Centennial celebration of Wagion Lodge 6 was special for its oldest living member

J. Arthur Seitz, Jr. knew that attending the 100th anniversary of the Wagion Lodge 6, known nationally as the Order of the Arrow, would bring back a myriad of memories.

The 85-year-old former Level Green resident was named the oldest living member of the lodge, which is part of the Boy Scouts of America Westmoreland-Fayette Council. Awards were presented as part of the lodge’s 100th anniversary celebration held at Camp Conestoga in Somerset County in August.

“It was just nice,” Seitz said. “They gave me a plaque and a couple patches at the ceremony. It brought back a lot of memories.”

Seitz has been an active member at the lodge for decades. During that time, he received the Thunderbird Award in 1958. The award, the most prestigious of Wagion Lodge 6, is given for outstanding leadership and service. It is presented annually to one person under 21 and one adult at the Lodge Fellowship Banquet.

In addition to receiving a plaque naming him the oldest living member of the lodge, Seitz also received a bolo with the Thunderbird emblem and two 100th anniversary patches.

The lodge was formed in 1921 and today is the oldest program of the Scouting’s National Honors Society in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

During its 100 years in operation, it underwent several changes, including in how it was divided into geographical area councils. Between 1954 and 1973, the lodge was assigned to Area 3-F, leading to two area conference chiefs: Seitz in 1956 and Ed Lewis in 1966, according to the lodge’s website.

The 100th year anniversary drew hundreds of Boy Scouts from across the region to Camp Conestoga over the course of four days where they celebrated the accomplishments the lodge has had during its time in operation. Those accomplishments at the camp include purchasing pool equipment, renovating campfire circles, constructing a training center and more.

In addition to his time at the lodge, Seitz spent 37 years working as a typographer for the Tribune-Review, Johnstown Tribune-Democrat, the Pittsburgh Legal Journal, Somerset Daily American and the Penn-Franklin News. He spent 23 years working for the U.S. Postal Service in Meyersdale and served as postmaster in Bolivar and New Florence.

He previously served as mayor of Meyersdale.

Today, Seitz lives in Berlin, located in Somerset County. He is writing an autobiography, “Snooks,” which will be released in May.