Kecoughtan Lodge #463 Much has been written in the past concerning Kecoughtan Lodge’s history, first documented in 1976 in the pamphlet “Silver Acorn: A Story of 25 years of Brotherhood” by Sam Fairchild. This pamphlet was rewritten by Alex Wiatt in the booklet entitled “Kecoughtan 40 Years of Service”, which added to Fairchild’s content by bringing the history up to date as of 1991. Thanks to the efforts of Glenn Chase, a former member of Kecoughtan Lodge, the lodge history was brought into the 21st Century with electronic versions of the two previously mentioned lodge publications, and the memorabilia listing from everybody’s dear friend and brother, Doctor Ron Godby. All information is on Glenn Chase’s website www.kecoughtan.com. After Dr. Godby’s death, Barry Green took on the responsibility of keeping his information up to date and submitting it as a contributing editor to The Blue Book. The Blue Book (6th Edition published in 2006) contained all of Dr. Godby’s previous information, plus additional information on all chapters. Glenn Chase’s website shows color photography of Kecoughtan’s patches as does John Pannell’s website www.oaimages.com. Pannell’s website has a few inadequacies, plus it does not have photos of all of the lodge activity patches (as of this rewrite 2014). While in school, one might be cited for plagiarism by copying information of a source verbatim. I hereby acknowledge that most of this history has already been published, and this is a rewrite of that published information, done to be sent to the National Order of the Arrow (OA) for documentation into the “2015 History of Lodges of the Order of the Arrow”. We shall now tell the history of Kecoughtan Lodge #463 as it begins on page 4 of Alex Wiatt’s pamphlet, with added details from 1991 to the merger with Chanco Lodge in 1996, leading to the creation of Wahunsenakah Lodge #333. The lodge merger followed by almost four years the merger of the Peninsula and Old Dominion Area Councils in 1992. In the summer of 1947, Eddie Jones, Scoutmaster of Troop 40; Joe Smith, Scoutmaster of Troop 56; and Tom Barclay, a Scouter from the Peninsula Council, had spent an enjoyable week at the Schiff Scout Reservation in New Jersey, soaking in the new program ideas of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). At the last session, the delegates were addressed by the program director of the Scouting movement, E. Urner Goodman, the founder of an honor camping society. Many councils across the nation had adopted this organization to aid in the implementation of their Scouting program. It was called the Order of the Arrow, and in a voice permeated with enthusiasm for his Order, Goodman sparked the interest of the three Peninsula Scouters. Why not bring back this idea to Newport News, VA? Newport News was still rattled from the war-time activity which had ceased two years before. The Scouting program itself stood on unstable ground. James Early, the Council Scout Executive, was not enthused about adding a new program into the weak, unsure council structure. Wisely he suggested postponing the organization of an OA lodge until Scouting on the Peninsula was on a more sound footing. The three Scouters agreed with the request. Peninsula Scouting improved over the next three years. Many say the growth was beyond expectations. Camp Okee, the council camp, was brimming full every summer, and Camp Director Leroy Proctor was pleased, as was Eddie Jones. Now was the time to plant that acorn. Harold Pace, Scout Executive of Tidewater Council in Norfolk, VA, also was pleased with the success of the Camp Okee program. His council’s Blue Heron Lodge #349 had proved to be a great asset to the Tidewater Council camping program, and he felt a responsibility to share this success with his neighbor council. Through his urging, and that of Proctor and Jones, Early approved the honor camping idea. It was decided to send six Camp Okee staff members and one Hampton Scoutmaster to the annual Area III- A Conclave for the purpose of inducting them into the OA. The stage was set. Doug Braxton drove the six Scouts (Tex Burleson, Lee Holmes, Amos Spady, Jimmy Goldstein, Billy Waide and Sam Brockwell) 1 to Camp Delmont in Pennsylvania on Friday, June 6, 1951. They were met there by Allowat Sakima and given instructions. It became evident, however, that the Ordeal could not be completed at the Conclave. Harold Pace met with Area III-A personnel and offered his council camp, Camp Darden, as a continuation site for the arduous toil. The candidates agreed to meet at the Tidewater Council camp on the following weekend, and on June 14, 1951, the brothers completed their day of service and were inducted into the Brotherhood by the Blue Heron Lodge (the Mother Lodge) ceremonial team. Upon returning to Camp Okee to begin the summer camp season, the new inductees decided to hold troop elections at camp for more members. Eight more boys and one more adult were chosen to travel to Camp Darden for their Ordeal. The lodge now had a nucleus of 20 members (including four who had taken Ordeals earlier in other lodges), and were able to begin to structure a lodge organization. In the early part of August, 1951, during the last week of camp, Kecoughtan Lodge #463, WWW became a reality. The name was taken from the Indian village on the Peninsula which welcomed the first permanent settlers to North America in 1607. The village was in an area now known as Hampton, VA, and in 1951 it was part of the Peninsula Council. The immigrants arrived on three ships – the Susan Constant, the Godspeed and the Discovery. Many Kecoughtan Lodge emblems picture these ships, including the neckerchief patch, the lodge jacket patch, and later issues of the lodge flaps. The Kecoughtan Indians were members of the Powhatan Confederacy, which dominated southeast Virginia in the early 1800’s. The members of this new lodge met to elect officers, write a constitution, and plan for a self-held Ordeal. Tex Burleson of Troop 31 of Ft. Monroe and his fellow troop member, Lee Holmes, were elected to the offices of Chief and Vice Chief. Amos Spady was chosen to draft the first lodge constitution, and E.P. DeSchazor was to serve as the first Chief of the Fire. The lodge chose a ravine site at Camp Okee for the ceremonial grounds, and plans were developed for the first self-held induction. The first lodge patch, issued in 1951, was a small red and green arrowhead with an arrow near the top and an acorn in the center. The lodge name framed the acorn, and the initials “WWW” defined the three corners of the arrowpoint portion of the arrowhead design. The acorn, which became the lodge totem, gave birth to the lodge motto, “From the little acorn the mighty oak tree grows.” This was symbolic of the young Scout maturing and furthering the Scouting movement. The arrowhead signified the straight true course of Scouting and ties of the Order to Indian lore. Troop members selected during the last week of the Camp Okee season began their ordeal on August 12, 1956. The ceremonial team, which consisted of E. P. DeSchazor, Tex Burleson, Lee Holmes, and Amos Spady, successfully completed the induction and provided another important milestone in the lodge’s growth: the ability to self-perpetuate membership. The next several years were of slow growth. Amos Spady was chosen as the second Chief, with Sam Brockwell as Vice Chief. James Early, who had been serving as Lodge Adviser, had moved on to a Pennsylvania council and the lodge welcomed a new adviser in January 1954: G. Warren Taylor. Leroy Proctor was the unofficial volunteer leader of the lodge. His presence as Camp Director naturally led him to this position. The year 1953 saw Sam Soule’s election to lodge Chief and the lodge’s attendance at the first Area III-C Pow-Wow at Camp Darden. Kecoughtan became one of the charter members of Area III- C along with Nawakwa #3, NePahWin #161 (name changed to Koo Koo Ku Hoo #161 in 1953), Shenandoah #258, Shenshawpotoo #276, and Blue Heron #349. The success of this event led Soule to tender a delegation to its first national event, the 1954 National OA Conference (NOAC). According to Sam Fairchild, contingent members to the 1954 NOAC wore blue neckerchiefs with a brown felt acorn sewn on it. There were approximately 17 made. This was the second neckerchief of the lodge. Previously, the lodge had issued a gold sateen neckerchief with a small green edge twill arrowhead on it for charter members (approximately 27 made). Following this, the lodge was absent from national events until 1961. These were also camp-centered years. Much of the OA program was focused on Camp Okee, 2 which was on the waterfront of the York River in Gloucester, VA. Camp improvements were prevalent in this era, and the council’s facilities benefited greatly from this emphasis. In 1955, as the lodge grew, a pocket flap was designed and put into use. Eddie Canada, of Troop 40, submitted the winning design which contained as its main points 3 acorns and 2 Confederate battle flags. The acorns, as the lodge totem, served as background for “WWW”. The flanking Confederate flags signified both the past and the future. They were meant to remind members that the lodge was entering a future in which labels could not be trusted to reveal the worth of an individual; and at the same time they recalled bravery, integrity and self-sacrifice.