Kecoughtan emblems reach new price highs

Recently many rare Kecoughtan Lodge emblems have been auctioned on eBay, and the final prices realized for several of these auctions are far higher than I expected.

Consider these items that went for several times the previous average values according to the pricing database in the members area of oaimages.com:

463s17 - Ordeal flap, 7mm W's - 11 bids, sold for 152.50 (5/14/06)
Prior average price was 12.38, prior high price was 18.70


463s15 - thin rounded 30mm sides, Vigil - 12 bids, sold for 168.15 (5/14/06)
463s15 - thin rounded 30mm sides, Vigil - 5 bids, sold for 86.00 (5/16/06)
Prior average price was 22.00, prior high price was 25.30


463s14 - thin rounded 30mm sides, Brotherhood - 12 bids, sold for 168.15 (5/14/06)
Prior average price was 20.00, prior high price was 23.00


These patches sold for prices more in line with previous auctions:

463s9 - 1987 SE-8 Conclave Host - 11 bids, sold for 115.15 (5/7/06)
Prior average price was 66.08, prior high price was 132.42


463s1 (black backing) - 4 bids, sold for 410.05 (5/8/06)
Prior average price was 408.67, prior high price was 489.90


463s16 - 1989 Jambo - 11 bids, sold for 52.11 (5/14/06)
Prior average price was 45.96, prior high price was 63.87


463c1 - acorn shaped chenille - 6 bids, sold for 179.50 (5/16/06)
Prior average price was 114.75, prior high price was 166.17


These rare white background anniversary flaps were bought at bargain prices by their lucky winners compared to prior auctions:

463s5 - 25th anniv white bg flap with black W's - 13 bids, sold for 113.15 (5/7/06)
Prior average price was 140.50, prior high price was 230.00


463s4.5 - 25th anniv white bg flap with white W's, no border stitching around acorns or flags - 11 bids, sold for 118.15 (5/7/06)
Prior average price was 205.92, prior high price was 311.63


463s4 - 25th anniv white bg flap with white W's, with border stitching around acorns and flags - 7 bids, sold for 113.15 (5/7/06)
Prior average price was 158.00, prior high price was 258.17


In the spirit to join the bidding frenzy? There's a number of Lodge 463 items on eBay right now, including the two different 40th anniversary flaps, the 1990 NOAC flap celebrating the 75th anniversary of the OA, and one of the yellow-bordered honor flaps.

The elusive Chanco chenille prototype

I originally created my web site to document the emblems and history of Kecoughtan Lodge, and expanded it to include Chanco Lodge when it merged with Kecoughtan to form Wahunsenakah Lodge in January of 1996.

One item that has always seemed to escape my research efforts is the mythical Chanco Lodge prototype chenille issue, also known as the 483 YC1. I first learned of this patch in the Blue Book listings for Chanco Lodge, but no Virginia collector I have ever queried about this item had ever seen one, or knew anything about it.

Turns out I was asking the wrong Virginia OA collectors. I recently asked DeWitt Holland, a longtime Chanco Lodge member, about this patch to find out if it really existed, and was thrilled to find out that not only does it exist, but DeWitt designed it and holds the only example in his personal collection.

DeWitt kindly sent me color pictures of the front and back of the 483 chenille prototype, as well as the historical background, along with the original order form and order confirmation. DeWitt explains why the patch was never produced:

There is only one prototype chenille. I did design the chenille. It was made in December of 1993. It was voted on at the January 1994 Lodge Executive Committee meeting. It was voted down as being too expensive to produce and the majority of the members thought it was just a fund raiser. Its cost would have been $30.00 each and the lodge had never produced anything that cost anywhere near that much. It has 6 colors and a 2 layer yellow felt background. It measures 3 3/4 by 3 3/4 inches.

The 483 chenille was manufactured by the Standard Pennant Company of Big Run, PA, which has been making chenille emblems since 1919 and is well known in collecting circles for many Scout items. It features the standard Chanco Lodge totems (deer and Indian brave):



The reverse of the chenille has a Standard Pennant Company label (SPC Type 11) with a handwritten number which would seem to indicate that more than one exists.



However, the Standard Pennant Company web site explains the notation:

While technology has enabled us to automate part of our production, many of our chenille items are still "handmade" by experienced personnel that consistently reproduce every required detail. All operators identify their own letters with pride. (Check for the operator number on the back.)

While not considered an "official" Lodge issue the 483YC1 is definitely a beautiful patch with a fascinating heritage and I expect I am not the only Virginia OA collector who wishes that it had been produced and sold by Chanco Lodge. One has to wonder how many Lodges in 2005 would pass up the opportunity to sell a patch because they didn't want to issue it only to raise money.

UPDATE: Be sure to check out the later article from March, 2010 about the discovery of a second example of the Chanco YC1.

The last patches of Chanco Lodge 483

DeWitt Holland, former member of Chanco Lodge, recently provided me with fascinating information about several Chanco Lodge activity patches. Mr. Holland designed all of Chanco's activity patches from 1990 until it merged with Kecoughtan Lodge 463 to form Wahunsenakah Lodge 333 on January 1, 1996. Below are his comments about the final patches issued by Chanco Lodge. They provide unique insight into the deep devotion of the Chanco Arrowmen for their Lodge and its traditions, and their emotions as the merger neared.

The Dream of Heaven patch

The Spring 1994 patch was designed when the Lodge first found out about a possible merger with Kecoughtan Lodge 463 so we were contemplating what would happen when Chanco Lodge died. It is called the "Dream of Heaven" patch and its meaning is as follows. The patch depicts the Indian Chanco sleeping under the stars with the deer looking on beside a smoldering fire. He is dreaming of what the Algonquin Indians believed it would be like when they died. They believed they would go to a place where food would be plentiful and they would enjoy singing and dancing and they would be very happy. It is arguably the best looking multi colored fully embroidered Chanco Lodge patch ever made.

The Angry Indians patch

The Fall 1994 patch was designed when the lodge first found out about a definite merger with Kecoughtan Lodge 463 so we were quite angry campers. It's meaning is as follows. The patch depicts the gathering of Indians on a warpath around a raging fire.

Final Chanco activity patches

Three different patches of Chanco Lodge 483 were issued the final year of its existence, 1995. They were issued for the Spring Induction, Fall Induction and Christmas Banquet. Complete sets were limited to attendees only. The top one was the Christmas Banquet patch. The bottom left is the Spring Induction patch, the bottom right is the Fall Induction patch. This patch set tells the historical story of how Chanco the young Indian boy saved the Jamestown colonists from being massacred in 1622.

I personally designed these patches back in 1995. A printed explanation of each patches meaning was given out to purchasers back in 1995. It is not very often you can tell the history and the origin of the lodges totem through a set of patches. These were very meaningful to each member who was able to get a set.

The story behind Kecoughtan's last flap patch

The last Lodge flap issued by Kecoughtan Lodge has an interesting and colorful history. Recently I was able to converse via email with the designer of this patch and learn details about its heritage that add to its unique nature in the gallery of Kecoughtan Lodge's emblems.

Paul Kerstendiecks was an adult volunteer who previously designed three activity patches for the Lodge, the 1994 Winter Fellowship (see original design artwork here), the 1994 Spring Ordeal, and the 1994 Christmas Banquet. He was approached by Trading Post Advisor Dr. Ron Godby to design an anniversary patch for the Lodge to celebrate its 45 years of service.

Dr. Godby's singular design stipulation was that the patch not include the 3 ships that were prominently featured on the standard Lodge flap. These ships had come to be derisively referred to as "the slave ships" by some members of the Lodge who resented the change that was mandated by the Council Executive in August of 1988 from the original flap design that included confederate flags.

Paul recalls:

"It was to be an anniversary flap, and to incorporate something neutral as the "slave ships" were not liked by everyone in the Council/Lodge. Dr. Godby was trying to be sensitive to the entire Lodge with this concept. I had much artistic liberty to take it from there, his guidance was no ships though."

As you can see from the original design document, Paul included painstaking details that even included thread direction instructions to create the "starburst" effect in the green background and ensuring the spherical appearance of the acorns. Dr. Godby sent Paul a thank you letter with three of the flaps in March of 1996, writing "I've heard many comments that it was the prettiest flap ever issued and most appropriate for the final issue."

Remarkably, though, the patch was never designed as a "death flap." New York collector Bill Mulrenin defined this term in a post to the TSPA Patch Vine web site in 1996:

"A 'death' flap or patch is the final issue of a merging lodge specifically issued to commemorate the ending (death) of the lodge. They normally have the 'birth' and 'death' dates of the lodge on them. A tombstone as it were."

Paul explains that he didn't know of the upcoming merger, though more senior members of the Lodge probably did and says:

"I didn't intend the symbology. I wish I could say I had the knowledge and foresight, but I was simply expanding on the acorns, and making the patch balance out. When you look at it you can see focal points, and balance, follow-through ... artsy stuff."

With it's forest green background and simple design of oak leaves and acorns, the last flap patch of Kecoughtan Lodge stands in stark contrast to its predecessors, and serves as a fitting tribute to the Lodge's 45 years of cheerful service to the Virginia Peninsula. It's average value of 42.46 in the oaimages.com price guide makes the S38 final flap issue from Kecoughtan Lodge an affordable and essential part of a Kecoughtan Lodge emblems collection.

8 more Kecoughtan Kryer editions now online

Thanks to a generous loan by George Bains, I have scanned and created PDF documents from 8 editions of the Kecoughtan Kryer newsletter ranging from October of 1989 to October of 1995. This brings the total number available so far on the Kryer page to 11, with the earliest edition dating back to 1970.

The newsletters provide a fascinating insight into the state of Kecoughtan 463 at the time, and serve as important historical documents of the many goals and achievements of the Lodge and its members. I hope you will take some time to read them, and if you have editions which are not yet online, please share them with me so that I can add them to this archive.