Fake Wahunsenakah jacket patch surfaces

Unauthorized version of 333 J-1 jacket patch

In November of 2012 a Wahunsenakah Lodge 333 jacket patch was listed on eBay for sale by a seller from Hong Kong. To those not familiar with the official issues of the lodge it appeared perfectly legitimate. In fact, even to those familiar with the official issues of the lodge it probably appears perfectly legitimate. Although the design of the patch is spot on, there are color differences that identify it as an item that was never issued by the Lodge:

• The border is red, rather than the black border of the official issue.
• The background of the wildlife scene with three ducks is light blue rather than the silver-gray of the official issue.

Otherwise the design is virtually identical which suggests that the patch was made from the original embroidery pattern. Given the scarcity of this variety it is probable that this patch was perhaps a manufacturer's sample rather than a full loom run.

Official version of 333 J-1 jacket patch

You can view full sized versions of both the official and the newly discovered red border variety on the Wahunsenakah Emblems-Other page on kecoughtan.com here.

Thanks to Larry Johnson for the picture and information about the red-bordered 333 ZJ-1 jacket patch.

Wahunsenakah issues Holiday Banquet patch

The Brothers of Wahunsenakah Lodge 333 gathered for their annual Holiday Banquet on December 1. Hosted by Pamunkey Chapter, the banquet was held at the First Presbyterian Church in Hampton. Guest speaker for the event was Eagle Scout and Brotherhood Member, Mr. Parrish Crosby; Virginia Air and Space Museum Scout Liaison.

In keeping with the prior 2012 activity patch theme of recognizing the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War, the Holiday Banquet patch issued for the occasion features a scene from the Battle of Williamsburg, inspired by the 1893 illustration of the event by Kurz and Allison entitled Battle of Williamsburg-Gen. Hancock's charge, May 5, 1862 (pictured below).

The activity patches for Wahunsenakah Lodge this year have been outstanding examples of utilizing local features to highlight the unique culture and history of the region served by the Council and Lodge. The Lodge Insignia Committee deserves recognition for taking the time and effort to insure that the event patches served as far more than generic or standard themed emblems, but instead paid tribute to a significant part of our nation's past while highlighting the local areas involved. I am sorry to see the year end and the series completed. It will be a hard act to follow!

On the last weekend of October the brothers of Wahunsenakah Lodge 333 celebrated their Fall Fellowship at Bayport Scout Reservation, with an event that was cut short by the impending arrival of Hurricane Sandy.

The Lodge issued an oval activity patch commemorating the Battle of Yorktown as the fifth of their series honoring the Civil War Sesquicentennial. The final patch of the series will be for the last Lodge activity of 2012, the Holiday Banquet held in December.

Thanks to Larry Johnson for the picture of the Fall Fellowship patch.

Wahunsenakah issues Summer Service patch

Wahunsenakah Lodge held their Summer Service weekend September 14-16 at Bayport Scout Reservation, and issued their fourth oval activity patch in a series recognizing the Civil War Sesquicentennial. This patch honors the Battle of Big Bethel, the first land battle of the war inVirginia, which occurred on June 10, 1861.

Colonial Virginia Council issues new standard CSP

A new red-bordered council shoulder patch became available in the Colonial Virginia Council office this month. Pictured above, the patch features a sailboat on the Chesapeake Bay and a lighthouse which appears to be the Newport News Middle Light, a conical, 35-foot, red caisson light that marks the middle ground shoal in Hampton Roads at the confluence of the James River and Chesapeake Bay.

Thanks to Larry Johnson for the patch photo; lighthouse information courtesy Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network.

UPDATE Feb. 12, 2013 - CVC District Executive David Henion kindly provided me with more details about this patch; it pictures the Schooner Virginia and the Wolf Trap Lighthouse.

333 issues rubber duck flap

Wahunsenakah Lodge recently issued their first flap shaped emblem that is not fully embroidered. In fact, it's not even cloth. The bright yellow issue made of rubber, is the same color as a bathtub duck, and actually has a design featuring a bathtub duck.

The emblem was issued for the 2012 National Order of the Arrow Conference which will be held July 30 through August 4 at Michigan State University.

The lodge also issued 2 two-part sets of flaps with a corresponding pocket part. The delegate version has a silver border of both parts, while the trader version has a white border. In keeping with the Lodge's theme of recognizing the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War, the pocket piece features the Monitor and Merrimac naval battle of Hampton Roads. The flap features silhouettes of Civil War leaders superimposed over the first national flag of the Confederacy and the United States flag. You can view these and all Wahunsenakah Lodge flap and pocket part issues here.

Wahunsenakah issues 2012 Spring Service patch

Lodge 333 held their annual Spring Service Weekend at Bayport Scout Reservation May 18-20 and issued a third oval activity patch in their series recognizing the Civil War Sesquicentennial. This patch honors historic Fort Monroe.

Wahunsenakah issues 2012 LLDC patch

On March 24 Wahunsenakah Lodge 333 held their 2012 Lodge Leadership Development Course (LLDC) at the McGrew Towers Conference Center at Hampton University.

To commemorate the event the Lodge issued an oval event patch styled to match their series of 2012 activity emblems. The patch features the Emancipation Oak which stands near the entrance of Hampton University. It as was the site of the first Southern reading of President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

Thanks to George Homewood and Larry Johnson for the patch picture.

333 issues 2012 Winter Service patch

Wahunsenakah Lodge 333 held their annual Winter Service Weekend at Bayport Scout Reservation from Feb. 24-26, and issued a beautiful oval emblem for the event.

With a design very similar to their 2012 SR-7A Conclave flap, the patch pictures the historic Battle of Hampton Roads, also known as the Battle of Monitor and Merrimack.

The design of Wahunsenakah's activity emblems for the remaining events in 2012 will continue the theme  with each following the same oval design with white background and red lettering. "Understanding our Past" will appear across the top and "Civil War Sesquicentennial" across the bottom of each patch, with the central design changing to recognize events at other prominent locations in the area served by the Council and Lodge. Be sure to watch this site to see them as they are issued, and check the Wahunsenakah Lodge Activity Emblems page to view every event patch issued during the 15 year history of Lodge 333.

Thanks to George Homewood and Rob Kutz for the patch picture

Identifying Chanco X2 varieties

One of the challenges facing collectors who seek to add multiple varieties of Scout emblems to their collection is being able to identify which variety you are looking at. Patches that have slight color variations are especially difficult to positively identify unless you have samples to compare them to.

Recently I imposed upon my friend Mike McCaughan for assistance to determine if my two Chanco X2 keyhole shaped patches were in fact the X2a and X2b varieties. The Blue Book lists them like this:

X2a DYL C GRN DYL 120 mm key; BRN Native American; 10 mm fletchings
X2b YEL C GRN YEL  120 mm key; RBR Native American; 8 mm fletchings

The primary differences listed are the brown vs. reddish brown color of the Native American featured on the patch and the size of the arrow fletchings. The X2a also has a darker yellow border. While the two patches I own appeared to have visible thread color differences they looked more alike the longer I examined them and I could make the colors virtually identical depending upon the angle of the light they were in. I won't even tell you how frustrating it is to try to measure arrow fletchings to the millimeter!

Mike kindly loaned me his Chanco X2a and X2b patches which I carefully labeled as soon as they arrived. I compared them to my own and was glad to confirm that each of my versions matched his. In case you ever wonder which variety you are looking at, I've scanned them side by side, front and back, and added them to the kecoughtan.com web site on the Chanco emblems page so you can use the photos to help identify your patch.

Wahunsenakah Lodge 2012 SR-7A conclave flap

The 2012 Section SR-7A conclave will be hosted by Shenshawpotoo Lodge 276 at Camp Rock Enon in Gore, VA April 27-29.

Arrowmen from Wahunsenakah Lodge will be wearing a commemorative flap recognizing the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War picturing the historic Battle of Hampton Roads, also known as the Battle of Monitor and Merrimack. The Confederate CSS Virginia (built from remnants of the sunken Merrimack) battled the USS Monitor to a stalemate in the first naval battle between two ironclad warships.

Designs for other Wahunsenakah patches scheduled for release in 2012 will also honor the Civil War Sesquicentennial and recognize historic locations in the area served by the Council.

Thanks to George Homewood for the picture of the Lodge 333 2012 Conclave flap.

Colonial Virginia Council 2012 FOS CSP

Colonial Virginia Council has issued their ninth Friends of Scouting CSP in the Scout Law series of twelve. The theme for this year's patch is "A Scout Is Thrifty."

The 2012 FOS patch takes its design from the 1944 Norman Rockwell painting entitled "We Too Have A Job To Do" that features a saluting Boy Scout in front of an American flag background. The painting was used to rally Scouts to volunteer service during World War II.  For example, Scouts collected 10.5 million tons of scrap aluminum in 1941—88 percent of the total collected by all Americans (from Scouting magazine).

Like many Councils across the country, Colonial Virginia Council relies upon contributions through its Friends of Scouting program to help fund the programs for the more than 6,000 Scouts they serve. Learn more about the program and consider a contribution today by downloading the Colonial Virginia Council 2012 Friends of Scouting brochure.

You can view this and all of the  Friends of Scouting patches on the Colonial Virginia Council FOS issues page at kecoughtan.com.

Thanks to Larry Johnson for the picture of the 2012 CVC FOS patch.

Kecoughtan leather flap variety

Jason Spangler (aka Santeeswapper) is currently selling a leather Kecoughtan flap shaped item on eBay that is similar to but at the same time very unlike other varieties I've seen before. This example only has the center acorn, with no flags or smaller acorns, and has holes punched in the corners, presumably to enable attaching it to something since sewing leather is not an easy task.

When you compare the picture of the item on eBay with other Kecoughtan leather flap examples the center acorn design appears to be the same, indicating that the same stamp was used. Most Kecoughtan collectors I have spoken to about the leather flaps are of the opinion that it was never an official lodge issue, but probably the result of a crafts opportunity at lodge events. If you know more about the leather flap issues from this lodge, please share them in the comments.

SR-7A conclave emblem previews

Section SR-7A will hold their 2012 conclave April 27-29 at Camp Rock Enon in Gore, VA, hosted by Shenshawpotoo Lodge 276. Registration for the conclave is now open online, and a tour of the order form for Trading Post items reveals design artwork for several emblems, including the pocket and jacket patch (pictured above).

This will be the tenth regional gathering of Arrowmen to be held at Camp Rock Enon. Prior Pow Wows and Conclaves at this historic camp include:

• 1954 3-C Pow Wow
• 1962 3-C Pow Wow
• 1968 3-C Training Institute
• 1973 SE-1 Pow Wow
• 1981 SE-1 Conclave
• 1984 SE-8 Conclave
• 1991 SE-8 Conclave
• 2000 SR-7A Conclave
• 2006 SR-7A Conclave

Check out the new 2012 SR-7A Conclave page at va-oa.org for additional images, including pictures of the conclave hat, polo shirt, and more, including the special SR-7A 15th Anniversary patch that will be issued.