Coosa Lodge

Coosa Lodge, WWW is the Order of the Arrow lodge of the Greater Alabama Council, Boy Scouts of America, and is headquartered in Birmingham, AL. Coosa Lodge was formed by consolidating three older lodges -- Cherokee Lodge #50, Achunanchi Lodge #135, and Kaskanampo Lodge #310) on January 1, 2000. The lodge consolidation committee, consisting of members from each of the old lodges, selected the name and totem from a list of candidates. The history of those lodge, including Vigil Honor recipients, Founder's Award recipients, Distinguished Service Award recipients, and more, is preserved as part of Coosa Lodge's history.

Origin and History

This article or section is a stub. You can help The Scout History Project by expanding it. In 1998, the Greater Alabama Council was formed from a consolidation of the Tennessee Valley Council, Choccolocco Area Council, and Central Alabama Council. For a short time, each council's Order of the Arrow lodge was allowed to operate autonomously, but the new council was instructed to consolidate its three lodges into a single lodge. Coosa Lodge was issued its first charter on January 1, 2000.

Early Discussions

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1996 Scout-O-Rama

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1998 Tri-Lodge Spring Fellowship

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The Consolidation Committee

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1999 Fall Fellowship Pow-wow

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Lodge Name, Number, and Totem

The consolidation committee selected the name "Coosa" from a list of candidates, including each of the old lodge names. This name comes from the Coosa River, which runs trough eastern Alabama, and also from the Coosa tribe of American Indians, who lived on the shores of the river. In the 1500s, the Coosa chiefdom was considered one of the most powerful in the Southeast.

The number '50' was selected in order to preserve the history of Cherokee Lodge having the oldest continuous lodge charter in the South. Lodge #50 has not missed a single charter year since 1935.

Finally, the consolidation committee selected the red-shouldered hawk, an endanger species indigenous to each of the old lodges, as the totem for the new lodge.

Individual Awards and Recognitions

Vigil Honor

This article or section is a stub. You can help The Scout History Project by expanding it. See Also: Vigil Honor Recipients of Coosa Lodge

Founder's Award

This article or section is a stub. You can help The Scout History Project by expanding it. See Also: Founder's Award Recipients of Cherokee Lodge #50, Founder's Award Recipients of Achunanchi Lodge #135, and Founder's Award Recipients of Kaskanampo Lodge #310

James E. West Fellowship Award

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Distinguished Service Award

The Distinguished Service Award was created in 1940 to honor those who rendered service to the Order beyond the lodge level. The award is presented to those Arrowmen who have rendered distinguished and outstanding service to the Order on a sectional, regional, or national basis. The award is presented every two to three years during the National Order of the Arrow Conference. Since the time the first awards were presented, less than 840 Distinguished Service Awards have been awarded.

The award is a sterling silver arrowhead, bearing an arrow pointing upward and to the wearer’s right, suspended from a white neck-ribbon upon which are embroidered red arrows. A white square knot embroidered upon red cloth is also available. Presentation of the award is limited; nominations are open to both youth and adult.

Dr. James A. Flatt (2009)

Dr. Flatt is from Huntsville, AL, and the Greater Alabama Council. He is an Eagle Scout and serves on his Council Executive Board. Professionally, Dr. Flatt is a physician. He has been a key part of the development of OA training, and worked as a main adviser to the new Train the Trainer program. “If we have an MVP among adult Arrowmen in the Southern Region, James would be ours.” Dr. Flatt currently serves as the Section Adviser for SR-9 and served as Coosa Lodge Adviser from 2000 to 2004.

James Tarbox (2009)

James was inducted into Coosa Lodge in 2001 at Camp Sequoyah. He then served in nearly every aspect of the Lodge, including ceremonies, shows, the kitchen, and the trading post, before being elected as Coosa Lodge’s only two-term Lodge Chief on his way to back-to-back elections as SR-6S and SR-9 Section Chief. James’ experience with Coosa Shows and his success as Section Chief opened the door for him to serve as the Shows CVC at the 2009 National Order of the Arrow Conference, where he led dozens of Arrowmen in successfully planning and executing four exciting and inspirational arena shows. James is an Eagle Scout, a James E. West fellow, a 2005 Vigil Honor recipient, and a recipient of the Founder’s Award in 2007.

Mr. Richard Gregory ("Greg") Moore (2015)

Greg was a Vigil Honor recipient and Lodge Chief of Atta Kulla Kulla Lodge as a youth before joining Cherokee Fifty many years later. Greg was prominent during the consolidation process, emerging as our first Nominations and Recognition committee adviser and one of our first Associate Lodge Advisers. After Dr. James Flatt stepped down as Lodge Adviser, Greg was chosen to succeed him.

After four years of service as Lodge Adviser, Greg resigned that post and was asked to serve as an Associate Section Adviser for Section SR-9. During his time as Associate Section Adviser, Greg found new opportunities to serve Scouting across SR-9 and the Southern Region.

Greg served as the Deputy Lead Adviser for the Day of Service Messengers of Peace program at the 2013 National Jamboree. He has also served on several staffs for national events such as NOAC, SummitCorps, and multiple NLATS Courses.

Centurion Award

See also: Order of the Arrow Centurion Award

For nearly 100 years, the Order of the Arrow has purposefully recognized Scouts and Scouters who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives. Therefore, our organization’s centennial provides a unique opportunity to commemorate those among us who are exemplars of the “high ideals and purpose of the Order of the Arrow.”

The Centurion Award aimed to highlight “Hometown Heroes,” or Arrowmen who have meaningfully contributed to the forming, maturing and ongoing operational excellence of their local lodge, and who, in doing so, inspired others to follow in their footsteps.

The Coosa Lodge Key 3 solicited nominations from all of the former Coosa Lodge chiefs and advisers. Then, after careful consideration, twelve recipients were selected from those nominations. Those receipients were:

• Christopher D. Brightwell
• Zack “Chief” Cross
• James A. Flatt
• Mark Hayes
• Phillip Seth Hill
• Jon Ingram
• William P. Jackson
• Joseph F. Kiker
• Donald D. Russell, Jr.
• David R. Self
• Clarence Julian Simmons, III
• Daniel E. Wright

These recipients were be presented with a certificate and recognition ribbon consisting of a red and white ribbon and a metallic totem symbolizing the centennial anniversary of the Order of the Arrow.

This award was a one-time recognition associated with the centennial anniversary of the Order of the Arrow and was bestowed by the National Order of the Arrow Committee. It was modeled after a similar program in the BSA’s 100th anniversary celebration, the 2010 National Hall of Leadership. These honorees serve as exemplars of leadership, modeling to others a commitment to cheerful service as the Order of the Arrow enters its second century.

Lodge Awards and Recognitions

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• 2004 - E. Urner Goodman Camping Award

See Also

• Cherokee Lodge #50
• Achunanchi Lodge #135
• Kaskanampo Lodge #310
• Coosa Lodge Insignia Guide

External Links

• Coosa Lodge Website
• Greater Alabama Council Website