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 2009 NOAC flap pictures added

Larry Johnson of Wahunsenekah attended the 2009 National Order of the Arrow Conference at Indiana University, and upon his return kindly sent me pictures of the flaps that the delegates from Lodge 333 traded this year. Larry reports that 150 of the silver bordered delegate sets and 850 of the red bordered trader sets were issued.

This year Wahunsenakah returned to issuing a two-part set for their NOAC patches after a decade of NOAC flap designs without a matching pocket part. Since the Lodge's inception in 1996 they have always issued a special flap for NOAC, but their last 2-part set was issued in 1998. The list to date looks like this:

• 1996 - 2 part set (S4 trader and S5 delegate matched with X1)
• 1998 - 2 part set (S9 trader and S10 delegate matched with X2 and X3 respectively)
• 2000 - white ghost flap (S14 trader) and white ghost with gold mylar lettering (S15 delegate)
• 2002 - photochromatic ghost (S20 trader) and photochromatic ghost with silver border (S21 delegate)
• 2004 - S25 trader with silver inner border, S26 delegate with gold inner border
• 2006 - S31 trader with red border, S32 with silver border
• 2009 - S39 and X4 trader with red border, S40 and X5 delegate with silver border

The patch was designed by Lodge member Casey Johnson and cleverly interprets the theme for this year's NOAC, The Power of One.

You can find pictures of these and every Wahunsenakah Lodge flap on the Wahunsenakah Lodge Emblems page.

Wahunsenakah 2009 NOAC patch design

Lodge 333 Advisor George Homewood shared the design for the Wahunsenakah 2009 NOAC flap and pocket chevron you see above. The clever and innovative "Science Duck" flap set was designed by Lodge member Casey Johnson, who also designed the 2009 SR-7A conclave flaps for the Lodge.

Elusive pictures arrive!

This past week has been exciting for new content at kecoughtan.com. I've been provided with photographs of items that I've needed for a long time. Larry Johnson sent me several very cool pictures, including one of the last coffee mug from Kecoughtan Lodge. It's not a design masterpiece, in fact it features a generic national OA logo with "Kecoughtan Lodge 463" imprinted underneath. But when it's the last photo you need to show every mug ever issued by the Lodge, it's welcomed as quite a prize!

I was also granted permission by auction hostess Melynda to share a picture of a 1992 NOAC leather round from Kecoughtan Lodge whose existence I was beginning to doubt since I had no details about it other than the fact it was reported to be a leather emblem. There's no sign of it on oaimages.com nor is it listed in the Blue Book. The only one I am aware of is now in the collection of Sam Fairchild who won the auction. This photo was the last one I needed to complete the Kecoughtan event emblems of the 1990's.

Now will someone please help me find out if there really was a leather patch for the 1976 Kecoughtan Lodge Spring Ordeal?

Wahunsenakah and Blue Heron 2006 NOAC flap issues

The 2006 National Order of the Arrow Conference was held at Michigan State University in Lansing, MI from July 29-August 3. Like many other Lodges, Wahunsenakah Lodge issued a patch for the occasion. The flap was offered in two versions, one with a red border (considered the "trader" issue) and one with a silver mylar border which was limited to three per delegate. 1,500 of the trader and 150 of the delegate version were made. 13 delegate flaps remained after members of the contingent made their purchases and they were sold for 100.00 each.

I am particularly fond of the design since it salutes the heritage of Wahunsenakah by featuring the totems of the two lodges which merged to form the new Lodge ten years ago. Kecoughtan's acorn and Chanco's Chief and deer flank each side of the flap, with the Wahunsenakah duck totem centered between then, and the text "The Legend Lives On NOAC 2006" at the top of the flap. "Wahunsenakah 333" is centered at the bottom point. Until the next edition of the Blue Book is issued in 2008 the issue numbers for these flaps are unofficial, but for now they are listed on oaimages.com as s31 (trader) and s32 (delegate).


Another notable 2006 NOAC patch design which recognizes Kecoughtan and Chanco lodges is the two-piece set issued by Blue Heron Lodge 349 of Tidewater Council, Virginia, based just across the Chesapeake Bay in Norfolk. Blue Heron's design features silhouettes of the Kecoughtan Acorn and Chanco Chief with the Octoraro Lodge 22 horseshoe totem centered between them. Blue Heron Lodge was founded in the Fall of 1946 when a ceremonial team from Octoraro Lodge traveled from Pennsylvania to hold the first ordeal at Camp Darden. Octoraro is thereby recognized as Blue Heron's "Mother Lodge." Octoraro Lodge was founded in 1927, with its first members inducted by the founder of the Order of the Arrow, Dr. E. Urner Goodman. It's official Lodge totem is the goose, however may of their Lodge emblems include a horseshoe in reference to their council camp, Horseshoe Scout Reservation.

Similarly, Blue Heron Lodge was key in the founding of both Kecoughtan and Chanco Lodges, and is considered the "Mother Lodge" for both. The original members of Kecoughtan Lodge began their first ordeal during the 1951 Area III-A ordeal held at Camp Delmont in Pennsylvania. When it was clear that the candidates could not finish their ordeal during the conclave it was agreed that the remainder would be completed at Camp Darden of Tidewater Council the following weekend. On June 14th of 1951 the original six candidates for membership in Kecoughtan Lodge 463 were inducted by the Blue Heron Lodge ceremonial team. (Source: Silver Acorns)

A year later almost to the day the Blue Heron Lodge ceremonial team inducted 15 charter members of Chanco Lodge into the Order of the Arrow at the conclusion of their ordeal held June 13-15, 1952 at Camp Waters in Surry, Virginia. (Source: History of Chanco Lodge)

The Blue Heron 2006 NOAC set was issued in three varieties: a black bordered trader set (S75/X22), a silver bordered 2 piece set for delegates (S76/X23), and a unique black "ghost" background with red border set (S77/X24).

It's great to see Blue Heron and Wahunsenakah Lodges celebrate the rich heritage and perpetuate the tradition of our brotherhood in the design of their 2006 NOAC patch issues by including the totems of their forebearers and children.