OA paraphernalia, what should be worn?

[Fat Old Guy]

" However, another part of me is a bit cynical, and thinks it is because they have a less than impressive merit badge sash, and so they decided the OA sash looks more impressive."

 

Maybe they are just proud to be OA members.

[EagleInKY]

Oh, come on FOG, are you the only one that gets to be cynical? ;-)

[Fuzzy Bear]

If a person wears the merit badge sash and the OA sash, the protocol is to wear them across each other like crossed bandoliers. It makes others feel at ease through the use of rich but subtle humor.

[Proud Eagle]

I suppose we would also need official BSA pistol belts and sombreros to complete that outfit.

 

The frightening thing is I have seen pictures from people's Eagle ceremonies with them dressed in a manner only a bit different from that. Usually they are also wearing the official BSA blue jeans. The place I have seen the most of these is in the Elks magazine, when they depict Scouts that have won awards or scholarships from the Elks.

[NeilLup]

A few years ago, there was a nationally televised commercial by WalMart showing the way they had helped some boy complete his Eagle Scout project. The boy consistently wore official BSA blue jeans.

 

I have to believe that either the local council didn't know anything about the commercial (they would have provided uniform trousers) or else the Troop was one of those "We refuse to wear uniform trousers; our uniform is blue jeans."

[Eagle1973]

Proud Eagle, what's the purpose of pistol belts if Scouts can't handle pistols? Cartridge belts to hold BB's/Pellets/.22's would be better.

[Fuzzy Bear]

The purpose is to hold up the dual ceremonial sheath knives.

[NeilLup]

Am I correct, Fuzzy Bear, that in the early days of the OA, an Ordeal member wore the sash over the right shoulder and a Brotherhood member over the left shoulder. This would have given the desired bandolier effect if worn with the MB sash.

 

I also remember as a Scout that we speculated on what one would do if one had enough Merit Badges to fill up the front of one sash. We postulated bandolier sashes for the additional MBs.

 

With your sense of humor, you would fit in well with some of the members of our training team.

[Fat Old Guy]

I know that 1965 isn't the early days but in my '65 OA handbook it says that the sash is worn so the arrow points at the right should. No difference for any type.

[NeilLup]

The source that I found said the change was made in 1949.

 

And if 1965 is old for you, FOG, you're not old

[Fat Old Guy]

Never said that 1965 was old, it is just the oldest OA handbook that I have.

 

I'm so old that even my wrinkles have wrinkles.

[wojauwe]

 

AS a very active chapter Advisor and the father of a youth member of the lodge

leadership,I'm invited to Eagle COH's through out the Council.I carry my sash with me and wear it if this is what this unit does.My feeling is that if the

unit wants to display their OA participation , I will respect it.

It may not be the official uniform code.But this is a special event and I refuse to be nitpicky about such an irrelevent thing.

The spirit of the OA is in the heart not the symbols.

[scouting-nerd]

The pocket dangle is used to show national membership and the pocket flap is used to show what lodge the person is a members of. The lodge flap is however only supposed to be worn by active (dues paid) members of the lodge.

 

[Fat Old Guy]

See s-nerd, there's the problem. If you aren't a member of a lodge, you aren't a member of the national organization. So the lodge flap implies national membership. Which still makes the dangle redundant.

[Fuzzy Bear]

(I was unable to post this last week because the system was down. I just remembered and brought it out of mothballs.)

 

Thanks Neilup, being considered as a fit for a part in a Training Troupe has always been a high compliment to me.

 

Your resources are earlier than mine, so you must be right about the OA sashes.

 

Concerning the merit badge daydream, I had it myself on more than one occasion as a Scout. For most of us, filling up the front of one sash was a matter of strategic spacing.

 

Order of the Arrow Handbook, August 1954, page 59, Arrow Bands.

 

"The Ordeal, Brotherhood, or Vigil Honor bands are worn with the arrow pointing toward the right shoulder."

 

Each Arrow band can be worn only by the individual holding that honor. The book is silent about what the person should do that the holds all three honors. I suppose the individual could wear all of them at once but if the person did, the Arrow bands need to be pointed over the right shoulder, at least in '54. In warmer climes, I presume it only reasonable to wear one at a time.

 

As always, I stand to be corrected in light of the usual overwhelming evidence against me,

 

FB