In 1933 Greensboro Council hired Frank Braden to become its Scout Executive. Mr. Braden was an experience professional and came from Birmingham, AL where he was a charter member of Cherokee Lodge 50. In a spring newsletter to scout leaders he announced that an Order of the Arrow lodge would be started that summer at Camp Graystone. Two Cherokee Lodge members joined Mr. Braden that summer on staff and the three conducted the inital ceremonies. When the council submitted its application for an OA Lodge they left the space for a lodge name blank.` The new members wanted an Indian name for Graystone. In the fall the lodge chose the Blue Heron to be its totem.

On June 13, 1934 the Grand Lodge sent a Dues statement to Frank Braden referencing “Greystone Lodge”. At that time the OA had not yet assigned lodge numbers and the Greensboro lodge records were kept in File #58. On July 6, 1934 the OA acknowledged receiving the lodge dues and the file shows to send the 1934 Charter. During the summer of 1934 there were 20 candidates elected during the four weeks of camp to join the lodge.

A “Roster of Active Lodges” dated November 15, 1934 list “Greystone” lodge with Frank W. Braden as Executive for Greensboro. The Dues statement dated January 22, 1935 shows Greystone Lodge, W.W.W. #70. The lodge number “70” was assigned by the Grand Lodge.

Since the early days of the OA there has been a story on how the Greensboro lodge chose its name. The lodge wrote a letter to Daniel Carter Beard, the BSA National Commissioner, and asked for his assistance. Mr. Beard was noted for his knowledge of Indian ways so the lodge asked him to help them identify an appropriate name. The lodge had chosen the blue heron to be its totem and the council camp was known for, and named after, a large outcropping of granite which was affectionately known as the “graystone”. Mr. Beard wrote back to tell the lodge that “Tali Taktaki” meant “Blue Heron on a Gray Stone”. In 1935 the lodge chose these words to be the name of the lodge. Finally on a “Roster of Active Lodges as of September 4, 1936” the Greensboro lodge was listed as “Tali Taktaki” with the number 70.

In July 1935 Frank Dix replaced Frank Braden as Scout Executive of Greensboro Council. These two men were instrumental in developing Tali Taktaki Lodge into a leader in North Carolina and as one of the best lodges in the country.

Tali Taktaki Lodge formed a degree team (ceremonial team) that assisted with the founding and induction of several lodges across Region 6. The members included Lacy McAllister, Woodrow Wilson, Hays Johnson, and Tommy Miller. In July 1936 this team visited Augusta, Georgia and assisted their Scout Executive, J. Rucker Newbery, with the installation of Bob White Lodge #87.

Bob Wolff
In the early 1930s Camp Graystone was staffed by a dynamic group of Boy Scouts. One of these Scouts was Bob Wolff. He was an outstanding Nature counselor that shared his knowledge and love of the great outdoors. He graduated from High School in 1932 and went to college at the University of Pennsylvania to study pre-med. He worked on the staff of Camp Lenape and was inducted into the Order of the Arrow in 1934 by Hunnikick Lodge #76. Unfortunately, he lost all vision in his left eye and returned to North Carolina. He became active in Tali Taktaki Lodge and on September 5-7, 1936 he attended the Grand Lodge Meeting at Treasure Island Scout Reservation. He was the first Arrowman from Region 6 (NC, SC, GA, and FL) to attend one of these events.

In November 1936 the lodge held its annual meeting. Since many of the lodge members were in college the group decided to meet over the Thanksgiving holiday. A newspaper article reported that there were “only 34 boys from the 800 in the local council that were members of the fraternity.” The speaker for the occasion was Bob Wolff who reported on the national meeting he attended. Floyd New was elected as president and Winston Davis was chosen as treasurer.

In 1937 Occoneechee Council headquartered in Durham, NC decided to charter an Order of the Arrow lodge. Tali Taktaki’s degree team was asked to help with this new lodge installation for Occoneechee Lodge #104.

1938 was an eventful year for Tali Taktaki Lodge! In April Joseph H. Brinton, National Chief of the Order of the Arrow visited the lodge’s annual meeting at Camp Graystone. There were representatives from East Carolina Council and Winston-Salem in attendance. As a result of this meeting these councils applied for charters in June 1938. Tali Taktaki’s Degree team installed both Croatan Lodge #117 and Wahissa Lodge #118 that summer.

On September 3 – 5, 1938 the lodge sent a delegation of six to the OA’s National Meeting at Irondale Scout Reservation in Irondale, Missouri. At this event Frank Dix and Bob Wolff received the Brotherhood Honor.

On October 5-9, 1938 the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill hosted the second Carolina Jubilee. This event included 1,425 Scouts and leaders from North and South Carolina. The group camped on the university grounds and attended the UNC – Tulane football game on Saturday. During this event Order of the Arrow members met with a special guest, Joseph A. Brunton, Jr., newly elected National Chief of the OA. While this was not an Order of the Arrow event, it was one of the first “area” gatherings of Arrowmen.

In the late 1930s individual lodges began issuing their own patches. Tali Taktaki Lodge issued a patch featuring the lodge name, a white heron, and W.W.W. There is some question on the order of the first two patches, one was felt and one was twill. The twill patch is officially listed as the “R1” and because of the crude heron design, it has been nicknamed the “Duck Patch”. The felt patch is listed as the “R2” and is referred to as the “Tali Felt”.

In 1939 Cherokee Council headquartered in Reidsville, NC decided to charter an Order of the Arrow lodge. In the summer of 1940 sixteen Scouts and Scouters took the Ordeal and were inducted by Tali Taktaki Lodge at Camp Graystone. They formed Tslagi Lodge #163.

On August 31 – September 2, 1940 the Order of the Arrow held its National Meeting at Camp Twin Echo located near Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Tali Taktaki Lodge sent a delegation of fourteen to this event. This group included Scout Executive Frank Dix, Assistant Scout Executive John Warner, Bob Wolff, Joe Leak, Armistead Estes, Claude O’Brien, Jack Rochelle, Carl Cease, Keuster Cease, James Mitchell, Arnold Marks, John Post, Charles Weill, and P.F. Payne. The program for the National Meeting shows that members of Tali Taktaki helped in several areas: Frank Dix and John Warner were on the Honors Committee. Claude O’Brien and John Warner led a discussion group on “Helps for New Lodges”. Another significant event was the election of Frank Dix to the OA’s Executive Committee.

In the May 1941 issue of the National Bulletin is an announcement that the National Executive Committee of the OA had accepted the invitation from Frank Dix and Tali Taktaki Lodge to hold the 1942 National Meeting at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

Scout Executive Bunn Hackney of Uwharrie Council, headquartered in High Point, decided to charter an Order of the Arrow lodge in 1941. Once again, Tali Taktaki Lodge’s degree team handled the installation of another North Carolina lodge, Uwharrie Lodge #208.

On September 18 – 21, 1941 the third Carolina Jubilee was held at UNC – Chapel Hill. George Mozealous, National Chief (1940-42), visited the regional fellowship held during this event. H. Lloyd Nelson (National Chief 1942 – 46) also attended this fellowship. Both helped with a Brotherhood Ceremony, the first to take place in Region 6. Julius Hayworth received the Brotherhood honor at this time. The Executive Committee of the OA also met in Chapel Hill to plan the 1942 National Meeting which was to be held at the University.

Frank Dix, Greensboro Council Scout Executive, was to play a key role in this National Meeting. Unfortunately, with the entry of the United States into World War II following the December 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Order of the Arrow decided to cancel the 1942 National Meeting.

With the cancellation of the 1942 National Meeting the leadership of the Order of the Arrow encouraged lodges to gather locally at area meetings. Tali Taktaki Lodge 70 invited Arrowmen from across the state to assemble for a “NORTH CAROLINA STATE FELLOWSHIP MEETING” at Camp Graystone on September 4 – 6. About 70 OA brothers from seven lodges attended this event which included a Brotherhood Ceremony on Friday evening.

The year 1946 was another eventful one for the Order of the Arrow in North Carolina. Tali Taktaki Lodge assisted with the installation of a new lodge for the Cape Fear Area Council headquartered in Wilmington, NC. This group would become known as Klahican Lodge #331.

The 1942 National Meeting of the OA was to be held at UNC-Chapel Hill. When the OA decided to resume having National Meetings following World War II they hoped to return to Chapel Hill. Unfortunately, several factors made this impossible so the OA held this event at Chanute Field, an army - air corps base in Illinois. Tali Taktaki Lodge sent a delegation of 24 to attend this conference held on August 26 – 28, 1946.