also NOAC Vice-Chief was Travis Sheehan in 2005-6. Presently, we have had 29 Arrowmen receive the Founders’ Award, 5 recipients of the James E. West Fellowship, and over 237 have received the Vigil Honor.
Our lodge is the most decorated when it comes to Native American Dancing award winners, for both Section Conference and NOAC, and elsewhere, as it has long been a tradition with us. “The Hitchiti Dancers” are known throughout the nation as some of the best dancers there are around, and have been for over 30 years. Aal-Pa-Tah has won the coveted Section Conference “Spirit Award” almost more times than any other lodge. We have also been known for our ceremonies, even performing them early on for other Lodges in the Section, and over the past few years, have won most of the ceremonies competitions’ awards at Section Conferences. Overall, Aal-Pa-Tah is known as “The Party Lodge”, since we all just have a great time anytime we get together.
