“Chilly at the Lodge” is about “Chili,” and it’s also about fun. The event, held annually on the first Saturday in February at the Josey Scout Lodge in Huntsville, Texas, involves bands, vendors selling their wares, community, and, (of course) chili tasting.
This free event was the vision of Karla Christian, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Josey Scout Lodge. “We needed to raise money for some much-needed repairs to the historic buildings,” Christian noted, “and I wanted to do this in a way that was fun and benefitted the community. I also want the community to see and experience Josey Lodge. It just so happens that everyone loves chili.”
This concept—that everyone (or almost everyone) loves chili—is the central aspect of the event. Chili-chefs, known as chili-heads in the business, will be peppered around the Lodge, preparing chili for competition and offering samples to visitors. But there is a lot more.
Vendors will be offering items for sale; KSAM will have “Bryan and Tracy” serving as “celebrity judges;” and live musical guests will also be on hand to entertain guests. In the past, acts such as Kate Watson, Shannon Maisel, Audy Armentor, and Drew Fish have performed, adding spice to the already peppery proceedings.
Scout Leaders and supporters of the Josey Lodge are also on hand to offer tours of the historic building and its grounds.
The Josey Scout Lodge was built in 1934, constructed specifically for the use of local Boy Scouts of America troops. The money for its construction was donated by Robert A. Josey, a Huntsville native who grew wealthy as a Houston oilman. Additional support was provided by the Gibbs Brothers, and the project was built under the auspices of the Civil Works Administration.
Josey was at the dedication of the building, as were the Huntsville Mayor and the Texas Governor, a reflection of the Lodge’s centrality to the community. This was not lost on Josey. According to Dr. Will Oliver, who compiled a short history of the building, the importance of the Lodge and the Boy Scouts of America stayed with the Huntsville native, throughout his life. In a letter to a friend, Josey wrote, “In the oil business which I have been engaged in for nearly 50 years, tremendous profits are sometimes made on a small investment. But I can think of no investment that I have ever made which has…paid greater dividends in happiness than the Boy Scout Lodge at Huntsville…”
Since its construction, it has served as the local home of the Boy Scouts of America, and, more recently, the Girl Scouts of the USA. The property, however, is managed independently by the non-profit Robert A. Josey Lodge organization, which is responsible for maintenance on the property and structures—two of which (the Lodge and Caretaker’s Cabin) are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Time, however, has taken its toll on the structures. Some of the logs need repair; a new paint job is needed; weatherproofing is called for; and the caretaker’s cabin (located on the same property) requires much care.
These needs are what prompted Karla Christian to think of ways to raise funds for the Lodge, while also spicing up a community event. And, in Texas, what cause can unite more people than chili?
Texans are known as an independent bunch, but if there is one thing they can agree on, it’s that chili is a gift to food lovers, particularly in what passes for cold weather in the Lone Star State. It is, after all, the “State Dish,” so designated in 1977.
The origin of chili is a fiery matter of contention, with different regions staking a claim to “inventing” the dish. A Franciscan friar noted in 1529 that the Aztecs cooked a type of stew with chilis and frog, lobster, or fish.
But Texans have long claimed that chili, properly understood, involves red meat. And, according to food writer Robb Walsh, the first record of such a dish is in 1827 in San Antonio, when a visitor to the city noted that poor Tejanos mixed the “cheapest beef” with peppers. By the late 1800s, “Chili Queens” were well known in San Antonio, and as news accounts and travelers proliferated, Texas became more closely identified with “true” chili—so long as chili is defined as red meat and peppers.
And that is pretty much how Texas writer Frank X. Tolbert described it in his book, “A Bowl of Red,” which he wrote in 1966. “When speaking of a bowl of red,” he noted, “I refer to chili con carne—honest-to-God chili, and not the dreadful stuff masquerading as chili which is served in nine out of ten cafes.” Helpfully, he laid out what “honest-to-God chili” is: beef, “cooked slowly and for a long time in boon companionship with the pulp of chili peppers,” along with oregano, cumin, and garlic. Notably absent from his ingredients was beans, an omission that The Washington Post credits with establishing the Texas “no-beans law.”
Mix that basic tenet with a bit of Texas chauvinism, and you have some strong feelings. President Johnson, while still President (and, presumably needing votes outside of Texas), nonetheless publicly noted that “chili concocted outside of Texas is a weak, apologetic imitation of the real thing.” Johnson’s chili patriotism is the type of attitude that made writer Calvin Trillin observe, “I love chili, but not enough to discuss it with someone from Texas.”
This disagreeable tone isn’t really in the spirit of Chilly at the Lodge, but it is a competitive endeavor. The “cook-off” consists of three divisional competitions: (1) an International Chili Society (ICS) Division, that is open to their members; (2) a Community Adult Division open to adults not affiliated with ICS; and (3) a Community Youth Division for young people ages 10-17. Each division has its own competition and prizes, and the winner of the Community Adult Division on Saturday earns the right to participate with the ICS cooks on Sunday.
Over the past two years, more than 50 contestants have entered the competitions, some from places as far flung as Arizona and Nebraska. In fact, in 2022, its very first year, seven previous national champions competed.
What this means for residents is some amazing chili. The contests include categories such as “traditional red,” “chili verde,” “homestyle,” and “veggie.” Some of these categories allow ingredients that one suspects Frank Tolbert would disapprove of—including crawfish, meat substitute and…beans.
There is a global community of chili-lovers, and within the inner circle, these people are “chiliheads.” Indeed, the ICS notes that “as fellow Chiliheads, we pledge to continue the friendship and comradery that was established back in 1967 and continues today.”
But “Chilly at the Lodge” is also about the camaraderie that comes from a tight community, which Christian hopes the event continues to foster. For the World Championship Chili Cook-off, judges are required to complete a “Certified Chili Judge” onsite class, but for regional competitions, judges are simply selected for their impartiality, willingness to follow rules, and their community involvement. They cannot be related to anyone in the contest, but they need not be chili connoisseurs. According to Christian, “we tell them they just need to know what they like and what they don’t like.”
Leanne Woodward, a Board of Trustee member who recruits judges, is impressed by people’s willingness to serve. “People are so willing to give their time to support the event and the Lodge. It’s another example of the great-hearted people of Huntsville.”
Derrick Birdsall, who was a judge in 2022 and is serving again in 2024, considers the judging a privilege. “I love chili, so there’s that. It’s interesting to taste the different flavors, wondering what the cooks did to produce their version of chili. But it’s also just a fun event, and it’s good for the community.”
Gene Roberts, a “Scout Father” who doubles as a member of the Lodge’s Board of Trustees, also relishes the event: “Huntsville Scouts do so much for the community. So, it’s great for the scouts to see the community come out and support them and the historic Lodge while they are supporting another event that’s good for the community.”
But the event isn’t just for “seasoned professionals.” Morgan Robertson, an SHSU student who attended “Chilly at the Lodge” the last two years, says it’s a great opportunity to try chili. “For $5, you get a ‘tasting kit’ of six spoons, which you can use to sample from among the many chili chefs. It’s a good way to try new foods, and you’d be surprised how filling six samples are!”
Those who purchase the tasting kit also receive a “people’s choice ballot,” which allows the public to select the “people’s” winner, reinforcing the community-centric nature of the event.
This year, “Chilly at the Lodge” will occur on Saturday, February 3, 2024. The event is free to the public, although visitors should donate $5 if they wish to sample the chili. This is Texas, so it may not be “chilly,” but it is a perfect weekend for those with the appetite for music, fun, and lots of chili.
The event is open to the public Saturday, February 3 from 9am-3:30pm, with chili available beginning at 11am. All proceeds go to Josey Lodge’s capital campaign for repairs to the organization’s historic buildings. For more information, go to joseyscoutlodge.org/chilly.
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Scoville Scale: Named for American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville, the scale attempts to measure the pungency or heat of a pepper. This method has been superseded by the “high-performance liquid chromatography” (HPLC) test, but even so, the HPLC often converts its results to the Scoville scale to help with interpretability. So, what is hot? Well, a jalapeno comes in with about 5,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), a cayenne emits about 40,000 SHU, and habaneros possesses about 300,000 SHU. The world’s hottest pepper is the “Carolina Reaper,” with 2,200,000 SHU.
Chiles: Myriad peppers or “chiles” are used for chili, according to taste. Robb Walsh, in his book “The Chili Cookbook,” sorts them by “dry” and “fresh” according to heat. Among the dry are Ancho (mildest), New Mexican Long Red Chili, Pasilla, Chipotle, and Japones (hottest); the fresh include New Mexican Long Green Chile (mildest), Poblano, Jalapeno, Serrano, and Chile Pequin (hottest).
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