Kecoughtan Elangomat Sashes

I had the opportunity to add a unique piece of Kecoughtan Lodge memorabilia to my collection in September of 2001 when Kevin Johnson, former 463 arrowman and Vigil Honor member, agreed to sell me a Kecoughtan Elangomat sash to help raise funds to buy equipment for a high adventure Venture Crew.


For those unfamiliar with the term, an Elangomat is a dedicated brother who retakes the Ordeal as the inspiration and guide to the candidates.

I asked Kevin for the background of the sashes to include on my web site, and here's his response:

I took over as Elangomat chairman in 1993 from the legend in Kecoughtan Lodge, Bailey Tudder. We had the red sashes authorized by the lodge under the guidance of Bailey Tudder right before he died in 1995.

I had only 22 sashes made up and they were the only ones ever authorized by Kecoughtan Lodge in its history. 7 sashes were Vigil sashes (1 was put in archives along with a brotherhood and ordeal) and I have a Vigil one that was for me. I was in the last group of Kecoughtan Vigils.

The other 5 Vigil sashes were awarded to outstanding youth Vigil elangomats. 7 brotherhood sashes were made and 3 were given to outstanding brotherhood elangomats. I have the balance of brotherhood. There were 8 ordeal sashes. One was destroyed and 1 was given to a youth elangomat. I have the balance. All sashes were designed and paid for by me with the authorization of Kecoughtan Lodge and became the property of me when we merged with Chanco to form Wahunsenakah #333. Also the sashes are numbered.

The inscription on the reverse of the sash I have appears to say "O.E.S #7" which I presume indicates "Ordeal Elangomat Sash Number 7" and "Kecoughtan #463" referring to the official Lodge name and number.

I hope to someday be able to photograph all of the sashes as well as the other contents of the box containing the Lodge archives which are stored by Colonial Virginia Council at their offices in Newport News.