MSWEIHE Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 How does an inactive OA member pay the dues, is there an online way to reup? I can't seem to find a way back into OA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoutldr Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 Membership and dues are to your local Lodge, not a national thing. Contact your Council office and ask the secretary if he/she has a dues payment form for the OA. Then just fill out the form and drop it off (or mail it) with a check. You will probably need to know the dates of your Ordeal/Brotherhood/Vigil as appropriate and the Council/Lodge in which they were awarded. Then you should look for a membership card from your Lodge secretary. If your Lodge has a website, you should be able to find meeting information and POC's listed there. The Lodge is divided into Chapters which serve each District...find out when and where they meet and just start showing up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fgoodwin Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 I was not a Boy Scout, so only recently became an adult OA member. I get a newsletter and pay my dues with my recharter. Its unfortunate that some lodges don't send a newsletter -- I think its one of the requirements for quality lodge. Ask your DE to find out who your chapter advisor is then bend his (or her) ear at the next RT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireKat Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 In reading the comments in this post and some of my recient experences with how OA membes get elected I think you can find the answer to the lack of participation and preforming tasks in the quality of the scouts elected. In our area it has become a popularity contest and the scouts who do the most service and work are not the popular ones. They do not get elected so you no longer have workers just those that want the honor but really do not want more work. (the ones who double or more count a service hour and do bare minimum for advancement). The OA system is broken and it will slowly cause AO to die unless something gets changed. I hope older members and those that can will take a magifing glass to what is happening before it becomes too late. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoutldr Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 It is up to the SM to "approve" all candidates before they are placed on the Troop's list of eligibles. If there is a Scout Spirit issue, then that's the place to address it. Then it is up to the troop youth leadership and OA election team to impress upon the troop the meaning of the OA and the honor it represents. It is not a popularity contest, but to honor those who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law...the "best of the best" so to speak. I, too am disappointed that the "active" Arrowmen are only about 10-20% of the membership list. The Lodge and Chapter youth leadership need to do some reflection on how to deliver a quality program. Meetings are boring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoutmaster52 Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 as a SM, I let the scouts know that to wear the flap they should be paying dues. With that said the OA lodge in our area is not very active. I pay my dues and recieve nothing. Should the flap be worn as a honor that you were elected and passed the ordeal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fgoodwin Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 SM52: the "Lodge" consists of its OA members (both youth and adult); if the Lodge is inactive, it is because of the members. If the Lodge is to become active, it is up to the boys to make it so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lodge 489 Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 SWScouter posted the following and I have a quick question based upon it. Can an adult who became an Ordeal Member as a youth still become a Brotherhood Member? 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortridge Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Easy answer: Yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWScouter Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Not only can he become a brotherhood member, he can do it right away since the 10 months has already occurred. SWScouter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeanRx Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Jeffrey H - Hope its not me you are refering to. Don't know if you're in our unit, but if you are - its not meant to offend. I still have my sash, but would never wear it, b/c I do not actively participate in a lodge or its activities. I wear mine. It was earned as a scout. It had been in storage for 22 years before I became involved in BSA again 2 years ago with my own son. I now reside 1/2 the U.S. away from the council I earned it in. I have tried to contact my old council to see about paying dues (I guess if writing a check makes it OK to wear), no reply. I don't even know if the lodge exists anymore. My son is in cubs right now, so not like I have an inroads to be "tapped out" (to be my normal non-PC self) in our current council. Why, do I choose to wear it? Is it a matter of pride on my part? Maybe. Is it to brag? No. However, I cannot count the number of times I have had cubs ASK me about the patch, what it is, how / why I have it, and how can they earn one. Its a conversation starter. It speaks to the present about one of their leader's past. If nothing else, its a reminder to myself and my scouts of what scouting is about - SERVICE. Truthfully, I didn't earn my Eagle, so its really the highest honor I achieved as a scout. I highly doubt I would have ever stepped forward as a DL or as a CM without the expiriences I gained via BSA and OA in particular with regards to service, camping and self reliance. To me, its a reminder to continue to "pay-it-forward" and maybe inspire a young cub to aim high enough that when they have a son of their own, they will take up the reigns of adult leadership because of the expiriences and expectations that they had as a kid in scouts. So if I'm in violation of some rule - I do apologize to the masses. However, it is not done for self glorification, and perhaps the incentive role it plays with scouts in our unit might actually outweigh the harm done by myself being "misuniformed". Just thought there might be one or two more like me out there... I'm sure BW will set me straight with a good lashing about, "A rule is a rule and you are a poor leader b/c you pick and choose which rules to follow and which you ignore...". Whatever. I'm sure ALL scout leaders ALWAYS drive 55 mph with scouts in the car when the speed limit says 55 mph. I'll tell you this. I'd much rather have my old OA lodge patch than a new one, and certainly hold it in higher regard than any wood badge, silver beaver, or any other "award" I could possibly earn as an adult. Not that I do not respect those awards, I do and they take time and tallent to achieve. But, I earned my lodge patch as a scout. That was earned at a time when I didn't know for myself if I could actually pass the ordeal. After years of military service, I'm fairly sure I can overcome anything a BSA group can throw at me as an adult. But at age 13, being "tapped" into OA at a time when the ceremony was closed, and hazing not only "allowed", but encouraged, it truely tested how strong you were and how much you trusted your fellow scouts. Not all parts were the most PC and some parts downright hurt and scared the crap out of me. I KNOW my ordeal played a significant role in defining what type of adult I was going to become at a pivitol time in my adolescence. I understand WHY that type of ceremony is no longer allowed, because without oversight and the right people in leadership, people could get hurt. However, at the same time - if ordeal is something that everyone that gets "called out" can endure and pass with little to no physical, mental, or emotional soul searching, then the meaning has been devauled as well. YiS, Dean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeanRx Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Just had a thought... Guess I could take the lodge patch off the right pocket flap, sew a loop to the top and then hang it on the right pocket button... Viola !, its now in the temporary patch location on my shirt and I'm legit. Doubt, I'll get around to it soon Dean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob White Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Here's a wild idea Dean, Since you now live in a different council pay THEM your OA membership and correctly wear the OA flap for the council where you reside. Then you would have no reason for wearing the membership recogonition without actually being a member in good standing. I know it must sound crazy to you, but.... It's not about rules are rules...it's about making ethical choices based on the values of scouting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle92 Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Dr. Dean, Unfortunately you cannot be a member of your old lodge as you are no longer in that council. You have to a member of the lodge that your council operates. So I would see about getting involved in your new lodge. HOWEVER it does NOT stop you from collecting you old lodge's memorabilia, nor does it stop you from attending any OA events at your old lodge when you visit. unles that lodge has a policy against it. And from my expereince, the lodges I've been involved with love it when we have guests from other lodges. As for wearing the old flap, yeah you are not supposed to do it. but I do know that some lodges do not frown upon the pratice. My current lodge does not as we have a large military presence in the lodge, and our flaps are restricted. Usually people transferring in will wear thei old flap until attending a lodge event and get a new one. Me personally I've put all my old lodge's memorabilia in displays, except for the lodge's honor neckerchief. That get's worn on special occasions. most of the time though it's my current lodge's necker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John-in-KC Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 My Ordeal and Brotherhood Lodge was merged out of existence over 35 years ago. I still wear its flap on my Venturing uniform. Those who are the patch police can have a nice life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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