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Order of the Solo Hikers (OSH) - Alameda Council Honor Society

Order of the Solo Hikers:

Founded in 1941 in the Alameda Council at Camp Stephens. The group formerly met three times a year for social and business meetings. There have been no inductions since the 191st Solo Hiker. The council last held its own summer camp at Camp Cedarbrook in 1998, but continued to hold weekend camps there until 2004. Camp Cedarbrook was sold by the foundation that owned it in 2006. 

 

The Order of Solo Hikers still exists as an alumni association of its previous OSH inductees, but only holds reunions on major anniversaries. Approximately two-thirds of the recipients are still living. Since 1941 they inducted a total of 191 regular members and 14 honorary members.  

The Quest:

The quest (ordeal) was a performance of scouting skills and hiking stamina. The actual quest that had to be completed was quite emotional and somewhat challenging. Professional scouters were made ex Officio members. The group was founded by Council Executive Don Barley who learned about it from the then Council Executive of the Phoenix Council (a Mr. Young) where it apparently also existed in the 1930’s. The first Solo Hiker was Jack Greig (July 9, 1941) who they refer to as “The Trail Blazer”. There is no membership patch but their society symbol is a bear which appears on their neckerchief. Each member is given a bear claw which they make into a necklace to wear. Each member also receives a hat & T-shirt with the group logo. To become a member you had to attend their camp at least five years with two of them on staff or as a unit leader. The minimum age requirement varied through the years but was last set at 18 because of National Health and Safety factors. They had by-laws and elected officers.

Order of the Solo Hikers (Content provided by Scott Gaddis):

The Order of the Solo Hikers (OSH) was an Honor Camping Society for Alameda Council. It was the council’s highest honor for service to summer camp for both youth and adults for service to camp via work parties and or camp staff service.   You were voted on at a OSH meeting months prior to summer camp by current OSH members and you were confirmed again at summer camp by a meeting of all Solo Hikers in camp. Once elected and confirmed at camp your sponsor would let you know and give you a letter after lunch the day you were to go out on your solo hike. At flag ceremony before dinner the entire camp knew if a solo hiker was going out that night as the OSH backpack was leaning on the flag pole. Before the flag was lowered the OSH sponsor would read a bio of the new solo candidate with his scouting history and service to camp before announcing his name. The new solo would appear before all of camp and then be led of to the Dan Beard area of camp with all of the Solo Hikers that were in camp while the rest of camp would complete flag ceremony and then head to dinner. 


The new solo would be sent off on there solo hike for the night and complete the hike of a few miles following a map and rock formations that led to the Solo Shrine. You went out with very little food and in full scout uniform. The solo backpack had the solo hiker blanket to keep you warm on a cold mountain night. While at the shrine you would write in the solo hiker book, basically a message to feature solo’s and thanks those in scouting who have help you along the way. You could then read messages from all prior solo hikers who went out before you. 


In the morning as the sun came up you hiked back to camp and waited for your solo hiker sponsor who would wait with you until after morning flag ceremony was done and all campers made there way to the mess hall for breakfast. After all campers, staff and leaders were seated for breakfast a current solo hiker would announce your safe return from there solo hiker ordeal.  The entire camp would start singing a song for the returning solo hiker as the new solo hiker walked in to the mess hall as the song finished. As the song ended the solo sponsor would announce the new solo hiker and their new number to a big round of applause. All current solo’s would come up and congratulate the new solo and then it was time for breakfast. 


After breakfast the solo sponsor would take the new solo to get their new solo hiker items which was a OSH Neckerchief, the different pieces to make their own solo hiker neckerchief slide with their solo number on it, a bear claw that you made into a necklace and your OSH membership card. After camp was over you had a OSH name tag made for you that was ready for you at your first solo hiker meeting back in Alameda. 


Pictured below is the first issued OSH Neckerchief that was white. In the 1970’s it was changed to gray and if you had a white one you were also given a gray one when they went to gray. 3rd picture is a special OSH neckerchief given to all that attended the OSH 50th reunion weekend at Camp Cedarbrook. Last picture shows the membership card, name tag, bear claw and your neckerchief slide with your solo number on it.  There were a total of 191 solo hikers. The first went out July 9, 1941. The last went out July 30, 1998. 

Order of the Solo Hikers - Memorabilia

Order of the Solo Hikers - Members and Induction Date

OSH# Full Name OSH Date OSH# Full Name OSH Date OSH# Full Name OSH Date
1  Jack R. Greig 07/09/41 74  Charles Quinn 08/08/64 147  Rich Lytle 07/24/84
2  Dr. Victor Garfinkle 07/11/41 75  Alan B. Furbush 08/12/64 148  Robert L. Luebker 07/26/84
3  Roland Goggin 07/14/41 76  Bill Rhodes 08/13/64 149  Eddie Fuentes 07/30/84
4  Arthur R. Pierce 07/12/42 77  Jim Kurtz 08/14/65 150  Jeffrey K. Oh 08/01/84
5  Henry F. Watty 07/15/42 78  Ed Slaymaker 08/17/65 151  Ray Natac 08/01/85
6  Delbert Lemos 07/19/42 79  John W. Kidder 08/21/65 152  Greg Falkner 08/06/85
7  Jack C. Turner 07/20/42 80  Sam Gardner 08/26/65 153  Robert Connolly 08/07/85
8  Kenneth T. Hargreaves 07/22/42 81  Tom Parodi 08/16/66 154  Richard Collins 08/08/85
9  Albert W. Teakle 07/24/42 82  Leroy Stringer 08/17/66 155  Thorsten Anderson 07/21/86
10  Bill Cooper 07/26/42 83  James Albright 08/20/66 156  Matthew Peddecord 07/23/86
11  Don Capling 08/07/42 84  Roger Pryor 08/25/66 157  Eric Kayler 07/24/86
12  Harold W. Arnold 07/18/43 85  Richard Green 08/01/67 158  Greg Manfre 07/31/86
13  Harry O. Tenney 08/01/43 86  Mark Lantz 08/17/68 159  Jason R. Donald 07/28/87
14  George Skells 08/07/43 87  Brian Toole 08/17/70 160  Floyd C. Van Dyke 07/30/87
15  Buzz Thompson 07/08/45 88  William G. Cooper 08/18/70 161  Toby Anderson 08/07/87
16  Bill Wadsworth 07/10/45 89  Howard Brownson 08/19/70 162  Scott Gaddis 08/01/88
17  Stanley Miller 07/25/45 90  John Mc Kie 08/20/70 163  Greg Boller 08/02/88
18  Dave Cox 07/06/45 91  Jeff Britton 08/14/71 164  Jack R. Mathieson 08/03/88
19  Denis Smith 08/01/45 92  Dennis Maggiora 08/15/71 165  Brandon J. Mc Clenahan 08/05/88
20  Bill Mc Glinn 08/06/45 93  Morrie Viola 08/16/71 166  Ron Parodi 08/15/89
21  Earl W. Shriber 08/07/45 94  Harold L. Zecher 08/17/71 167  Ian Anderson 08/17/89
22  Fred E. Bryant 08/11/45 95  Steve Cranston 08/18/71 168  Frank Rinella 07/30/90
23  William R. Simpson, Md. 07/04/46 96  Kevin Bailey 08/23/71 169  Atis V. Zikmanis 07/31/90
24  John R. Wendt 07/09/46 97  David A. Dewey 08/24/71 170  Douglas E. Bermudez 08/01/90
25  Fred E. Darch 07/17/46 98  James N. Walton 08/12/72 171  Moe Suleiman 08/02/90
26  Larry Wynne 07/23/46 99  Kenneth J. Cooper 08/13/72 172  Ralph Lauzon 08/08/90
27  Brad Wyatt, Jr. 07/01/46 100  Arthur A. Kurrasch 08/19/72 173  Randy D. Pope 08/01/91
28  Larry V. Avery 07/08/47 101  William D. Shulke 08/20/72 174  Richard Mann 08/02/91
29  Fred Rodda 07/15/47 102  Robert T Veale 08/21/72 175  Geoffrey Manfre 08/05/92
30  Maurice C. Couchot 06/30/48 103  Edgar Miller 08/13/74 176  Keith M. Slauson 08/06/92
31  Randal F. Dickey, Jr. 07/09/48 104  Mark Cronenwett 08/17/74 177  Brendan Kelly 08/13/92
32  Bob Hill 07/18/48 105  Yukio Yamawaki 08/18/74 178  Dean E. Dilger 07/22/93
33  Frank R. Musso 06/29/49 106  Scott Hofmann 08/27/74 179  Steven R. Heimans 07/28/93
34  Howard F. Cumming 07/13/49 107  Steve Freitas 08/11/75 180  Brian Parodi 07/21/94
35  Robert L. Swift 07/20/49 108  Harold J. Zecher 08/16/75 181  Rafael Ebron 07/26/94
36  Dr. Stan Mueller, Jr. 07/08/50 109  Jack R. Greig 07/09/41 182  Matt Frisch 07/27/94
37  Bill R. Cook 07/17/50 110  Michael A. Hawks 08/06/76 183  Martin Kelly 07/28/94
38  Tom Collins 07/19/50 111  Thomas Mc Kee 08/10/76 184  Rick Lewis 08/04/94
39  Daniel Brinkman 07/21/50 112  Richard R. Anderson 08/11/76 185  Ken Haslam 08/09/95
40  Robert E. Lundberg 07/06/51 113  Bob Lewis, Sr. 08/08/77 186  Andy Odell 07/29/96
41  James S. Miller Md 07/14/52 114  Brett Powell 08/11/77 187  Aaron Morrison 07/30/96
42  William P. Rice 08/01/52 115  Michael L. Mc Kee 08/12/77 188  Josh Appezatto 08/01/96
43  Hank Wessling 08/03/52 116  David F. Kastning 08/14/77 189  Darren Haslam 08/02/96
44  Ed Garrison 08/06/52 117  Larry Hawks 08/16/77 190  Stephen Texeira 07/28/98
45  Dick Singleton 08/03/53 118  James F. Blewer 08/18/77 191  Timothy C. Wilcock 07/30/98
46  Dr. Paul H. Cronenwett 07/10/54 119  Lou Steele 08/10/78      
47  Joe Hegeman 07/24/54 120  Pat Kenney 08/11/78   Honorary Members Date
48  Wilfred Garfinkle 07/31/54 121  Alex Miller 08/13/78 HON  H. Gordon Miller (Hononary) 08/07/43
49  Len Gillispie 07/09/55 122  Jeff Silverman 08/15/78 HON
 Don L. Barley (Hononary)  
50  Charles A. Hovey 06/30/56 123  J. Richard Hipskind 08/17/78 HON
 William H. Cox (Hononary) 08/07/43
51  Robert E. Cooper 07/10/56 124  Jose Galvan 08/18/78 HON
 O. George Lake (Hononary) 01/01/44
52  Al Pryor, Jr. 07/13/56 125  Jerry Perata 07/12/79 HON
 Vernor E. Thorp (Hononary) 01/01/44
53  Warren Teeter 07/24/56 126  Jim Egerman 07/16/79 HON
 W. Barclay Stephens (Hon) 10/11/48
54  Chet E. Wilson 08/03/56 127  Bill Whitton 07/17/79 HON
 Harry T. Davis (Hononary) 10/20/55
55  Doug Clerk 07/14/58 128  Joe Galvan 07/19/79 HON
 Ralph E. Lane (Hononary) 04/30/59
56  Thomas F. Straughen 07/16/58 129  Paul Pottgeiser 08/28/80 HON
 Dean Ramsden (Hononary) 04/30/59
57  Robert Willson 07/24/58 130  Ivar Anderson 07/31/80 HON  Bill Nations (Hononary) 08/06/60
58  Fred C. Paul 07/25/58 131  Steve Spaulding 07/20/81 HON  Clinton Howey (Hononary) 08/05/61
59  Gary Farwell 07/31/58 132  Mark Pottgeiser 07/23/81 HON
 Donald J. Bell (Hononary) 07/28/62
60  Glenn Orren 08/03/59 133  Anthony Gentile 07/24/81 HON
 James A. Quinn (Hononary) 07/25/63
61  Dick L. Lear 08/07/59 134  Dick Freitas 07/26/81 HON
 Robert B. Major (Hononary) 10/29/64
62  Bob Sweet 08/09/60 135  Don Roza 07/29/81 HON
 William Kirkland (Hononary) 10/31/73
63  Dennis Kain 08/08/61 136  Steve Zecher 07/26/82 HON
 Sid Jenkins (Hononary) 04/25/75
64  Dean S. Lambert 08/09/61 137  Jack Farren 07/27/82 HON
 Richard S. Diament (Hon) 02/25/93
65  David Gillispie 06/10/62 138  Eric Reaney 07/28/82 HON
 Scott Bridges (Hononary) 08/05/95
66  Shell Burton 07/16/62 139  Barton Bolmen 07/29/82      
67  James W. Walton 07/21/62 140  Forrest Leonard 07/30/82      
68  James O’connell 07/25/62 141  Ray Ortner 08/04/82      
69  Dave Lane 07/26/62 142  Peter Manfre 07/25/83      
70  Walter G. Smith, Sr. 08/02/62 143  Ross Leonard 07/26/83      
71  Stanley Jackson 08/08/63 144  Dale Wright 07/27/83      
72  Neil Stratton 08/09/63 145  Robert Ballou 07/29/83      
73  Alvin Kidder 08/10/63 146  Tom Peddecord 08/03/83      

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