Lodge History

The Ho-Nan-Ne-Ho-Ont Lodge can trace its roots to an original charter issued August 11, 1939 to the Chautauqua Lodge #165. In 1973, a charter was issued for the Ho-Nan-Ne-Ho-Ont Lodge #165, which was the result of the merger between Chautauqua Lodge #165 and Allegewi Lodge #455. in 1975, Ga Goh Sa Lodge #547 joined the Ho-Nan-Ne- Ho-Ont Lodge #165 when the Allegheny Highlands council absorbed the Seneca Council. Chautauqua Lodge #165 was the corresponding lodge to the Chautauqua County Council, Allegewi Lodge #455 to the Elk Lick Council, and Ga Goh Sa Lodge #547 to the Seneca Council. The totem for the Chautauqua Lodge #165 was the Blue Eagle, for Allegewi Lodge #455 the Elk, and for the Ga Goh Sa Lodge #547 the Crooked Face. The merging totem was to be the Great Blue Heron, and still is today. The lodge has often been host for Section Conclaves. This began in 1949 when Chautauqua Lodge #165 hosted the 1949 Area 2E Conclave at Camp Merz. Chautauqua Lodge #165 also hosted to 1956, 1961, 1965, and 1971 Area 2E Conclaves, all at Camp Merz. In 1979, at Camp Merz, Ho-Nan-Ne-Ho-Ont Lodge #165 hosted its first Conclave for Section NE-2C. in 1985, the lodge hosted the Conclave again, this time, at Elk Lick Scout Reserve. Finally in 1999, Ho-Nan-Ne-Ho-Ont Lodge #165, was able to host the Section NE-5A Section Conclave at Camp Merz. An interesting fact about that Conclave was that this was the 50th Conclave and was held at the same site, by the same lodge as the original Conclave of 1949. Our lodge has been fortunate enough to have 2 Section Chiefs hail from our lodge. In 2000, Kollin King was elected NE5A Section Chief at the January CoC to take over for Scott Schmidtt, and in June 2003, Matt Agarwala was elected as Section NE-3A Chief. 

Chautauqua #165

(Seneca – either “bag tied in the middle” or as “one has taken big fish out of here”)

Chartered: August 11, 1939 to Chautauqua Council #382, Mayville, NY 

Totem: Flying Eagle

Changes: 1942 absorbed Sah Dah Gey Ah #187; 1973 merged with Allegewi #455 to form Ho Nan Ne Ho Ont #165

Sah Dah Gey Ah #187

(Seneca – “The Great Blue Eagle”)

Chartered: August 6, 1940 to Lake Shore Council #407, Dunkirk, NY 

Totem: Eagle

Change: January 1,1942 absorbed into Chautauqua #165

Note: This Lodge had no known insignia

Allegewi #455

(Delaware [Lenni Lenape] – “a variant of Alligewi, the name of a local tribe”)

Chartered: June 18, 1951 to Elk Lick Council #499, Bradford, PA

Totem: Chieftain 

Change: Merged in 1973 with Chautauqua #165 to form Ho Nan Ne Ho Ont #165

Ga Goh' Sa #547

(Seneca – “False Face”)

Chartered August 3, 1960 to Seneca Council #750, Olean, NY

Totem: Wooden False Face

Change: Merged with Chautauqua #165 to form Ho Nan Ne Ho Ont #165

Ho Nan Ne Ho Ont #165

(Seneca – “The Doorkeeper” or as “Keeper of the Western Gate”)

Chartered in 1973 to Allegheny Highlands Council #382, Falconer, NY 

Totem: Great Blue Heron

Change: 1973 absorbed Allegewi #455; 1975 absorbed Ga Goh' Sa #547