Should I reactivate my membership?

[EagleG]

I became an Ordeal member in the late 80's, but let my membership lapse (along with BSA) when I went away to college.

 

Now, my son is in Scouts and I have become a new Scouter. I am interested in activating my OA membership, but I won't able to be "active" much at all with the Lodge, with my focus being on the Pack.

 

Interested in hearing everyone's perspective. Is it worth it to reactivate my membership now or wait until my son moves into Boy Scouts?

[sherminator505]

Wait until the time is right to get involved in OA again. You'll know when that time has arrived.

[DLister]

My opinion is that every OA member currently registered in Scouting should be a dues-paying member of their council's lodge, even if they are unable to be active in lodge activities. Remember, an arrowman's first obligation is to their unit. However, your dues can help support lodge programs such as camperships, improvements to camp, etc. if your lodge does such things.

[Scouting4Ever]

Myself and two of my Den Leaders are dues paying members of our local Lodge.

 

In the past, our Pack had leaders that wore no knots or were not involved in the Order. That is changing. My Tiger Den Leader is an Eagle and past Lodge Chief, I am the Cubmaster and Wolf Den Leader, Eagle and Lodge member, and my Webelos I is an Eagle and member of the Lodge. We all wear our knots and we are paid members of the Lodge that proudly wear our Lodge flaps.

 

If for nothing else than to hear a kid say cool patch, what is it for? This allows you to have a conversation with the Scout about the Order, or about Boy Scouting, or about the Youth Religious program or more.

 

Like you I was an Ordeal as a youth and never did anything with it. I sealed my Brotherhood when I was 26.

 

Your involvement will happen when it is right for you. As DLister said, your primary responsibility is to your Unit.

 

My suggestion, as it would be if you were one of my leaders, would be to register with the Lodge and seal your Brotherhood, and sew on the Lodge flap.

[SeattlePioneer]

QAs a Cubmaster, I've just been considering this issue based on discussion in another thread.

 

I'm seriously considering reactivating my OA membership. I have a Tiger Cub Den Leader who is AOL and Eagle Scout, and an inactive OA member4 as well I'd suppose. I'd encourage him to activiate his membership as well.

 

There are certainly other inactive OA members in other packs I'm aware of as well.

 

The idea of OA is cheerful service, and Cub Scouts are a good place to start that tradition again, and service to the Cub Pack is a vital habit Cub Packs need to cultivate.

 

Beyond that, OA sashes are going to help encourage Cub Scouts and Cub Scout parents to understand the promise of Boy Scouts and crossing over to Scout Troops, I would suppose.

 

And Cub Scout leaders appearing at district events wearing sashes might get some Scout troops thinking about Cub Scouts and talking to Cub Scout leaders more than they do.

 

So I'm beginning to see it as a plus...

[Eagle92]

Being an OA member is a definite plus. You have comraderie, you have chance for service, and as my wife put it today, "A chance to go camping with the older guys." But the best plus for me is talking to the cubs about how the OA takes care of our council camps and talking about how XYZ was built or done at the camp and how I helped with it.

 

But I will say this; I have not had alot of time to do OA stuff due to the CS commitments. When the wife told me to go to the Ordeal this month and have a weekend to myself to "go camping with the older guys," I was ecstatic b/c I haven't been able to do that in over a year.

[DancesWithSpreadsheets]

DLister summed up my reasons for recently reactivating my membership very nicely.

 

Regards,

 

DWS

 

[SR540Beaver]

What DLister said. Pay your dues for the benefit of your Lodge program and get active when the time is right for you. Yoou first obligation as an Arrowman is to your unit. Promote camping in your pack. Far too many packs do NO camping and it has a real effect on the number of boys who will cross over.

[SeattlePioneer]

Hello sr540,

 

 

Are there particular ways that OA membership can be leveraged in a Cub Scout Pack to encourage camping and crossover to Boy Scouts? As a Cubmaster with inactive OA status, I'd be glad for any pointers.

 

I don't think I've ever seen an OA sash worn by a Cub Scout Leader, although quite a few CS leaders were OA members as youths I'm sure.

 

Perhaps there are things OA chapters might do to promote OA membership among Cub Scout leaders. The BEST reasons is that there are useful ways OA membership can promote an improved Cub Scout program and crossover to Boy Scouts, but I'm not quite sure how to do that.

[clemlaw]

I'm a Tiger Den Leader (and soon to be Cubmaster) in my son's Pack, and I'm also back after 30 years.

 

I did re-activate my membership, and I also went to the Fall Fellowship this year, partly to see what's going on, and partly because that was the only place I knew where I could buy a new lodge flap.

 

I doubt if I'll be very active in the lodge until my son becomes a Boy Scout, but for now, I think it's a good way to keep in touch and find out which Troops are the best, when it's time for my son to become a Boy Scout. And if I'm able to help out, I certainly will. For the time being, I'm helping out by paying my dues--which qualifies as an "irksome task". And perhaps I can share a little bit of wisdom as an old timer.

 

Incidentally, I did have one comment on OA sashes. As far as I know, they're really only appropriate for wearing at OA events. I have my new lodge flap on my CS leader uniform, but the sash is put away and won't be worn very often.

[nolesrule]

I've maintained my membership since I re-upped as a scouter 5+ years ago, though I have not attended a single lodge weekend. My wife is the full-time worker in our family and we have 2 small girls. She needs me there most weekends to wind down from the work week.

 

I have assisted our lodge in hosting section events, and I am in discussion with our new lodge adviser about ways I can help the lodge that don't involve committing my weekends. We've tossed around a few ideas in the realm of the communications area (I was Publications Chairman as a youth, and I'm experienced with "new media").

 

One last thing to mention. Membership numbers determine how many Vigil Honors there can be annually in the lodge, 1 per 50 members. So by maintaining your membership (and encouraging others to reactivate memberships), someone deserving might have the opportunity to be honored sooner rather than later.

 

Just some thoughts from a not-very-active Brotherhood member.

[ScoutNut]

>>"I don't think I've ever seen an OA sash worn by a Cub Scout Leader, although quite a few CS leaders were OA members as youths I'm sure."

[EagleG]

One of the things I came across that made me think about OA membership was that our Lodge does a Cub Scout crossover ceremony. Our Pack has never done it (it has only been available since 2007), but I think I might take a peek and see if we can incorporate it in future years.

 

To go with the when-to-wear-the-sash question, would an OA crossover ceremony at a B&G be considered an OA event?

[nolesrule]

"To go with the when-to-wear-the-sash question, would an OA crossover ceremony at a B&G be considered an OA event? "

 

If you are specifically representing the OA during the event, then yes. Otherwise, no.

[Eagle92]

Depends. My OA chapter had a visibility problem, we were there, but b/c we were behind the scenes, some scout parents and no one in Cubs knew what the OA was or what we did. Chapter chief I was adviser wanted ideas to change that. We brainstormed, and said anytime a ceremony team is involved, ALL OA members can wear their sashes. So Crossovers, ECOHs, Call Outs etc all Arrowman are encouraged to wear their sash. Whenever the OA is working an event, whether in the trading post or running an event, Arrowmen should wear their sash, even if they have finished their work and are with their troop. We also encouraged new Arrowmen to wear their sash at the next COH after their Ordeal so they can be recognized.

 

So wearing your sash would be OK in my chapter.