Letter I sent to OA National Today

[jpstodwftexas]

Will I be able to Transfer my Membership to Another Council and Lodge?

I was Black balled by Former Lodge Adviser and Current Northwest Council 587 Vice President of Governance Timothy W. Hunter because of a personal vendetta. Among the Things he seems to be made at me for is not Paying to attend Woodbadge.

The Youth of the Lodge were never informed of the event through the LEC..As You Can see I did Provide Mr Hunter and the Current Adult Adviser Donnie Smith and the Dance Adviser about the Scouts from Scotland.

The Facebook group for Wichita Lodge 35 was set to secret and now is Deactivated. Until June there has been no Email, No Newsletter provided to the General Membership of the Lodge. I attempted to post on the Facebook group however my posts about the event were never approved by a group administrator thus never seen by General membership either. I was never informed in February that it was brought up to LEC and they wanted More Information. Every time I tried to bring it up it was hushed. It never was discussed with the LEC or the General Membership. I never Claimed or represented myself to the Scouts from Scotland as anything other than a member of the Local Council and Local Lodge. When asked to attend events with them I clearly informed they I had no authority to make that decision, so no scouts locally went with them anywhere. I simply helped arrange stay. They wanted to go canoeing so I recommended they attend Camp Worth instead of coming up here and us taking them because Camp Worth already had a program and it was close to the Airport the would be arriving at. Local events were changed because they asked because some of their other events changed..So I did plan to shorten local activities. I told them the Cost for them while here would be free except for a Meal at a Restaurant in Oklahoma I wanted them to see while at the Wichita Wildlife Refuge. I spent 650.00 dollars on Food. I was covering the cost of the Facilities at Camp Perkins. I was told since the Camp Ranger was a Philmont the Facilities were not availableto me so I arranged for the Scouts to stay at my house..3 BR/3 Bath. Females and Youth would have their own private bathrooms and the ladies bedroom had locking door (if they were concerned). I was transferred shifts at work without a lot of Notice so I was no longer available to drive around the scouts so I did attempt to find drivers on my personal facebook page, no local scouter stepped up to help me. After The Lodge took over only 1 youth participated in activities with them.

I did speak with National Legal about the alleged Copyright Issues on the items I had made for use on my Regalia..I never Sold any item. Several were given to Council staff including the Ranger at Camp Perkins. Everything I had made was an example to show the Boys..again never allowed to present to the Boys. As a Matter of Fact it was I that informed the National Legal Office that they failed to renew the Copy right protection on the MGM Indian Head in 2012 and the Protection was not current at the time of the alleged incident and was being used on Butterneck Squash from a farm in New York sold at Walmart. The alleged incident occurred in 2013.

I have volunteered for many things in the Council and have been turned down repeatedly. I have volunteered repeatedly for Lodge activities and have been turned down. The Lodge has had failed fund raisers because of poor leadership. I am the Only Lodge Member to have participated in the Southern Region Disaster Relief in Moore Oklahoma despite asking on Facebook. I paid for two attendees for SR2-3N 2014 Conclave out of my own pocket this year. I have Volunteered to Host Movie Nights, I have Volunteered to Host Pot/Luck Dinners, which Mr. Hunter stated at the time that the Lodge could not afford.

If you do a Youtube Search for Northwest Texas Council on you will see that I have done more than anyone else to promote scouting in the Council area. Feel free to look at the Photos I have done promoting scouting.

I honest feel that I have done nothing to desire being banned from the Local Council and the Local Lodge.

I was applying to Work Staff at NOAC 2015 however I don't have a Lodge now and approval to work what can I do. I would like to attend but can't without a Lodge

 

Wondering what the response will be?

Even after Black Balling me they have the Nerve to Ask for payment on FOS Donation after Mr Hunter stated in a Letter I received My Support was no longer Welcome

[ChaiAdventure]

Maybe the folks at National will have a better time understanding the train of thought of this letter. I cannot follow it.

[SSScout]

I know we are seeing only one side of this. I hope that National OA and National BSA will interview all parties and sort this out. Very often, BSA REacts , rather than acting. A Scout is Trustworthy.

 

Chai: Do a search for ~~jpstodwftexas name and see the beginnings of this.

[jpstodwftexas]

This goes back to September 2011...

So Yea if you ain't been around and following my posts you are gonna be lost.

Lodge Consisted of approximately 168 Members on Paper at January Winter Ordeal...No Idea how many on Paper as Of Summer Ordeal and No Idea how many were elected at Summer Call Out...

 

Lodge has 3 Events each year..Winter Ordeal, Summer Ordeal, Summer Call out..

Since 2011 we have had only 2 so Called Fellowships

There was No OA "Official Lodge" contingency at Jambo and No public sharing of any Photos..

Last NOAC ..Group was "full" when I came Back so was not allowed to join in nor anyone else (2012)..Lodge Asked to borrow Video Camera I told them They could borrow mine...said they did not need one they got one...What do you know No Photos or Videos..

Last year 2013..We barely had I think 6 boys go to Conclave..So this year 2014 I paid for 2 Scholarships ($80.00) and we still took only 7 Boys.

 

I tried to get Dominoes and Spade Tourneys going again like when I was a Youth..Shot Down

I offered to get Tepees for Summer Call out..Was Told it was Taken Care of...Nothing was set up...

I offered to Bring food to Cracker barrel...Got Chewed out for Changing LEC Planned (really Tim Planned) Cracker Barrel..Food paid for out of My Pocket not Changing)

I offered to cook for those who wanted or was coming out early..Again chewed out because it was gonna change Cracker Barrel ....Ummmm no it would not as Our Friday Night Meals are always "Bring your Own or Eat before you come" to camp....

I tried to get Rings cleaned up...Shot Down..Someone else was doing...not done

I offered to Host Movie Nights (which I do on my Front Lawn with Neighbors on a White Queen Size Sheet with DLP Projector).. Shot Down

I offered to Host a Pot Luck Dinner...Shot Down..Tim said Lodge could not afford.

I posted and asked for Volunteers to go Help Southern Region Disaster Relief in Moore Oklahoma...A Non Scouting Non OA friend went with me....NO LODGE MEMBERS HELPED

Lodge was gonna have a Taco Dinner Last Year as a Fund raiser...failed ..No Fliers No Advertisement..I offered to make Fliers

Last year we sold Ribs at Superbowl as Fund Raiser..I hauled ribs all day long 1.5 Tanks of Gas...No Youth Helped..This year we did not do it..

Lodge was gonna have a BBQ Fund Raiser ( I pitched Idea first..Shot Down) No Advertisement ..No Fliers..FAILED

Lodge has not set cost for NOAC 2015 Yet....They set Goal of 20 ....No Details yet on anything

 

I think They are down to 3 Ceremonies Team Members and Maybe 2 Dancers.

They Had to ask other Lodges to come Help Dance...We have been allowing Youth Ladies to Dance last 2 Years as unofficial Dancers.

 

Only Pictures and Videos shared are Mine

 

[jpstodwftexas]

If I could share pictures on here I would post the Letter and Screenshots showing I did tell them about the Scottish Scouts and asking for Help and No Replies from them.

[SWScouter]

First, I think it is rather unprofessional to post a letter you wrote for the National Committee here. Second, as ChaiAdventure states, the letter is unorganized and not cohesive at all. I do hope whoever receives it has some background on the situation because it really doesn't stand on its own. Frankly, I doubt that that letter will help your cause at all as you have very poorly presented your case.

 

I'm sorry about the problems you have with your lodge and hope that things can be worked out. Good luck.

[BadenP]

I agree with SW, this is a rather immature battle that I seriously doubt that OA National will take seriously or choose to get involved with. JP time for you to move on.

[koolaidman]

jps, this is going to sound harsh, but I hope you take it in the friendly spirit that is intended.

 

There's an awful lot of "I's" in your post. As a volunteer, you should remember that your time is for the scouts. Dominoes, Tepees, Food, these ideas should be coming from the scouts, shouldn't they? I'm sensing a lot of adult expectations placed on a youth group.

 

It seems you are volunteering and doing things beyond your position of the program and beyond your capacity to do them.

 

You've been sent a letter that your contributions are no longer welcomed. At that time I would have taken a step back and processed what the heck was going on. Give some time for anger and astonishment to subside. After the emotions have calmed down, determine the next step. Which probably would have been to contact the author of the letter and ask "Why?".

 

You are banging your head against the wall trying to volunteer for a group that doesn't want to volunteer.

This is akin to a unit disagreement. National won't get involved. You are not guaranteed a "right" to volunteer.

 

I'm afraid your letter isn't going to help and will actually have an adverse impact on you. I advise you to stop and as BadenP said, move on.

 

 

 

 

[jpstodwftexas]

I know why...Because The Letter Writer runs the Lodge...They decide what the Lodge does and what gets presented to Youth for their Vote.

The Lodge is Basically at their Whim. Lodge is basically dead and Council is barely hanging on.

 

I had already started to move on to Another Council and Lodge...Several are 150 Miles away and I have also considered moving to several Councils on paper even further away..

 

But I won't stand for Lies being told about me.

[LeCastor]

JP, it is clear to me that you care about the Lodge in question and that you have thrown many ideas into the ring; and it certainly sounds like you have invested a bit or your own money into the lodge. I believe your heart is in the right place and that you sincerely want the Lodge to be successful. However, as others have already said, you might have over-stepped your bounds in terms of an advisorship role that you may or may not currently hold. The Order of the Arrow is a youth-led organization and things don't always go as well in a Lodge as we adults would expect or wish they would. The current Advisor could be trying his best to encourage the Lodge Chief...We just don't always know that kind of thing from the outside looking in.

 

As for your letter, I agree that it is very disjointed and doesn't help make your case to anyone. In fact, it's so hard to follow that anyone who isn't familiar with you or your history will likely dismiss it outright. A wise professor once told me that in situations like this it's best to write a heated letter, ripping the other person a new one, and then put that letter in a desk drawer. Then, the following week you take it out of the drawer, crumple it up, and throw it in the trash can. Heated letters very seldom help you and in many cases make you look bad.

 

Here is my advice to you, JP: take a break. It is easy to get caught up in our love of Scouting and miss the aim of the whole Movement. You as a Scouter are here solely to serve as a role model for the youth--the Scouts. Don't spend your own money to buy food, patches, gas, or anything else for the Lodge. If you're not the Lodge Advisor, Chapter Advisor, or any other Advisor at all, just go to the Lodge functions as a participating Brother and do service to the local camp in a cheerful, calm, respectful manner. Be the best Arrowman you can be. After all, you "promise to do you best".

 

Worrying about "black balling" and "personal vendettas" is a waste of time. You are better than that, buddy. You're an Arrowman who was chosen once by your fellow Scouts to live up to the Scout Oath and Law. Be that Scout who was chosen by his fellows. Show the new Arrowmen and Ordeal candidates what they can be when they are adults. I have faith in you that you can get through this.

[jpstodwftexas]

I am leaving the Lodge and the Local Council and registering with another Council and Lodge...I am through with Scouting Locally.

 

 

 

[Torchwood]

That is fine, but please don't make the same series of mistakes with the new Council and Lodge. The key is to make sure that you are taking direction from the boys in the new OA Lodge, not doing everything for them. Seems to me that your biggest error so far has been doing (or trying to do) too much based on your opinion of how things should be, or how they have been done in the past. As an adult volunteer in a youth-led organization, wait until asked for assistance. Then do what you are asked to do in a cheerful manner.

[SWScouter]

Yes, I suggest taking LeCastor's and Torchwood's advice to heart.