Illini Lodge 55 History

If anyone can correct, be more specific with dates, or add to any of the history please email illinilodge55@gmail.com

Councils, Camps, and Lodges

At the time the Champaign-Urbana Council was formed in 1919, the Council used a small facility at Weldon Springs, called Camp Hatetokwitit, for a majority of its Scout camping. In 1934, the Council name was changed to Arrowhead and a tract of land outside of Oakwood was acquired for the new council camp. The Camp was named after Robert J. Drake. Drake came to the council as a college student and was a member of Troop 7 in Champaign. Drake was a Scout Executive with the council and, while serving in this position, was stricken with scarlet fever and died at the age of thirty. The camp, which had been one of his greatest endeavors, was dedicated to his memory.

The Council initially used the Fire Crafter Organization and program to recognize outstanding campers, but in 1936 decided to switch to the Order of the Arrow program because of its year round camping and program emphasis. The Fire Crafters were inducted as charter members of the OA Lodge along with that year’s newly elected members. The first official induction of members took place at Camp Robert Drake and was performed by members of the Waukheon Lodge 55 from Danville. The new lodge name became Illini 92, where “Illini” meant brave men in the Algonquin tongue. The totem of the Lodge became moon feathers, a central feather in an Indian headdress.

Waukheon Lodge 55 was chartered with the “Grande Scribe'' (now the National Order of the Arrow Director), in early 1933, to the Piankeshaw Council. The original name of the lodge was Swastika Lodge 55. The totem was the Indian swastika, a symbol of peace and good luck. The name was changed to Waukehon around 1937 due to the similarity of the symbol used by Nazi Germany. The new name is the English spelling of a Dakota Sioux word WHA-KIN-YAN, which means thunderbird, or bird which causes thunder.

The Piankeshaw Council camp was moved from Portland Arch to newly purchased land outside of Georgetown and named Cherokee Hills. Waukheon Lodge helped develop the property including

constructing buildings, planting trees, building the campfire ring and carving totem poles. Camp Cherokee Hills was sold by Prairielands Council in 2001.

The New Lodge

Illini Lodge 55 was created through the consolidation of Waukheon Lodge 55 and Illini Lodge 92 in May of 1994. The current Lodge Chiefs of each lodge were co-chiefs for the remainder of the year. Prairielands Council was created in 1991 with the consolidation of Arrowhead Council and Piankeshaw Council. A temporary council name of Illiana was used for the first year. This year, we will be celebrating our 30th Anniversary as Illini Lodge 55.

The totem for Illini Lodge 55 is the White Tailed Deer, represented by a one-inch deer antler piece hung from a leather lace in the fashion of a bolo tie. The honor of the Brotherhood in the lodge is represented by tying a figure eight knot on the end of each piece of lace. Vigil members are presented with an antler point that is worn below the other antler piece. The antler tip has two holes, one at each end, through which the ends of the laces are passed and knotted to form a triangle.

The Lodge Executive Committee commemorated the efforts of all the lodge’s members during the consolidation by issuing a special charter member lodge patch with a gold border. A restriction of five per active member was placed on the gold- bordered patches. These patches were only available during our charter year. A red bordered patch with the same design serves as the trading patch. A white-bordered patch with the same design is used, among other things, to commemorate special events, such as the National Order of the Arrow Conferences.