I am working to document the Lodge history, recognizing the hard work and dedication of the Arrowmen that helped Kecoughtan serve Peninsula Council and the Hampton Roads community for 45 years. Your help in making this web site as complete and informative as possible is encouraged and sincerely appreciated.

I am in search of documents to chronicle the history of Kecoughtan Lodge, from its founding in 1951 to its merger with Chanco 483 on January 1, 1996. Especially appreciated are old Lodge newsletters to fill the gaps in my Kecoughtan Kryer Online Archive. Do you have Executive Committee meeting minutes, Lodge Directories, press releases, fact sheets, patch designs, or other items? Anything you might be able to share would be appreciated. Send me an email or use the feedback form and let me know what you can share.

From The Guide to Hampton Roads - Historic Hampton:

A little more than a year before Hampton (originally called Kecoughtan) was settled, the first English Christmas in the New World was celebrated here. In December 1608 a starving band of Jamestown settlers under the command of Captain John Smith arrived seeking food. Welcomed by the friendly Kecoughtan Indians, the desperate colonists were fed and sheltered. It was during this time that the thankful settlers observed a belated, yet truly joyful, Christmas. One of the Englishmen who accompanied Smith wrote this account of the Indians' reception: "...the extreme wind, rain, frost and snow caused us to keep Christmas amongst the savages, where we were never more merry, nor fed on more plenty of good oysters, fish, fowl, and good bread; nor never had better fires in England than in the dry warm smoky houses of Kecoughtan."

These web sites provide further background for the name "Kecoughtan:"

• Uncovering Traces of Historic Kecoughtan
• Our first Hometown, "Kecoughtan"
• Geography of Virginia

Kecoughtan Lodge's chapters (Kiskiack, Mattaponi, Pamunkey, and Piankatank) as well as the Council Camp (Chickahominy) were named for other Indian tribes which were also members of the Powhatan Confederacy and indigenous to the local region.

These web sites provide more information about the history of Indians in Virginia:.

• A Brief History of the Indian Tribes of Virginia
• Virginia's First People, Past and Present
• The Indian Tribes of North America: Virginia

Sam Fairchild, Advisor to the 25th Anniversary Committee, loaned me this invaluable document so that I could present it on this web site to help preserve the history of Kecoughtan Lodge and make it available for you.

Click on the cover graphic above to find links to each page of this booklet which I scanned and saved as JPEG images. When time permits I will convert the text to HTML. In the interest of getting it online as soon as possible, and to preserve the original appearance of the booklet, I chose to make it available as scanned images first.

25th Anniversary Celebration Historical Trail Scripts (980K PDF) - these scripts were developed for use during the Lodge's 25th Anniversary Celebration event held September 17-19, 1976. Provided by George Bains, Anniversary Chairman, the scripts include many bits of history not found in other Lodge documents. (A text version of the scripts is also available).

Also available on this site are documents pertaining to the history of Area and Sections which Kecoughtan Lodge belonged to. I encourage you to view them to get a broad perspective on the history of the Order of the Arrow in Virginia:

• Area III-C Manual of Lodges, 1957 Edition
• Area III-C Manual of Lodges, 1963 Edition
• History to SE-8, 1984 Edition

Order of the Arrow Founder E. Urner Goodman at Camp Chickahominy in 1976 for the Lodge's 25th Anniversary celebration. In this picture Col. Ralph Hanchin, Lodge Lay Advisor and Goodman's wife are seated at the table next to him. Kecoughtan Lodge Flap sign in the dining hall in the background. Sam Fairchild identified the Scout facing Goodman as "none other than Del Croom, past lodge chief. Del was dressed in typical college student scouting attire -- scout shirt, neckerchief and jeans." Photo courtesy Tim Streagle.

Order of the Arrow Founder E. Urner Goodman at Camp Chickahominy in 1976 for the Lodge's 25th Anniversary celebration. Shown in this picture seated at a table with Kecoughtan Arrowman Bruce Robinson. According to Sam Fairchild, "Bruce was the Recording Secretary of the Lodge, and came out of my old Troop 345. He served as the founder's "aid-de-camp" during his visit (with Ms. Goodman) to our 25th Anniversary. My mother, Ruby Mae Fairchild, was Ms. Goodman's companion during the visit. Bruce was chosen for this task because of his extraordinary manners, remarkable ability to communicate, and full knowledge of the event's program. He did a superb job, and during my many subsequent conversations with the founder, was the subject of precise and genuine praise from him." Photo courtesy Tim Streagle.

Hugh C. Ewing and William (Bill) Leighty at Camp Chickahominy (above, click for larger image. Photo courtesy Tim Ewing).

When I became Editor of the Kecoughtan Kryer there were two sleeves of black and white negatives in the box of stuff which was given to me by Bailey Tudder to get the newsletter put together. I was never able to find the original owner of the negatives, so they've been in a file folder for over 25 years. Last year my curiosity got the best of me, so I had them printed and below are the results!

Photographs from the 1971 National Order of the Arrow Conference held at the University of Illinois. Sam Fairchild provides the following clues about these photos:

On 71-2, Vince West, vice chief of the lodge, has a mug strapped to his belt on the left. Rest of the guys are not from Kecoughtan. 71-3 is the Brotherhood Band. 71-4 is Carroll Edson, co-founder of the Order. 71-5 and 71-6 are pictures from the press conference with Edson and Goodman (and Ms. Teenage Native America). I am guessing that the guy who took the pictures had press credentials, therefore was the editor of the Kryer, perhaps, at the time.

Photographs from the 1972 Area III-C Pow Wow hosted by Kecoughtan Lodge at Camp Chickahominy.

According to Sam Fairchild, "This Area event was the last one for Area III-C and the first (and only) Area III-C to be hosted by Kecoughtan Lodge. The Area system was abolished that year and replaced with a Section structure that brought in lodges from Maryland and Delaware. When this change was made, the official name of the annual gathering of lodges was standardized across the nation as "conclaves," and the proud Virginia tradition of hosting "Pow-Wow's" ended. By the way, the idea of calling the Virginia gatherings Pow-Wows came from none other than Ray Garrabrandt, then advisor to Lodge 276 and the unofficial organizer of Area III-C in 1952. Ray liked the name Pow-Wow because there were three W's in the name. If you look at the material he personally designed for the 1962 gathering at Camp Rock Enon, you will see repeated use of capital W's in the designs, to read "poWWoW". "

If you recognise faces here please let me know so that I can include the information on this web site!

Kecoughtan Lodge Ceremony at Camp Chickahominy, early 1970's
(click on image for larger picture)

From 1951 through 1995 forty-four individuals held the highest youth position of responsibility in the Lodge - that of Lodge Chief. You can learn who they were and when they served at this page devoted to listing Kecoughtan Lodge Chiefs. Also listed here are Kecoughtan Arrowmen who served as Area or Section officers.

From 1951 through 1995 thirteen individuals held the highest adult position of responsibility in the Lodge - that of Lay Advisor. This page lists all of the Kecoughtan Lodge Lay Advisors.

Tim Ewing kindly provided this fitting tribute to Walter F. Deal, Jr., known by many in our Lodge as "Daddy Deal." Walter faithfully served the Lodge in many capacities for several decades and was much loved by the youth he dedicated so many years of cheerful service to.

The list was generously provided by Herb Smith from official council records compiled by the Lodge in the 1990's. In addition to the names of Vigil Honor recipients and their dates of election and induction, it also includes their Indian name and translation. The OA Guidebook for Officers and Advisors (2002) notes the following requirement for choosing Vigil Honor candidated:

Select an honorable American Indian name and its English equivalent for the candidate. Use the American Indian-English translations from the Lenni Lenape Word List found in the back of the Order of the Arrow Handbook or from another credible American Indian language text. The American Indian name should be selected in a serious manner, based upon each person's qualities, talents, or traits."

by Sam Fairchild

Remember that Kecoughtan was "spawned" by Peninsula Council Scouts and Scouters who were members of Nawakwa and/or Blue Heron. The founder was Eddie Jones, one of the most reknown Scouters and Scouts in the country. He was the first Scout to earn the Eagle, Quartermaster and Senior Scout Ranger Awards, and the first Scout to earn all of the merit badges offered (at the time). He was an All-American pitcher and quarterback, and the most prominent patch trader of his day. (He was also my Scoutmaster).

Eddie's wife sewed on the patches on the charter neckerchief. I gave the Lodge a double-hinged frame with all of the Lodge issues (in 1981) including activity patches. The Charter Neckerchief in the frame was from Charter Member Douglas Braxton, whose widow gave me the neckerchief following his death.

The second issue was a blue neckerchief with a brown felt acorn. It was worn by Lodge members to the 1953 National Order of the Arrow Conference, and thereafter. There were only 17 or so of these neckerchiefs made, and I had Eddie Jones' own neckerchief in the case. The acorn was about 4 inches tall with an arrow piercing it diagonally.

The third issue was the use of the little green arrowheads as a pocket patch. Here the second and third minor variations - more loom run variations than anything - came into play. These were used in 1953 - 1957.

The fourth issues were the first lodge flap and the next neckerchief patches. The now famous c/e flap, which was always an S, came in at least four variations, and was used from 1957 until 1963 or so. Perhaps as many as 600 of these were made over that period. The twill, c/e neckerchief patch with the three ships and the streamlined acorn shape, was used until 1965.