Karankawa Lodge was founded on June 20, 1945, with Billy Dunn serving as the first Lodge Chief. As the Order of the Arrow began to grow, new lodges were sequentially numbered according to their founding order. Karankawa Lodge was designated as number 307 being the 307th lodge established.

Setting the Stage

Lodge Chief Bill Ault designed the Lodge Totem in 1950, which is still in use today. Section 2 Part 3 of the Official Rules of Karankawa Lodge states that the, “totem of this Lodge shall be a black Frigate Bird.” The Lodge Totem appears on all Lodge Pocket Flaps and is predominately in the Carter Campfire Circle. The bird’s beak is always pointed to the bird’s left. The beak was designated to always face to the left because the Eagle used by Nazi Germany faced to that bird’s right. You may note, that the Lodge totem was selected just five years after the end of WWII, and during that period, individuals were still sensetive to not copying anything that may appear Nazi looking.

Lodge Chief Bill Ault designed the Lodge Totem in 1950, which is still in use today. Section 2 Part 3 of the Official Rules of Karankawa Lodge states that the, “totem of this Lodge shall be a black Frigate Bird.” The Lodge Totem appears on all Lodge Pocket Flaps and is predominately in the Carter Campfire Circle. The bird’s beak is always pointed to the bird’s left. The beak was designated to always face to the left because the Eagle used by Nazi Germany faced to that bird’s right. You may note, that the Lodge totem was selected just five years after the end of WWII, and during that period, individuals were still sensetive to not copying anything that may appear Nazi looking.

The Frigate Bird

The frigate bird is a tropical sea bird with long, pointy wings, a long forked tail, and a long and prominently hooked bill. Five Frigate bird species occur worldwide. One species can be found along the Texas Coast. The species is scientifically known as the Fregata Magnificens or more commonly known as the Magnificent Frigate Bird also know as the “Man of War”. Mature males are entirely black, while mature females are black with a white chest. The frigate bird has a greater wingspan (7 1/2 feet) in proportion to body weight (3 1/2 lbs) than any other bird in the world. It cannot swim or rise from the water, but instead perches on pilings and other structures. It swoops in through the air to snatch food without wetting a feather and robs other sea birds (such as gulls, bobbies, and terns) of their food.