The First Lodge Flaps

October 8, 2009

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The First Lodge Flaps of Santee Lodge

 

F1 - Black Twill

F1 - Black Twill

 

Santee Lodge 116 issued its first lodge flap in 1957. The name “flap” refers to the shape of the patch which was designed to be worn over the right pocket flap on the uniform. This first Santee Lodge flap was designed by Calhoun Cunningham and is known as the “Black Twill”. Its background consisted of a black twill material, hence the name. It signified Ordeal membership in the order and was issued before the summer of 1957.

 

F2 - Blue Twill

F2 - Blue Twill

 

This flap was accompanied by a Brotherhood flap which is called the “Blue Twill”. It was to be worn by Brotherhood members of the lodge. There were only a couple of Vigil honor members at the time and so there was no flap made specifically for Vigils. It is believed that both of these flaps were sold without any restrictions on how many could be purchased.

 

S1 - Exploding Palm Tree

S1 - Exploding Palm Tree

 

The third flap of the lodge and the first to be fully embroidered came out in 1961. It was designed by Gene Waddell and was in use between the summer of 1961 and the summer of 1964. This flap was worn by all members of the lodge. The design featured a black background with an arrowhead and palmetto tree. The flap is called the “Black Embroidered” as it was the first fully embroidered patch the lodge issued. It is sometimes called the S1 or the “exploding palm tree” as well.  According to the an issue of the Santee Arrowmen, Volume 8 Issue 3, there was a restriction put on the purchase of the new embroidered flaps. The restriction was a brother could buy two flaps at first and then one the next year. The total number a brother could ever buy was three. The restriction made the patch more valuable and respected because it was limited. Other lodges were using similar restrictions and Santee followed with a restriction on its flap. For example Klahican Lodge 331 of nearby Wilmington, NC had a one per life restriction on its early flap.

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