History – Totanhan Nakaha Lodge

Lodge History

2006-2011
Original Lodge Flap with Bear/Man Totem

2010
BSA Centennial Lodge Flap

2012-PresentCurrent Lodge Flap with new Moose Totem

Adapted from the 2015 NOAC Lodge History guide compiled by Jim Lindfors.

The Totanhan Nakaha Lodge, first chartered in 2006, represents members of the Order of the Arrow in Northern Star Scouting of Minnesota and Wisconsin.

We are the result of the merger of two councils and their specific lodges in 2006; the Viking Council (Minneapolis and west-central Minnesota) merged with the Indianhead Council (St. Paul and western Wisconsin) to form one council. Their lodges, Tonkawampus Lodge #16 in the west and Agaming Lodge #257 in the east became one; the Totanhan Nakaha Lodge, whose name means “From the past, a new beginning”.

The new lodge was allowed by the Order of the Arrow National Committee to keep the significance of the number 16 from the Tonkawampus Lodge as their numeric identifier. Tonkawampus was originally chartered in 1924, making it one of the earliest lodges in the nation. The Agaming Lodge too, had a long and rich history having been originally chartered in 1944 and also having absorbed part of the Tsun-GaNi’ Lodge (144) of southern Minnesota in 1946.

Initially the lodge totem was kept as both the totems of the previous lodges, the head of Chief Tonkawampus from the namesake of this lodge and the Sagacious Bear from the Agaming Lodge. They were depicted on the initial issues of the the territory occupied by the council and lodge. Later the lodge membership adopted the Moose as their official totem of the lodge and allowed the previous totems to be retired.”

2015OA Centennial Lodge Flap

2017National Jamboree Lodge Flap

2019Family of Scouting Promotion

Agaming and Tonkawampus Lodge Histories (1915-2005)

Agaming Lodge was the Order of the Arrow Lodge of the Indianhead Council. The original charter of Agaming Lodge No. 257 was granted in 1944 by the National Order of the Arrow Office at the National Scout Headquarters, and was the result of several organizational meetings held at the Volunteers of America Building in St. Paul, MN.

Those assembled named E.C. Grayson as Chief, Jim Fordon as Treasurer and Richard Van Krevelen as Secretary. The membership of the original lodge consisted of the boys and ten men in an advisory capacity.

It was a warm summer day in 1924 when the Tonkawampus Lodge became the 16th Order of the Arrow Lodge in the nation. It was also the first lodge chartered west of the great Mississippi River.

In 1919 the Hennepin County Council purchased property at Stubbs Bay of Lake Minnetonka, which was named Camp Rotary. It was actually a farm and in 1926 it was used as a canoe base. In 1926 the Elks Club raised $25,000 to buy what was known as Camp Tonkawa, and shortly thereafter Tonkawampus Lodge used the site for its ceremonies.

Click on the button below for a comprehensive history of Agaming Lodge included on the supplemental disk for the Honor Bright published by Northern Star Council.

Click on the button below for a comprehensive history of Tonkawampus Lodge as compiled by Loren Meinke and included on the supplemental disk for the Honor Bright published by Northern Star Council.

Putting Units First and THRIVE (2020-Present)

In response to unit feedback, Northern Star Council (now Northern Star Scouting) in 2020 went through a phase of restructuring and council-wide standardizations, called the “Units First” changes. These changes were accompanied by extensive policy changes in the lodge, moving some responsibilities from the chapters onto a new intermediate structure called the Constellation, and other attempts at creating a uniform lodge program.

At the same time, the national Order of the Arrow introduced the THRIVE and THRIVE Connect programs, aimed at improving lodge function. In January 2020, Totanhan Nakaha Lodge becoming one of the first four lodges to participate in the THRIVE Connect program, which paired lodge leadership with nationally-trained mentors over videoconferencing.

Totanhan Nakaha Lodge Leaders through the Years

Data for the list of lodge chiefs in Totanhan Nakaha comes from a TablePress table. The table is imported from the spreadsheet:

Lodge Public -> History -> LodgeChiefs_TotanhanNakaha

Any changes to the list are made in that spreadsheet and then the updated spreadhsheet it imported back into the TablePress table overwriting the existing data

Year	Lodge Chief	Lodge Adviser
2022	Forrest Olson	Stuart Smith
2021	Zachary Cardille	Brandon Peterson
2021	Hugh Drinkwitz	Brandon Peterson
	(Resigned to become Section Chief)
2020	Daniel Kimball	Brandon Peterson
2019	Michael Villota	Brandon Peterson
2018	Ian Flickinger	Brandon Peterson
2017	Charles Schumer	Brandon Peterson
2016	Jack Indritz	Brandon Peterson
2015	Sam Gentle	Randy Reverman
2014	Matt Freeman	Randy Reverman
2013	Ben Johnston	Randy Reverman
2012	Joseph Kaus	Randy Reverman
2011	Jake Twaddle	Randy Reverman
2010	Jim Turner	Gerry Bird \ Tom Welna
2009	Dave Sundquist	Gerry Bird
2008	Ian O’Brien	Tom Welna
2007	Joe Henry	Tom Welna
2006	Ken Martin	Tom Welna

Tonkawampus Lodge Leadership

Data for the list of lodge chiefs in Totanhan Nakaha comes from a TablePress table. The table is imported from the spreadsheet:

Lodge Public -> History -> LodgeChiefs_Tonkawampus

Any changes to the list are made in that spreadsheet and then the updated spreadhsheet it imported back into the TablePress table overwriting the existing data

Year	Lodge Chief	Lodge Adviser
2005	Curtis Clint	Sue Ketel
2004	David Eckland/Alex Henriksen	Sue Ketel
2003	David Eckland	Sue Ketel
2002	William Peterson	Sue Ketel
2001	Al Barnicle	Sue Ketel
2000	David Wherry	Sue Ketel
1999	Adam Christensen	Peter Johnson
1998	Nate Erpestad	Peter Johnson
1997	Nate Erpestad	Peter Johnson
1996	Cory Rasmussen	Peter Johnson
1995	Adam Stendahl	Peter Johnson
1994	Ryan Miske/Josh Avery	Peter Stibal
1993	Ryan Miske	Peter Stibal
1992	Steve Shanley	Peter Stibal
1991	Peter Keppel/Tim Fignar	Loren Meinke
1990	Peter Keppel	Loren Meinke
1989	Joel Young	Loren Meinke
1988	Joel Young	Loren Meinke
1987	Wade Herbranson/Phil Emerson	Gene Clemens
1986	J.D. Spangler	Gene Clemens
1985	Bob Garmen/Cory Way	Gene Clemens
1984	Greg Sanderson	Gene Clemens
1983	Tim Laughinghouse	Gene Clemens
1982	Chet Cisek	Jim Henke
1981	Dave Olson	Jim Henke
1980	Paul Doud	Jim Henke
1979	Jeff Lanes	Steven L. Bawldwin
1978	Bruce Morrison/ Andy Kohlan1
1977	Jim Welby
1976	Tom Olive
1975	Sig Swanson III	Robert Goelz
		Bill Patterson
1974	Bill Chiat
1973	Bill Chiat	Robert Goetz
1972	Jay Vanatta (D)	Don Breitenstein
1971	Pete Engh	Don Breitenstein
1970	Mike Zastera	Don Breitenstein
1969	Charles (Chip) Anderson	Don Breitenstein
1968	Bruce Boeder	William G. Peterson
1967	Jim Stone
1966	Cecil Adams	Sam Higuchi
1965	Cecil Adams	Sam Higuchi
1964	William (Bill) Travis	Sam Higuchi
1963	Allen E. Kephart	Sam Higuchi
1962	Curt Frank/Allen E. Kephart	D. C. Ronning
1961	John Kelly	Sam Higuchi
1960	Burr Garrison	Sam Higuchi
1959	Ted Meland	Sam Higuchi
1958	Paul Manion	Lyndon (Lindy) Holm
1957	Cliff Lee	Lyndon (Lindy) Holm
1956	Bob Sirr
1955
1954
1953	Ted Hullar	Lyndon (Lindy) Holm
1952	Richard (Dick) C. Davidson
1951	Ronald Werdin
1950
1949	Lyndon (Lindy) S. Holm
1948	Richard Heidelberg
1947	Harlan White, Jr.
1946	Roger Stevens
1945	Jack Asselin
1944-45	Harlan (Pat) White
1944	Joe Gitlen
1943	J. I. Gilten	D. Winton Hartman
1942	Maurice C. Anderson	D. Winton Hartman
1941	William (Bill) Braddock
1940	James Burns	D. Winton Hartman
1939	James Burns
1938
1937	Kyle Cudworth
1936	Kyle Cudworth
1935
1934	Leonard J. Martin
1933
1932
1931
1930
1929
1928
1927
1926	Edgar Pierson
1925
1924	George Wycoff

Agaming Lodge Leadership

Data for the list of lodge chiefs in Totanhan Nakaha comes from a TablePress table. The table is imported from the spreadsheet:

Lodge Public -> History -> LodgeChiefs_Agaming

Any changes to the list are made in that spreadsheet and then the updated spreadhsheet it imported back into the TablePress table overwriting the existing data

Year	Lodge Chief	Lodge Adviser
2005	Ken Martin	Tom Welna
2004	Antonio Spargo	Tom Welna
2003	Brian Uhlenhopp	Tom Welna
2002	Jim Letourneau Jr.	Tom Welna
2001	Jonathon Hoveland	V. Jay Lenz
2000	Richard Doyle	V. Jay Lenz
1999	Scott Heineman	V. Jay Lenz
1998	Thomas J. Jensen	Bob Garretson
1997	William Matthews	Bob Garretson
1996	Fred Howey	Bob Garretson
1995	John Meyer	Bob Pettitt
1994	Joey Ziskovsky	Bob Pettitt
1993	Chris Partyka	Clyde Coulter
1992	John Kysylyczyn	Clyde Coulter
1991	Rob Duncan	Chris Johnson
1990	Kevin Popa	John Guthmann
1989	Paul Zantek	John Guthmann
1988	William Armstrong	John Guthmann
1987	William Armstrong	John Raymond
1986	Tom Armstrong	John Raymond
1985	John Serier	John Raymond
1984	Peter Bilotta	Elwin Shaner
1983	Chris Johnson	Elwin Shaner
1982	Chris Johnson	Elwin Shaner
1981	Ken Dave Nelson
1980	Steve Matthews
1979	Mike Anderson	Mike Zimmerman
1978	Ron Frigaard	Mike Zimmerman
1977	Russ Jacobsen	Jim Henke
1976	Chuck Clabots	Jim Henke
1975	Jeff Hanson	Keith Warrick
1974	Chuck Clabots	Don Jorgenson
1973	Mark Matthews	Don Jorgenson
1972	John Edson	Paul Bartyzal
1971	Jim Battles	Paul Bartyzal
1970	Tom Gallagher	Richard E. Carroll
1969	Marsh Sundberg	Richard E. Carroll
1968	Frank Johnson	Richard E. Carroll
1967	Peder Cross	Ken Fehring
1966	Buzz Bense	Ken Fehring
1965	Steve Weekes	Donald Schultz
1964	Thomas G. Armstrong	Donald Schultz
1963	Daniel Ahlberg	David Nachtsheim
1962	Jeffrey Proud
1962	Gerald McNellis	Henry Paulson?1
1960	Michael Miler
1959	Michael Miler
1958	David Benson	Ray Chun?
1957	Gordon Lothson	Don Strom?
		E. O. Clemons or Tom
1956	David Franks	Green
1955	Bruce Foster	Don Schultz
1954	Roger Lothson
1953	Donald Strom
1952	Warren Spear
1951	Richard Rothmund
1950	Donald Forman
1949	Richard Rothmund
1948	William Seabloom
1947	William Oehler
1946	Robert Greeheau
1945	George Marcos
1944	E. C. Grayson

If a Lodge Chief or Adviser is missing, we could not determine who filled the position for that year. If you have information to help fill in these blanks, please click the Feedback button and submit your corrections to this list.

Thank you for your help.

Order of the Arrow Regional and National Leaders from our Lodge

Members of our council Order of the Arrow lodges have given their service on both a regional and national level as Section Chiefs, Region Chiefs and as National Vice Chief. Each position is described below along with the manner in which these leaders are selected, followed by the names of our local leaders and the year of their service.

Section/Area Chiefs

An Order of the Arrow section consists of lodges within a geographic area of the region. Once every year, representatives of lodges in the section come together for a conclave to share in fellowship, skills, and training. All of the elected section chiefs form the conference committee for a national Order of the Arrow event, which is held under the guidance of the national Order of the Arrow Committee. The predecessor of the Central Region of the BSA was Region Ten. Region Ten was divided into areas, each of which had a chief. The known section and area chiefs are shown here.

Year	Name
2020	Ian Flickinger
2021	Hugh Drinkwitz
2013	Benjamin Johnston
2012	Dan Kobler
2011	Dan Kobler
2003	James Letourneau, Jr. Paul Kwiecien
1994	Ryan R. Miske
1993	Steve Shanley
1987	Wade A. Herbranson
1969	Frank Johnson
1965	Donald Jorgenson
1964	Gerald McNellis
1963	Gerald McNellis
1961	Michael Miler
1956	Bruce Foster
1952	Richard Rothmund

Region Chiefs

The Region Chief is the youth leader of the region elected by the section chiefs for a term of office specified by the national Order of the Arrow Committee, which coincides with the term of national chief and vice chief. This election is held in conjunction with called meetings of the section chiefs to elect the national chief and vice chief, as well as to plan a national Order of the Arrow event.

Year	Name
1962	Mike F. Miller
1976-1978	Chuck Clabots
1988	Wade A. Herbranson
1995	Ryan R. Miske

National Vice Chiefs

The national Order of the Arrow chief and vice chief are Arrowmen selected by the section chiefs, who form the national Order of the Arrow conference committee. They serve as members of the national Order of the Arrow Committee, representing the youth on national OA policy. They also serve as the presiding officers for the national OA event.

Year	Name
1989	Wade A. Herbranson
1996	Ryan R. Miske