Achewon Netopalis Lodge
Founded 1949
In July 1927, 22 years before a small committee of Scouts and Scouters were to apply for a charter which would officially charter Achewon Netopalis lodge, Mr. Leslie T. Hand was experiencing the ordeal becoming the first official charter member of this lodge. Thus begun a series of inductions which for the next two decades was to predestine the bringing together of men and boys under the fellowship of scouting to be recognized as honor campers in the Greenwich council.
Eight years later, April 1935 Thomas Hillegas along with 5 other members of Camden County Council, NJ were inducted into Unami Lodge #1 Treasure Island Scout Camp, the birthplace of the Order of the Arrow, with the intent of bringing the Order of the Arrow back to the Scouts of their own Council. They inducted the following summer, 36 Scouts and scouters at Camp Minitik, thus forming Lekau Lodge #77. Mr. Hillegas was inducted into the Brotherhood in July 1936 and into the Vigil Honor in 1943.
At last, in 1949, Leslie T. Hand, Sildney Marigolis,l Robert Hillegas, Larry Walz, Harry Nordberg and Sterling Bracket, a member of another Lodge, responded to a call made by Mr. Millegas, then the new Scout Executive of the Greenwich Council. A charter was applied for, and on December 15, 1949, the Greenwich Council received a letter from the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America from which the following is taken: '...This is to officially advise you of the approval of your Lodge of the Order of the Arrow in your Council. Your Lodge will be called Achewon Netopalis and will be known by the number 427.' Translated from the Lenni Lenape, Achewon Netopalis means "Brave Warrior".
To this day Achewon Netopalis Lodge #427 is a strong supporter of the Greenwich Council in Connecticuit. Most recently Achewon Netopalis has had an outstanding record of completing Unit Visitation to 100% of the troops located in the council.