Our lodge came into existence on July 10, 1944, at Camp Hinds, when the first seven members were inducted into the Order of the Arrow. These charter members of our lodge were Howard Butler (the Camp Director from 1944 to 1947), Frank W.P. Bailey, Fred Foster, Lee Weeks, Phil Foss, Jordan Prouty and Arthur Berry. The induction team included Pine Tree Scout Executive Percy Dunne, Hinds Waterfront Director George Anderson (who was from Pamola Lodge) and Senior Camp (Tenny) Director Dr. Nickles.

As a part of their ordeal, these candidates were directed to prepare a ceremonial area on the hill just south of the present Cadigan lodge and to construct an alter fireplace and ceremonial alter.

At that time we took the name Madockawanda, based upon a story told by Uncle Frank Bailey about the great Indian Chief Madockawanda who unified the Penobscot Nation.

Frank Bailey, one of the founders of Camp Hinds and a 30-year staff member, became our first Lodge adviser. He served in that capacity until 1957. Fred Foster was the ranger at Camp Hinds through the mid-1960s and was responsible for the remodeling of Berry Farm, which we know today as the training center. Lee Weeks has remained active in Scouting, serving as Council Activities Chairman in past years.

The snapping turtle was taken as the totem of our Lodge, and the clap 1, 1-2 as our lodge clap. Our founders were unaware at the time that the turtle was also the totem of Unami Lodge #1. Frank Bailey drew up a set of bylaws for the Lodge, which were later found to be remarkably similar to the National Rules.

During that early period, the Order of the Arrow was almost entirely a summertime program. Elections and inductions were held every two weeks during the summer season. Since most Scouts came to camp as provisional campers at that time, the elections were held in the six provisional units: MacArthur, Boone, Byrd, Peary, Pershing, and MacMillan, and at the “Senior Camp” across the river. The occasional troop camping as a unit could also hold elections. Following National policy, no elections were held outside of the summer camp season.

Camp Bomazeen opened in the summer of 1946 and the Bomazeen chapter of the Lodge was started in 1949. Jaro Konecny of Salem, Maine, one of the camp’s founders, served as an OA adviser at Bomazeen.

The two council camps operated as two chapters of the Lodge. This was expanded to three chapters in 1950 when Camp Nutter was open as a full-time council camp and a chapter was established there. Camp Nutter dates back to the 1930s when York County was a separate council operating its own camp. At that time the OA was not the only organization in Scouting for recognizing honor campers.

Since York District had previously adopted the “Nikiwigi,” another Scouting National Honor Society, as their program for honor Scouts and Scouters, there was a period of negotiation required before the Camp Nutter Chapter of the Lodge replaced the Nikiwigi tribe. The chapter was active, however, for only a few years before full-time summer operation of Camp Nutter ceased to be practical.

The separate chapters met as a Lodge once a year, during the Christmas school vacation, when it held its annual meeting for fellowship and election of Lodge officers. We do not have complete records of who our Lodge officers were during those years, since an overzealous assistant scout executive cleaned out the Lodge file at the Council office in the early 1970s. While efforts to gain historical records have been moderately successful recently, there is still much left in question.

In 1952, the Lodge sent a team to Camp Sachem in Antrim, New Hampshire, to induct their candidates into the Order. While this new Lodge did not immediately replace the Nikiwigi Tribe at Camp Sachem, it would by 1963. The team members were Frank Bailey, Clyde Nason, Jr., Al Elliot, and Wayne McDuffie. All were staff members at Camp Hinds.

By the mid-1950s, the ordeals had been expanded to include June and September work parties at each camp, as well as ordeals every two weeks during the summer season. Each chapter had a well-trained ceremonial team consisting largely of camp staff members. Early tapout ceremonies (now calling-out ceremonies) at Camp Hinds were held at the parade ground. The chief came by canoe from Chipmunk point, climbed the bank to the assembled troops, and tapped out those who had been elected. By the early 1950s, the tapout had become part of an elaborate Indian campfire.

These ordeals at both Hinds and Bomazeen were held every two weeks because, in those days of provisional camping, most Scouts attended camp for two weeks at a time and the elections were held during the second week of the cycle.

By 1955, the move was on nationally to get more Scout troops to come to camp as units under their own leadership. Hinds and Bomazeen gradually moved from camps with 90% provisional campers to 90% troop camping in the mid-1960s. With this change came major revision in the procedures used by the Lodge, too. National rules dictated that elections must be held in the home troop, not at summer camp, although for many years some troops still came to camp expecting to have an OA elections there. Some ideas die hard!

The chapters of our Lodge then had to subdivide to provide for election and camp promotion teams in every district, of which the council then had eight. (Do you remember the Sebago or Quabacook Districts?) For several years we had both “Camp” chapters and “District” chapters functioning together, with two Lodge Vice Chiefs each supervising the districts closest to his camp. From 1975 through 1979 there were two Lodge Vice Chiefs elected each year, one to supervise the Camp Hinds sector of the Lodge, the other to supervise the Bomazeen chapters. Meetings were held at district roundtables to inform Scoutmasters of the new procedures and we began to hold OA elections only at troop meetings within the districts.

Since all the candidates had already been elected before going to summer camp, most of them began coming to the June ordeal weekends instead of waiting until their troop went to camp. The need for summertime ceremonies were gradually eliminated. There have been several attempts in recent years to hold midsummer ordeals, but the difficulty in fitting that program into an already crowded camp schedule has proven hard to overcome.

Once, in ages long-forgotten, when the white men were but legends,

and the rushing springtime waters formed the highways of our fathers,

When the forests teemed with turkey, and with deer and elk and beaver,

And the shellfish of the ocean were a food well-made for feasting;

In those days the hemlock forests, and the pines and oaks and maples

Covered mountain slopes and valleys with a velvet coat of green.

Then the many tribes of Indians lived a life serene and peaceful,

The Abnakis and the Micmacs each on their own ground remaining.

Long this happy age continued, without threat of war or famine,

For the braves who roamed these forests were at peace with all their brothers;

‘Til one day, a ship arriving gave an omen of the future,

That the strange white men who landed would bring more of their own people,

They would claim the tribal holdings and disperse the woodland nations.

Even as it was predicted, the great tide of white men started,

And their settlements grew quickly, spreading out across the forest.

These were men of many nations and they sought the red men’s service,

But for warlike aims they sought them, and they saw the red men dying.

Many years of bloodshed passing, the once peaceful tribes of Indians

Were enslaved, or dead, or homeless, and their councils met no longer.

One there was among these remnants of the tribes which thrived no longer,

One whose memory kept the image of the great tribes of his fathers;

He was called Madockawanda, one who loved his people dearly,

One whose plan to help his people was yet great, and wise and daring.

And the chief, Madockawanda, planned to join his Indian brothers

In a new and stronger nation, in a nation full of promise.

Thus he sought through all the region men whose memory of their fathers

Had instilled in them traditions of the tribes who roamed the forest;

Men whose spirit was unbroken, and who loved their Indian brethren.

Seeking these, he slowly molded from the worn and scattered fragments

Of the once unconquered nations a tribe of brave young warriors.

With their wives and with their children, with their memories and their dreams.

And as time went on this tribe grew from a meager band of planners

To a nation with a strong voice, to a nation called Penobscot.

“Add one and stick together” was the motto of their chieftain,

And he carried out this motto ‘til the many tribes of Maine

Were part of a federation to protect them from their enemies.

Thus the fearful, scattered pieces of the tribes which ruled the forest

Were united through the efforts of a wise a powerful chieftain.

Thus a dreamer and a planner showed the worth of dreams and planning,

And the brave men who worked with him found esteem among their tribesman.

The great nations of the red men are now but a fleeting memory.

But the struggles of their leaders, truly fighting for their birthright,

Can show us, who now succeed them, how to hope and plan and strive.

Written by Frank Maguire based on stories told by Frank Bailey, who had spent much time during his youth with the Native Americans of Maine and who believed that in following Madockawanda we followed a strong leader.

During the Prince Phillip Wars, there was a renegade Indian Chief by the name of Bomazeen, whose tribe inhabited the Norridgewock Valley.

Bomazeen was hated by the English soldiers as he believed in the free way. The English decided that the only way to get rid of Bomazeen was to kill him. In December they set off with four officers and three hundred men along with four Mohawk scouts.

They proceeded up the Kennebec River as far as Ticonnet, now known as Richmond. They camped here for a month due to a storm. Leaving a hundred and two men to guard the seventeen whaleboats, the rest set out in search of the famous Indian chieftain.

After two weeks they came upon a brave, squaw and maiden. Automatically they opened fire, killing the maiden and capturing the squaw. The Brave escaped to warn his tribe. After running a long distance they caught up to him at the fording place of the river and opened fire, killing the brave.

The squaw then called out “Bomazeen!” The English now knew that they had slain the mighty chieftain and went on to massacre the Indian’s village. The fording place in the river is now known as “Bomazeen’s Rips.”

Although Bomazeen was killed, the legend of the mighty chieftain lived on in his own people and is remembered by all Scouts and Order of the Arrow members.

The above story has been told in this form at least since 1969. It is not known who wrote this particular version; it dates to the time when John O’Connor was our Lodge Chief and an active staff member at Camp Bomazeen.

In the earliest years of the Order, the sash was the same for both ordeal and brotherhood (then “Brotherhood Honor”) members. When first presented to an ordeal member it was worn over the right shoulder. If a brother should later receive the Brotherhood Honor, then he wore his sash over his left shoulder. The Vigil Honor sash was also worn over the left shoulder. In December, 1949, the National OA Committee ruled that all sashes would henceforth be worn over the right shoulder, and a special brotherhood sash was designed.

In 1947, a Lodge from Massachusetts inducted several of our ordeal members into the “Brotherhood Honor.” Memories of members place the number of original brotherhood members at three; Frank Bailey, Lee Weeks and Phil Foss. Their ceremony was conducted in front of the block house, with the entire camp in attendance. A year or two later, our Lodge sent a Brotherhood team to Camp Roosevelt near Bangor to do a Brotherhood ceremony because Pamola Lodge at that time no longer had any active Brotherhood members.

Until the mid-1950s the rules for Brotherhood membership were quite different from today. A committee of Lodge and Chapter officers reviewed the names of Ordeal members, selecting those whom they considered to be the most worthy based on service, brotherhood and leadership. Those members were delivered a sealed note on the night of the ceremony (about which they knew nothing in advance). The message which was handed to them said:

“You have been selected to go on a journey of great significance. Report to the blockhouse immediately after taps tonight. Allowat Sakima.”

The Brotherhood induction was then conducted at our ceremonial grounds.

The first Vigil Honor ceremony held in our council was conducted in 1952 when Ray Morin, a member of the national committee, came to Camp Hinds, held a calling-out ceremony at the evening campfire, and that night inducted Frank Bailey into the Vigil Honor. He was given the name "Sirius," the Dog Star, the brightest star in the night sky. The name was chosen by "Spud" Nason, longtime staff member, physics teacher and amateur astronomer.

In 1953 the Vigil Honor was again presented in our Lodge, this time to Clyde E. Nason, Jr., who was then Lodge Chief and assistant craft shop director at Camp Hinds. Clyde, known to his friends as "Spudling," was given the Vigil name "Procyon," after the Little Dog Star. Frank Bailey used to remind us that it was most unusual to have two Vigil Honor members inducted in two years, since in the past that honor had been reserved "for those who had done something exceptional such as wrote a book or saved a life." (Frank's own words.) Although it is interesting to note that there are no records at the National Order of the Arrow Office which denote the awarding of the Vigil Honor only for saving a life.

No Vigil Honor members were inducted during the next three years, but by 1957 the philosophy of the National Committee had undergone some changes. The Brotherhood Honor became easier to attain and the Vigil Honor was promoted as something more within reach, as well. National set up a quota system of maximum numbers of members who could be given that honor and in 1957 our Lodge inducted multiple brothers into the Vigil Honor.

Vigil inductions have been done at one or both of our camps every year since 1957. Until 1970 the Lodge custom of naming Vigil Honor members after the stars continued, although the idea of "forming triangles" in the sky was not. Since 1971 we have chosen Indian names, using the lists found in the back of the Order of the Arrow Handbook.

Listing of Vigil Honor Members of Madockawanda Lodge