History

THE FOUNDING OF NUHOC

In December 1941, William W. Robinson and Gordon H. Brown founded a ski club at Northeastern University known as the Hus-Skiers. The Hus-Skiers’ first constitution and by-laws were written by Thorton S. Cody on January 15, 1942. They were approved that same day by co-presidents William Robinson and Gordon Brown, and the club began running its first ever Winter Carnival trip.

Over the years, the Hus-Skiers became more involved in other outdoor activities, and the club’s name was changed to the Northeastern University Hus-Skiers and Outing Club, or NUHOC for short. The goal of the club has always been to provide opportunities for Northeastern students and alumni to take part in outdoor activities together. Throughout the 80+ years of the club, thousands of students have gone on NUHOC trips and made countless generations of memories in the outdoors.

NUHOC is one of the largest undergraduate clubs on campus. NUHOC is also one of Northeastern’s oldest student organizations. There is a loosely organized Alumni Club for former NUHOCers as well.

  

HISTORY OF THE BROWN MEMORIAL LODGE (a.k.a the Loj)

After 30 years of discussion between club members about building our own lodge, a group of intrepid students constructed the Brown Memorial Lodge in 1971. 

In March of 1970, NUHOC created a Land & Facilities Committee, led by Doug Prescott, with the goal of drafting plans for a lodge and finding a plot of land to build it on. After touring many potential locations, the committee discovered the perfect home for NUHOC, the very same Loj property that we know and love to this day. Next, a contest was hosted for members to submit lodge designs. The winning design was by Mike Rodrique, which featured 2 bunkrooms, a kitchen, a cozy living area with a stone fireplace, and 2 lofts. 

For the remainder of 1970, NUHOC members worked to fundraise the several thousand dollars needed for the building, including $500 from Northeastern President Knowles. Luckily, most of the building materials were able to be salvaged from an old warehouse for only $60. 

Lodge construction was completed entirely by NUHOC students and alumni between May and October 1971. Additionally, the original water pump, outhouse, & swimming hole were all created that summer. The building was dedicated to club founder Gordon H. Brown, who had died in an airline crash while working as a pilot for Pan Am in 1957. The Brown Memorial Lodge was now ready to serve as the perfect base for outdoor trips for the next 44 years!

The Lodge Committee was created to manage the property. To become an LC, students had to undergo extensive training on all Lodge maintenance, along with leadership skills and emergency preparedness. 

At some point in time, the Lodge became referred to as the Loj. Either spelling is correct, however the ‘Lodge’ typically refers to the building and the ‘Loj’ typically refers to the grounds as a whole. 

Many stories from throughout the decades of the Brown Memorial Lodge can be found in the NUHOC section of the Snell Library Archives, which the club typically visits once a semester. There are hundreds of entries in the Lodge Diary, dozens of issues of the annual NUHOC magazine Excelsior, and countless photos of NUHOC being NUHOC in the 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, & 10s. Check out the next archives visit!

Sadly, the Brown Memorial Lodge burned down in January 2015. Thankfully nobody was harmed, but the building that contained so many memories was tragically lost. However, NUHOC resolved to continue to use the property as a base of operations for outdoor trips and to eventually rebuild the Brown Memorial Lodge. 

RECENT HISTORY – THE LOJ REBUILD EFFORTS

After the fire, the NUHOC Build Committee was founded, a group of members dedicated to restoring the property to a usable state. Throughout the remainder of 2015, the property was cleared of all debris from the fire. In 2016, a large deck was build on the footprint of the original Lodge and a small canvas structure called the War Room was made for winter sleeping. In January 2017, a 30′ diameter yurt was raised on the deck, known as the ‘Brown Memorial Lodge Memorial Yurt‘. The Yurt provided an amazing temporary shelter for the property from 2017-2023, when it was taken down to make room for continued Lodge rebuild efforts. 

In 2021, a permanent tool shed was constructed in place of the War Room, and was thus dubbed the War Barn. After the yurt was taken down in April 2023, an insulated canvas structure called Fiona’s Fabulous Funhouse was built to provide a warm winter shelter.

Since starting efforts in early 2023, the Build Committee has been working with representatives of the local government, several engineering contractors, and some knowledgeable club alumni to obtain a Build Permit for a new Lodge in the style of the original Brown Memorial Lodge. Structural code is much more complicated that it was 50 years ago, so the process has unfortunately taken much longer than expected. However, as soon as a permit is obtained, work will start on building the new Lodge!

If you’re interested in learning more about the Lodge build project, visit NEOCA.org for more info! NEOCA is a non-profit organization supporting the re-build efforts.