John's Soapbox: The companion to OAImages.com. All about OA Patches … with ocassional comments on current events, UNC basketball, or just about anything else I find interesting. Remember any changes to Order of the Arrow policies and programs will be announced through official channels, not here!
Many of us have been wondering for years what will happen with Blue Book. A new version has not been published since 2006. At 1pm today Jason Spangler will broadcast part one of an interview with Roy More where they discuss the future of Blue Book.
Back in 2010 I announced the formation of Tschipey Achtu lodge as a result of the merger of Ty-Ohni 95 and Ganeodiyo 417. At the time I was told they would use the number 397, which is also their council number. This created a bit of controversy as that number is currently in use by Chilantakoba lodge in Louisiana. I also announced their first flap. Other than a 2010 Jamboree issue no further news from this lodge made it to me.
I was talking with a Roger Ward last night who was at the recent Winter South Carolina Trade-O-Ree. He tells me it has not been quiet in that lodge. The use of 397 was problematic. Many wanted to choose a different number. Some wanted to claim the number zero, but that was not well received given the special place Unami 1 holds in the Order of the Arrow. The Scout Executive, I am told, stepped in and told the lodge they will use the lower number from the two merged lodges.
The lodge is now known as Tschipey Achtu 95. I have updated the site to reflect this current information. Several new issues have also been added.
My friend Jason Spangler, also known as the Santee Swapper and host of the Scouting Hot Finds newsletters and podcast has assembled a free guide to spotting the fake Chinese made OA patches currently appearing on eBay.
This is an extensive 24 page treatise on these patches, with many illustrations. It documents the fakes produced by various sellers over the past several years. It also discusses the marketing strategies of those who produced these fakes including the stealing of images from this website.
I have written several posts on this blog about patch designs that appear to have been copied or "inspired" by other designs, quite often from different lodges. For example see the first and second posts using this same title. Another example is this post on more "inspired" patches.
The patch pictured at the top of this post was a recent chapter event issue from Piankatank chapter of Wahunsenakah lodge. (Editor's note: Please see correction in comments). The lodge is chartered to the Colonial Virginia Council which could easily explain the American Revolution theme of the design. However, the lodge totem is a duck so the hawk's head might appear to be an unusual choice.
A friend gave this to me. He acquired it a Trade-O-Ree and thought of me once he saw the design. It's obviously taken from Tsoiotsi Tsogalii's 2010 SR-7B conclave flaps, listed on this site as S34? and S35?.
Perhaps someone in Wahunsenakah can fill us in on the story behind Piankatank chapter's choice of patch design. The artist of the lodge 70 flaps should be flattered that someone in another lodge was so impressed by his design that he chose to adapt it for his chapter's event patch.
"One of these things is not like the others, One of these things just doesn't belong, Can you tell which thing is not like the others. By the time I finish my song?"
How many of you remember this song from "Sesame Street"? I saw a friend of mine at the Winston-Salem Trade-O-Ree last weekend. He usually has a great assortment of patches, many classic material and items from our area. However he wants it to be known that he isn't just interested in old patches, so he puts the frame pictured here on his table. I'll let him remain anonymous unless he chooses to step forward here.
One of those patches seems oddly out of place (really two but one sticks out more!). Do you see it? It's not quite as obvious as recognizing letters and numbers, but still very easy to see! Every time I see this frame I chuckle a bit. It's a good way to start a conversation. Now you all can join me in a good natured chuckle.
Read the Full Post on blog.oaimages.com
Posted in Personal Stuff by John E. Pannell on December 31st, 2007 at 4:26 am
For your listening pleasure: Auld Lang Syne like you never heard it before.
Those who have no party to attend, choose to spend the night at home, or have to work can play this at midnight. It starts out plainly enough, then all changes about 1 minute into the clip.
" Let me tell you something that we Israelis have against Moses. He took us 40 years through the desert in order to bring us to the one spot in the Middle East that has no oil."
This is the second of two recent issues from Nayawin Rar lodge sent to me by Greg Grimes. This fellowship is an adaptation of the black and white motif used on several recent flaps from this lodge. They are proof that you can have a nice looking patch without using lots of colors.
Fall Fellowship should have been sometime ago, but I only just heard word of this patch just now. It seems my usual sources of information have let me down on these two latest patches.
Greg Grimes sent me word a couple of days ago of two new issues from Nayawin Rar lodge. The first of these was a lodge flap issued for the lodge achieving Quality Lodge status in 2006.
Some might think it odd that that lodge would issue a flap in late 2007 to honor their 2006 quality lodge status. When asked about this, I jokingly responded that the ability to make a quick decision is not a requirement to be a quality lodge.
Tyler Elliott, Tarhe Lodge, Tecumseh Council. Tyler was most recently section chief of C-4B. He attends the University of Cincinnati.
Northeast Region Chief
Patrick Rooney, Amagamek Wipit Lodge, National Capital Area Council. Patrick was most recently section chief of NE-4C. He attends George Mason University and is currently pursuing a degree in Government and International Politics.
Southern Region Chief
Mason Thomas, Muscogee Lodge, Indian Waters Council. Mason was most recently section chief of SR-5. He attends the University of South Carolina.
Western Region Chief
Mark Hendricks, Wa-La-Moot-Kin Lodge, Blue Mountain Council. Mark was most recently section chief of W-1C.
Additional biographical information is from the various official Order of the Arrow regional and section web sites.
There has been no word yet on any special patches from their respective lodges.
Posted in Current Events by John E. Pannell on December 28th, 2007 at 5:00 am
Seven people were injured yesterday (December 27th) when a fight erupted between Greek Orthodox and Armenian priests within the Church of the Nativity in Jerusalem.
The Greek Orthodox priests had erected ladders to clean the ceiling and walls of their part of this church. The ladders encroached onto the part of the church controlled by the Armenians and angry words ensued. A dozen Palestinian police officers were called in to restore order but were to no avail. A fist fight erupted between the two groups of priests. It lasted for about 15 minutes and was captured on camera.
Posted in Scouting News by John E. Pannell on December 28th, 2007 at 1:40 am
The 2007 OA National Planning meeting is now underway. It has become tradition to elect the new National officers on the first night. So without further ado, according to the official National Order of the Arrow web site, the 2008 National officers of the Order of the Arrow are:
National Chief: Jake Wellman is a member of Yah-Tah-Hey-Si-Kess lodge of Great Southwest Council. He was most recently the section chief of W-5A
National Vice-Chief: Benjamin Stilwill is a member of Gabe-Shi-Win-Gi-Ji-Kens Lodge of Chief Okemos Council. He was most recently the section chief of C-2B.
The region chiefs will be elected after breakfast on December 28th.
There is no word yet on any special patches from these new officers’ lodges.
Posted in Tar Heel Basketball by John E. Pannell on December 28th, 2007 at 1:27 am
I think I will start to pester my friends in Occoneechee lodge about a flap if the Tar Heels win the basketball national championship this year.
Nevada leaves Chapel Hill as the latest victim of the Dean Dome and the Tar Heels. It was a close game most of the first half. Then it seems the Tar Heels remembered Coach Williams’ goal in practice the day after an uninspired victory over Nichols State (to see how many players he could make puke) and turned up the heat. Lead by Ty Lawson, a three point game was a 14 point rout by the break.
Matt Kirkland, aka the Black Eagle Trader, returned to the blogosphere a couple weeks back after more than a four month absence. Since then he has posted on his blog, The BlackEagleTrader, many articles of interest for those who collect the issues of Black Eagle Lodge #482.
Among the topics he has covered are the difficulties and vagaries of Blue Book listings for this lodge, discussion of a couple of rare and newly discovered chapter patches, and a great collection of Transatlantic Council medals. Also there is a short piece on the 2006 NOAC flap, a piece not yet pictured, from this log.
This blog is a good read if you have interest in the patches of Black Eagle lodge or the Transatlantic Council. It’s great to see Matt’s blogging regularly again.
Last Saturday, while I was eating pizza at Peppers and cheering for the Tarheels, there was a trade-o-ree in Winston-Salem. Greg Grimes sent me sent me word and images of three new patches from Takachsin chapter of Wahissa lodge.
These were issued for the chapter’s 25th anniversary, under its current name. DuWayne Amen tells us that 25 years ago the council’s districts and the lodge’s chapters changed names but the areas served remained unchanged.
Takachsin chapter has had several patches before but all previous issues were arrowheads. These are their first ovals. Blue book data for these issues are as follows:
Posted in Personal Stuff by John E. Pannell on December 25th, 2007 at 5:00 am
Merry Christmas. May your holiday be a happy one. In the midst of all the chaos and bustle of this day, here’s a couple of minutes of serenity and peace to help refocus yourself on the things that really matter.
P.S. No, I’m not really at my computer early on Christmas morning. I’m out of town with family. I actually wrote this two days ago. Thanks to WordPress, it was set to appear on the blog on Christmas morning. Merry Christmas
Back in 2010 I announced the formation of Tschipey Achtu lodge as a result of the merger of Ty-Ohni 95 and Ganeodiyo 417. At the time I was told they would use the number 397, which is also their council number. This created a bit of controversy as that number is currently in use by Chilantakoba lodge in Louisiana. I also announced their first flap. Other than a 2010 Jamboree issue no further news from this lodge made it to me.
I was talking with a Roger Ward last night who was at the recent Winter South Carolina Trade-O-Ree. He tells me it has not been quiet in that lodge. The use of 397 was problematic. Many wanted to choose a different number. Some wanted to claim the number zero, but that was not well received given the special place Unami 1 holds in the Order of the Arrow. The Scout Executive, I am told, stepped in and told the lodge they will use the lower number from the two merged lodges.
The lodge is now known as Tschipey Achtu 95. I have updated the site to reflect this current information. Several new issues have also been added.
Some of those who know me personally, know that I have gone over to the "Dark Side" and have started using Apple products. I bought an iMac a couple of months ago and just recently got an iPad. My brother is trying to tell me that my Droid's days are numbered.
I really like my iPad and started day dreaming about an OAImages app for it. I have no idea how to go about writing this and it would take me into an entirely new area from what I know. It's not something that would happen easily or soon. Here's your chance to give feedback. What do you think about an OAImages app? What would you put in it? Do you have any thoughts on how it would be distributed or how much it would cost?
Please feel free to comment. Comments are moderated for those who have not successfully had a comment published on this blog before in order to control spam. I will do my best to approve comments as quickly as possible in order to facilitate a discussion.
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October 4th, 2011
Indian Summer and Summit Corps Patches
I have added special pages on this site for the 2011 Indian Summer and 2011 Summit Corps. I still have a few images to add but most of what I have images for is now on the site. Thanks for Rick Horne for most of these images.
It's kind of odd to come out of hiding to post about a topic like this.
I'm hearing from some brothers that there have been gullible readers to this blog over the years. I would have thought it was obvious from the context of the posts, but the various posts made on this blog throughout the years that have appeared on APRIL FIRST are all satire. None of them are true. Read them and chuckle but please do not complain to your friendly OA National Committee members, Scout Executives, lodge advisers, or official website administrators about the "changes" that are "announced" in them.
This is strictly an "FYI" post for those familiar with the issues facing those who maintain blogs and message boards where readers can post comments.
Recently I had been having issues here with comment spam getting past this blog's filters. I deleted the inappropriate posts as quickly as I could but this was still unacceptable to me, as well as additional work. I since have required that readers register before they're allowed to post comments here. That seems to have stopped the spammers.
I still see a number of probable spammers, mainly from Russian domains, registering on this blog but so far none have had their comments posted successfully.
I may test my luck for a short period of time in the near future. At some unannounced time, I will turn off the registration requirement for posting comments for a day or two. I want to see if the spammers have been chased away, or if they're just awaiting an easy opportunity to push their garbage
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February 11th, 2011
Change in Comments Policy
This blog is being hit with a large number spam comments lately. There have been over 12,000 attempts to spam the blog with comments just within the past 60 days. Recently a few dozen comments, hawking service and goods I deem inappropriate for this blog, made it past the filters. Since I don't desire to spend more time deleting the spam as I find it and don't want inappropriate information to sit on my blog, I am tightening up the policy on commenting here.
Those who wish to comment must now register and be logged in before being to post comments. Registration is free and is not the same as membership to this site. This is a common practice on many blogs especially among sites run by more "traditional media" type companies.
Posted in Personal Stuff by John E. Pannell on December 31st, 2007 at 4:26 am 
This is the second of two recent issues from Nayawin Rar lodge sent to me by Greg Grimes. This fellowship is an adaptation of the black and white motif used on several recent flaps from this lodge. They are proof that you can have a nice looking patch without using lots of colors.
I think I will start to pester my friends in Occoneechee lodge about a flap if the Tar Heels win the basketball national championship this year.
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