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The History of the Order of the Arrow in Vermont

Ethan Allen Council and Nianque

 

     Chartered in Rutland in 1965 under Ethan Allen Council 593, Nianque Lodge 398 was active from 1965 until its merger in 1973.  The Lodge’s totem was a wild cat and likely inspired by the Vermont Catamount.  During its active years, Nianque met at Camp Sunrise in Benson, the Camp formerly used by Memphremagog.  In the 1960’s, Vermont saw multiple mergers of both Councils and Lodges in a reasonably short number of years.  Nianque was the newest and shortest active Lodge in Vermont when it merged with Wisie Hal’a Con Lodge 351 in 1973. The merger of Nianque and Wisie Hal’a Con formed Ajapeu Lodge 351 under Green Mountain Council (592).

 

     Many of the early Vermont Lodges did not issue a large number of emblems; Nianque, like one of its predecessors Nicaweeggee, issued only three flaps and one neckerchief patch (two versions).  Nianque’s first flap features an intricately designed portrait of a wild cat on a light blue twill background.  The Nianque neckerchief consists of a lightweight yellow neckerchief with an attached pie shaped patch.  The Nianque neckerchief material is similar to the material used for the Memphremagog R1b when it was sewn to a neckerchief.  Towards the end of its active years, Nianque produced the second version of the P1, the P1b, which is more commonly found unsewn to a neckerchief.  The P1b was actually sold unsewn; a neckerchief was also available for purchase to sew the patch onto.  One of the final emblems issued by historic Vermont Lodges, the Nianque P1 features a growling right facing wild cat under a star filled sky; snowcapped mountains and a lake fill the background of the patch.

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