By Brendan Switts
Section SR-7A’s Wahunsenakah Lodge has served the Colonial Virginia Council for the last 18 years. Located in Newport News, Virginia and founded in 1996, Wahunsenakah was the product of a merger between Chanco and Kecoughtan Lodges. The two lodge chiefs successfully organized the merge in 1995, and worked as co-chiefs until the first lodge election in March of 1996.
For the merge to be successful, it was essential that members of both lodges sought the formation of a solidified lodge, while working to ensure that the traditions from their original lodges were maintained. An example of this was displayed during the decision of Wahunsenakah’s name. It was decided that neither of the original names would be used, so the leadership at the time had to choose a new one. A member from Chanco Lodge suggested Powhatan, a name that was considered in 1952 when Chanco was founded. A brother from Kecoughtan Lodge then suggested Wahunsenakah, which was Chief Powhatan’s given name when he ruled the Powhatan Confederacy in Virginia. The name was agreed upon.
Wahunsenakah has many traditions that are derived from Chanco and Kecoughtan, one being regulations on lodge flaps. To receive your lodge flap, new Brothers must complete at least seven service hours; a custom that came from both lodges. Another tradition is the regalia used during ceremonies. Wahunsenakah’s ceremony team uses traditional American Indian attire, with feathered headdresses. Each chapter also has a headdress which is passed down from chapter chief to chapter chief.
The lodge has hosted two of Section SR-7A’s Conclaves, one in 2003 and another in 2009. Both events were very successful with about 800 Arrowmen in attendance. As host of SR-7A’s 2015 Conclave, Wahunsenakah hopes to have even more Arrowmen join in celebrating the OA’s centennial.
Currently, Wahunsenakah is busy preparing for the building of an OA shelter for the council camp, a long-standing goal that has been in the works for years. Costs for this project have been offset by the selling of a series of special edition flaps. The shelter will accompany the recently constructed Indian Village. The lodge built the village earlier this year and it is currently being used for the Indian Lore merit badge class.
Are you a member of a lodge with interesting traditions? Let us know by sending an email to @email and you may be featured in an upcoming publication!