New site about Virginia OA

I've been working on a new web site that documents the events attended by Virginia OA Lodges, like Pow Wows, Conclaves, and the like.

It's far from complete and I have big plans for expansion to include other content, but I'm finally ready to share the link and encourage you to take a peek when you have a chance!

http://va-oa.org

I really hope to make it far more than just a catalog of items issued, and have worked hard to gather relevant information about each event including special guests who attended, election and competition results, and much more. I encourage you to share your memories, pictures, and items like newsletters or meeting notes to help preserve the rich history of the Order of the Arrow in Virginia.

1972 Area III-C Pow Wow Booklet

Kecoughtan Lodge hosted their first Area Pow Wow in 1972, the year that the Lodge was celebrating their 20th anniversary. For decades I have always thought that the numeral "20" in the Pow Wow patch design represented this.

Recently Ben Vincent provided me with a PDF copy of the 1972 Area III-C Pow Wow booklet. Among other insights, I learned that the "20" on the patch actually represents the 20th Area III-C Pow Wow.

One of my favorite parts of the booklet is this part of the greeting letter signed by Alan Spaulding, the youth coordinator of the Pow Wow, Walter Deal, the adult advisor, Sam Fairchild, 463 Chief, and Bailey Tudder, the Lodge Advisor:

"It is truly a privilege for the Brothers of Kecoughtan to serve as hosts for the 1972 Pow Wow. Arrowmen from all parts of the Peninsula have spent many hours in service to prepare for this weekend. If it is a success, then those dedicated Arrowmen deserve much credit. If there is some aspect that does not appear to be a success, then assume it to be a new experience."

Another favorite part the booklet for me is the illustrated front and back cover that pictures an oak tree with the Pow Wow emblem superimposed. Hidden in the leaves is the name of the illustrator: Dave Tudder, youngest son of the Lodge Advisor. I am sorry to report that Dave passed away a few years ago according to his brother John, so I was unable to share my appreciation for his efforts with him.

Take a few moments to read the booklet and enjoy a trip back to Peninsula Scout Reservation in 1972 when Kecoughtan Lodge was deservedly proud of being a National Standard Lodge.

Tracing Virginia OA Area and Section history

Recently I decided to undertake a complete audit and rewrite of the pages I have on my site devoted to the emblems and memorabilia issued at the events held by the regional Area and Sections that Virginia OA Lodges have belonged to. These pages have always been a challenge to complete because there is no comprehensive reference like the OA Blue Book to rely on. Plus, events that happened decades ago are difficult to research because the documents they were chronicled in (newsletters and lodge meeting notes) aren't available online or in the public library.

Sadly, this is a project I wish I had started many years ago. An African proverb says "When an old man dies, a library burns to the ground." The deaths of Si Simons and John Hannabass in 2008 took two of Virginia's greatest Arrowmen, each with over half a century of cheerful service. I can't delay my efforts to excavate and preserve the history of the Order of the Arrow in Virginia since so much of that history is unwritten and stored only in memories.

I am extremely grateful that I already have eager and helpful assistance from several others who share my deep interest and dedication to this subject. Step 1 is to catalog all of the events like Pow Wows, Conclaves, Indian Seminars, and Training Conferences with their dates, locations, and host lodge. Step 2 is to determine every pocket patch, neckerchief, Vigil totem, jacket patch, etc. issued for each event, and by the Area and Section.

While this effort began as an attempt to create a comprehensive emblem reference guide I will be the first to admit that "scope creep" has already taken over.  I've decided that a dry catalog of issues isn't enough to convey the rich tradition and heritage built throughout the nearly six decades of service by Virginia Arrowmen for their councils, camps, and communities.  So I will try to include pictures, stories, anecdotes, and newsletter accounts of the events so that the Arrowmen of 2011 and later will have an opportunity to learn about and appreciate those who came before and gave so much.

I'll be logging my progress on this site. If you'd like to help, just let me know! I'd be grateful for any assistance you can provide. You can be certain your efforts will receive proper attribution as well as my eternal thanks.

Virginia Section Officers Association site archived online

When I decided to create kecoughtan.com in the late 1990's I was motivated to do so by the dearth of information on the internet about the history of Kecoughtan Lodge and the Order of the Arrow on the Peninsula preceding Wahunsenakah Lodge.

One resource that proved invaluable to me was the Virginia Section Officers Association web site.  Formed in 1998, the purpose of the Association was cited on the home page of their web site:

• To provide the Section with a knowledgeable pool of Arrowmen to use as trainers at Section Conclaves

• To record the history of section SR-7A and to maintain the histories of Virginia's former sections

• To locate past Virginia Section officers and encourage them to become active in Scouting

• To maintain a web site that contains Virginia Section histories and lists past officers

The site was developed by W. Scott Smith (1993, 1994 SR-6B Chief) of Tutelo Lodge 161 and Michael F. White (1995 SR-6B Chief) of Shenandoah Lodge 258. 

A few years ago I noticed that the site was no longer online, and emailed the authors requesting permission to make its content available here. They kindly assented, and today I still consult the valuable reference they created for historical information I've been unable to locate anywhere else.

Take a trip down memory lane and visit the VSOA site, archived at kecoughtan.com with a salute to Scott and Mike for their pioneering efforts to preserve Virginia OA history on the web.