About Us

History of the Order of the Feather

ORIGINS: THE ORDER OF THE PINES

The Order of the Feather is an outgrowth of the Order of the Pines; the honor society which was instituted at Camp Minisink in 1937. Mr. Daniel Taylor first Director of Boys’ programs at Camp Minisink, Mr. Juan Lopez, Mr. William Edwards, Mr. J. W. Porter, and Mr. William Y. Duncan were the men who first organized this group. The pre-requisites for young men seeking membership into this organization were: attending Camp Minisink for three consecutive summers; performing various tasks and completing certain assignments. After completing these requirements during his first year, the “Pledgee” would be required to endure an initiation, after which he would get one white and one green feather. After his third summer, the young man would receive his last feather, which was red, and enter into the Order of the Pines.

This organization was designed to combat the problem of the male staff at Camp Minisink, promote fellowship among the young men and support Camp Minisink and the New York City Mission Society in their endeavors.

In 1945, the late Mr. Daniel Taylor originated the concept of the Order of the Feather Fraternity. The Five Founders, Rev. Walter Bowen, Rev. Dudley DeCosta Cobham, Mr. Herbert Von King, Mr. Lloyd Buchanan, and Mr. George Duvivier, assisted Mr. Taylor in planning the program and activities of this new organization. Mr. William Edwards, due to his extraordinary service to the Brotherhood, is also recognized as a Founder of the Order of the Feather.

The name, The Order of the Feather, came from a suggestion given by Mr. King who was associated with the Boy Scout Order of the Arrow. Mr. Von King was also instrumental in the creation of our TAP- OUT ritual that is still used as the final test of courage, strength, and unity for all initiates of the Order. The inaugural 1946 Feather Pledge Class consisted of about 20 young men including Charles Darlington Stay (President), and William Bellinger (first president of the Order.)

In 1948, Mr. Herbert Von King and Reverend Dudley Cobham founded the Order of the Bonnet. Under their leadership and supervision, the older Brothers of the Feather used this organization to give direction and leadership to the Feather and service to the Minisink Branch of the New York City Mission Society.

In 1947, Mr. Wilbert Ernest Burgie was appointed Advisor to the Order of the Feather. The Order of the Feather’s affinity with lore and ritual of America’s indigenous people stems from a strong attraction to Native American culture by young Blacks during the “fifties”. In particular, “Burgie” introduced Indian lore and many authentic Indian rituals, which are still practiced by the Feather today. Under Burgie’s leadership, the Pledge Clubs grew in great numbers as the impact of the Feather spread from community to community. Burgie also organized the Feather Chorus. The 50+ voice chorus, which recorded two albums and was widely recognized throughout the tri-state area. The acclaim of the Feather Chorus in the 1950’s and 1960’s was similar to that of the Boys’ Choir of Harlem.

In 1957, the Minisink Unit of the New York City Mission Society moved to the Minisink Community Center at 531 West 155th St. where the Order of Feather continued to develop strong male leaders, sing, serve the community and grow in record numbers. The largest line of Feathermen, 72, crossed the Burning Sands in 1959, led by their president, Sterling Ray Taylor.

In 1960, the Order of the Bonnet was formalized through the efforts of Bro. Keith Rhoden, Bro. Robert Agnew and others. This reorganization of the Bonnet Feather’s preparing them for the significant changes ahead.

In 1964, Burgie with the help of several Brothers, founded Pen & Scroll Military Fraternity to further develop comradeship and fraternalism among the officers of the Cadet Corps, which included the prestigious Minisink Warriors Drum and Bugle Corps. Most of the then active Brotherhood stayed with Burgie, helping him organize the new fraternity while participating in the Cadet and Warrior Programs.

Yet, through the efforts of Bro. Harold Finley, who served as President from 1965-67, Bro. Michael Hatchette, Bro. Hank Allred, Bro. Scottie Holmes, Bro. Penoye Rainey and other dedicated Brothers, the Order of the Feather survived and flourished. Thanks to the organizational skills of Bro. Roahl Aaron’s, the Feather Advisor, the Brotherhood continued to be a strong and viable fraternity.

At this time, the Feather also became increasingly independent. Structure and strong fraternity based leadership empowered the Brotherhood, transforming it from a Minisink program into its own entity.

In the 1970’s, under the leadership of Bro. Ted Simpkins, the first Brother to serve as Executive Director of Minisink, and the recently reorganized Order of the Bonnet. The Feather cultivated the leadership skills of dozens of Brothers who made a significant impact including Bro. Rodney A. Beckford, Bro. Leslie J. Gray, Bro. Keith D. Rivers and Bro. William A. Allen II, all of whom held the office of President. By the late 70’s, the TAP-OUT ceremony evolved to incorporate African rituals along with the traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas. Bro. Chuck Davis, internationally acclaimed African dance company director and founder of Dance Africa, played an instrumental role. Honorary membership into the Order was not a regular occurrence. Only a handful of Brothers have received this honor. One of the few honorary memberships was bestowed upon Bro. Stevland Morris, better known as Stevie Wonder, in 1977.

At the start of the eighties, the Order of the Bonnet saw fit to leave Minisink In 1981 and 1982, the Order of the Feather’s tradition of youth leadership and empowerment continued with Brothers Lloyd Brown, II and Willie Cooper bearing the burden of the presidency and Brother Courtney A. Bennett as Dean. Despite their solid efforts, the Feather ceased activities in 1982, having completed its last Pledge Club before the dormant period with Bro. Richard H. Walker as the only Plainsman to complete the process. He would later be honored for his fortitude in 1991 by being the first Brother tapped-out following the dormant period.

The Order of the Bonnet remained active during this decade due mostly to the determination of Bro. Michael Hatchette, Hank Allred and Scotty Holmes, who kept the Brotherhood alive through consistent communications and well-planned social gatherings for Brothers.

in 1989, Bro. Uriel Charles urged a contingent of Brothers to go back home to Minisink to begin reorganizing the Fraternity. Bro. Michael Hatchette, Bro. Rodney A. Beckford, Bro. Louis Ray, Bro. Harold S. Finley, Bro. Llewellynn Seaborn, Bro. Courtney A. Bennett, and others led a two-year drive to re-establish the Order of the Feather. This contingent of senior Brothers would then form what is now The Senior Council.

In 1991, due to Bro. Courtney A. Bennett’s and Bro. Nathan Simmons’ affiliation with the Boys Choir of Harlem, the Brotherhood was able to attract choir members to pledge on the first return line. This “Rebirth Line” produced six Brothers, Bro. Russell Haynes (President), Bro. Austin Conyers, Bro. Marcus Copeland, Bro. Tracey L. Sydnor, Bro. Doeyan Toby, Bro. Mose Tucker.

In 1992, for the first time, the Order pledged men to the Feather–creating the first Wakachanza Pledge Club. The original Wakachanza Plainsmen were Bro. Raymond S. Johnson (President), Bro. Korey Blackwell, Bro. Craig Freeman, Bro. Earl Caesar Jarrett, Bro. Andre Deverger, Bro. Darrell A. Mayers and Bro. Gregory P. Parker.

Many of the Brothers from 1991-1993 have made and continue to make significant contributions to the Order as deans, presidents, etc. These Brothers include Bro. Raymond S. Johnson, Bro. George H. Lucas V and Bro. Quenton E. Hunt, Jr.

In 1994, following a conversation between Brother Courtney Bennett and Miss Sharmin Gray, and with the urging of Ms. Nyra Constant, Ms. Julienne Williams and Ms. Sharifah Davis, Bro. Courtney A. Bennett sought out Bro. Raymond S. Johnson, Bro. Quenton E. Hunt and Bro. Richard H. Walker to help organize a sister sorority. Following a suggestion by Ms. Julienne Williams, they named it the Phoenix Sorority of Minisink.

The leaders of the mid-nineties included Bro. Mark Johnson and Bro. Darrell Mayers also served as Bonnet President during this period, and the Dean of the 1994-1996 Plainsmen Clubs, Bro. Ronald M. Campbell, who was selected as our first Director of Deans. Many of the Brothers from 1994-1996 continue to make significant contributions to the Order including Bro. Stephen Harris, Bro. Jomel E. Nelson, Bro. Talif R. Showers, Bro. Daryl Bush, Bro. Richard L. McEntire, Bro. Charles Smith and Bro. Isaac James—all past presidents and/or Deans.

In the fall of 1995, the Senior Council voted to charter The Brooklyn Chapter at the Crown Heights Service Center. The driving force to establish the Brooklyn Chapter was its founder, Bro. Jesse Hamilton, who is credited as its Founder and Bro. Cedric Barksdale, the first dean.

The Charter Brothers of the Brooklyn Chapter of Gawinki Feathermen are: Bro. Kyla Benson, Bro. Masvin Turner, Bro. Aaron Martin, and Bro. Kenyon Pickering.

Through the leadership of Bro. Jamal Joseph, the fraternity produced “Burning Sands” a 20-minute documentary about the Order of the Feather in 1995.

In 1997, the Senior Council, under the leadership of its first Chairman Michael A. Hatchette, united the Gawinki and Wakachanza Chapters of the Order of the Feather with the Order of the Bonnet, creating our present Chapter and lodge structure, paving the way for an inevitable expansion. Other key Brothers who made important contributions during this transition included Bro. Jamal Joseph, Bro. Jesse Hamilton, and Bro. Courtney A. Bennett. In the 1990s, over 300 Feathermen and Bonnetmen joined the ranks with 20 strong Brothers crossing in 1999. The largest line was the 31 Brothers who “made it” in 1998 under the leadership of Bro. Corey Parker, President. The 1997 Line (President Bro. Chris Moore) produced 30 Brothers. Bro. Victor Fleming and Bro. Cedric Barksdale were the Senior Deans in Harlem and Brooklyn, respectively.

Brothers, all over the world, are making an impact in many different capacities. Whether they are straight “A” students in high schools and colleges or chemical engineers in California, doctors & lawyers in New York, guarding presidents in Washington, running restaurants in Harlem, owning & operating radio stations in Chicago, making writing & directing feature films and episodes of popular TV shows like “New York Under Cover”, CEOs of leading community based; organizations, successful businessman and entrepreneurs, playing for the NY Giants or Seattle Seahawks, leaders Greek and Masonic fraternities or cowboys in the Midwest—Yup—cowboys; Feathermen are making their contributions to the uplifting of our society.

As more Brothers returned to give service to the Order, and new Brothers were integrated into leadership, the fraternity faced challenges in solidifying its structure and establishing itself as an independent organization. Nevertheless, the fraternity persevered and initiated new Brothers each year. This was done despite the closing of Camp Minisink in 2005. Eight strong young men of the 2006 Plainsmen Club (President Bro. Taariq Page) were the last to be tapped out at the Camp Minisink site in Dover Plains, NY.

Membership waned at the start of the decade but the Minisink spirit instilled in the members of the Impact Repertory Theater led many new members into our circle of brotherhood. Although intake of new members decreased during this decade, Brothers established three new chapters to broaden the outreach of the fraternity and increase our capacity to develop moral judgment, character and leadership qualities in young men.

In 2005, the fraternity established the Order of the Feather, Incorporated. This organization, also known as the Daniel Taylor Group, is committed to help the Feather carry out its mission of service to the community. Past Chairman Michael A. Hachette was the organization’s first president.

The first decade of the new millennium also saw many Feathermen from the 1990s return from college to provide leadership to all levels of the order. These leaders included Bro. Michael McDonald, Bro. Jomel Nelson, and PC. George Lucas, V. who became the first Senior Council Chair to serve in Gawinki, Wakachanza and Bonnet lodges–and PC Nathan Ford who would be the second followed by PC Charles Smith. These Brothers were champions of the new fraternal system and helped the Wakachanza lodge become an important part of the fraternity’s leadership structure.

From 2000 to 2009, Bro. Jesse Hamilton, Bro. Courtney A. Bennett, Bro. Raymond S. Johnson, and Bro. Avon Morgan all served as Chairman of the Senior Council. Under the leadership of these Brothers, the Feather navigated through difficult times and finished the decade on a very high note. The fraternity saw presidents Bro. Trevor Cassaberry (Harlem), Bro. Christian Rojas (Brooklyn), and Bro. Rashaad Washington (Queens), lead 23 strong Plainsmen onto the field for one of the most exciting Tap Out ceremonies since the rebirth. The ceremony was coordinated by Bro. Llewellyn Seaborn

With the ground work for expansion laid by the Senior Council, Bro. David Jenkins, Bro. Leandet Windley, and Bro. Gary Liggons (all from the Great Line of 1978) worked together to found the Queens Chapter of the Order of the Feather. After recruiting several young men, four accepted and completed the challenge of pledging in 2003. Bro. Dorson Boyce (President), Bro. Anthony Jackson, Bro. Mackelle George and Bro. Bobby George, became the Charter Brothers of the Queens Chapter of the Order of the Feather. Under the leadership of Bro Jenkins, the chapter awelcomed home many committed Feathermen including Bro. George Felker, Bro. Danny Norton, Bro. Fred Mays, Bro. James Baker, and Bro. Rodney Reid. All of these Brothers have provided leadership to the Chapter and the Feather as a whole.

THE MARYLAND CHAPTER

As a testament to the powerful brotherhood of the Order, several New York Feathermen, led by brothers from 1978, began traveling to visit Feathermen living in the Maryland/DC area. As more and more Feathermen began to make the trip, the annual NY to Maryland BBQ was established as a Fraternity tradition. The BBQ not only brought together Brothers from NY and DC, it also became a place for Brothers living outside New York to gather.

Building the success of this well-organized event, the Brothers in the area petitioned the Senior Council to start a chapter. In 2007, The DC-Metro Chapter received a charter from the Senior Council. Founding Brothers included Bro. Hank Allred, Bro. Earl Best, Bro. Robert Billups, Bro. Clifford Brooks, Bro. Lance Gardner, Bro. Scott Holmes, Bro. Roderick Johnson, Bro. Derek Maillard, Bro. Isaac Trout and Bro. David Williams.

The DC-Metro Chapter operates primarily as a Bonnet lodge and continues to host the NY-Maryland BBQ–always a highlight on the Feather calendar–which kicks off the fraternity’s summer activities.

THE BRONX CHAPTER

In 2009, Bro. Darrell A. Mayers and other Feathermen living in Bronx, NY began meeting with the purpose of starting a chapter. Since its founding, Brothers such as Uriel Charles, Kevin Rainey, Phil “Spanky” Williams, Jonathan Frazier Sr., Raymond Washington, Jonathan Frazier, Jr., Michael Reed, Pelham Warner and Earl Weathers continue to work hard to lay the foundation for a strong chapter.

In 2009, 20 young men from the Bronx accepted the challenge of pledging and Bro. Jonathan Frazier, Jr. rose above the rest to become the lone Brother of the Bronx Charter Line.

BUILDING A LEGACY, STANDING ON TRADITION

The Order of the Feather Fraternity has endured for over 75 years. We are very proud of our Brothers and our legacy as an empowerment organization for men. As we move forward, under the leadership of the Senior Council we look back to our roots with a proud affirmation of our history, and chart our forward-moving course in today’s society to continue forging the bonds of brotherhood and preparing the bulwark our nation needs to march ever forward!

“Quit Ye Like Men – Be Strong!”

“Follow the Gleam!”