Malibu Lodge # 566

Malibu Lodge #566, chartered September 6, 1972, was formed by the consolidation of Walika Lodge # 228 and Tamet Lodge # 225, both lodges founded in 1943. The respective councils consolidation was effective July 1, 1972.

By Spring, 1972 consolidation of the San Fernando Valley and Crescent Bay Area councils was imminent. Walika Lodge hosted the highly successful 1972 Area XII-E Conference the weekend of April 7 – 9. A week later Walika leadership met to prepare for discussions with counterparts in Tamet Lodge as they began the process of consolidation.

It was to be a combination of equals resulting in a new council with a new council number rather than a merged council keeping one of the old council numbers. Likewise, a new Order of the Arrow lodge would be formed rather than assuming either of the two existing Lodge names or numbers. The new council and its lodge would serve a territory encompassing 65% of Los Angeles County, from the Kern County and San Bernardino County lines and Edwards Air Force Base to the north, south through the Antelope, Santa Clarita and San Fernando Valleys and the westside to the Pacific Ocean and LAX: from the mountains to the sea.

Contemplating the council consolidation, in April, 1972 leadership of the two lodges began discussions on several topics to ensure a smooth transition. A Joint Committee was established with representatives from both lodges to begin a dialog leading to a recommendation regarding the name, totem and patch design for the new lodge. Direction of these two important matters was in the able hands of the sitting lodge chiefs, Rick Breithaupt (Walika) and Jeff Morley (Tamet).

Breithaupt proposed the name Malibu, after the southern California coastal area the First Nation Chumash occupied for millennia, and the totem, the Pacific Blue Shark. Malibu, English derivation of the indigenous language Maliwu or Umaliwu, translates as “where the mountains meet the sea”.

Morley, whose colorful patch designs included the Tamet flap patch in use at the time and the 1970 XII-E Conference patch, brought the name and totem to life with a magnificent design. Due to its popularity the design has remained largely the same since 1972, though various commemorative issues with differing designs have been released. The flap design was also the basis for the design of the neckerchief patch. Though essentially unchanged decades later, the Malibu Lodge flap patch remains among the most sought-after flap patches.

On May 9, 1972 voting members of both councils meeting separately voted to consolidate as the West Los Angeles County Council effective July 1, 1972. The new council served 30,000 youth. Headquarters of the new council was the existing Valley Council headquarters in Van Nuys with a second office maintained for the convenience of Scouters residing south of Mulholland Drive in the Palms district of Los Angeles, formerly the headquarters of the Crescent Bay Area Council. Crescent Bay’s Scout Executive, Schiller A. Colberg (1913 – 2004), became Scout Executive of the consolidated council. Sixty days later, in September, 1972 the council was renamed Great Western Council. In June, 1985 that name was changed again to Western Los Angeles County Council. During May, 1972 the two lodges held separate Executive Committee meetings.

On May 17, 1972, the Walika Lodge Chief’s Council met at Quartz Hills High School, at the far north edge of the council in the desert of Antelope Valley, where it adopted the recommendation of the Joint Committee choosing Malibu as the new lodge name and Pacific Blue Shark as its totem.

Showing dominance, on June 5, 1972 Walika Lodge held its June Chief’s Council Meeting at the Crescent Bay Area Council office chaired by Walika Lodge Chief Rick Breithaupt. Following preliminary matters concerning Walika Lodge, the officers and advisers of Tamet Lodge, assembled in another room, joined the meeting to begin the process of consolidating the two lodges into one new lodge.

After Walika Chief Rick Breithaupt had been selected by secret ballot as Chairman of the meeting the process leading to consolidation of the lodges began. Issues of organizational structure, lodge name and totem, patch and calendar were determined and a set of Lodge Rules was worked on. With many important matters facing the Lodge at that time, the meeting was a lengthy one running from 7:30 PM to 10:05 PM.

Initially, Scout Executive Schiller Colberg named Bob Hawkins, formerly Crescent Bay’s Director of Camping and Lodge Staff Adviser, to continue as Staff Adviser for the new lodge. But, it quickly became apparent that given his many responsibilities with the numerous camps and integrating the consolidated council’s camping programs, he did not have time to properly serve as Staff Adviser, so Colberg appointed Field Director J. Dean Kernahan of the Valley Council to the post of Lodge Staff Adviser.

By mid-June Scout Executive Schiller Colberg appointed Breithaupt as Lodge Chief of Malibu Lodge, and Francis E. Campagna as the Lodge Adviser. However, later that summer Campagna, who had been introduced at the June meeting, received a job transfer to Pittsburgh necessitating the appointment of yet another new lodge adviser. Paul H. Weiss, Jr., a well known volunteer in both councils, was appointed. Weiss was a chapter adviser in Walika Lodge who received the Vigil Honor in Tamet Lodge in 1960. His father, Paul Weiss, Sr., received the Vigil Honor in Tamet Lodge in 1956 and had been the long-serving Ranger at Camp Josepho where Paul Jr. lived growing up.

During the summer, the Lodge Key Three (Chief, Adviser and Staff Adviser) began organizing the new lodge and, in collaboration with the Scout Executive, several key decisions were made. These included revisions to the lodge rules contemplated from the Joint Committee. The new lodge was chartered on September 6, 1972, with 1,703 members, consisting of 1,166 Ordeal, 350 Brotherhood and 187 Vigil Honor members.

The news lodge had nineteen chapters serving the council’s nineteen districts.

Chapters at the time of formation of Malibu Lodge

• Chungichnish Chapter (Chaparral District)
• Cherokee Chapter (Marina-Culver District)
• Commanche Chapter (Westwood District)
• Dakota Chapter (Will Rogers District)
• Dieguenos Chapter (Stony Point District)
• Encinos Chapter (Mid Valley District)
• Gabrieleno Chapter (Foothill District)
• Iroquois Chapter (Santa Monica District)
• Mahpiyahtos Chapter (Devonshire District)
• Serranos Chapter (Bill Hart District)
• Sa ‘Anga Chapter (Culver Palms District)
• Shoshone Chapter (Golden Trails District)
• Shoshone Chapter (Mission District)
• Sioux Chapter (Beverly Hills District)
• Ta To Ka Dan Chapter (Antelope Valley District)
• Tay Haus Chapter (Lankershim District)
• Teton Chapter (Mulholland District)
• Topangos Chapter (Topanga District)
• Tsungoni Chapter (El Camino District)

By Fall, 1972, Lodge officers had been appointed by the Lodge Chief. In a few cases, officers holding the same position in the prior lodges both served.

1972 Malibu Lodge Leadership
Lodge Chief            Rick Breithaupt
Vice Chief            Scott Lee
Deputy Chief            Jerry Sinclair
Sub-Chief of Activities        Allan Pietrasanta
Sub-Chief of Public Relations    Ken Milbrand
Sub-Chief of Ceremonies        Barry Cowan
Secretaries             Brian Holman | Elihu Dunbar
Treasurers            David Kvitka | Steve Finn
Lodge Editor            Steve Holman
Lodge Adviser            Paul H. Weiss, Jr.
Deputy Lodge Adviser        Lee Barksdale
Associate Lodge Advisers    Floyd Apger | Russ Doubleday | Lyle Durbin
Staff Adviser            J. Dean Kernahan
Public Relations Adviser    Chuck Bier | Chuck Smith
Ceremonies Adviser        Bruce Lambertson
Secretary Adviser        Tim Mullins
Treasurer Adviser        Lenb Kvitka

The First Lodge Meeting
In planning for the first meeting of the Lodge Executive Committee as Malibu Lodge, at the time referred to as the Chiefs Council, the Key Three wanted it to be a memorable evening. After all, at that time it is a rare event to witness the formation of an Order of the Arrow lodge, long before the plethora of council mergers since. The meeting location had been chosen carefully.

The first Chiefs Council meeting of Malibu Lodge was held on October 19, 1972 at the Community Room, second floor, Bank of America, 6551 Van Nuys Boulevard, Van Nuys. Its large meeting room accommodated a Board Room table of such tremendous size that it could seat at the table all of the principals: the Lodge Chief and nine officers, nineteen Chapter Chiefs. Behind each youth sat his Adviser. A large theater-style section with perhaps 100 chairs in several rows was filled to capacity. The opening was delayed until 7:40 PM for late arrivals. The minutes reflect 64 people were in attendance, including representatives from all nineteen chapters, and more than 100 observers in the audience.

A multi-page program with meeting agenda and information had been printed personalized with each principal’s name and title, each Lodge officer and adviser, Chapter chiefs and advisers, which was bound with the new Lodge Rules, an organization chart and calendar. Each personalized set was placed at a location upon the table prior to arrival so as to organize seating and establish placement of the people so to mix the group assembled rather than the participants sitting based on their old lodge or alliances.

The meeting invitation and subsequent printed program memorialize the early uncertainty with the new council’s name. In late summer national informed the council the name West Los Angeles County Council was not acceptable and it should select a different name. The council chose as its name Great Western Council. The meeting announcement mailed in early September bore the original council name while the meeting booklet printed for the meeting had the changed name.

As reported in the Minutes of the Meeting:

“The Beginning: after allowing each member present to introduce himself, Rick Breithaupt introduced J. Dean Kernahan, Malibu Lodge Staff Adviser. Mr. Kernahan addressed those assembled, explaining the new Lodge. He hoped that Chief’s Council was as excited about the new Lodge as he was, and reminded them that the O/A is a thing of the spirit, emphasizing Brotherhood when there is too much hatred at home and abroad, Cheerfulness when pessimists have the floor, and Service when others are only interested in getting and grabbing. Since Mr. Colberg and he felt that the primary goal of the O/A is camp promotion, they formed new procedures in the Lodge that will let the O/A be a individual thing. As chapters must be the key to success, the organization was built around the chapters. The trading post will handle O/A merchandise, and has been instructed in the new procedures. He hoped that newsletters will change, perhaps to include chapter notices. There will be a location in the Valley Service Center for chapters to do their work. Strings have been cut, and roadblocks have been removed so that members may fulfill their Obligation.

Mr. Kernahan then introduced the new Lodge Adviser, Mr. Paul Weiss Jr., who took Mr. Campagna’s place, as he had to move to the East Coast. He then installed Mr. Weiss, the Adviser, and Rick Breithaupt, the Chief, having them recite the Scout Oath.”

First Lodge Conclave and Officer Elections
To continue looking forward, neither of the predecessor Lodges’ fall event name, Walika’s Pow Wow or Tamet’s Tokala, was used as the name of Malibu Lodge’s fall event. It became the Lodge Conclave. At the Lodge Conclave held at Camp Josepho on December 8-10, elections for officers to serve the 1973 year were held. The new officers were installed by outgoing Lodge Chief Rick Breithaupt at the Lodge Banquet held March 10, 1973 at Camp Josepho.

1973 Lodge Leadership
Lodge Chief        Allan Pietrasanta
Deputy Chief        Deon Gieg
Vice Chief        Frank Polak
Vice Chief        Jeff Becker
Treasurer        Ross Schwartzberg
Secretary        Ashton Cooper
Past Chief        Rick Breithaupt
Adviser            Paul H. Weiss, Jr.
Staff Adviser        J. Dean Kernahan
Associate Adviser    Lee Barksdale
Associate Adviser    Chandy Russell
Associate Adviser    Floyd Apger

Activities        Brian Solow
Service            Frank Glick
Camp Promotion        Earl Mendenhall, III
Membership        Ashton Cooper
Budget            Ross Schwartzberg
Elections        Jeff Primes
Newsletter        Jerry Sinclair
Ceremonies        Dennis Cochran

Chapter Chiefs
Chungichnish    Ed Bustya
Cherokee    Keith Miller
Commanche    Dave Platton
Dakota       
Dieguenos    Earl Mendenhall, III
Encinos        Roger Reebe
Gabrieleno    Steve Bodick
Iroquois    Kyle Lovett
Mahpiyahtos    Karl Brown
Serranos    Doug Flanagin
Sa ‘Anga   
Shoshone   
Shoshone    Kent Kuwata
Sioux        Sam Pierce
Ta To Ka Dan    Mike McMorrow
Tay Haus    Mike Ross
Teton        Brian Holman
Topangos    Jeff Tobias
Tsungoni    Steve Haig


Silver Shark Award
The Silver Shark Award was established in 1972 as Malibu Lodge’s highest honor. The Award is bestowed on the lodge level. Chapters of the lodge are encouraged to establish similar awards for service on the chapter level. The citation: “In recognition of distinguished and exceptional leadership and service.” The first awards were presented in 1976. The Silver Shark Award is presented at the Lodge Banquet. Each recipient is presented with the medal, consisting of a sterling silver shark, suspended from a red neck ribbon. The recipient will also receive a wall plaque indicating the date, citation and recipient’s name. Through 2024 111 Silver Sharks have been awarded.

1988 NOAC
Malibu Lodge was selected to host the 1988 National Order of the Arrow Conference on the campus of UCLA. Some months after the announcement, although there was great interest and enthusiasm nationwide, contract negotiations broke down over issues regarding costs of meals and facilities and an impasse was reached, though not before a promotional pin had already been produced to drum up interest in signing up. The 73rd Anniversary Conference returned back to the site of the 1979 NOAC, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado. Kola Lodge served as host lodge for a third time.

Centennial Shark Award
In honor of the 100th Anniversary of the Order of the Arrow, Malibu Lodge recognized members who have played a significant role in the development of or continuing of the lodge. The honor included members of Malibu Lodge as well as its predecessor lodges, Tamet and Walika Lodges. The award is called the Centennial Shark Award. Recipients of the award were recognized on Saturday, January 9, 2016 at the Lodge Banquet at the First United Methodist Church of North Hollywood.