OA lodge patch on inactives

[Jeffrey H]

Is it appropriate for Scouters to wear their lodge patch on their uniforms when they are not active and not paying their dues??

 

We have one leader in our unit that wears his, but it was earned as a youth and I know that he is not active today or paying any dues.

 

I was inducted into the OA as a youth, but I am currently not active as an adult. However, I see many misuses concerning the OA patch and inappropiate times to wear the OA sash.

[local1400]

Many Lodges have by-laws that prohibit the wearing of flaps if you are not currently registered. Yes, Sash abuse is also fairly common. I wear mine ONLY at OA events (and NOT at COH's). No one from the lodge will actually come beat down ones door over this situation, but you could remind your friend about the service aspect of the OA as well as the obligation he spoke when he earned his membership. You could encourage him to get back involved. OA is not an award, it is an honor.

[John-in-KC]

Simply encourage him to re-engage, even if it's no more than paying dues for now (that assumes his position and children are in Cubbing).

 

 

 

[scoutldr]

Usually, only lodge members in good standing (ie, current dues paid) can wear the flap. One can only belong to the Lodge serving the Council of their current registration.

[SWScouter]

Personally, I wouldn't worry about it. I have no way to know whether someone has paid their OA lodge dues or not unless they actually tell me. I'm certainly not going to ask a lodge officer to check.

 

If he hasn't sealed his membership by going through the Brotherhood ceremony, you might encourage him to do that (and to take a couple of youth along to do so too). That way he will at least need to pay his dues for one year

 

SWScouter

[MarkS]

Our lodge doesn't collect dues... instead it raises most of its funds through registration fees for it's campouts and merchandise sales.

 

My son and I were called out this summer and went thru Ordeal in the Fall--and with more than 2.5 inches of rain during that weekend, it really was.

 

My son has joined one of the Crossover ceremony teams and we both have attended a chapter meeting, lodge banquet, and helped out at a service project opportunity but I haven't been asked to make any specific contribution to the chapter or lodge. I'll keep it low key to start, help with providing rides to lock-ins or ceremonial team seminars, et al, figure out how things work, and volunteer to help out where I can.

[Eamonn]

Doing the right thing, because it's the right thing to do, is a lot of what we are about.

There really are no "Higher Ups" or Ranks for adults in Scouting. While of course there are or should be friendly people who can offer wise words of advise and wisdom. A Scoutmaster doesn't outrank a Cubmaster and the District Commissioner doesn't outrank the Scoutmaster. This means that no one is going to tell or order the person with something on his or her uniform that it needs to be removed.

At the end of the day it always comes back to the Scout Oath and Law.

If the person wearing the patch knows that he isn't entitled to wear it? Is he really living the Scout Oath and Law?

My feeling is that he answers to this when he is alone and reflecting on the example he sets for the Scouts he serves.

Ea.

 

[AvidSM]

My Council is trying something new this year in that it is collecting OA dues during rechartering. I recieved a printout of all the current OA members in my troop with the recharter packet. I plan on adding the $15 OA dues onto the yearly troop dues as applicable.

 

Our lodge does have the rule of "no dues, no flap", but I don't enforce it. Instead, I encourage the scouts to pay their dues - which will be easier this year.

[eolesen]

We've collected OA dues with recharter for a while. It's a good way to get people to stay current...

[acco40]

To "be a member" of the BSA and the OA one has to be registered. Registration is on an annual basis.

 

I think the BSA and the OA (and Silver Beaver Society, etc.) should do what my alumni association and many other organizations (such as NESA) have done - allow life time membership for a higher fee.

 

Just think, if the BSA allwoed me to be a lifetime member {maybe with an ethical clause :-) } for something like $150 they could "endow" that amount and could easily earn my annual member ship fee forever. {And think of the perpetual screw-ups our council and lodge seem to make with registration, this could ease that burden too!}

[Amangi Mizin]

You bring up a good point. Not to go off subject but are there any policies that prohibit lodges from offering "lifetime membership"?

[Region 7 Voyageur]

Amangi Mizin,

 

Life membership in the Order of the Arrow is prohibited per the Guide for Officers and Advisers, page 21.

[Stosh]

What constitutes inactives? I have paid dues every year, never get a newsletter, never get announcements of up-coming activities, etc. etc. etc. It's pretty much take the money and run kind of thing. I drop the money off at the council office because I have absolutely no idea who to send it to.

 

Stosh

[John-in-KC]

Stosh,

 

Why isn't your OATR doing annual dues collection, and keeping all Arrowmen in the Troop, youth and adult, informed?

 

It's part of his POR!

[jmwalston]

jblake47

 

"What constitutes inactives? I have paid dues every year, never get a newsletter, never get announcements of up-coming activities, etc. etc. etc. It's pretty much take the money and run kind of thing. I drop the money off at the council office because I have absolutely no idea who to send it to."

 

I get the same treatment. Get a notice that dues are due, but no newletter, no announcements, and the last two years, no dues card. I've been really disappointed with how my present lodge is run.