Gila Lodge joins W4C

Over the summer Section W4C received some great news!  The ranks of our Section are being expanded by the addition of Gila Lodge from Yucca Council.

Most of our member Lodges sent a contingent to the National Conservation and Leadership Summit (NCLS) in Indiana.  We learned some incredible things about the OA, we learned some amazing techniques we can use to make our Section and Lodges better, but the most amazing thing we brought back from NCLS was…  (drum roll please) Gila Lodge number 378.

Gila Lodge has served the Yucca Council since 1947 and is a truly amazing addition to our section.  Each of the Lodges in our section brings something of interest to the table. 

Wiki is the only OA Lodge ever to have a living namesake...

Papago started life as the “Tribe of Papago” and was later formed into an OA Lodge…

Nebagamon’s name was derived from the Chippewa method of hunting deer using “Fire on Water”

And last, but not least…  Gila Lodge has the distinct honor of being the only Lodge in our section to have been invited to participate in the restoration and preservation of one of our National Parks.  Gila members tell an interesting story about the choosing of their totem.

While assisting the National Park Service and the University of New Mexico in the excavation and restoration of the Gila Cliff Dwellings, George McDonald and Mike Ramirez (they were the first 2 Lodge Chiefs} were taking a much deserved break.  They saw a snake hiding under a rock and decided to shoot it with a bow and arrow and cook it for dinner.  George flipped the rock but when Mike shot, he missed the snake but killed a large bug.  The Indian pictograph of the wilderness looks like a bug, and this became the totem of the Gila Lodge.

Let’s all give Gila Lodge an enthusiastic W4C welcome!

Once again, Section W4C is the home of one of the National Officers.  Yes, that's right, the National Chief hails from our section.

In December, Chad Wolver was elected to serve as the 2007 Western Region Chief.  Chad come from Wipala Wiki and is currently attending ASU and studying Marketing.