Wahunsenakah Service flap gets new issue number

Unless you were watching very closely, you may have missed the latest new flap issue from Wahunsenakah Lodge 333. Released at the Fall Fellowship, the new fully embroidered S51 issue is virtually a twin of the S2 service flap which has been around since the Lodge was established in January of 1996.

The classic design is the same, but the size is noticeably bigger. While there were many loom runs of the S2 over the past 17 years, resulting in many minor variations, they were all essentially the same size. When the latest reorder of the Wahunsenakah service flap was received Lodge collectors quickly noticed that the new patches were both wider and taller than any previous order.

Dr. Barry Green, Insignia Design Advisor for Wahunsenakah, spoke with Kelly Williams of the Krelman Company, manufacturer of the Lodge 333 flaps, and learned that the patches were enlarged to comply with new National regulations that specify a 5" width. The original S2 flaps were 4 5/8" wide. To accommodate the larger size the design components of the patch were enlarged, including the lodge name and number lettering, FDL, and reeds in the water. The increased size of the ducks makes the white tips of the blue feathers much more prominent. There are also evident color differences in the red and green areas, as well as a more blue appearance of the border rather than the teal of the S2.

 Dr. Green pointed out that the intent was not to make a new "issue," but to comply with the directive from National to meet the new guidelines. After collaborating with Trading Post Advisor Larry Johnson and noted collector Rob Kutz, Dr. Green confirmed that the changes to the service flap were so significant as to merit classification as a new issue, so it is now considered S51. It will be interesting to see how many new issues from other Lodges will be created by the new flap size guidelines. Below are some additional pictures that illustrate the comparative size differences between the smaller S2 service flap and the new larger S51 issue.

New 333 metal flaps with FDLs issued

In May of 2013 Wahunsenakah Lodge issued two metal flaps, each manufactured by The Witch Trail Committee of Mansfield MA, who also produced the first lodge belt buckle. Like the buckle, the metal flaps featured the design of the S2 service flap. Upon receipt of the finished flaps the lodge noticed that the manufacturer inadvertently left out the fleur-de-lis. Rather than return the flaps they were sold and a corrected version ordered. The new versions complete with FDL in each design were recently released. Like the first versions, there is a pewter version (the 333 M4) and a gold wash finish version (333 M5). Both can be purchased by any member of the Lodge, but the gold version is restricted to wear by youth members of the Lodge Executive Committee.

Wahunsenakah issues Fall Fellowship patch

Bayport Scout Reservation in Jamaica, VA was the site of the Wahunsenakah Lodge 333 Fall Fellowship on October 25-27. Following the theme of other activity patches issued by the lodge this year, the patch for the event features a Scout in the ceremonial dress of Allowat Sakima, the Mighty Chief.

Eleven new Vigil Honor members of the Lodge were recognized at the Fall Fellowship.

Colonial Virginia Council issues CSP for ship christening

On November 9, 2013 Newport News Shipbuilding will christen the Navy's newest aircraft carrier. The Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is the first of a new class of aircraft carriers, and has been under construction since 2005. It is named for the 38th President of the United States who was an Eagle Scout as a youth and served on the aircraft carrier Monterey in the Pacific Theater during WWII.

Ford's daughter Susan Ford Bales will perform the christening, and the program includes a parade of 78  US flags to be carried by Scouts from Colonial Virginia and Tidewater Councils, accompanied by a large contingent of Scouts from the Gerald R. Ford Council of Ford's hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The ceremony will include a color guard comprised of 5 Eagle Scouts from Colonial Virginia Council, and will be available via webcast at www.TheFordClass.com at 11:00 AM EST on Nov. 9th

In honor of the event a special Colonial Virginia Council shoulder patch has been commissioned by the Shipyard. Pictured above, the patch has a gray border and features the carrier and the Eagle rank emblem.

Thanks to Larry Johnson for the scan of the patch.

Wahunsenakah issues Summer Service patch

Wahunsenakah Lodge 333 held their annual Summer Service weekend Sept. 12-14, 2013 at Bayport Scout Reservation in Jamaica, VA. The 3" round patch issued for the event continues in the series of 2013 activity emblems by picturing a member of the ceremonial team. This patch features Nutiket, the Guardian.

Colonial Virginia Council Jamboree Visitor Patch

Earlier this summer Colonial Virginia Council issued a set of 5 Jamboree Shoulder patches surrounding a pentagon-shaped center patch. The 5 shoulder patches included two trader issues with a military theme, a patch for each of the Council's Jamboree troops, and a patch for Council members serving on staff at the 2013 National Scout Jamboree.

The Council also issued a special round jacket patch for their contingent of visitors who shared a bus to and from the Jamboree site on July 20. The group of 85 was comprised of members from Colonial Virginia and Heart of Virginia Council.

Thanks to Will Richards of Colonial Virginia Council for the picture of the patch and background information.

2013 Jamboree patch set issued by Colonial Virginia Council

Following the lead of many other Scout councils across the country, Colonial Virginia Council has issued a multi-part patch set for the 2013 National Scout Jamboree to be held July 15-24 at the new Summit Bechtel Reserve at Mount Hope, WV.

The set is comprised of a pentagon-shaped center patch flanked by 5 Jamboree Shoulder patches.

Thanks to Rob Kutz for providing the details about each issue:

Two of the JSP's are trader issues and picture an F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet taking off and returning from an aircraft carrier.

Jamboree Troop A406's shoulder patch features a whitewater kayaker, while Jamboree Troop D312's shoulder patch depicts a Scout superhero fending off a fire-breathing dragon.

The fifth JSP is for Jamboree staff and shows the New River Gorge bridge near the Jamboree site along with a map of the area served by Colonial Virginia Council. The center patch depicts the journey from the council to the Summit.

You can view all of the Jamboree Shoulder patches issued by Colonial Virginia Council since 1993 on the CVC JSP page.

Wahunsenakah issues Spring Service patch

Wahunsenakah Lodge held their Spring Service weekend May 17-19 at Bayport Scout Reservation, and issued the patch pictured above, a 3 inch solid embroidered round pocket patch featuring the Guide Kichkinet.

Wahunsenakah issues two new metal flaps

Wahunsenakah Lodge recently issued two new metal flaps, each manufactured by the Witch Trail Committee of Mansfield, MA who also made the first Lodge belt buckle. Like the buckle, the new M2 and M3 metal flaps are replicas of the S2 service flap.

The metal flaps were available via preorder at a cost of $15 for the pewter M2 and $20 for the M3 which features a gold wash finish (see above). Both can be purchased by any member of the Lodge, but the M3 is only authorized for wear by youth members of the Lodge Executive Committee.

The manufacturer inadvertently omitted the fleur-de-lis from these versions, and a corrected reorder is planned for later this spring.

Wahunsenakah issues Winter Service patch

Wahunsenakah Lodge held their first event of 2013, the Winter Service weekend at Bayport Scout Reservation, on February 22-24. The 3" round patch includes a pocket loop and features a Scout playing the role of Meteu.

Colonial Virginia Council issues 2013 Friends of Scouting CSP

Colonial Virginia Council recently issued their 2013 Friends of Scouting CSP, tenth in the Scout Law series which began in 2004. The theme of this year's patch is "BRAVE" and the design features a Boy Scout and a Cub Scout saluting a soldier silhouetted against a setting sun. The patch is apparently from a different manufacturer than its predecessors since the size is several millimeters smaller in width. You can add this patch to your collection with a $75 contribution to the Council. Check out all of the patches in the Scout Law series on the CVC Friends of Scouting emblems page.

Wahunsenakah issues pewter belt buckle

At their annual Holiday Banquet on December 1, 2012 a new pewter belt buckle for Wahunsenakah Lodge was sold for the first time. The design mirrors that of the Lodge's official service flap, the S2.

100 of the buckles were made, and they were sold for $15.00 each.

The buckle was manufactured by the Witch Trail Committee of Mansfield, MA. This nonprofit group was originally formed in 1968 by a Scout troop that set out to research and document an historic trail as a troop project. Since the Freedom Trail in Boston already existed the troop decided to document the history of the witch hysteria of the 1600's in nearby Salem. After submitting their report to the national office the Witch Trail was declared an historical BSA trail. It was the first of nine trails researched, documented, cleaned, and marked by the group, which supports itself through the sale of books, patches, and pewter medals for each of the trails.

The group also designs and creates custom pewter bolo ties, buckles, medals, and medallions, specializing in Order of the Arrow, Wood Badge, and other Scout related subjects. You can view samples of their work on their web site. I think the Wahunsenakah buckle is the nicest one they have ever produced!

Colonial Virginia Council issues Wood Badge CSP

Colonial Virginia Council issued their first new shoulder patch of 2013 in late January with a CSP recognizing Wood Badge, the training course for adult Scouters that was designed by Lord Baden Powell, whose figure is central to the patch design. On either side are emblems of the 8 standard Wood Badge patrols: Beaver, Bobwhite, Eagle, Fox, Owl, Bear, Buffalo, and Antelope. The emblem of the optional 9th patrol, the Raven, is in the lower left. The Wood Badge logo of an axe embedded in a log is in the lower right. Gilwell Park was the site of the first Scoutmaster Training Course in 1919, and remains as the worldwide home of Wood Badge.

This and all of the other shoulder patches issued by the council can be viewed at the Colonial Virginia Council CSP page.

Patch scan courtesy of Larry Johnson