Connecticut Yankee Council - Order of The Arrow

Order of The Arrow

Owaneco Lodge is the Order of the Arrow (OA) lodge for the Connecticut Yankee Council. The Order of the Arrow is Scouting's National Honor Society. The lodge's name comes from a chief’s name of the Mohegan Tribe and its totem is Owaneco.

When it was announced that Arcoon and Tankiteke would merge to form a new lodge in 1999, a lodge steering committee was set up to discuss the merger between the two lodges. After five meetings between February and September 1998, all details regarding basic structure, committee responsibilities, name of the lodge, bylaws and first lodge event were discussed and finalized.

On October 4, 1998, the first meeting of the memberships of Owaneco Lodge occurred. The lodge membership approved the lodge name, number, bylaws and the first group of lodge officers was elected. During the lodge’s first year, the executive committee worked to mold the new lodge program. Several changes were made to combine the traditions of Tankiteke and Arcoon and adapt a new lodge program. 1998 also saw Ockenuck Chapter renamed itself to the Arcoon Chapter.

During 1999, Owaneco lodge achieved honor lodge status for the first time in its short history. Owaneco repeated this achievement in 2007.

The 2003 Section NE-2C Conclave was held at Camp Sequassen and hosted by Owaneco Lodge.

The Quinnipiac Dancers, which started out as the Wulihan Chapter Dance Team in the Arcoon Lodge, celebrate their 30th anniversary in 2004. Over the 30 years, the dance team has garnered dozens of awards.

Owaneco Lodge actively practices the OA principles of Cheerful Service. For many years, the lodge is engaged in collecting soda can tabs for donation to the Masonic Tabs for Tots program, which uses the tabs to raise funds for the Shriner Hospitals for Crippled Children and Burn Victims. In 2011, Lodge Chief Nick Wolf presented an estimated 100 pounds of tabs to the Chairman of the Connecticut Masonic Scouters Association.