OA MEMBER FROM LODGE 458 HI-CHA-KA-LO WICHITA KS

[MSWEIHE]

I AM A MEMEBER OF THE OA LODGE #458 HI-CHA-KA-LO WICHITA KANSAS

TAPPED OUT ABOUT 1972 OR 1973.

HOW CAN I PAY MY DUES AND GET REIN LISTED

MY SON ALEX 12 IS WORKING ON HIS TENDERFOOT TROOP 764 IN ATLANTA

WOULD ANYONE HAVE A RECORD OF MY OA MEMBERSHIP

I understand #458 and 321 have merged since 98

Any help would be much appreciated.

I am working on becoming an ASM

 

Thanks Mark Weihe

[Gold Winger]

Talk to the folks in your local lodge. You have to join the lodge in your council of current registration.

[MSWEIHE]

The local lodge wants proof of my membership

its a catch 22

[talen333]

Fill out the dues form with as much information as you can and pay your dues to the local lodge. I had the same issues having been a youth member of Topa Topa Lodge in Ventura Ca. Once you fill out the forms and pay your dues should not be a problem. You need to be registered with the Atlanta council as well or you can't register with the lodge. Make sure you put your BSA number on your dues form and they will add that to your records.

[scoutldr]

Clarification, you must be a registered member of a BSA unit, before you can rejoin the OA. You said you were "working on" becoming an ASM. If you were tapped out as a youth, you can be a member of a Cub Pack, Scout Troop or Venture Crew. Just contact your council office or local Lodge/Chapter Chief or Advisor and say "I need to pay my dues and rejoin the OA." Usually, they will accept whatever you put on the form and don't require "proof". (A Scout is Trustworthy) Otherwise, many of us would have to sit on the sidelines.

[meriadoc]

I'm suprised no one caught this. You may have been tapped out, but did you go through your Ordeal? If you didn't go through your Ordeal you never became a member. As an adult it would be necessary for you to meet the camping requirements and be recommended by the unit leader and committee chairman of your troop/team.

 

If you actually did take your Ordeal then you would have to contact the lodge where you were a member. The only records kept at National are for those that make Vigil Honor. If your old lodge merged with another it will depend on how well the records were kept and transfered. Some lodges will accept an old registration card as proof of prior membership. I would agree with what the others have said, that you need to be registered within the council before joining that council's lodge.

[Eagle92]

Depending upon the lodge, while records can be hard to fond, I know that in my current lodge a photo from an OA event, letter from you old lodge, and yes even talking about your experiences from your Ordeal. While most peopel don't remember the adomnition and calling sign, most can tell you exactly what they ate and did. We actually caught an adult poser trying to get into our lodge withou undergoing the Ordeal.

[janbrewington]

Check with the lodge (now merged) that you were in as a youth OA member. The council that is served by that lodge can give out contact information.

Do you have your OA book from back then? If so, you may have recorded the name of your lodge,date of election, call out date(if that took place) and Ordeal weekend dates. Your last OA card would serve as proof of membership.

 

Once you've gotten the information to your local lodge,they or your council will gladly accept this year's dues and sell you a uniform flap patch and sash that fits.

 

 

 

 

[WAKWIB]

Eagle92 sez: "We actually caught an adult poser trying to get into our lodge without undergoing the Ordeal."

Glad you nabbed that rascal. Would love to hear that sad, but certainly interesting story someday.

For MSWEIHE. Knowing that records can be totally bungled, my only suggestion would be to "be prepared" to do the Ordeal again. Shouldn't have to be that way. But if a lodge is presenting many hurdles to your membership, that may be really the path of least resistance. As an adult, your status in the Order is totally limited to an advisor role at the most. You could actually take away a lot from a "fresh" Ordeal and then step right up a seal your membership in the Brotherhood degree. There is a ton of good philosophical training to be had in walking that path.

 

[croushorn]

WOW! Catching a guy trying to fake his way through... all I can say, wow. Love to hear about it as well.

When I first came back I really scrutinized all I could about the Ordeal & Brotherhood ceremonies, there's still things guys will ask me about that I don't remember. I hate it. It took at least two ordeals to get back in the swing, to learn all they had changed over the years including going to new camp. Frustrating part is I was quite active as a youth, but not as a ceremonialist. Now I come back to the same lodge as an adults and am surrounded with many youth friends. So yeah, you pick up a LOT more as an adult than you do as a youth. You see the wisdom in lessons much more. Unless you are a ceremonialst, that is. My son has played just about every part we have and can explain it all on the fly. I love how so many of the lodge leadership are invovled in ceremonies versus just a few in my day. It makes a huge difference.

[croushorn]

WOW! Catching a guy trying to fake his way through... all I can say, wow. Love to hear about it as well.

When I first came back I really scrutinized all I could about the Ordeal & Brotherhood ceremonies, there's still things guys will ask me about that I just don't remember. I hate it. It took at least two ordeals to get back in the swing, to learn all they had changed over the years including going to a new camp. Frustrating part is I was quite active as a youth, but not as a ceremonialist. Now I come back to the same lodge as an adults and am surrounded with many friends from back in the day, that seem to remember all those stories you wish were forgotten! But yeah, you will pick up a LOT more as an adult than as a youth. You see the wisdom in the lessons much more. Unless you are a ceremonialst, that is. My son has played just about every part we have and can explain it all on the fly. I love how so many of the lodge leadership are invovled in ceremonies versus just a few in my day. It makes a huge difference.