Kecoughtan Lodge 463 Emblems - Site Dedication
With Sincere
Thanks -

This Web Site
Is Dedicated to ...

This site could not exist without the vast amount of work already done by others in compiling information about the history of Kecoughtan Lodge and its emblems.

I am deeply indebted to the late Dr. Ronald Godby of Yorktown, VA for his authoritative compilation of Order of the Arrow Lodge issues for the entire Commonwealth of Virginia. Dr. Godby's research was the basis for the Kecoughtan Lodge 463 listings in the first edition of the Blue Book Standard Order of the Arrow Insignia Catalog, published in 1996. This site is dedicated to Dr. Godby and the late E. Bailey Tudder, longtime Lodge Advisor for Kecoughtan 463 whose dedication to cheerful service was exceeded by no one.

Below you will find information about these two gentlemen who contributed so much to our Brotherhood of Cheerful Service. May we learn much from their unselfish examples.

E. Bailey Tudder

E. Bailey Tudder

Kecoughtan Lodge
Advisor
1967-1974

Obituary for Elwin Bailey Tudder from Hampton (VA) Daily Press, July 8, 1996

The following biography of E. Bailey Tudder was submitted by Sam Fairchild, former Lodge Chief of Kecoughtan Lodge 463

E. Bailey Tudder was a systems analyst with Noland Corporation, and rose to head the systems analysis group there. He was involved with the deployment of computer systems long before many companies even had computers, so in many ways he was a pioneer. His access to computing power was highly beneficial to the Lodge - we were able to automate many of our records and mailing lists, and the process of working with a 400 member organization was made much smoother because of his leadership.

Most importantly, Bailey was an adult leader who had enormous faith and trust in boy leaders. He knew just how much to push, just how much to pull back, when to get involved and when to stay out. His obvious respect for the capabilities and talents of junior and senior high age boy leaders earned him the undying respect of those Lodge Chiefs, Vice Chiefs, Committee Chairmen and Chapter officers. He was very, very skilled in dealing with youth, and it showed. He also had an highly optimistic outlook about the lodge and its affairs - his enthusiasm was contagious, and the Lodge's Executive Committee thrived on his outlook. He would protect the lodge against the bureaucratic interference of the Peninsula Council staff, and was able to keep the lodge focused on its first task - camp promotions. Bailey had a soft spot in his heart for ceremonies, and was a leader in ensuring that the lodge's ceremonial grounds were developed aggressively, and that the costumes were top-notch. He seemed to have a bias in favor of ceremonies compared to dance team competitions.

Bailey was a leader of inclusion - he led the integration of the lodge, and worked hard to ensure that some of the less desirable traditions of the lodge that might have made it difficult for Scouts of color to enjoy a full experience in Kecoughtan did not creep into the program. Interestingly enough, though, he was perhaps the staunchest supporter of the retention of the Confederate flags on the lodge flap - Bailey had a canned speech, which he believed deeply, that spoke of the traditions of courage and persistence that were symbolized by the flags, and that the lodge was fortunate to be able to celebrate this tradition in our emblems while exercising a program of full inclusion in the everyday life of the lodge. He thrived on this irony - often calling it the lodge's badge of honor.

Bailey was, politically, liberal in his views, and was open to a great deal of program experimentation in line with the times. He once discussed the possibility of opening the Lodge to women from Explorer posts in the council. In many regards, the establishment in the council regarded him as controversial, even to the point of being provocative, yet it was the unparalleled quality of his adult leadership and his uncanny ability to motivate boy leaders that allowed him to serve as Lodge Advisor for well over a decade.

When he stepped down as advisor, he did so for all the right reasons -- new times bring new needs to be addressed and met by new faces. Yet, until he died, I suspect that every member of the lodge regarded him as the standard against which adult OA leadership should be measured. He was simply extraordinary, and his handiwork is embedded in more than one generation of leader.

Dr. Ronald Godby

Dr. Ronald Godby

First Edition
Blue Book Editor
for DE, MD, VA
1996

Obituary for Dr. Ronald Godby from Hampton (VA) Daily Press, May 25, 1997

The following information is provided by Glenn Chase, webmaster for this site:

The Kecoughtan Lodge 463 Emblems web site began as a humble single page on my personal AOL web site. I was inspired to create the page by an article in the December, 1990 Scouting Collectors Quarterly magazine authored by Dr. Godby which detailed all emblem issues from my former Order of the Arrow Lodge, Kecoughtan 463. Although Dr. Godby was a member of Kecoughtan Lodge when I was an officer in the mid-70's, I did not know him personally nor remember ever meeting him, though I am certain we were at several of the same Lodge functions.

I sent an email to Ron asking for additional details of Peninsula Council's merger and if Kecoughtan would remain independent or eventually merge with Chanco. I also mentioned that I was hoping to create an internet reference for Kecoughtan Lodge emblems, and asked permission to publish his checklists online. He generously obliged, and sent me additional listings which included Lodge activity patches, mugs, hat pins, and chapter issues.

I was shocked and deeply saddened when I learned of Ron's passing by reading about it in the Scout Collector's Quarterly. Although I never had a chance to meet him in person he acknowledged every single email and helped me get several difficult Lodge 463 issues for my collection so that I could scan them and make their images available on the web. I never understood nor appreciated the amount of work Ron put into compiling Virginia Scout emblem history until after he was gone and it was too late to express my thanks. Bill Topkis, a noted authority on Scout history and collecting and an editor of the the Journal of the American Scouting Historical Society called Ron Godby "the foremost authority ever on Virginia issues" in a message posted to Patch-L. We are very fortunate that he left us such a careful and comprehensive reference of Virginia Scout emblem history.

The following information was provided by in May of 2005:

“While a student at West Virginia University, Ron pledged the Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity in the Fall 1959. Founded in 1925 in Easton, PA by former Scouts, APO is among the most highly respected clubs on over 350 campuses. Ron served three terms as the Lambda Omicron Chapter President in 1959-60, one of only four men to be elected more than twice. In fact, under his leadership the chapter grew its membership for the first time in over two years of no growth since chartering in 1955 – likely the reason for the chapter’s survival.

The WVU chapter in the Spring 1991 semester named their Pledge Class in his honor and invited him to speak at their formal banquet about his many memories as an APO Brother. His speech was so special to the now-over-100-member-strong group.”

(More biographical information will be added to this area as I receive it)

This web site is dedicated to the memory of E. Bailey Tudder, longtime Kecoughtan Lodge Advisor, and Dr. Ron Godby, former 463 Arrowman and co-author of the most comprehensive reference on Lodge 463 emblem issues.

The Kecoughtan Lodge 463 Emblems web site was created by Glenn Chase on an Apple Macintosh with absolutely zero Microsoft products. All images presented are protected with a digital watermark, and are the exclusive property of Glenn Chase, all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. No commercial usage of these images is allowed without prior consent. Please send corrections/additions/suggestions to .

This page was last updated on: Sep 01, 2009, 05:56 AM

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