All current members and alumni of the T'Kope Kwiskwis lodge are invited to attend this historic event!

We encourage all current members to come up for the whole weekend and welcome our newest members by staffing the Ordeal. We have arranged the schedule so that if you provide cheerful service and staff you will not miss out on any of the Longhouse festivities.

Please join us in the celebration of this momentous occasion by registering for ONE of the following choices:

To register for the Ordeal Staff:

To register for the ground breaking and dinner only:

Come be a part of History!

This third award in a row is unprecedented in Lodge history and is extremely difficult to achieve given the requirements require positive growth every single year and a 30% brotherhood conversion rate.

Quality program = Quality Lodge

These are the brothers who got us over the finish line:

I am here to tell you about a great opportunity for you to not only party with some of your fellow Arrowmen but also to get you informed about a great pre-ArrowCorps502 service project. This project is known as National Public Lands Day (NPLD). Many may recognize it as a national event for the public, but you have the opportunity to rock the OA sash on the mountain while cheerfully serving! This is an event you do not want to miss! If you want to get more information, why not get it while partying with your fellow Arrowmen, complete with free pizza. The NPLD Kickoff will be held at the Chief Seattle Council Service Center, it will be on August 14^th, 2010 from 9am to 3pm. Be sure to save the date this is an event you do not want to miss!

Congratulations to our new lodge officers who were elected this past weekend at the Spring Fellowship at Camp Pigott.  The officers officially take their new positions on July 1, 2010.

• Lodge Chief: Brian S.
• Secretary: Ian B.
• Treasurer: Garrett J.
• Activities Vice Chief: Chris Z.
• Inductions Vice Chief: Logan C.
• Service Vice Chief: Mat A.

After 20 months of hard work by many members of our lodge, the Camp Pigott Barbecue Shelter is ready for use -just in time for Summer Camp.

Many thanks to all the project contributors:

The Chief Seattle Council took possession of the new lodge artifacts on May 6th. The exciting new items include miniatures of the Sunyakwa, Yakala and Kis'Kis totem poles, and several clay dolls that depict dancers, singers, and speakers all with replica blankets, hats and masks.

Congratulations to the first prestigious six:

Youth:
From the Lamonti Tupso Illahee Chapter - Matthew B
From the Tenas Chakchak Chapter - Thomas M
From the Talapus Tillicum Chapter - Colin S
From the Wau Wau Talapus Chapter - Chris L

Adults:
From the Talapus Tillicum Chapter - John R
From the Talapus Tillicum Chapter - John V

The ArrowCorps502 Committee has been making great progress so far! We currently have over half our committee filled, but are still working on more people. We are submitting a logo at the next LEC for approval and will have it out soon. Also on June 1

Also if you have a Facebook please join our group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=285154120932 , also be sure to visit http://tkopekwiskwis.org/arrowcorps502 to keep up to date on current ArrowCorps502 events.

As Stewie has said at many LEC’s, “It’s a great time to be” Wau Wau Talapus! Wau Wau Talapus has had a resounding comeback from last year’s lull thanks to the great support from our incredible chapter members. Currently Wau Wau Talapus has recently completed our new Chapter Banner, which you will definitely have to gaze upon with awe, only wishing your chapter was cool enough to have their own. We are also nearing completion of our very own Totem Pole that will be erected at the Longhouse site soon. In addition to that we’re starting work on our very own chapter button blanket set which will help our sprouting chapter ceremonies team. An old adult of Wau Wau Talapus also recently returned three drums from when the chapter was founded.

To touch on events our chapter has been involved with, we’ve been to our two winter camps, started to have a semi-regular totem pole carving party and finally we held our Chapter Pre-Conclave Fellowship at the old Cascade Gun Range. This event was incredibly fun for all those involved, we had a huge bonfire complete with kisky pong and plenty of hilarious face-offs.

Also, we recently held our chapter election and elected a new chapter leadership. Our new Chapter Chief Kelvin F. has held the Activities Vice Chief position for the past two years, has attended just about as many Lodge and Chapter activities as I, have. Then on top of that this is a guy who knows how to make sure everyone has a good time while being an effective leader.

Matthew A.
Chapter Chief

To increase awareness of this societal problem and to create even greater barriers to abuse than already exist today in Scouting, the Boy Scouts of America is implementing several important changes to further enhance its Youth Protection policies:

Effective June 1, 2010:

- Youth Protection Training is required for all registered volunteers.

- New leaders are required to take Youth Protection Training before they submit their application for registration. The certificate of completion for this training must be submitted at the time application is made and before volunteer service with youth begins.

- Youth Protection Training must be taken every two years. If a volunteer's Youth Protection Training record is not current at the time of recharter, the volunteer will not be reregistered.

Please CLICK HERE for steps to ensure these policies are fully implemented.

28 seal their membership!

On Saturday May 22nd at the Ordeal at Camp Brinkley twenty eight brothers sealed their membership in the order by going through the Brotherhood ceremony. This was a momentous occasion for several reasons. The 28 marks the largest Brotherhood ceremony in well over a decade for T'Kope Kwiskwis and highlights the current strength of the lodge inductions program. The big night also is a huge leap forward in reaching our Quality Lodge goal for 2010 of 30% conversion of our Ordeal members to Brotherhood. At this time we only need 5 more Ordeal members to step forward and undertake the Brotherhood to achieve an astonishing three- peat of the Quality Lodge award! Will it be YOU who steps forward?

When: June 18-19, 2010
Where: Camp Pigott
Cost: $15 through June 10, $20 after

That's right - the Order of the Arrow has finally entered the digital age, and we are now accepting online registrations for candidates, members, and Elangomats to attend the Ordeal Weekends this year!

Click here to register online now!

Please consider registering online, as this will greatly reduce the amount of time required at check-in on Friday evening of the Ordeals.  It also ensures data accuracy, avoids the possibility of misplaced paper forms, and helps the Ordeal Administration team plan ahead.  You can sign up for more than one ordeal at once.  One secure transaction for the entire season!

Brothers, the Longhouse Committee has been working hard and can report great progress towards our goal. The site evaluations for the preliminary permit requirements have been completed. These evaluations include wetland studies, geo-testing and perc tests. Permit building plans are complete, and this will allow us to move ahead in the permit application with the county. We have selected several large and gracious cedar trees that will become the main support columns in the building. Soon we will be honored to have the trees blessed by our friends in the 1st Nations community before they are taken down. This is an important link from the old to the new with sensitivity to Native American customs.

When: June 18-19, 2010
Where: Camp Pigott
Cost: $15 through June 10, $20 after

Brothers, the time of year is here already. That's right, its time to elect new lodge officers! What are you going to run for? This year we're doing things a little bit differently for the Lodge Chief position. All of those that wish to run for Lodge Chief must have their plan book for their term completed and turned into the current Lodge Chief, Peter H., by the June Ordeal - June 4-6. Also, those wanting to run for Lodge Chief must be present at the June Ordeal. There will be a nomination committee that will help select the best candidates for Chief. Chapters - you will need to provide one youth for this committee. If you are not sure about running for Chief, give it a shot anyway. If you are wondering what a plan book is or have any other questions regarding running for any position, shoot Peter an email - info@tkopekwiskwis.org. With that, I hope to see you all at the June Ordeal and SPRING FELLOWSHIP!!!

The Vigil Honor is a high mark of distinction and recognition reserved for those Arrowmen who, by reason of exceptional service, personal effort, and unselfish interest, have made distinguished contributions beyond the immediate responsibilities of their position or office to one or more of the following: T'Kope Kwiskwis Lodge, the Order of the Arrow, Scouting, or our Council's Camps.

T'Kope Kwiskwis lodge is proud to announce the 2010 Vigil Honor Class:

We encourage everyone to congratulate our latest brothers who sealed their membership in the Order by going through the Brotherhood Ceremony at the Section W1-N Conclave held at Camp Hahobas on April 24th 2010!

If it's been 10 months since your ordeal and you want to step up to the Brotherhood, there are lodge Brotherhood ceremonies at every lodge event for the rest of the year including:

May Ordeal at Camp Brinkley on Saturday May 22nd

June Ordeal at Camp Parsons on Saturday June 5th

Spring Fellowship at Camp Pigott on Friday June 18th

There may also be chapter sponsored Brotherhood ceremonies in which you may participate. Please contact your chapter chief for more details. There is no fee for the ceremony or your new sash that will mark you as a Brotherhood member of our lodge. If you are prepared now to make this important decision for yourself, we will welcome you at the ceremony. Once again congratulations to our newest Brotherhood Members:

That's right - the Order of the Arrow has finally entered the digital age, and we are now accepting online registrations for candidates, members, and Elangomats to attend the Ordeal Weekends this year!

Click here to register online now!

Please consider registering online, as this will greatly reduce the amount of time required at check-in on Friday evening of the Ordeals.  It also ensures data accuracy, avoids the possibility of misplaced paper forms, and helps the Ordeal Administration team plan ahead.  You can sign up for more than one ordeal at once.  One secure transaction for the entire season!

Aha! At Conclave 2010, our ceremonies teams once again proved that when all the Tillicum people gather, T'Kope Kwiskwis remains Chief! We entered teams in pre-Ordeal, Brotherhood, and Vigil evaluations, and left with more "honors" teams than any other lodge. This means that once again we brought home the Ralph Kirschner trophy, which is named to honor the former W-1B Section Adviser. It used to be given to the #1 Pre-Ordeal team but now it is given to the lodge with the most Honor teams at Conclave. This means we have won this award for 7 years in a row. Can we make it 8 at next year's Conclave in Alaska?

This year we had a lot of new ceremonialists, and a lot of different teams. It's really great we were able to do so well even though our teams were changing right up to the time of Conclave. The teams worked really hard, and some ceremonialists worked extra hard to learn new parts in a very short time.  Congratulations to everyone. Here are the teams that participated.

Do you ever wonder what Scouting is like in another country? The Western Region is forming an OA contingent to attend the 2011 World Scout Jamboree in Sweden. Over 100 countries and 40,000 co-ed Scouts will gather together from July 27 to August 7, 2011 to share in international friendship and adventure for personal growth and development.

We encourage everyone to congratulate our latest brothers who sealed their membership in the Order by going through the Brotherhood Ceremony at the April Ordeal held at Camp Brinkley on April 10th 2010!

• Jeremy B
• Lain L
• Stephen L
• James N
• Jordan R
• Michael T
• Brandon W
• Will C
• Quinton L
• Niemi R
• William N
• Aric R
• Cathy T
• Nicholas W

Congratulations to you all!

Sharon M. Moulds

To say Sharon has Scouting in her blood would be an understatement. Her father was a Scouting professional for 39 years and she has served in five different councils in eight different leadership positions over the last 25 years including Scout executive in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

She is Wood Badge trained, Vigil Member of the Order of the Arrow and active member of her son’s Boy Scout Troop. Please join us in welcoming Sharon, her husband Al and their two sons to the Chief Seattle Council.

That's right - the Order of the Arrow has finally entered the digital age, and we are now accepting online registrations for candidates, members, and Elangomats to attend the Ordeal Weekends this year!

Click here to register online now!

Please consider registering online, as this will greatly reduce the amount of time required at check-in on Friday evening of the Ordeals.  It also ensures data accuracy, avoids the possibility of misplaced paper forms, and helps the Ordeal Administration team plan ahead.  You can register everyone in your family at the same time, and sign up for more than one ordeal at once.  One secure transaction for the entire season!

The adventure of a lifetime awaits, will you heed the call? I can personally attest to the power and challenge that the Order of the Arrow high adventure programs possess. Section W-1N is accepting scholarship applications that cover the cost of your trip, leaving you with only the cost of transportation for a two-week adventure. You have your choice to provide service and trek at one of our national high adventure bases:

OA Trail Crew at Philmont has 48 spots left. One week repairing trail on the ranch or surrounding forests earns you a no-holds-barred trek of your crews choice around Philmont. Skip the waiting list, you can go now!

OA Wilderness Voyage is a two-week canoeing trip in the Boundary Waters wilderness of northern Minnesota. Northern Tier staff provide the adventure of a lifetime canoeing like the voyageurs of old. Enjoy your week of service and then explore like you have never imagined. Still plenty of spots left!

OAWV: Canadian Odyssey allows intrepid arrowmen to travel north of the border to repair portage trails in Ontario, Canada. After a week up north, your crew travels back to base. Witness the majestic beauty of the north country, you wont ever view the night sky the same again. 19 spots left!

Make your summer one filled with epic adventure. Meet Arrowmen from across the country, travel on the cheap and leave with enough memories to keep you going until next summer. Register at http://adventure.oa-bsa.org/.

Yours in Service,
Evan Skandalis

Does your chapter have the quality chapter requirements for Winter Camp staff met? Have 10 youth staffed at Camp Sheppard for your chapters weekends? My goal as Service Vice-Chief is to help chapters succeed in service and in turn get quality chapter. That is why I want to inform you about the Camp Sheppard work party that will be happening the weekend of March 19th-21st. As some of you may know this has been a no-snow year for Sheppard, and thus we have the ability to do tasks that otherwise would not be able to be done in the winter. In past weekends we have been able to accomplish great deeds.

Please contact me at service@tkopekwiskwis.org with your name, chapter and any special skill sets/ useful tools that you can bring. Please be at Sheppard on Friday at 7pm and expect to leave camp by 12 on Sunday.

Yours in Service,
Evan Skandalis

Be a part of the council's largest gathering of the year and provide cheerful service. There will be an opportunity to represent the T'Kope Kwiskwis Lodge at the council's annual recognition dessert and meeting, held March 31st at Benaroya Hall in Seattle.

T'Kope will be presenting and promoting ArrowCorps 502 for the first time at a council event and distinguished chapter and lodge advisors will be receiving the Silver Beaver. If you look at the below invitation then you can see which Scouters from your district will be recognized:

The program promises to be a good time with all aspects of the council being on display. You will be expected to represent the OA and T'Kope Kwiskwis Lodge in a professional manner. You may be asked to open doors, greet and usher or serve dessert. It is a great opportunity to network and see those who make the program run. Please be in the Benaroya Hall lobby at 5:30 in your full, crisp and cleanly Class A with sash. There is free parking in the garage underneath the Hall. Please contact Evan Skandalis at service@tkopekwiskwis.org if you are interested.

Yours in Service,
Evan Skandalis

To celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America the T'Kope Kwiskwis lodge has just released a new lodge flap commemorating this historic milestone. The patch is an eagle, the symbol of the 100^th Anniversary and of the Boy Scout of America, done in the Northern Formline of the Pacific Northwest Coast 1^st Peoples.

The background color is kaki and was designed to match as close as possible the BSA uniform. The words, "100 years BSA", and "T'Kope Kwiskwis" are ghosted in this same color below the wings. There is also the "WWW" ghosted in black on the eagle's chest. With all of the lettering matching the background color, only the wing stretched eagle is easily seen.

The patch will be available at lodge events including the up coming April Ordeal at Camp Pigott April 9^th-11^th 2010. Happy Birthday BSA!

We encourage everyone to congratulate our latest brothers who sealed their membership in the Order by going through the Brotherhood Ceremony at the Sahaptin Mox Khan'-nice Chapter sponsored Brotherhood held on the Kitsap Peninsula February 4th, 2010.

Mikel A

Michael N

Christopher N

Connor S

Stanley W

Christopher Z

Congratulations to you all!

If it's been 10 months since your ordeal and you want to step up to the Brotherhood, the next lodge Brotherhood ceremony is during the April Ordeal at Camp Pigott, April 9-11th 2010. Email us at inductions@tkopekwiskwis.org or contact your Chapter Chief for more information.

Recently a series of major contributions have been made to the Chief Seattle Council to build re-build the longhouse at Camp Pigott.  This wonderful news came almost seven years to the day that the old longhouse was taken down. With these contributions the council believes that it is possible the structure will be built starting in 2010, but only if we finish raising the needed funds. We are now over 80% to our goal of $500,000. We need a decisive wave of support that will make the new longhouse a reality. We now have less than $100,000 to raise! That is an achievable goal, but we need your help!

There are several things you can do at this time!

This year T'Kope will continue its dedication to provide quality OA staff to Camp Sheppard's Winter Camp. Participating in your chapter's service weekend at Sheppard is a great way to boost chapter fellowship, earn community service hours, and gain a keener understanding of the workings of the BSA camping program. At your weekend you can expect to be fed, housed and partied out in return for supervising the tube runs, preparing and serving food in the kitchen, sanding the trails and spreading WWW throughout camp. Each chapter is assigned one or more weekends for this service. Check the lodge calendar to see when your chapter's weekends are or ask your Chapter Chief!

Yours in Service, Evan S. - Lodge Service Vice Chief

Attention to all Ordeal Members, if it has been over ten months since your Ordeal you are now eligible for Brotherhood. This means that you have served your troop and are now ready to attain further knowledge in our brotherhood of cheerful service. If you contact your Chapter Inductions Vice Chief they will help you on the trail to Brotherhood. Also if you know somebody who is eligible for Brotherhood please encourage them to go through, this will help to earn Quality Lodge. There is a Brotherhood Ceremony at all Lodge functions, the next of which would be the April Ordeal at Camp Brinkley (April 9-10)

In Brotherhood,
Ryan M.
Lodge Inductions Vice Chief

In case you have not heard, the unit election season is upon us. A unit election is when OA members go out to all of the troops and elect candidates for the Order of the Arrow. This is a great opportunity for you to serve your fellow scouts. All of the chapters have or are putting together unit election teams to go around to all the troops in your district if you are able to help with any unit elections you should contact your Chapter’s Inductions Vice Chief or your Chapter Chief.

Thank you,
Ryan M.
Lodge Inductions Vice Chief

It is with great pleasure to announce to you the beginning of the search for the 2010 T'Kope Kwiskwis Vigil Honor Class. This process over the next few months will allow you, the members of the lodge, to nominate eligible candidates for consideration by our committee.

From the Guide for Officers &Advisers: The Vigil Honor is a high mark of distinction and recognition reserved for those Arrowmen who, by reason of exceptional service, personal effort, and unselfish interest, have made distinguished contributions beyond the immediate responsibilities of their position or office to one or more of the following: the T'Kope Kwiskwis Lodge, the Order of the Arrow, Scouting, or our Council's Camps. Under no circumstances should tenure in Scouting or the Order of the Arrow be considered as reason enough for a Vigil Honor recommendation.

The year ended with some exciting news, the last of the standing chapter totem poles was identified. The tall slender pole stands down the hill from the longhouse site and has been without a name for many years as its oral traditions faded. Longtime lodge member Tom Bingaman stepped forward and identified the pole as belonging to the Tillikum Chuck chapter. Tillikum Chuck means Water People. This chapter broke away from the Hyas Eena Chapter and served the Renton, Maple Valley and Tahoma School districts in the 1970s'. Later it was reabsorbed into the Hyas Eena Chapter and the history of the pole began to fade.

Since the opening of the E. Packard Longhouse, Chapters were encouraged to carve and raise their own totem poles. Over the past 40 years some have been lost, some survive and new ones have been raised. There are currently eight Chapter totem poles at the longhouse site.

The Tillikum Chuck pole is toped by an eagle holding two salmon in its talons. The great bird is catching the salmon from the bounty of the Cedar River, which is also the name of the district that Tillikum Chuck served. The Eagle is feeding the salmon to Frog, who represents man to some Pacific Northwest 1^st peoples groups. The bottom figure is that of Beaver, the symbol of Hyas Eena, from which Tillikum Chuck split.

Today the area covered by Tillikum Chuck is serviced by Hyas Eena and Wau Wau Talapus.

We want to give a special thanks to Tom Bingaman for stepping forward with this information and allowing the lodge to better understand its own history.

Even though all the poles have now been identified we are still looking for people to step forward with old photos of the longhouse site and its poles to put on the website. We want to make sure our history and traditions are preserved and then shared so that future generations of arrowmen can enjoy and understand them.

There is a tremendous amount of activity this winter at Camp Pigott as we work to complete 24 construction projects prior to the opening of the 2010 summer camp season. The resulting new facilities will help us provide an outstanding summer camp experience while also adding several key features that will be available for year round use. We are excited about these upgrades and additions and can’t wait until summer when Scouts can enjoy all that Camp Pigott has to offer.

ArrowCorps 502 update

On Friday the 13^th of November, Arrowcorps 502 leadership met with Kevin Bacher, Volunteer Coordinator for Mt. Rainier National Park. This was a critical step in the development of the ArrowCorps 502 program. Discussion topics ranged from partnerships with other youth conservation groups to training and possible service areas. We look forward to working in the future with Mr. Bacher. He is a great resource for the project and expressed an enthusiasm to make this project a reality.

After the meeting, the core four team traveled to Fall Rally, anxious to converse the details with the Lodge. Great enthusiasm has been seen from within the lodge, everyone wants to be a part of what is sure to be the largest service project T’kope KwisKwis has ever undertaken. Currently the Core Four group is looking for capable, qualified leaders from within the lodge to plan and perform service of epic proportions. Be sure to check out the ArrowCorps 502 link on the lodge website for more information.

Other service news:

-The Camp Parsons arboretum shelters are currently in the stages of planning. The two shelters to be constructed will provide a haven for Parsons to educate Scouts and school groups in the arboretum.

On Wednesday October 21st 2009 at the monthly lodge business meeting, the council's Director of Support Services Scott Findlay announced that a series of major donations had been made to the Chief Seattle Council to build re-build the longhouse at Camp Pigott. This wonderful news came almost seven years to the day that the old longhouse was taken down. With these donations the council believes that it is possible the structure will be built starting in late spring 2010.

The longhouse committee has a goal of $500,000 to construct the new building. We are now over 80% to that goal. Now we need a final wave of support that will make the new longhouse a reality. The momentum is there now is the time to act! Now is the time to build the longhouse!

The new building will be a year round heated facility so that scouts can enjoy the building even in the irksome weather of the Pacific Northwest. The heat will also serve to extend the life of the structure, keeping the permanent dampness away from the precious wood.

The new building will be up to all state and county codes, yet maintain its important rustic appearance. In satisfying these new requirements we acknowledge the importance of safety and public and professional standards; however this does come with extra costs. The new longhouse will also hold more people. The old structure had a capacity of 144; the new one will be able to welcome over 300 arrowmen. Together we are restoring the past and rebuilding for the future. Become a part of the new traditions by making a cash or in-kind donation today. By giving today you have the piece of mind knowing that future generations of arrowmen might share in this unique experience.

To those supporters who have shown their deep commitment to the longhouse and have generously given their time and financial support this time is indeed exciting! The lodge appreciates your contributions, but now we ask to redouble your efforts to get us across the finish line.

Now is the time to rebuild the longhouse.

Remember the ones who chose you need you...

Donate Online Now

Here's something new (to some of you)! Coming later this year we'll be having FALL RALLY!!! The Fall Rally will be taking the place of Inductions Weekend, November 13-15. You're probably wondering the difference of Fall Rally and Inductions Weekend, and no, it isn't just the name. Fall Rally will be a Fellowship/Conclave-esk/Training Weekend.

Register Here

We look forward to seeing you there!  For more information, or to get involved in helping plan this event, contact the Activities Vice Chief at activities@tkopekwiskwis.org.

A Chapter totem pole that is in good condition and still stands at the longhouse site remained unidentified until this past weekend. Several people had inklings of the origin of the pole but none were very confident of their information. Using the Lodge website, T'Kope Kwiskwis put a general call out there for T'Kope alumni to step forward and help provide some of the missing history of the Lodge, the Longhouse and its totem poles. Several totem poles were unidentified, that is until last weekend when former Lodge Chief Rod Field identified one of the poles.

The beautiful pole is crowned by an Orca over a man holding a copper. The bottom crest is a beaver. Mr. Field said the pole was raised during his tenure as Chapter Chief of the Kwahnice Chapter in 1972-73. Kwahnice was later merged into Tenas Chakchak, which serves the West Seattle, Burien and Des Moines areas.

Now that the Kwahnice pole has been named only one standing pole remains to be identified. Please see the related article under the longhouse tab to help reconstruct the lodge's history. Thank you to Mr. Field in already helping the lodge in our quest.

National Public Lands Day was a success with 7 youth and 4 adult participants. Participants built 100 yards of trail Saturday, Sept 26th on the Glacier Basin area of Mt. Rainier National Park after spending the night at Camp Sheppard. Highlights included upsetting a bee's nest, pulling tree stumps and meeting the park's Trail Manager, Carl Fabioni. The weather was beautiful, one of the Northwest's fine fall days. Arrowmen learned the proper use and care of Pulaski's and spoons and graded the trail that will be used by thousands of hikers and climbers alike. Youth and adults came away with a feeling of accomplishment, having forged the initial connection between the Order of the Arrow and the park for the ArrowCorps502 service project in the summer of 2011.

For the first time in almost 20 years the T'Kope Kwiskwis lodge dedicated an entire new set of ceremonial dress. The set of four is named "the Ocean Set" in honor of the crests that are indelibly linked with the sea. The blankets were commissioned with proceeds from the budget of Lodge Chief Allen S. and were designed by Former Lodge Chief Case Barden while he was still a youth member of T'Kope.

The set was used at the Fall Parsons Ordeal to help induct 60 new members into our lodge. However the set was donned for the first time this summer during the ceremonies competitions and evaluations at NOAC. The four blankets are made from navy blue Pendleton blankets, red wool Melton cloth from Canada and 1000 real shell buttons. The lodge would like to personally thank Mrs. Barden, Helen Young (BH), and Beth Carter (BH) who took time to create these wonderful pieces that will be used for years to come! To SEE the amazing blanket designs, read on!

We encourage everyone to congratulate our latest brothers who sealed their membership in the Order by going through the Brotherhood Ceremony at the Fall Ordeal held at Camp Parsons on September 19^th 2009!

• Jeremiah F
• Trevor H
• Ethan H
• Roland M
• Jerry Prentice
• Mitchell P
• Adam S
• Julie Thompson
• Alex V

Congratulations to you all!

If it's been 10 months since your ordeal and you want to step up to the Brotherhood, the next lodge Brotherhood ceremony is the Friday night of the Fall Rally at Camp Brinkley, November 13^th 2009. Email us at inductions@tkopekwiskwis.org or contact your Chapter Chief for more information.

The National Leadership Seminar is the OA's premier leadership training opportunity.  It is a weekend conference on the skills and attributes of leadership. It is intended primarily to enhance the leadership skills of the Order of the Arrow's key youth and adult members as they seek to improve their services to the Boy Scouts of America and the greater community. The weekend format is designed to complement the longer, more detailed Wood Badge and Junior Leadership Training Programs, and is of the same caliber as many business executive development programs.

NLS only comes once every couple years to our area, and only three times per year in the entire region.  This year, it will be near Portland, Oregon at the Evangelical Conference Center in Milwaukie on November 20-22.  Cost is $140.  Sign up today - space is limited.  A registration form and more information is available on the Western Region website.  Several adults from our lodge are already planning on attending, so transportation can be coordinated if you will need a ride.  You will need the Lodge Adviser's and Scout Executive's signatures in order to register.

Adults who have already attended NLS may attend the National Lodge Adviser Training Seminar being held the same weekend at the same place.  Click here for more information about NLATS.

Don't miss out!

Come join us for the 2009 Annual Banquet! October 10, 5:30 PM at Mercer Island Presbyterian Church.

Sign up today at https://register.seattlebsa.org/!

You must register before October 2nd before the price increases to 30$!!

If you were ever interested in the Lodge's Ceremonies, Dance and Story Telling team the 2009 Kickoff event is a do not miss opportunity!

If you want to get a Brotherhood team together for your Chapter's Camporee next spring NOW is the time to start making it happen!

If you want to be apart of some of the best ceremonies in the nation, if you thought the WashJam booth was cool and want to learn more, bring some OA friends and come to Ceremonies Kick Off Day 2009!

T'Kope Kwiskwis Ceremonialists performed so well and received so many "Honor" medals at NOAC the airline was considering charging us extra for the additional weight.

That might be an exaggeration, but to speak of the quality of ceremonies that the lodge has, is not! During NOAC the Inductions and Ceremony Events Committee (ICE) held two different activities. The first was an evaluation that was performed on ceremony teams for Pre-Ordeal, Brotherhood, and Vigil. Once the evaluation portion was completed Pre-Ordeal and Vigil teams could continue on to the competition event. Brotherhood teams did not compete in the competition portion.

The Lodge had multiple teams in all of the categories. Teams whose members performed extremely well received "honors" recognition and a medal to show off their hard work. In the evaluations this year teams from our lodge received the following "Honors":

This year T'Kope will continue its dedication to provide quality OA staff to Camp Sheppard's Winter Camp. Participating in your chapter's service weekend at Sheppard is a great way to boost chapter fellowship, earn community service hours, and gain a keener understanding of the workings of the BSA camping program. At your weekend you can expect to be fed, housed and partied out in return for supervising the tube runs, preparing and serving food in the kitchen, sanding the trails and spreading WWW throughout camp. Look for more information in future Marmot's Whistle articles and from your Chapter Chief.

Yours in Service, Evan S. - Lodge Service Vice Chief

National Public Lands Day is the nation's largest single day service event for public lands. On Sept. 26th T'Kope is planning on sending twenty-five youth and adults to Mt. Rainier National Park to work on the Glacier Basin Trail. After meeting at the White River campground in the park, the contingent will have a chance to meet and work with volunteers from the Washington Trails Association, Student Conservation Association and the National Parks Conservation Association repairing tread and removing obstructions. The project will serve as a way to spread a positive image of the Order of the Arrow and the BSA to the public as well as to officials that we hope to partner with for the upcoming ArrowCorps502 national service project.

In other news, the "Core Four" planning team for ArrowCorps502 will be meeting with the head volunteer coordinator of Mt. Rainier Park in October to continue the preparations for the project. In the meantime Matt A., chairman of the ArrowCorps502 committee is assembling his crew. The prospects are good, and T'Kope has already set up the foundation for future talks with NPS officials to make AC502 a reality.

Members of the lodge sat in the second row in a packed Indiana University's Assembly Hall, site of the 2009 National Order of the Arrow Conference, and watched former long time T'Kope Kwiskwis Lodge adviser accept the Legacy of Service Award. Del is only the fourth person ever to receive this honor. Current Lodge Chief Peter H. was on stage with Del while the award was being presented, the culmination of the evening's show.

On the Saturday morning of the Spring Fellowship in June of 2009 members of the T'Kope Kwiskwis lodge finished placing two welcoming figures along the candidate trail that will lead to the new longhouse. The three part project started in November at Inductions weekend when members moved the poles from the longhouse site to near their final locations. Then at the May Ordeal a small team of dedicated longhouse enthusiasts poured the concrete and set the metal bracers. Finally at Fellowship mostly youth members did the final positioning and raising of the now welcoming figures.

The first is 10 yards from the road, on a corner of the path, just at a spot where the longhouse reveals it's self to the hiker, directly behind the pole. The second one is at the top of the switch back of the old access road where the candidate trail continues up the hill. The next time you are up at Camp Pigott check out the new monuments.

When you complete your profile on-line, simply insert the key number (VGH-33042), the reporting will be grouped under the Order of the Arrow and approval will be forwarded to the national office for review, approval, and ordering of the award. The website is www.presidentialserviceawards.gov.

Lasty year, President George W. Bush recognized three youth leaders at the Shasta-Trinity ArrowCorps5 project with this award. We encourage all Arrowmen to investigate applying for this prestigious award.

ArrowCorps5 brought thousands of Arrowmen from around the nation together to serve during 2008. During that summer, the staff at Mount Rainier National Park asked the Camp Sheppard staff why there was no such service project at their park. Camp Sheppard brought it to the attention of T'Kope Kwiskwis, and ArrowCorps502 was born!

T'Kope Kwiskwis Lodge, Camp Sheppard and the National Park Service have started planning ArrowCorps502. All Order of the Arrow members are invited to join us as we help preserve one of the most pristine National Parks.

Plan now to spend a week of your 2011 summer serving Mount Rainier National Park. Then afterward, why not spend another week at Camp Sheppard doing one of the high adventure programs?

Click here to watch a video about Scouting's commitment to conservation (93 MB download).

We encourage everyone to congratulate our latest brothers who sealed their membership in the Order by going through the Brotherhood Ceremony at Camp Parsons on June 6th and the Spring Fellowship on June 19th!

• Chris A
• Nick C
• Keegan D
• Harris E
• Niccolo F
• Ryan J
• Jason M
• Daniel P
• Philip P

Congratulations to you all!

If it's been 10 months since your ordeal and you want to step up to the Brotherhood, the next lodge Brotherhood ceremony is the Saturday night of the Fall Ordeal at Camp Parsons, September 18-20, 2009. Email us at inductions@tkopekwiskwis.org or contact your Chapter Chief for more information.

For the first time in the lodge's history, T'Kope Kwiskwis as met all the requirements for National's Quality Lodge program two years in a row! The final major goal was finished up last weekend at Camp Parsons where we welcomed 56 new members into the Order, thus giving the lodge positive growth for the year.

Congratulations to our entire chapter and lodge leadership who helped out and guided us this entire year.

We would like to thank those chapters that held their own brotherhood ceremony at their spring camporees this year. Members from three chapters had the opportunity and to seal their membership in the order by attending these convenient Brotherhood ceremonies. Way to go Sahaptin Mox Khan'-nice, Mox Kar-Po, and Sunyakwa!  We made our Brotherhood goal for Quality Lodge 2009 in large part thanks to these three chapters.

There is still space for 10-15 additional youth participants to be on the waiting list of Chief Seattle Council's contingent to attend the 2010 National Jamboree at Fort AP Hill, Virginia, July 19 to August 3, 2010.  If you are interested, or know someone who might be, there is still time to sign up.  The waiting list serves to replace scouts who need to drop for various reasons.

Join the Chief Seattle Council and 35,000 Scouts and Scouters in celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America at the 2010 National Jamboree. Our council contingent will consist of 5 troops of 36 boys each. This jamboree will most likely be the highlight of a Scouting career for those scouts and adults who attend.

Click here for more information about Jamboree. Or contact John Rosenlund at dcjohnr@comcast.net or 253-905-8640 with questions or to set up a unit presentation.

Toby D. Capps of Renton, WA is one of 49 individuals who will be presented the Order of the Arrow's National Distinguished Service Award at the 2009 National Order of the Arrow Conference this summer at Indiana University.  Toby is a member of the Hyas Eena chapter (Green River district) of T'Kope Kwiskwis Lodge and Chief Seattle Council, and is also a member of the National OA Committee.  Congratulations, Toby!

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 years during NOAC. Since the time of the first awards were presented, less than 850 Distinguished Service Awards have been presented.

Special promotion for last-minute 2009 dues renewals: Pay $20 before June 30, and we'll cover your 2009 dues AND 2010 dues!

Click here to renew your dues online now!

Do you know someone who is an Arrowman, but possibly has not repaid their dues for 2009? As of May 27, we only need 80 more people to renew to meet our Quality Lodge goal!  We are working hard to meet our membership goal for this year, but we only have until June 30 to do it.

If each of us help get just one more Arrowman to renew their dues, we will be well on our way to attaining Quality Lodge status again for 2009.  Ask every Arrowman you know to find out if they have renewed for 2008-2009.  If they don't know, don't have a current membership card, or say that they haven't received a newsletter from us in awhile, it's likely their membership has lapsed.  Hand them a registration form, or send them the link to download it.

We encourage everyone to congratulate our newest brothers who sealed their membership in the Order by going through the Brotherhood Ceremony on May 16!

T'Kope was awarded the section's trophy for outstanding ceremonies teams at last weekend's Section W-1N Conclave at Camp Pigott.

The Ralph Kirschner Trophy was created to honor the memory of the former W-1B Section Adviser. It has been given out since 1987. Originally it was given to the #1 ranked Pre-Ordeal team at the Section Conclave. Recently is has been given to the lodge with the most "Honor" teams at conclave. This last conclave members of the T'Kope Kwiskwis lodge successfully defended their title and won the trophy for the 6th straight time! Congratulations to the ceremonialists who put in many hours of hard work behind the scenes and made this honor possible.

This year's "Honor" teams:

Several volunteers helped out on Thursday April 9th and helped pour the concrete pad for the new Pigott BBQ Shelter! Now is the final push! Pigott needs to be prepared for our conclave and we need as many volunteers as possible to complete the task.

So come to Pigott on April 10-11 for some cheerful service and fooling around before and after the service. Be prepared to work on projects such as building Adirondacks and constructing the Pigott BBQ shelter, so bring gloves, eye protection, and water. The BBQ shelter built by the lodge will leave a lasting impression on the camp for years to come.  The concrete was just poured and the Adirondack needs a lot of work. Even though Winter Camp is over, your service is still sorely needed and cheerfulness required! The cost is $10 for food for the event. Come up if you can!

For more information or questions, please contact us at service@tkopekwiskwis.org.

The Vigil Honor is a high mark of distinction and recognition reserved for those Arrowmen who, by reason of exceptional service, personal effort, and unselfish interest, have made distinguished contributions beyond the immediate responsibilities of their position or office to one or more of the following: T'Kope Kwiskwis Lodge, the Order of the Arrow, Scouting, or our Council's Camps.

Here's something new (to some of you)! Coming later this year we'll be having FALL RALLY!!! The Fall Rally will be taking the place of Inductions Weekend, November 13-15. You're probably wondering the difference of Fall Rally and Inductions Weekend, and no, it isn't just the name. Fall Rally will be a Fellowship/Conclave-esk/Training Weekend.

We look forward to seeing you there!  For more information, or to get involved in helping plan this event, contact the Activities Vice Chief at activities@tkopekwiskwis.org.

To all those faithful and hard working members of the Order of the Arrow who helped staff at camp Sheppard this Winter Camp season: Thank You. The help we gave Sheppard was essential to their program and they could not have done what they did without us. The extensive help you provided, from working in the kitchen to supervising the inner-tube hill, made a difference to the camp. Again, thank you. This journey of service is now over, but there is more to come.

Pigott needs to be prepared for our conclave, and we need as many volunteers as possible to complete the task. So come to Pigott on April 10-11 for some cheerful service and provided lunch. Be prepared to work on projects such as building adirondacks and constructing the Pigott BBQ shelter. The BBQ shelter built by the lodge will leave a lasting impression on the camp for years to come.  Even though Winter Camp is over, your service is still sorely needed--and cheerfulness required!

For more information or questions, please contact us at service@tkopekwiskwis.org.

If you don't know the answer to that question, or you are simply looking for new places to explore, check out T'Kope Kwiskwis Lodge's brand new Go Camping site!  This is a service provided by the Order of the Arrow on behalf of the scouting and outdoor enthusiast community of Washington state.  We currently have nearly 450 destinations in our database!

The site features both camping and hiking trips.  Search for all locations within a radius of your home, and then get point-to-point driving directions from your doorstep.  Filter by terrain difficulty, geographical region, hike length, and more.  We'll even show you a topgraphic map with contour lines and up-to-the-minute forecasts from the National Weather Service.

What are you doing April 24-26?  What would you as an arrowmen want to be doing?  Well, here are some things you could be doing.  You could be partaking in Activities, Camping, Fellowship, Training, and Fun! All you have to do is register and show up!

What could possibly be going on at the end of April where you can enjoy all of this? Section W-1N Conclave "Journey of Service!" Conclave will be held at Camp Pigott in Monroe, WA April 24-26. You can register for only $35.00 before April 13 at www.sectionw1n.org. For all you brand new arrowmen it's only $30.00 no matter when you register!

Do you know someone who is an Arrowman, but possibly has not repaid their dues for 2009?  We are working hard to meet our membership goal for this year, but we only have until June 30 to do it.  If each of us help get just one more Arrowman to renew their dues, we will be well on our way to attaining Quality Lodge status again for 2009.  Ask every Arrowman you know to find out if they have renewed for 2008-2009.  If they don't know, don't have a current membership card, or say that they haven't received a newsletter from us in awhile, it's likely their membership has lapsed.  Hand them a registration form, or send them the link to download it.

The Lodge Treasurer would like your opinion and thoughts about T'Kope merchandise. We are looking into buying more stuff for the trading post. Some ideas we have are hats, t-shirts, jackets, and backpacks. You can start a forum topic about this at tkopekwiskwis.org/resources/forum (you must be logged into the site to access the forums), or you can e-mail the Treasurer at treasurer@tkopekwiskwis.org.

If you don't know the answer to that question, or you are simply looking for new places to explore, check out T'Kope Kwiskwis Lodge's brand new Go Camping site!  This is a service provided by the Order of the Arrow on behalf of the scouting and outdoor enthusiast community of Washington state.  We currently have nearly 450 destinations in our database!

The site features both camping and hiking trips.  Search for all locations within a radius of your home, and then get point-to-point driving directions from your doorstep.  Filter by terrain difficulty, geographical region, hike length, and more.  We'll even show you a topgraphic map with contour lines and up-to-the-minute forecasts from the National Weather Service.

What are you doing April 24-26?  What would you as an arrowmen want to be doing?  Well, here are some things you could be doing.  You could be partaking in Activities, Camping, Fellowship, Training, and Fun! All you have to do is register and show up!

What could possibly be going on at the end of April where you can enjoy all of this? Section W-1N Conclave "Journey of Service!" Conclave will be held at Camp Pigott in Monroe, WA April 24-26. You can register for only $35.00 before April 13 at www.sectionw1n.org. For all you brand new arrowmen it's only $30.00 no matter when you register!

To all those faithful and hard working members of the Order of the Arrow who helped staff at camp Sheppard this Winter Camp season: Thank You. The help we gave Sheppard was essential to their program and they could not have done what they did without us. The extensive help you provided, from working in the kitchen to supervising the inner-tube hill, made a difference to the camp. Again, thank you. This journey of service is now over, but there is more to come.

Piggot needs to be prepared for our conclave, and we need as many volunteers as possible to complete the task. So come to Piggot on April 10-11 for some cheerful service and provided lunch. Be prepared to work on projects such as building adirondacks and constructing the Piggot BBQ shelter. The BBQ shelter built by the lodge will leave a lasting impression on the camp for years to come.  Even though Winter Camp is over, your service is still sorely needed--and cheerfulness required!

For more information or questions, please contact us at service@tkopekwiskwis.org.

Do you know someone who is an Arrowman, but possibly has not repaid their dues for 2009?  We are working hard to meet our membership goal for this year, but we only have until June 30 to do it.  If each of us help get just one more Arrowman to renew their dues, we will be well on our way to attaining Quality Lodge status again for 2009.  Ask every Arrowman you know to find out if they have renewed for 2008-2009.  If they don't know, don't have a current membership card, or say that they haven't received a newsletter from us in awhile, it's likely their membership has lapsed.  Hand them a registration form, or send them the link to download it.

Here's something new (to some of you)! Coming later this year we'll be having FALL RALLY!!! The Fall Rally will be taking the place of Inductions Weekend, November 13-15. You're probably wondering the difference of Fall Rally and Inductions Weekend, and no, it isn't just the name. Fall Rally will be a Fellowship/Conclave/Training Weekend.

We look forward to seeing you there!  For more information, or to get involved in helping plan this event, contact the Activities Vice Chief at activities@tkopekwiskwis.org.

The Lodge Treasurer would like your opinion and thoughts about T'Kope merchandise. We are looking into buying more stuff for the trading post. Some ideas we have are hats, t-shirts, jackets, and backpacks. You can start a forum topic about this at tkopekwiskwis.org/resources/forum (you must be logged into the site to access the forums), or you can e-mail the Treasurer at treasurer@tkopekwiskwis.org.

The upcoming Pigott Ordeal, April 3rd-5th 2009, marks the kickoff date for the new Elangomat Award. In order to earn this special limited edition lodge flap that tells the world that you are a great Elangomat, you must cheerfully serve as an Elangomat starting at this upcoming Ordeal!

The 2008 Quality Lodge Pin are in and available at the Lodge Trading Post for two dollars.

The T'Kope Kwiskwis lodge earned National's Quality Lodge Status for 2008. Now show your pride in the lodge by wearing the official 2008 Quality Lodge Pin on your Flap.

On February 28^th members of the lodge began construction on the new out door BBQ shelter at Camp Pigott. This is the first permanent structure built entirely by T'Kope Kwiskwis lodge since the longhouse. The lodge membership has provided the design, the capital and now the labor behind this improvement project.