Re: <cross> APO insignia for scouts?!
settummanque, or blackeagle (blkeagle@DYNASTY.NET)
Fri, 29 May 1998 17:48:48 -0500
Brother Jason Selkowitz replied on both APO-L and Scouts-L:
>> I saw a "position" patch yesterday on some guy (beats me who) who
>> visited our OA meeting for 5 minutes and left. It was a royal blue
>> background, Gold border, yellow lettering (which is similar to cub
>> positions, I thought) which had the eagle and flor de leis and stated
>> "Alpha Phi Omega Liaison". Is this a real position, and is there a
>> nationals-certified position/ patch?
>
>No, it's not, and no, there isn't one. It'd be interesting to have seen
>this, and I'd love to know what this guy thinks he's doing though.
>
>Hey, Mike Walton (yeah, you! :-), do you know anything about this?
Who me?? *heheheehe* Yeah, I know a *little* about it!!
In 1992 or 93, they started popping up, which was one of the smaller
catalysts for the big APO-BSA meetings and the "split thereof". In about
three or four Councils, mostly in the West and South, a volunteer Council
position was created called "APO Volunteer Liaison" and became part of the
Council's membership committee.
There wasn't an official position badge made for it, which prompted local
Councils to either give the person a Council Committee patch or a nametag
with that on it.
Some Councils STILL have this position, even though officially the
relationship between APO and the BSA isn't as close as it used to be. The
role of this person is supposed to be to work out relationships between the
various APO chapters in the Council's territories and the Council, and to
encourage ways that both organizations can work together on service and
leadership projects.
Don't know what he was doing at an OA meeting, unless he was a friend of
someone there....
I've SEEN two versions, one in that dark blue (which doesn't make sense, but
it was there) with both the BSA FDL and Eagle along with a gold "upside down
horseshoe" emblematic of the Greek letter "Omega", to symbolize APO, with
the lettering in gold (yellow) and border in gold...
....and the other on the khakitan, with tan border and background, with a
dark blue OMEGA behind the regular BSA FDL and Eagle with the same lettering.
The item is NOT an official BSA emblem.
>I don't know what you mean by "special office" in a BSA context. The
>only patches authorized for left sleeve position #3 are the nationally
>produced position patches, every single one of which are listed in the
>Insignia Guide.
And those authorized or approved by local Councils for wear, such as the
Webmaster insignia and other patches (like this one, if the local Council
approved the patch).
>While there's nothing wrong with the council having this position, there
>is no authorized patch for any "customized" positions. What council >was
this in, may I ask?
I've seen them worn in Atlanta Area, Seattle Area, DuPage Area, and Heart of
America Councils. I've also seen them in Councils in Sacremento,
California, Redwood California, Mobile Alabama, and Birmingham, Alabama,
which tells me that it's got to be a regional thing or a APO-developed item.
I don't know how many Councils still have a APO person as a member of their
Relationships or Membership Committee....but I personally feel that it is a
good thing and not anything to be really concerned about. APO Chapters can
provide a wealth of activities and service to a local Council, if the
Council understands that they are NOT Explorers nor members of the Council
and that the APO chapter understands that anything they do with the Scouts
reflect upon the entire Brotherhood of Alpha Phi Omega!
Hope that answers it in part, Brother Jason!
In Service Always,
Settummanque!
(Whose wife is also a brother...try to figure *that one out*!)
(c) 1998 Mike Walton ("no such thing as strong coffee,...") (502) 827-9201
(settummanque, the blackeagle) http://dynasty.net/users/blkeagle
241 Fairview Dr., Henderson, KY 42420-4339 blkeagle@dynasty.net
privately at kyblkeagle@aol.com or waltonm@hq.21taacom.army.mil
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