In 1969, the Order of the Arrow established the E. Urner Goodman Camping Award as a tribute and memorial to the founder of our Order. Its purpose is to encourage and challenge Order of the Arrow members and lodges to improve their effectiveness in promoting and supporting Scout camping in their councils. Each year, two lodges in each region are recognized with the award. In its 51-year history, the E. Urner Goodman Camping Award, which is the Order’s oldest national lodge award, has been presented to 233 different lodges.
Unali’Yi Lodge of the Coastal Carolina Council is one of the eight lodges being presented the award for their accomplishments in 2019. Located in Charleston, South Carolina, the lodge’s largest service project was carrying out their Cub Haunted event last October. The event, which included 94 Arrowmen among its staff, involved carnival events, shooting sports, crafts, a haunted house, hayride, and a haunted trail. During the event, the Lodge raised $14,500 to support their council’s program budget. Although this year’s Cub Haunted event was the largest, the lodge has supported this event for years, and many of its Lodge Executive Committee members were past Cub Scouts who attended the event and are now excited to give back to the Cub Scout and Scouts B.S.A. programs.
Another of Unali’Yi’s successful camping promotion efforts was their annual winter camp program at Camp Ho Non Wah. One of their efforts was an ambassador program, in which the lodge sent promotional materials to unit leaders across their council. Each letter included wooden nickels and promotional cards, which unit leaders could share with others when camping away from their home camp. The promotional cards alone resulted in 18 new contacts for information about summer camp, winter camp, and year-round camping opportunities. In addition, the lodge provided 98% of the volunteer staff for the winter camp program, which had 442 campers, leaders, and staff in attendance.
The following lodges are being recognized with the E. Urner Goodman Camping Award for their accomplishments in 2019.
Central Region
Dzie-Hauk Tonga Lodge
Jayhawk Area Council #197
Topeka, Kansas
Lowaneu Allanque Lodge
Three Fires Council #127
St. Charles, Illinois
Northeast Region
Lenapehoking Lodge
Northern New Jersey Council #333
Oakland, New Jersey
Passaconaway Lodge
Daniel Webster Council #330
Manchester, New Hampshire
Southern Region
Shenandoah Lodge
Virginia Headwaters Council #763
Waynesboro, Virginia
Unali’Yi Lodge
Coastal Carolina Council #550
Charleston, South Carolina
Western Region
Cahuilla Lodge
California Inland Empire Council #45
Redlands, California
Tuku’ut Lodge
Greater Los Angeles Area Council #33
Los Angeles, California