Tribute to Walter F. Deal Jr., provided by Tim Ewing
Born 1912, Died July 18, 1998
Father of Kecoughtan Lodge 463
Known to all Lodge Brothers as "DaddyDeal."
Eluwak ("Powerful One") was his Vigil Name.
Long may his memory be a part of those who loved and knew him.
His spirit will always be looking down on his brothers and he waits at the door with the spirit in the sky, for his brothers.
Here is the story of Walter F. Deal Jr.
Walter F. Deal Jr. in 1924 joined Scouting at the age of 12, with Troop 41 in the Hilton Village Area of Newport News, Virginia. He served with that unit from 1924 to 1929. He went to Camp Powhatan on Gwyns Inland for Summer Camp to earn badges , just as our youth of today do.
This was the start of a long Scouting career for Walter. He was an active boy in his Scouting unit, going on all the outings that his troop went on. Walter loved going camping and being in the outdoors as a youth. He earned all the ranks up to Life Scout. He set his goal to earn the rank of Eagle, but was one requirement short before reaching the age of eighteen.
Walter said he lives that down that he did not push himself harder to earn the rank of Eagle Scout, and worked with the youth who are Life Scouts and challenges them to earn the Eagle Scout rank and not make the same mistake of not achieving the highest rank in Scouting as he did.
Walter then was called to serve his country for World War II. If it had not been for his Scouting training, he may not have survived the war. Because of his Scouting training, he made it back home to tell his story of peace and war.
After the War was over Walter returned back to Newport News to work at Newport News Shipyard and to get active again in Scouting as an Adult Scouter in Post 48 in Newport News, Virginia at his church of Saint Andrews. Ten years went by serving the Post on the Committee and helping out as an Assistant.
Walter was then asked to serve as the Explorer Advisor for the Post. He did that for many number of years before stepping down as Advisor to be the Committee chairman for the Post until it folded in 1980.
As Advisor and Chairman, Walter met his good friend Bailey Tudder who camped together on all events of the Post years. Post 48 had the highest number of Explorers earned the rank of Eagle than any troop or post in the Hampton Newport News Area and Council. The Post had more young men in the Kecoughtan Lodge than most did and had the highest number of Lodge Chiefs than any Troop or Post in the council, too.
As far as his Scouting training, he earned his Scouters Training Award in 1959 and the Scouters Key in 1960. The Western District presented the District Award of Merit to Walter in 1975 and then the Council presented Walter with the Council highest award, the Silver Beaver, in 1976.
Walter went through Woodbadge training after a lot of us Scouters talked him into going through the Woodbadge Course. So, in 1981, Walter became a member of the Buffalo Patrol. He was loved in his patrol and was elected the patrol leader at the end of the course. He went to all his patrol members meetings to see them presented their beads. Walter and his patrol all earned the woodbadge beads the next year.
Walter said to us all, "You were right that I would enjoy the woodbadge course and wish that I had taken this course years ago when I was younger. I think this training is very useful to help a Leader with his or her job in Scouting and I think that every man or woman should go out and take the chellenge of earning their Woodbadge beads."
I can remember Walters wife saying to me,"Walter loves Scouting and working with todays youth that are our leaders of tomorrow, that he has made scouting his life and he always found time to support a youth no matter what time it was. I stand behind him and the Scouting program. I always said, behind a good Scouter is a good wife, who understands why we must support the program and youth of today."
In 1958, Walter was tapped out for the Order of the Arrow at Camp Okee. His ordeal soon followed and do you know that he went through that Ordeal without receiving a notch on his arrow that he had to carve. Hard to believe since our friend is a talker.
Walter became a part of Kecoughtan Lodge 463, and was given a neckerchief, flap, an OA handbook, Lodge rules and an Arrow pin for his pocket. The following year, he went on to earn his Brotherhood.
Because of his hard work for the lodge, he was bestowed the Vigil Honor in 1963 and was giving the Indian name Eluwak ("Powerful One"). Walter did not drop out like a lot of members do when they get their Vigil Honor; he went on to be Advisor for many committees. He served the lodge for many years as the Advisor to the Ceremonial Dance Team as well as the Lodge Advisor in 1964. His Ceremonial Teams and Dance Teams won many awards at the Section 3 C Pow- Wows. They were the best of the best and earned top honors at the National Conferences.
Walter has been our Kecoughtan Lodge Advisor more times then anyone in the lodge. He was acting advisor in 1965,1974 and 1980 and served a full term as advisor in 1977-1978 and 1981-1982.
He stepped in as Lodge Advisor when Mr. Bill Leighty had a heart attack and could not finish his term as Lodge Advisor. "I stepped in for Mr. Leighty when he needed me to. At this time, we had a bunch of good strong Brothers running the lodge. They always got the jobs done and had the support of the Lodge. This was Bills special group of young men who cared that our lodge was on top. My friend Bill gave me key players to lead and I was there to support them. This made it easy for me and I would never trade that for all the money in the world. The Advisor job took up a lot of my time and energy, but I never minded it and my wife supported me. She gave up a lot of family time, that a loving wife wants, but she was a most understanding wife and I could not have made it without her support."
When I was Lodge Advisor in 1965 we had committees joined together as one since we were a small lodge at first, compared to today. We had large numbers of active members coming to all lodge events.
Then I look at the job in 1977, far more committee and the lodge is double in numbers. The Ceremonial and Dance Team were two different committees, the newsletter was an acting committee now, and we had a cooking committee which I enjoyed working with. I loved to cook - just tell me how many were coming and I would fix the eggs and bacon for them.
Now todays Lodge in 1980, I look at these committees our lodge has now in a different way, the Cooking, Kryer, Camping Promotions, and Unit Elections are the backbone of our lodge. We need to look closely at these committees and give a hand to these our brothers who serve to make our lodge the best it can be. We are an Honor Lodge because of what these Committees mean to Kecoughtan Lodge 463.
For Unit Elections, we need to get out there and get those Troops and Explorers to have an election to get new blood into our Lodge. We need this new blood, for they will be our future leaders of the Lodge and promote the name of Kecoughtan Lodge 463 as the best in the section for growth.
Camping Promotions is our job and we should always be promoting camping in our units. We need to get out to every unit and promote our Summer Camp called Camp Chickahominy as the finest Summer Camp around the state. We must make sure that each Scout Unit, Cub Unit and Post gets a copy of the "Where to go Camping" Booklet. Without doing this, we are not doing what honor campers are.
Committees need communications and the Newsletter committee is the best way to get the word out. We need to help the Newsletter Committee out with news going on around the Chapters and Lodge. Please help do your part, by sending in articles about Brothers doing outstanding service to a unit or just telling what your Chapter or Committee is doing for the Lodge. Our Newsletter Committee has taken many awards for best Lodge newsletter in the state of Virginia. Lets keep it that way and support these Brothers who print many words.
I have worked on the Cooking Committee longer than any other person in the Lodge. Who else will know how to feed over 150 hungry brothers at all ordeals, conclaves or pow-wows?
Walter loves to cook and is an outstanding cook. Brothers should help out the Cooking Committee and learn a few things from Walter. They are always looking for a hand.
A reporter once asked Walter,"How much time do you spend in Boy Scouts?" "I have no answer for that, but I will tell you this: you do not see a day or night go by that I am not doing something to help out my fellow Brother in the Lodge or the Peninsula Council."
Mr. Deal has done so much for the lodge that in 1975 and along with his good friend Bailey Tudder, they were presented the first of two awards for the 25th anniversary Award for Outstanding Service during the first twenty-five years of the Kecoughtan Lodge History. He was also presented the E. Urner Goodman Award the same year.
For years, you could see Walter and Bailey rooming together at all the National OA Conferences since 1969 til 1985 and all the Conclaves in the section.
When asked which OA Conference was his favorite he said "that would be hard to say, but I think it was the 1973 National OA Conference in California, where Bailey and myself met Mr. Mickey Mouse in Disneyland. I met many Brothers from all over, but Bailey and myself would have to think the young men we have from the Lodge were the cream of the crop, that took many honors at the conference. Seeing one of your fellow brothers a part of the show (Sam Fairchild), makes me proud to be a part of this Lodge."
I asked Walter, "Why in Gods Green Earth do you work as Lodge Advisor and give your hand to cooking, too?" "I enjoy working with the boys and men of the kitchen. I have gotten many nicknames for some of my meals, and as long as I am breathing I will help to prepare the meals to feed our Brothers in the Lodge. I love cooking and I will serve the Brothers of Kecoughtan the best meals in town to make them want to come back for seconds and thirds."
How did the nickname "DaddyDeal" come to be your name that the whole lodge is calling you? "You will have to ask a young man named Andy Hess and his crew, but mostly, I was like a Father to some of the boy leaders in the Lodge. I was always advising the boys on what to do and give them support. You can also say I have a strong voice in the Kecoughtan Lodge and will stick to my guns."
Lets take a look at the Post that Walter had for leadership: 6 Lodge Chiefs, 4 Section Vice Chiefs, 3 Section Chiefs, 2 Lodge Advisors, and 16 Vigil Honor Members - all of POST 48. A RECORD THAT ANYONE WOULD BE PROUD OF.
Walter said, "I believe that the Order of the Arrow is the finest movement there is for older scouts in our Scouting program to turn them into men and leaders. If we did not have the Order of the Arrow, where would our program be without something to keep the older scouts involved in scouting?"
Before I leave you, I would like to say how different the ordeal is today since I took the ordeal. "That night I was inducted into the lodge, we were blindfolded and led around camp holding a large rope going in circles. All the candidates held the rope with their right hand tied together in the bound of Brotherhood. Today we dont use the blindfolds, but we still have the use of the rope that ties the bounds of Brotherhood in the ceremony. The words are pronounced different but still mean the same. I had to carve an arrow, and today they are giving an arrow, so I will say that it is about the same. The only difference in the Brotherhood ceremony is, I actually had my hand cut to draw blood. Thank goodness that changed and we use a red marker instead.I was given a raw egg or a tablespoon of dry oatmeal with some water for my meal. Today, we give our candidates a break, but strong backs from good meals makes a day go well for the candidate all day."
Walter was a member of a small group of brothers called the Leaping Lizards Club. They were always having a fun time and not just anyone could be a member. Andy and Wade are always catching me without my membership card. Next time, I will not be the last one to throw my membership card to the ground. Look out my brothers of the Leaping Lizards, I learned my lesson, when Dr. Goodman told me, "Son you have to play by the rules." Walter was a good friend to brothers such as Bailey Tudder, Hugh C. Ewing, Ron Hafer, Andy Hess, Wade Glover, Bill Leighty, Ron Godby and many others.
Some have gone on to the Great God in the Sky, and now our Brother has gone to be with his Brothers in the sky.
Walter F. Deal Jr. ("DaddyDeal"), a family man, outstanding Scouter to us all and true leader that every Arrowman can look up to.
Thank you Walter, for serving the youth of yesterday and today, and making the future strong for the Lodge in leadership. A hero to us all and a friend we will miss.
May God bless the souls that Walter touched so much.