From 1937 to 1942, Croatan Lodge 117 of the Order of the Arrow was established in the East Carolina Council thanks to the initiative of Scout Executive John J. Sigwald and assistant field executive George Thomason after exposure to the OA at a regional meeting. The lodge received its charter on June 8, 1938, and took its name from the mysterious Croatan of Roanoke folklore. Early lodge life was informal: its first formal meeting was held on December 30, 1938, with about 50 charter members, and for several years it had no youth chief, with Charles McConnell serving as adviser. Activities centered on induction at Camp Charles in Bailey and fellowship at state-wide events such as the Carolina Jubilee, and by 1941 there was momentum toward hosting a national OA meeting — plans that were halted by the onset of World War II.