Blue Mountain Council #604
Kennewick, Washington

http://walamootkinlodge.org Facebook Page for Lodge

336 Walamootkin’s issues were renumbered in July 2021. Info
Read more about issue renumbering

Editors:

Special thanks to Bill Buchmiller, Steve Gaines, Alan Anderson for access to their collections and recollections.

Lodge Details

Chartered
1946
Active

Lodge Details

Lodge Totem/Insignia Mountain sheep

Name Translation The name of the Nez Perce band led by Chiefs Tiwi-teqis (Old Chief Joseph) and In-mut-too-yah-lat-lat (Chief Joseph). Info

Pronunciation

Membership 100 (2023)

Recent Updates

Recent Additions

Lodge History

In 1946, members of the now-defunct Moskwa Lodge inducted four Blue Mountain Council Scouts, Mark McDermott, Weston Gray, Miles Lodmell, and Sam Johnson, into the Order of the Arrow, giving birth to our Lodge. The four Scouts and a Scout Executive selected the name Walamootkin. The mountain sheep was selected as the lodge totem because this species is native to the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area in the Wallowa Mountains, where the former Blue Mountain Council camp, Camp Wallowa, was located. Walamootkin Lodge received its official charter on March 4, 1946. The number 336 was given by the national office, as it was the 336th lodge to be granted a charter. The first Brotherhood Ceremony was held in 1947, and the first Ordeal ceremony run by our Lodge was held in the summer of 1947 near Walla Walla, along the banks of Mill Creek.
Over the years, our Lodge has had two members reach National office: 2001 Western Region Chief Josh Gana and 2008 Western Region Chief Mark Hendricks. Mark was also instrumental in organizing and the Arrow Corp5 event and oversaw operations at Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The Lodge has three Distinguished Service Award recipients: Josh in 2002, Steve Gaines in 2006, and Mark in 2009. Steve was recognized for service to the National program. Our Lodge earned the E. Urner Goodman Camping Award in 2010. Six members received the Centurion Award in 2015, Taylor Blanc, Bill Buchmiller, Steve Gaines, Ben Johnson, Holland St. John, and Mike Tesky.