Lodge Information 
Council: Chester County Council
Headquarters: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Totem: Goose
Lodge Website: www.octoraro22.org
Council Website: www.cccbsa.org
Lodge Key 3
Lodge Chief Jake Segal
Lodge Adviser Scott Salvatore
Lodge Staff Adviser Ray Hayden
Lodge History
The charter for Octoraro Lodge was approved on May 17, 1926 and nine candidates were received into the new lodge with an induction ceremony held at Hilldale, a weekend campsite of the Chester County Council. E. Urner Goodman, founder of the Order and Scout Executive of the Philadelphia Council, inducted the nine charter members. Joeseph H. Brinton was elected chief of the new lodge and later the year, 41 additional members were inducted at the council camp located at Pine Grove Furnace in the south mountains of Pennsylvania, known as Camp Rothrock.
A few years later, Brinton and another charter member, Charles M. Heistand led the council in acquiring a farm from the Reynolds family, on the border of Maryland. In 1928, Camp Horseshoe was formed as the Chester County's Scout Camp, and Octoraro became the lodges name. A Lenni Lenape word, Octoraro translates as "muddy water" describing the condition after a rain fall of the creek that surrounds the camp. The flying goose was adopted as the totem in recognition of the thousands of migrating geese that pass over the camp and chester county.
Three of the nine charter members went onto national service. Heistand served on the National Committee, and retired as Assistant Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America. Brinton was elected National Chief of the Order in 1937 and then served on the National Committee. In 1929, Benjamin Thomas was elected National Secretary and was instrumental in infusing real Native American regalia and lore into the ceremonies.
In 199, Octoraro Lodge received the E. Urner Goodman Award for the fourth time. Other award winning years were 1981, 1982, and 1984. Octoraro Lodge continues to strive for excellence in this new millennium, by following the arrow of the Wimachtendienk.
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