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The History of Tillicum Lodge #392 1948-1994
Kevin Rudesill 1991 Lodge Chief SOME INFORMATION ON THIS PUBLICATION With the aid of Tumwater Area Council Employees, Scouts, Scouters and Arrowmen, Kevin Rudesill has been actively searching for information about Tillicum Lodge since 1990. Kevin is currently a member of Nisqually Lodge #155, based in Tacoma, Washington. The 1991 Tillicum Lodge Chief, Kevin is the only former Tumwater Area Council member that has assembled a near complete collection of Tillicum lodge insignia. He also shared his first edition of Tillicum’s history in 1992 at the Lodge Banquet. Kevin, and other former members of Tillicum Lodge #392, are very interested in obtaining more detailed information about our past. We would definitely like to talk to or receive information from our former members. If you were part of the past, please call the editor at (360) 866-9700 or e-mail so we can document it.ORIGINS OF THE INDIAN WORD "TILLICUM" In modern times, the word Tillicum means "friend," but it really means more than that. From the book called Chinook, A History and Dictionary, we learn that the real Indian word is spelled with a "k" and means "people" whether man or woman. The early jargon, and many of the local dialects, recognized but two groups -- Tyee and Tillikum they were. Early authority from Gibbs to Shaw agree that Nesika Tillikum were our people. Tillicum Lodge #392 and the Kwakiutl Indians of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Why would the founding youth of our lodge, around 1948, pick this group to represent? As Franz Boas described in the early 20th century, "Their arts and industries, their customs and beliefs, differ so much from those of all other Indians, that they form one of the best defined cultural groups of our continent." Franz Boas is one of the few white men in the world who has extensively studied and documented the Kwakiutl Indian Nation. The Kwakiutl culture is one of the oldest Indian groups studied according to Boas, with a comprehensive study of the Eskimos in 1875 being the first. WHAT MADE UP TILLICUM LODGE? Tillicum Lodge was formed in 1948 and was officially chartered to the Tumwater Area Council and the National Order of the Arrow Committee, B.S.A. The Lodge was formed during the year when the Order of the Arrow program was officially being implemented into the National Boy Scout Structure. Tillicum Lodge was named after an Indian word meaning "Friend" and the lodge followed the traditions of the Kwakiutl Indians of the Vancouver Island Coast. 1998 NOAC
Tillicum Lodge was made up of four chapters, representing different geographical areas in the South Puget Sound Area. These include Kiona Chapter (Morton, Mossyrock, Packwood and Randle), Mason Chapter (Shelton and vicinities), Thurston Chapter (Lacey, Olympia, Roy, Tenino, Tumwater, Yelm and vicinities) and Tyee Chapter (Adna, Centralia, Chehalis, Rochester and vicinities). The three traditional chapters were Mason, Thurston and Tyee. Kiona chapter was created after the Fall 1993 Ordeal. The symbol of our lodge was the Thunderbird. This is also the symbol of Camp Thunderbird, part of the Cleland Scout Reservation. Tillicum Lodge had an important relationship with the Council Camp from the beginning. Over the years, Lodge members have provided service, summer camp staff and time & money for construction projects. As long as Camp Thunderbird remains Tillicum Lodge will not be forgotten. That top-notch camp reflects the strong spirit of the order. DON'T LET A GOOD THING GO! Let your voice be heard. We don't want Boy Scout Camp at Thunderbird to end the 2005 season. Write letters to Pacific Harbors Council and your local paper. Our wonderful camp in Olympia deserves a 61st Boy Scout camping season!
Tillicum Lodge History revised: 11/13/06 |
