Our Lodge, bearing the national registration number 560, was one of the last Lodges to be chartered, although the Piedmont Council had been in existence since the early days of Scouting. Because the council leadership at that time was not well disposed towards the OA it was 1964 before our lodge was chartered and organized.
On August 15, 1964, the first business meeting of the Piedmont Council Order of the Arrow Lodge was called to order by Mr. A.C. Bowman. During this meeting, training was conducted, officers were elected, committees were appointed, and the Lodge name and totem were chosen.
At 4:10 PM, the group assembled and the Lodge officers were nominated. After the nominations, the Lodge name committee met to consider the suggestions for a lodge name, and after supper, officers were elected as follows:
- Lodge Chief — Dave Cone, Gastonia
- Lodge Vice Chief — Flay Anthony, Bessemer City
- Secretary — William Poston, Mooresville
- Treasurer — Nick Posey, Statesville
- Historian — Dave Kelly
After officer elections, the Lodge name committee submitted three choices for selection by the Lodge:
- Kanoneski Amaiychit, which means Water Spider
- Tsungani, which means Excels Above All
- Eswau Huppeday, the Catawba name of the Broad River
After a vote, it was declared by a wide margin that our Lodge name would henceforth be Eswau Huppeday.
The Lodge attended it’s first Dixie Fellowship at Camp Coker near Florence S.C. on April 23-25, 1965, where Eswau Huppeday won the Camping and Camp Promotion Discussion award. On April 22-24, 1966 we hosted our first Dixie Fellowship at old Camp Schiele in Tryon. We hosted the event at Camp Schiele again in April of 1971 and 1978.
Our first Vigil Honor members were selected in December of 1970. They were A.C. Bowman and Tom Jackson, who helped found the Lodge, and served as Lodge Advisor, and Lodge Chief, respectively.
At the Dixie Fellowship in 1973, the Lodge entered its first Dance Team competition after some years of individual regalia entries, placing a surprising second. We competed again in 1974, placing third with the Hopi Butterfly Dance. We did not compete again until 1977, at which time we placed first in group dance with the Jemez Flower Dance.
In 1978, we won with four Seminole social dances, and in 1980 with four Cherokee animal dances. After winning the title three consecutive years, we retired the Dance Team Plaque in 1979.
In 1981 we placed second in the Dance team competition, then returned to our winning ways with a first place finish in 1982 at the Dixie Fellowship. Eswau also added a second place in overall outfit competition in 1978 and first place in 1979, 1980, and 1981. We also added many place finishes in the individual Outfit and Dance competition in 1979, and a first in the Training Award in 1980.
In 1982 sections were realigned and Eswau joined Section 7. That year we attended the Conclave in North Carolina as well as the last (for us) Dixie Fellowship. The same year we won second place in the Dance Team competition. In 1983, the ideas originated as Eswau won the Spirit Award, using a Think Pink theme. We also won the Section Camp Promotions Award, and the Dance Team Plaque. Our Lodge placed third in the nation in Dance Team competition at the National Order of the Arrow Conference that year. In addition, one of our dancers, Kevin Gantt, placed second in the nation in Old Style dancing. Our Lodge was also presented the E. Urner Goodman Camp Promotions Award.
Eswau hosted the National Indian Seminar in 1984 at Camp Bud Schiele. In 1986, Kevin Gantt finished first once more in individual old style dancing and he tied for first in the nation at the National OA Conference. These winning ways continued in 1986 with the Dance Team placing first in the Section competition for the next eight years and second in the nation at both the 1988 and 1990 National Conferences.
Our performance in the 1988 competition also won us the honor of helping to staff the OA Indian Village at the 1989 National Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia. Individual dancers also excelled with Darin Gantt following in his brother’s footsteps by winning first place in the old style dancing competition at the 1990 NOAC.
Eswau Huppeday celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1989 and had a year-long celebration in 1994 to commemorate its 30th anniversary. Also in 1994, Eswau joined the new SR-7 region after sections were realigned in 1993. Our dance team finished first in the section at the first SR-7 Conclave in 1994 and our ceremonies team competed as well.
Also in 1994, Eswau Huppeday Dance Team took the title of National Dance Team Champions ay NOAC. Additionally, many team members excelled in individual grass dance competition. Most notable were Jason Pope, Chris Manuel, and Danny Thain.
In 1995, 1996, and 1997 we took the first-place title for team dance at the SR-7 Cardinal conclave, setting the stage for more years of uninterrupted success. In 1996, 1998, and 2000 Eswau once again claimed the title of National Champions of team dance at NOAC.
At the 2010 Dixie Fellowship the Pre-Ordeal Ceremony Team took overall first place and had first place Individual wins for Shelton Binion as Allowat Sakima, Matt McAnulty as Meteu, Robbie Gamble as Numtiket, and Cameron Keener as Kichkinet. In Individual Dance Charles Gaither took first in Grass Dance and Jackson Gantt, Issac London, and Brian Bumgarner took first, second, and third in Old Style. We swept Old STyle in Group as well with Thomas Beatty, John Edmond, and Nathan Davis taking the top three and Charles Gaither took top honors in Grass as well.
In 2013 we took first place in Sing Team and second place in Group Dance at Dixie Fellowship with first place finishes in Individual Grass Dance by Dylan Disario and dominated in Individual Old Style with Isaac London, Brian Bumgarner, and Layton Gantt taking first, second, and third place. In Group Dance we dominated in Old Style as well with Layton Gantt took first, Brian Bumgarner and Mitchell Harbin tied for second, and Isaac London took third place.
On the weekend of October 12 – 14, 2014 our lodge celebrated 50 years of Cheerful Service at our Fall Fellowship. Highlights of the celebration included a “Meet and Greet” held before a catered lunch on Saturday, followed by a Lodge Chief Forum with many of our past Chiefs in the amphitheater.
At the 2014 Dixie Fellowship the Old Style once again dominated with Layton Gantt, Nathan Davis, and Brian Bumgarner taking first, second, and third in Group and Brian, Layton, and Nathan taking first, second, and third in Individual. Dylan Disario again took first in Individual Grass Dance while Phillip Guadagno took first place in Pre Ordeal Ceremony as Meteu.
The domination in Old Style continued at the 2015 Dixie Fellowship with Layton Gantt, Coty Land, and Nathan Davis placing first, second, and third in Group and Layton and Nathan also took first and third in Individual. Dylan Disario took first place in both Individual and Group Grass Dance while Phillip Guadagno again took first place in Pre Ordeal Ceremony as Meteu and Dylan Cody placed second in Pre Ordeal as Nutiket.
Our dance team placed third in the nation in Historical Group Dance at at NOAC in 2015 and we made a clean sweep in the individual Old Time Sioux with Layton Gantt, Nathan Davis, and Dylan Disarro taking first, second, and third.
At the 2016 Dixie Fellowship Jarrett Story and Chris Stinson took first and third in both Individual and Group Old Style while Dylan Disario took first in Group Grass Dance. Phillip Guadagno took first place in Pre Ordeal Ceremony as Meteu for the third Dixie in a row and Dylan Cody placed first in Pre Ordeal as Nutiket while on the Administration side our Lodge Newsletter took first place and website took second for the second year in a row.
In 2017 Jarrett Story, Chris Stinson, and Coty Land finished first, second, and third in Individual Old Style and Jarret, William McSwain, and Chris did the same in Old Style Group. The lodge website took second place for a third year in a row.
