Semialachee Lodge is a part of Suwannee River Area Council in Tallahassee, Florida. The lodge chartered on June 16th, 1943, and was named Suriarco Lodge at first before the name changed to “Semialachee” during a contest to decide on a new name for the lodge. Semialachee Lodge has had a small Arrowmen population traditionally. Normally, the lodge ranges from 50 to 100 total active Arrowmen.
In their early years, Semialachee held their Ordeals on Wednesdays and Thursdays during summer camp at Orchard Pond, their council camp. During these events, they would have an Ordeal master, a youth OA leader who comes to the camp on those days during the summer, managing the Ordeal. Additionally, lodge elections occurred during summer camps throughout this time in their lodge history.
In 1955, Semialachee hosted the Area 6-D meeting. Arrowmen from Florida, Georgia, and Alabama came to Tallahassee to attend this program. This event followed a similar structure to a section Conclave: it had ceremonies, a trading post, skill-building sessions, and a fellowship. Dr. E. Urner Goodman attended this event along with LeRoy Collins, the governor of Florida at the time.
Semialachee has several lodge traditions such as making it mandatory for Arrowmen to wear regalia before entering a ceremony ring. Patch auctions are a common event that occurs at lodge events. The profits made from these occasions go towards lodge resources and contingents. The lodge also has a chief’s ring that gets passed down to each lodge chief – a tradition that they started in 1960.
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