Long Beach- The Brand New Puvunga Lodge

Steve Bradley and I just spent a delightful weekend with our new brothers in the Long Beach Area Council!!!

We presented the Council Scout Executive, youth officers, and Council President with the first new charter for an OA lodge in 42 years!!!

Today, the youth membership elected officers and selected Puvunga as their lodge name. It translates to "the gathering place". The lodge totem is a porpoise.

Prior to this weekend, the "newest lodge" has been Ashsin (#565) of Chamorro Council serving Guam, which was formed in 1970. The last lodge to form in the continental US in a council without a merger was Osceola Lodge (#564) chartered to Southwest Florida Council located in Fort Myers, FL in 1968. (thanks to Bill Topkis and Bill Loeble for researching these facts).

38 youth members and 15 adults were inducted this weekend, including the Council President and five members of the Council Executive Board.

They are off to a great start.

Below, are the captions that their staff adviser sent along with the photos as I flew home.

Ray Capp

Ray Capp presents the first charter to council president Jim Jeffrey (far R) and scout executive John Fullerton (second on R). Also pictured are assistant scout executive Scott Oldenburg (far L) and vice chief Justin Mun (center)

The first class of arrowmen in the Puvunga Lodge, Long Beach Area Council