Rare Order of the Arrow Indeed! ~ 482 Lodge Chief Flap~ on Ebay

Black Eagle Flap S-30 Lodge Chief Flap

Ebay Auction

This is the Lodge Chief's Flap (Pictured Above). Probably better known as the "Former Lodge Chief Flap." This flap is not to be confused with the S-16. The S-16 (Picture Below) is a flap awarded by the lodge chief for outstanding service to the lodge during a fellowship. The lodge chief flap was supposed to get only "10" per term but an order mishap occurred on the reorder and instead of 100 the lodge ended up with 1000. When I left the lodge...the Lodge Chief was awarding 10 flaps per event so the rarity of this flap is all but destroyed but that should not lessen the meaning to those that earn it.


Black Eagle Flap S-16 Lodge Chief Flap

Anyway, the Silver Mylar flap above is a rare flap. There will not be many chances to get one of these flaps. The only people within the lodge that can get one of these flaps (and only 1) are Lodge Chiefs. When this flap was made a lot research went into tracking down former Lodge Chiefs. Mike Lardie, Pat Hanlon, J.P. Meier, and my father, who went to extreme efforts, to find former lodge chiefs. I assisted as well but my efforts were likely not as equal to some of their research. Tracking down former chiefs was not easy. Records of where people are 10, 20 and 50 years down the road simply do not exist in any lodge archive.

Anyhow, I do not know how many have been awarded of the 100 flaps. Probably somewhere around 40-50 of them.

Rare Black Eagle Lodge #482 Flap on Ebay (Click Below).

EBAY AUCTION Black Eagle Lodge S-30 Lodge Chief Flap

What bothers me about this auction is the person selling it does not know what the flap is and mistakenly labels the patch as an anniversary patch. The fact that he has patches from Europe implies that he may have been a former chief and simply decided to part with it because it holds little meaning to him. Patches do not mean a lot to some folks.

Regardless, it is a rare chance for collectors to get what will become one of the hardest flaps to acquire from Black Eagle Lodge. The auction is poorly labeled and will be interesting to see if collectors notice it. It already has five different bidders on it... ;)

Black Eagle Lodge 2006 NOAC Flap.

Black Eagle Flap S-33 2006 NOAC

Ebay Auction

The first sighting of this flap, for those of us that did not goto NOAC that year, was shortly after NOAC ended. It appeared on Ebay and went for around $50.00 if I remember correctly. I simply forgot to follow the auction and did not think it was a big deal. I will bid on the next one....

The next 482 2006 flap just appeared on Ebay.

EBAY AUCTION Black Eagle Lodge 2006 NOAC FLAP

I would of never guessed that it would be about a year and half later. Considering the amount of time that has passed...your guess is as a good as mine on how much this flap will go for. I will keep my fingers crossed but I am not holding my breath. The only thing I know about the flap other than its designer is a rumor. Someone that attended NOAC that year emailed me about the flap. He said that the 482 Lodge Member that traded him the flap informed him that only 100 flaps were made.

This is not a high run issue unfortunately. Break out the wallet for this one. While this isn't a threat. I can promise you one thing... I will make you pay for it. :)

Transatlantic Council Medal Collection

Ken Kittelberger's Metal Collection

These medals mainly appear to be volksmarching medals created or sponsored by the council for troops going on hikes at these events. Volksmarching is wide spread club or group of people throughout the country that walk around 10, 20, or 42km at a time. The 10 and 20 km marches typically have the same prize or reward while the 42km is typically for those that wish to run the marathon and usually has an additional or different end prize. Sometimes the trails vary in length from the standard. For example 12km instead of 10km. Those interested in the prize and recording their stamps for marching typically pay a small free before starting on the trek. Events usually have a stuffed animal, patch, mug, pin, medal or plate as an end prize and people typically goto specific events to collect such items. My parents used to take our family out on various events throughout the country and mainly did the ones with plates and medals as the end prize. The bratwurst, fries, and cola at the end was the reward I enjoyed and all the motivation needed to get me to go...not to mention the yummy hot tea at the rest stops on the volksmarches.


Ken Kittelberger's Metal Collection

Remebering and Revealing Black Eagle Patch History....#2

High Plains Chapter Patch eR1972

David H. Aufdengarten

The first sighting of this patch was in March 2000 on Ebay. It was purchased from the man above. The patch reads, "OA Klanjo 1972. Rota, Spain. It was an exciting discovery as it was an unknown issue at the time. I have only seen this patch one more time on Ebay after the initial discovery. It was being sold by TSPA.

David said, "The OA Patches were mine, I was tapped out in 1974 at Rota, Spain as an adult leader, which was a real suprise and honor. It was a pleasant suprise to see that you sent the payment in a TAC envelope. I hope that you enjoy you scouting experiences in TAC as much as I did as an Area District Commissioner in Rota, Spain, there is a lot of great Military Scouters that I worked with in TAC and it was one of the most wonderful scouting experiences that I had in Scouting. I'm sure by now they have changed the Lodge Patch as well as other TAC patches."

I am posting the discovery of these patches so that others can see and share in the experience. A lot of patches are discovered from older members who happened to be there at the time frame. Since Black Eagle covers so many countries it is almost impossible for the lodge to control any formal patch making. Almost every chapter patch in the blue book has been added on a "on my honor" system and most never saw the light of day from any LEC meeting. Black Eagle is a very open lodge when it comes to patches. Flaps and Activity Patches are really the main patches Black Eagle Lodge takes a lot of pride in. It is such shame so few collect the lodge activity patches.

Thanks David for expanding and sharing Black Eagle Lodge #482 patch history with me.

Remebering and Revealing Black Eagle Patch History....#1

Black Eagle Flap (Elder Brother) S-31 [20 Made]

John Paul Meier

For those that are even aware of this flap...This patch was JP's idea. It was meant as gift for various "older members" who were regular and long time supporters of the lodge. These were people who came to almost every event, always helped out at the events, and usually did more than fair share of the work. The patch came out around a time when the lodge lost a lot of veteran leadership and thus a very nice gift for those leaving. These were core members who were always there. I am sure folks stood up to the challenge; however, I would like to think that its not quite the same. As far as I know, all of these patches have been awarded and only myself, my father, and Dan Walker received one these flaps who already PCS'd back to the US.

It was a flap mainly for adults. I am not sure if any youth received one. I guessing a one or two did. Usually, I would be against such a patch but there is nothing wrong with an exemption every once and a while. After all, the patch was approved by the LEC. Keep in mind most youth are not members of the lodge very long as they tend to PCS and move with their parents or go off to college back in the US when turning 18. Its very difficult to become a vigil member in Black Eagle Lodge as a youth because of that and very hard to make a lasting impact as youth...as life tends to go on.

New Namassakett Chapter Discovery

Namassakett N-2 Neckerchief with yellow threads

Bob Cylkowski shared this with me a few days after I submitted the my final listings for the last Blue Book update. He discovered another N-2 neckerchief that has red threads holding the shield in place around the green hoop. I debated a few minutes on what to call it. I decided to label it as the N-2.5


Namassakett N-2.5 Neckerchief with red threads

Great discovery Bob and thanks for sharing with all of us.

Overseas Collecting on the Rise?

Transatlantic CSP

The trend of anything overseas seems to be growing in demand. This seems at least true about Ebay. Many new and old collectors jumping into the collecting bandwagon. I often wonder if they know what they are even bidding on at times. Basically, if its a patch not on Ebay every week someone bids on it and takes it home.


1967 Intercamp Patch

Intercamp patches have been receiving an increase interest on Ebay when they appear. For years they were mostly ignored and did not attract much attention. If your wondering, Intercamp is an international camping event where multiple European countries get together once a year for a friendly scouting adventure filled with events and games for all. You get to meet people from all over Europe and share scouting values with each other. Even a fair amount of patch trading goes on. If you like international scouting items this would be the best camp to attend outside of a world jamboree. They even have a nice patch museum on site. The 1967 Intercamp patch above was bought a few years ago on Ebay on buy-it-now option for $20.00. I often wonder what it would have cost me if it was an auction instead.


Camp Columbus Rota, Spain

There is a noticeable increase for Council Camp items from Transatlantic Council. Camp Mohawk items have always been slightly popular but now even camp items that seemed mostly ignored have increased in demand. Its just a trend I am pointing out. I do not think this is a bad thing at all. Increased demand for these items will hopefully increase awareness of these scout items.

Bluebook Responsibility & Issue Classifications

Many traders do send editors scans and information about patches. I honestly can not picture what it must be like to have a whole region. I find one lodge a challenge as it is. The problem I have with the system is I can not simply rewrite the classifications and delete all the odd listing. It is important to preserve the old classifications for reasons beyond my understandings. Eventually, the listings of the issues will start to blur and become a mess. What do you do when prototypes and fakes start showing up on older non flap issues like activity and chapter issues that you never dreamed of seeing?


Fake of eX1965

This real version of this activity patch has never been sold publicly to my knowledge on the net... The real version hasn't tasted Ebay as far as I know. I have heard or seen of about 5 or 6 of these patches. What do I call it though? What happens to the eX1965 issue? Is it now the eX1965-1 and eZX1965-2? Your guess is as good as mine. :) Heck, if you goto Ebay and search the whole site typing "Black Eagle 50th" you can buy one too for $19.99. As of Dec. 04, 2007 there are two available by the seller for purchase as buy-it-nows. Ken shared this with me a couple months ago so now I share it with you. Don't say I never gave ya nothing for free.


Like J-6 with Black Border

I was still overseas in the lodge when the J-6 was issued. All of them had a white border. This one is just like the J-6 but with a Black Border. It appeared on Ebay and well...I forgot to bid on it :(. Anyhow, I do not know if it is a proto-type, a re-order, a fake....or what. I can not call it something without having any information. If anyone in Black Eagle ever bothers to answer my emails that involve talking about patches maybe this mystery can be easily solved. I will sit on it until the next due date for blue book issues if I have too and give it the benefit of the doubt I suppose.


Like eX1991 from the Amangi Wachtschu Chapter

This is obviously a sample to eX1991 to the Amangi Wachtschu Chapter. It appeared on Ebay a year or two ago. I did not win this patch but there was a sample for the eR1990 chapter fellowship as well and I did win that one. Again, what do I call it? The eYX1991-2 making the original the eX1991-1?

Its a personal choice whether or not to include these patches in the bluebook. I am not even sure if a half dozen people are even aware of these posted patches and what is scary... There are more patches I have not yet posted about. The same seller that made a fake of the eX1965 also made a fake of a Black Eagle Chapter patch that I did not even bother to buy. I couldn't justify buying a fake of a chapter patch when the fake costs more than the real patch..*blink blink*. I have another scan of back patch prototype I haven't included yet.

Outside of two other major Black Eagle collectors Ken K. and Dan C. I receive little or no information about patches. With all the people buying Black Eagle patches off Ebay (and other auction sites) referencing our hard work and my website you would think these sellers would take the time and write me back and provide with some simple information...it doesn't cost anything to send an email.

Power of Suggestion...Mysterious White Flap

I was approached by a person (name held for privacy) by email about this mysterious white flap. He told me he had a friend from Midwest Swiss that sent him I believe 3 white flaps in a large grouping of patches. He believed it was a prototype or sample made by the company. He offered to sell me one and asked me to pass it on to friends who might be interested in buying one. I offered to pay $100.00 and he accepted and I received my patch a few days later. He also told me that he had more flaps on the way from his source and when they got in that there was no more mysterious white flaps in the package.


ZS-8 (Midwest Swiss)

The more he talked with me about the flaps and the more I talked with a couple Black Eagle Collectors; the more I felt that something was off about this patch. At first, I embraced it as a potential prototype. I was reading SPA blog and apparently some other collector ran into similar situation with a different lodge and started questioning its true origins as well. Just when all the dust settled a seller on Ebay was selling a lot of 5 of these white flaps on Ebay. Rare proto-type my foot. I won that auction and a fellow collector asked about buying one from me. I wasn't feeling all up to snuff that weekend so I didn't get back to him over that weekend. He was offered a second chance option to buy his own lot of 5 flaps and who knows how many other second chance offers were sent out. There are sure a lot of these white flaps for an issue never ordered with that color background. So many, you could almost call it a full blown issue.


$Show Me The Money$

Regardless of your personal feelings about this patch...The bottom line it was not authorized by the lodge for release. Based off that conclusion alone that makes this patch a "Z" instead of a "Y" for prototype or sample. If that is not enough evidence for you the sheer number of them should also disqualify it as a prototype or sample. This patch is about as valuable as 2 Million Zimbabwe Bank Notes. I urge you not to invest too much money into this flap. Pay what you believe it is worth.

I would love to be proved wrong about this patch. I feel bad about this issue because I convinced another collector to buy it based of my opinion of it. In honestly, I felt like I was taken advantage of. While I do not necessarily blame the person that sold me the patch I can blame his source and the company that allowed these patches to leave its site. You think a company that keeps worthless cloth lying around all these years would keep invoices for the orders as well. Show me an invoice for this patch and I will gladly accept it as official.

Been A While...Happy Trades :)

Black Eagle

I haven't posted in a while. Nothing like stating what is very apparent. Part of it has to do with not a whole lot going on patch wise but I could of found plenty of stuff to post about in all honesty. Some of it was being lazy or simply bored of the blog for a while. So what has changed?

A few days ago I was contacted by Dean Smith who traded me a whole chapter worth of Black Eagle Lodge Patches. Offers like this do not come very often and I am very pleased to finally see some Black Eagle Lodge action again. Dean has finished all of my High Plain Chapter Patch Needs.

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eR1981
(Dean was actually apart of this Dance Team)

This is just one of four patches on their way to me. The rest can be seen on my website at blackeagletrader.com

Fact or Fiction?...Black Eagle Lodge 1998 NOAC Flap

S-17
(Yes, the official issue has a black border)

The 1998 NOAC Black Eagle Lodge Flap

Why talk about the 1998 NOAC flap several years after it was made? Rumors and mysterious sightings of another version of the flap. Like all mysteries they started somewhere and this one has been fueled by a misprint in the Blue Book way back at its debut. It does not help matters when a picture of the supposed flap is shown on John Pannell's The Internet Guide to Order of the Arrow Insignia website.


S-17?
(Yes, it appears to show a brown border)

As far as I know, no brown border versions of this flap exists officially. That does not mean the patch company that made the patches for Black Eagle did not make a brown border version of the flap. Why would the patch company do this? Well, the lodge has re-ordered patches in the past with the only changes being with the border. The 45th Anniversary flap is a perfect example of this. A red border version of the 45th Anniversary flap was made and sold out in days and a re-order was placed fairly quickly with a yellow border. Years later, a blue border version appeared on an auction held by SPA. I was the high bidder for that flap. It was not an auction on Ebay if I remember correctly. A year or two after that another one surfaced with a blue border on ebay along with a gray border version. Both were won by the same Ebayer with the userid of hyperbaricmedicineinc.

Why do I assume the same thing happened with 98 NOAC issue? Well, the lodge ordered 500 in its initial run and a few months later re-ordered an additional 500 flaps. It was probably done because the lodge feared they would run out of flaps for everyone...especially for the contingent members. Somewhere I have the merchandise receipt from the Council to prove this. Right now I can only find the records up to 1995 but not everything is unpacked yet from the move back to the United States. The Transatlantic Council was throwing all these old records out but I decided to keep them for historical references back when I worked for the council and have proved useful in situations like this.

In case I have you confused:

1.) Blue Book listing is wrong. 1998 NOAC Flap has a BLACK BORDER.

2.) The picture on John's site is either a very bad picture or a sample made by patch company.

I was highly involved with the lodge at this time and being one of few collectors in the lodge...I would of noticed a brown border version of the flap. The flap pictured on John's site never arrived in Europe. :)

Lastly, I apologize for not updating my blog more often. It was simply because the chair I used to scan patches on was full of clutter. ;)

What Made "U" Collect A Specific Lodge?

Patch collecting changes or evolves as interests in the field change from person to person. Ever sit back and thank how it all begin...or even how it will all end? Did you expand your collecting interests? Did you narrow your collecting interests?...perhaps a combo of both?

What made you collect a specific lodge or council? A common answer might be because you yourself were once a member in said lodge/council or now perhaps have a son in a certain council/lodge.

As collection expands so do the reasons whether they are odd or obvious. I collect Black Eagle Lodge #482 because it was the lodge I was inducted by. I collect Lodge #406 Chickasah because it was the lodge my father was inducted into. Since it merged back in 90's, I also collect the successor...Lodge #558 Ahoalan-Nachpikin. After a while, needs of the above lodges slowed down and added Lodge #52 Moswetuset to my collection interests because I liked the odd-shaped Lobster patches.

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Since the addition of Lodge #52 Moswetuset, I have added only one new lodge to my collecting interests. It is the first new lodge added to my collection since moving back to the states, at the end of 04, and it all started by chance.

I attended my first lodge function since moving from Germany with Ahoalan-Nachpikin #558 at an annual LOAC function. There I met several folks I have talked with by E-Mail for years and it was good to put faces to all the folks I have never met before. There I met Chuck Schadrack and we got talking about patches. Turns out he collects a lot of Chickasaw Council and District patches from the area and my grandfather just so happened to give a large sack full of Chickasaw patches. I told Chuck about these patches and he was excited to hear my tale. I did not bring the sack to that function because I had no idea that anyone was so interested in those kind of patches. I told him I would bring them to the next event of Lodge 558 that I could attend, and I did, but before that he told me to look through his dupes and pick up any patches that caught my interest...

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I was digging through Chuck's dupes and discovered a bunch of old Ittawamba Lodge #235 flaps. They had that old thick swiss look to them that many collectors like...*wink*. I picked up 7 or 8 of these flaps and was immediately tickled with excitement when he basically said he was glad to help. Chuck gave them to me in the hopes of getting first dibs on my Grandfather's old stuff. He got his wish and was pretty stoked like a pirate digging through a treasure chest full of booty. He had to wait almost a whole year for his side of the trade and that is something I believe most other collectors would not have done in his place.

I was shocked at the difficulty and even value held by some of these old 235 patches when I first started to research lodge #235 which has now become my latest addition to my collecting field. Lodge #235 issues more patches than I can keep up with and is proving to be quite a challenging lodge to collect and it is all thanks to a few dupes laying in Chuck's bag.

Buy Your R/W Denmark Strip for only 15¢

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The article above reads as follows...

"The Executive Board of Transatlantic Council has approved the wearing of local council shoulder insignia by the entire council membership in place of the community and state strips.

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The council strip (cat.#157) contains the name of our council and the country in which your unit is located. Council strips are now available for Italy, Libya, Spain, France, Germany, Morocco, Great Britain, Austria, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark. They may be ordered in any quantity at 15¢ for immediate shipment from the council office."

Of course, this article is about 40 years old. It is interesting to note that there is no mention of an England Council Strip, but Great Britain instead, which makes me question exactly when and by who created the England strip. The R/W England strip is highly sought by Transatlantic collectors. It is safe to say that the England Red and White had to be made after the 1960s.

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Both of these Red and White Council Strips easily sell for over $1000 but recent appearances of both on Ebay have seen those values exceed by more than double. Not bad for a piece of cloth that sold originally for 15¢

Did You Know...?!

I was reading through my old Transatlantic Council newsletters called, "Transatlantic Trails!" If you happened to have any historical paperwork from the council please feel free to email me. I would like to obtain a copy. The same goes for all paperwork from the lodge and chapters such as newsletters and fliers.

Below is about the oldest piece of history I have from the council. Posted for your viewing pleasure is Transatlantic Trail #1 issue from December 1955.

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Below is the first evidence I have of the council's breakdown of districts. Only one of those districts exist today by the same name.....Mediterranean District.

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Black Eagle Lodge in the early 1950's was apparently an unorganized mess. The history of the lodge can be traced back to 1952; however, the first annual lodge event did not take place until Feb 17-18 1956. The article below states...

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"The first annual meeting of the Order of the Arrow, Black Eagle Lodge, will be held on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 17-18 at Chiemsee Leave and Rest Cent.

The meeting will start at 19:30 Friday and close at 22:00 Saturday. Saturday afternoon will be free.

Resverations must be made in advance at the Council office in Heidelberg.

Order of the Arrow members from other Lodges in the States are invited to attend.

Enclosed in this issue of the Transatlantic Trail is a special notice of this meeting. Unit leaders are asked to pass this world along to any Order of the Arrow members in their Units."

Almost...But Never Was (Part 2)

Al Opstal, former lodge adviser, used to assist and take part in patch design/creation of fellowship patches for Black Eagle Lodge 482. If and when scouts did not come up with a theme or design, Al would seek the guidance of Tom Slavicek. Tom has created several fellowship patches for Black Eagle Lodge. Eventually, Al PCS'd back to the United States and the Fall Fellowship patch design for 2001 went with him. It was one of many patches Tom designed at the request of Al.

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The patch that took its place was rather unpleasant. The multi-purpose patch was used for over 3 different lodge functions. It was designed by Peter Amrphol. The lodge apparently used it as a quick fix and to keep costs down on patches.

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Sadly, after Al's departure Black Eagle really has abandoned keeping a steady theme to fellowship patches. The designs have been from mild to wild with no basis of coherent logic. In 2005, the fellowship showed signs of returning to traditional standards but it did not last. While this change is not necessarily a bad thing...it is different from that of which I remembered.

Stars and Stripes Honors Scouts with Special Edition

The Special Boy Scout Edition 1963 from The Stars And Stripes about Transatlantic Council. Pictured below are a couple snap shots from the special edition. Highlight of the article is Transatlantic Council reaching all time high in membership.

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The council use to have support from top rank generals and what seemed like unlimited military support. Today, the council takes support from anyone that is willing to offer a helping hand.

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I thought some of you might enjoy the picture of Checkpoint Charlie with various Scouters pictured above.

Are You A Flapper?

I was reading some articles from "The Totem" which is the newsletter for Black Eagle Lodge. It is only available now online. It was once taken to a press to be printed and mailed out through a list but those days are sadly gone.

I do not know who wrote this article or where it came from but I always loved it. I will post a couple of paragraphs to shorten the read.

What's A Flapper?

A "Flapper" is someone who has been Tapped Out. Gone through the Ordeal, and then forgotten about his Obligation. Maybe he has attended an OA function or two, but most probably he's never has any other dealings with the OA. Oh, you can be sure that he'll wear his Ordeal sash to all troop Courts of Honor and take it to the summer camp, but he's one of those guys who is "too busy" to join his so called Brothers when off to attend the Rededication Ceremony.

Sure, he always wears his OA pocket flap - that's how he gets his name. He wears the flap and he flaps his lips about the membership in the OA, but his words are hollow. His words are hollow because actions speak louder than words and his words are heard only by the few, while his actions are seen by all. A "Flapper" has "done his time" so when it comes to gathering firewood, cooking, cleaning up, helping young Scouts learn Scoutcraft, and providing leadership by example, you'd better look for someone else. He'll strut around like a peacock with his lodge flap and his OA sash, but he'd never stop to help his fellow Scouts and get his hands dirty.

Have you remembered your Obligation? Or are you a "Flapper"?

Treasures At Coberly's (Black Eagle Lodge Part II)

The amount of treasures that live in Coberly's home seemed almost endless. It is worthy to consider turning all those scouting goods into a personal museum if probably organized and put out on display.

Dan Coberly was generous beyond all belief and parted with a piece of Black Eagle History that I have never seen before. He gave me a Black Eagle Lodge Loincloth. The picture does not do it justice. The loincloths are made from layer and layer of cloth through a method of select cuttings, sewn patches, and various threading. It is truly a work of art. The one Coberly gave me is similar to the one pictured below with a dark purplish background but is far to big for me to scan.

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Dan was kind enough to provide the history behind these loincloths. "During the 1970's, we ordered a few loin cloths like these from using molas made in Panama CZ, similar to the ones from Chiriqui Lodge in the 1960's. They were made by Kuna/San Blas Indians and came in different designs with chapter and lodge totems." These loin cloths appeared to be originally made for the Ni'na Caw Yu Chapter for Black Eagle Lodge 482.

Truly, a unique piece of history that I plan to treasure.

What Happened to Collectible OA and Council Pins???

I suppose things come and go in terms of style, but whatever did happened to OA and Council pins? I always thought pins were a nice addition to collections but they seem to be mostly ignored. They appeared to be on a decline long before since I started collecting. I am always on the lookout for Black Eagle Lodge pins, Transatlantic Council pins, Chickasaw Council pins, and lodge 406 and 558 pins. I have been collecting them for almost as long as I have been collecting the patches to these lodges and councils.

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The first time I saw anyone collect pins with any certainty was at the 1997 Jamboree. I saw a few people actively looking for lodge flap pins; however, I saw more people trying to dump collections of pins at the 1997 Jamboree.

I rarely see people ask or offer pins for trade these days. I suppose they are like woven flaps. They are some of the most beautiful and yet simplest patches but wovens made today are not the same as those made from the past. Perhaps the same is true with pins...

Blast From The Past...Back Eagle Conference 1970 Camp Dahn

I was digging through my cabinets at home and came across some old photos from a Black Eagle Lodge Fellowship held at Camp Dahn sometime in September 1970. I originally discovered them digging through lockers at my scout hut on Patrick Henry Village in Heidelberg, Germany. I took them fearing they would end up in a trash can one day. The set was numbered up to 16 but when I got my hands on the pictures only 9 remained and I will share a few of them with you all.

The photos were all taken by SP/5 Tucker from the 69th Signal Co. at the time.

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Active voting participation to elect officers of Black Eagle Lode is one of many events taking place at Camp Dahn, Dahn, Germany, during the Black Eagle Lodge Conference.

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Robert Nett, newly elected chief of the Black Eagle Lodge, Order of the Arrow, is shown here in full Indian outfit while addressing the lodge.

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Here a scout trains other lodge members in one of many scout led training sessions. Scouts from all across Europe and England met at Dahn, Germany for the annual Black Eagle Lodge Conference.

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An Eagle Scout is shown here leading a discussion with scouts from the Transatlantic Council of the Boy Scouts of America. His classroom is held in an Army field tent at Dahn, Germany.

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A member of the Boy Scout Indian dance team shown dancing the Eagle Dance for German children and adults in Dahn, Germany. The Indian dancing was part of the many activities in a week-long Boy Scout Conference held at Camp Dahn in Dahn, Germany.

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Order of the Arrow Scouts gather around the traditional flaming campfire which highlights evening Indian Folk-lore dances.

If were a Black Eagle member during this time perhaps, just perhaps, you will find yourself here and remember the good times you had during this event. ;)

Almost...But Never Was (Part 1)

I was flipping through my Black Eagle collection today and discovered something I had forgotten about for a while. Ever wonder how many patches are designed these days but never see the light of day? Well, many years ago my father and myself decided to design a patch for the lodge. I have no idea if our intention was to make a new service flap or a patch for NOAC as a fund raiser. It never made it past the design phase. We sent in a picture of an eagle and basic requirements of what was to be on the flap. I do remember we wanted the American Flag background. It turned OK but we were hoping for a lot better since we sent it into a patch company so that they could design it in a more professional format. Instead of getting a whole eagle like we expected we only got an eagle head on the flap. I think we paid about ten dollars or perhaps twenty dollars for them to do this design. Below is what we got in return...

(Click on Picture for Larger Scan if Available)

We submitted it to the lodge and sadly the designed was turned down. Turns out a few other designs were tucked away in folder at this meeting as well. I believe it was for the 2002 NOAC time frame but could of been around for the 2000 NOAC as well. The lodge asked for people to come up with designs which happens to be a rarity in Black Eagle. I gave it a lot thought and even took it to a professional designer and the LEC spent what felt like less than a minute deciding its fate.

I was crushed by that outcome and despite my love for patches I vowed to myself to never design a patch for Black Eagle again. Turns that statement would hold mostly true. It wasn't until we got some cork material to make some cork flaps that we decided to take a stab at patch making. We were not going to make the same mistake again. Instead of coming with an original design, Dan Coberly, my father, and myself simply decided to go with the Eagle from the old W-1 flap. It turns out keeping the design simple allowed the cork background to stand out even more. The elders in the lodge were mostly aware of the cork flaps but I do not think they were ever really voted on. I stopped attending LEC meetings years ago so I have no idea. It was one of many issues to be adopted by the lodge after they came into being. They were quite popular and another cork flap was made so that more members could have one. My father paid for the materials and donated all money he put into the cork flaps to the lodge. The flaps were pretty popular inside and outside the lodge. My first design was a flop...my second ended up being pictured in the Blue Book. :)

A Farewell To Camp Freedom

This summer will be the last year that Transatlantic Council will operate Camp Freedom in Dautphe, Germany. The reasons are rather simple and unfortunate. The military is withdrawing from the nearby city of Giessen making support to maintain Camp Freedom due to its location an extremely difficult feat both from a logistical and maintenance prospective for the Council. I have no doubt that removing equipment and other historical scouting items will be a difficult and perhaps emotional challenge. I do not believe a new location has yet been selected for Camp Freedom's replacement.


Camp Freedom

Camp Freedom is rich with Council history. Camp Freedom is the Transatlantic Council's oldest and largest established camp. Affectionately known as Damp Freezedom due to the frequent rain and cold weather that can occur in July. It was established in 1956. It is located at Dautphe, north of Giessen, in the State of Hessen. The camp is in the foothills of the Westerwald Range. The camp covers one hundred and eighty-two acres.


Dautphe Town Shield Patch

Camp Freedom has hosted many programs for the Council and Black Eagle Lodge 482. Some of those programs have included: Woodbadge, Golden Falcoln (JLT Program), Summer Camp Program, Black Eagle Lodge Spring, Fall, & Winter Fellowships and has provided much more in adventure and memories for anyone that has visited over the decades.

Camp Freedom is where I completed my brotherhood and where I received my Vigil honor. I participated in various ceremonies teams from Ordeal through Vigil Chief at Camp Freedom. I spent three summers on the Transatlantic Council Summer Camp Staff as a Merit Badge Counselor for Handicraft and Nature related subjects. I also served as an assistant cook on my third year of staff.

I have no doubt that the loss of Camp Freedom will fall heavy on those that choose to remember... Many Scouts and Scouters gave their time and love to the camp and in return Camp Freedom left many with everlasting memories of great people and friends.

Treasures At Coberly's (391 Chiriqui Part I)

I visited an old friend and honored scouter Dan Coberly today at his home here in Alabama. His scouting collection is full of wonders I have never seen. If you have watched the Disney movie Aladdin and recall the cave full of treasures that is how I felt walking into his home. He has countless literature & scout books. There were Baden Powell items that would bring a warm spot to the most devoted BP collectors. He had uniforms of many ages to include a complete air scout set and patches (or close to it), various knots, medals, buttons, and figures, and many more overseas OA lodge memorabilia that would cause any collector of such goods to raise an eyebrow.

I was drowned in so many goodies that it felt like Christmas. He gave me a few Chiriqui 391 items and I felt like sharing what he told me about them.

(Click on Picture for Larger Scan if Available)

The Bullion Flaps were made after the lodge was merged. If I recall, Dan said he was approached by an old Lodge Adviser or member from 391 Chiriqui about making a set of bullion flaps in memory of this old deceased lodge. If I remember correctly Dan said he made a set of bullion flaps that are similar to these. He said his set had a lake on it so there could very well be 4 different bullions bearing the 391 lodge name on it...that or he simply got me confused. So, a couple of bullion flaps for the serious 391 collectors to hunt for.

ZR-1
Dan did not elaborate much about this patch. He told me that he did not have very many left and that his father not only created this patch but taught the course. It is an interesting round that has "jungle expert" on it. Again, probably piece for the serious 391 collectors out there.

Be on the lookout for Treasures At Coberly's (Part II ) Coming Soon...

Odd & Unique Collecting Habits

I decided a while ago to start collecting Animal Shaped Patches. It does not matter if they are Order of the Arrow, Council, or even BSA Camp Patches. The only two requirements is:

1.) Shaped like an animal
2.) Boy Scout related



A Small Sample of Animal Shaped Patches


I suppose we are all collecting something unique and different. Speaking of animal shaped patches....if you have any for trade Visit: Matt's Patch Trading Page. Maybe we can work out a deal?

There is no real reason why I am collecting animal shaped patches. Perhaps, to spice up my collecting interests. I also just like the way they look. :)

The Cork Patches (Secret Revealed)

Nothing I like more to talk about than patches...especially the cork patches from Black Eagle Lodge.

Dan Coberly was showing me and my father some patches one day when these strange "O Ree" cork patches fell out of his bag. I can not honestly remember when and where I first saw one but I knew I just had to have one. Luckily, he had two of them.


The Beginning of the Cork Flaps

For years, we all dreamed of a corked flap. On and off efforts were made to find some material to make the flaps up. No one seemed to have any. A vendor was discovered at a flea market hosted on US Military Posts who made purses, wallets, bags, and other items out of a cork material. It took a few years to get a yard or so of the material from her. She would forget or things would come up...etc. This material was used to make the first Black Eagle Cork Flaps and the OAA Flap. (F-10 and QF-1 came from this material.)




The Hunt Continues...(Click above to purchase cork material)

The patches were very popular because they were so unique. My father and myself felt bad that not everyone could get one that wanted one at the time. There were only about 15 of the first run because the material was shared with the OAA organization and the patch manufacturer mistakenly misspelled the lodge name on some flaps from the precious little material we had. To the best of my knowledge there is an equal number of correct and incorrectly spelled cork flaps from the first run. The hunt for more material continued. Eventually my web searching took me to a site called The Cork Store. The material is expensive and costs $118.00 per yard. We used the Casablanca Upholstery for the 2nd run of flaps later classified as Black Eagle F-11.



The Happy Ending of the Cork Flaps

There was a 125 made of the F-11 cork flaps. They were made by Stadri if I remember correctly. They were so excited about the patch they even asked me where I got the material. At the time, I do not think we told them. If they are reading this blog they sure know now. The cork flaps were sold 1 per person at the 04 Spring Fellowship. It was decided to make it a NOAC fund raiser and they sold for $20.00 a piece to lodge members. There was about a dozen left of these flaps at the end of that fellowship. Hopefully, the remaining flaps fell into the hands of those that did not already have one.

It took years...the material is expensive...but the first cork flap sold on Ebay made me feel that these cork patches would be something special. Imagine my surprise at the sight of this...


Cork Makes Debut on Ebay (All Funds were donated to the lodge)