In “modern” times, the Order of the Arrow has a strict policy that its officers must be under 21 for the entirety of their term in office. This includes all offices from the chapter level all the way to the National Chief. It has the effect of restricting the pool of qualified candidates for those offices of greater responsibility. Even so, from time to time, a lodge will have a two term chief. Some section chiefs are re-elected. I have known one three term section chief. In recent years, due to exceptional circumstances, a young man served for more than a full term as a regional officer, though this is normally prohibited by National policy.

This strong tradition of youth leadership at all level was not always the policy of the Order of the Arrow. In earlier years, officers in the Order of the Arrow could be over 21 years of age. In some cases they were *well* past their 21st birthday. Along those lines, Bill Topkis recently asked a trivia question of his friends online:

Who was the longest serving lodge chief?

Of course he knew the answer. Can anyone else take a guess? Until we have had some input, I request that those who were involved in that other conversation withhold the answer for a while.

Just in time for the beginning of Spring, the Winter 2008 issue of the Florida Collectors’ Newsletter is now available. This issue has the 2007 Florida checklist of known issues from the lodges and councils of Florida, and some smack talking about all of the chapter patches from Florida in the last year.

You can pick up your copy easily, just go to http://floridacsp.com/fcn/. And if you have missed any of the issues for the last two years, they are there as well.

No patch to display, just an announcement that the newest issue of the Florida Collectors’ Newsletter is now available at http://www.floridacsp.com/fcn/.   See the latest of what Florida has to offer the patch world.

July 16, 1915. The first Order of the Arrow induction ceremony was held on this date at Treasure Island.     From that humble beginning comes the Order of the Arrow as we know it today.

I was particularly bored earlier tonight.   While wasting time wandering about the internet I ran into a picture of Seth Green at Wizard World Philadelphia.     This apparently was a comic convention held in 2005.    Green is probably best known for his portrayal of Scotty Evil, Dr. Evil’s son, in the Austin Powers films.

What caught me was  his rather unexpected wardrobe choice:   A Cub Scout uniform shirt!

To me it’s clear from this picture that this is an actual uniform shirt and not a cheap knock-off.     Most of the patches, except for a counstrip, or community and state strips,  are present and in the correct positions.

Once upon a time BSA uniforms could (generally) only be purchased from licensed dealers and you  were supposed  to show a registration card to buy them.     That has long since changed and now used uniforms are commonly found in thrift shops.

I doubt  Green’s a registered Cub Scout leader who dropped in at this convention straight from  some sort of Scouting event, or an official spokesman for the BSA.   He, or a personal aid of some sort, probably found this in such a shop and thought it just the thing to achieve that “thirft store chic” or “vintage clothing” look.   I really doubt he cared that it was inappropriate for him, not a  registered member of the BSA, to wear this uniform.     I wonder if any of the attendees recognized his attire or said anything about it.

One doesn’t see any of the “Hollyweird” type wearing Scout uniforms these days, even if improperly.     Is a Cub Scout shirt now cool vintage clothing?

At the SC TOR, I bought a copy of the The Kekeenowin of the Wimachtendienk, by Terry Grove (groveagle@cfl.rr.com).     It is an history of the ceremonies of the Order of the Arrow from 1915 through 1948.   I have slowly started to read through the book and find it very interesting on several levels.

Though the structure of the Order of the Arrow and its ceremonies are vastly different, the roots of what we know as the Order today can be plainly seen.     Any serious student of the ceremonies or OA historian should own a copy of this work.

In the book Terry Grove gives the text from the “Report of Committee on Ordeals and Ritual 1921″.     It was this committee that decided upon the name of Unami lodge.   There was also another problem to be deal with.  During the Summer of 1920 interlopers  had access to the Ritual.     This report piqued my curiosity on a few levels.

The committee reported:

At the last meeting the committee was requested to find a suitable name for the Lodge.   After canvassing the matter thoroughly, the name – Unami – was decided to be the most appropriate, meaning as it does in the Delaware language – Brotherly Love.

As it was understood that meddlesome outsiders had access to the Ritual and became more or less familiar with it, at Treasure Island during the summer of 1920,  it was decided to revise both the ritual for ordeals and for the different degrees, so that knowledge thus illicitly obtained might be useless.

The committee, furthermore, at the suggestion of Sakima, have prepared a ritual for the opening of the Lodge. (sic) A ritual for the installation and consecration of Sakima, and one for the installation of each ofthe elective officers of the Lodge.

It is hoped that those will meet with the approval of the Lodge, since by their use the Lodge will have work provided for one or two extra meetings during the year.

The committee further recommends that a Lodge of Instruction be formed so that there will always be a reasonable chance of having present at the meetings and initiations a sufficient number of officers who know this ritual well enough not to have to read their parts.

They also recommend that Sakima, with the Senior and Junior Vice-Chiefs have charge of this Lodge of Instruction: that at the annual election the only candidate be balloted for will be the Junior Vice-Chief – the old Junior becoming Senior, and the Senior becoming Sakima by complementary vote, unless there is reason for their removal, either through lack of interest, or some other cause…

…Finally, they strongly urge that the rituals finally adopted shal be limited to three copies.   One in the hands of the Ritual Committee, one for Medeu, and one for Sakima.   All other copies should be destroyed…

Does any of this sound familiar to contemporary Arrowmen?     It should.     Very early on, the Order was concerned about:

• Safeguarding the ceremonies, keeping them  from those with no need to know their content;
• Having ceremonialists and officers who have memorized their parts;
• Having sufficient brothers knowing the various parts so they could do the ceremonial work;
• TRAINING!

Some who know me will understand other reasons I found this report interesting.     That’s a discussion best left for private email.

For those, like me, who are too young to remember and for those who are not adequately taught American  history today in our schools here is what President Franklin Roosevelt said 63 years ago today.     Imagine the reaction if any national leader gave this same speech today!

Update: Hear FDR in his own words.

Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our Allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.

And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:

Almighty God: our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.

Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.

They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.

They will be sore tried, by night and by day without rest – until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men’s souls will be shaken with the violences of war.

For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and good will among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.

Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.

And for us at home — fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters and brothers of brave men overseas — whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them — help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.

Many people have urged that I call the Nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.

Give us strength, too — strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.

And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.

And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith in our sons; faith in each other; faith in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, or temporal matters of but fleeting moment — let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.

With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogancies. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace — a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil. Thy will be done, Almighty God. Amen.

Pres. FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, June 6, 1944

It’s been quiet around here the last day or so, so I’ll pass along some observations that seem to be making the rounds of email inboxes lately .

Here’s some things to think about:

1. Is atheism is a non-prophet organization?
2. Just before someone gets nervous do they experience cocoons in their stomachs?
3. Why do overlook and oversee mean opposite things?
4. Why do corn flakes and Sugar frosted flakes have the save number of calories per serving?
5. If you’re cross-eyed and have dyslexia can you read all right?
6. Why are they called apartments when they are stuck together?
7. If you have an open mind is there a chance your brain might fall out?
8. What do you do when you see an endangered animal that is eating an endangered plant?
9. Is laughing stock cattle with a sense of humor?
10. Would a fly without wings be called a walk?
11. If nothing ever sticks to Teflon, how do they get Teflon to stick to the pan?
12. Why do fat chance and slim chance mean the same thing?
13. If a vampire can’t see himself in a mirror, why is his hair always so neat?
14. Why is there an expiration date on SOUR cream?
15. Why does belly button lint not match your shirt color?
16. If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
17. What do little birdies see if they get knocked unconscious?
18. If Wal-Mart is lowering prices daily, how come nothing in the store is free yet?
19. Isn’t it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do “practice”?
20. Why do people who know the least know it the loudest?

“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure ” — Thomas Jefferson, letter (November 13, 1787)

Let  us not forget, on this hallowed day,  those men and women whose ultimate sacrifices have secured our freedom and propserity.

Memorial Day was first observed in the aftermath of the Civil War to pay homage to those  Union soldiers who died during the course of that war.     A separate memorial day was observed in many states — and still is — for those who died in service to the Confederate States of America.

First officially proclaimed as a day of remembrance in 168 by Gen. John  A. Logan,  the proclamation for Memorial Day read thusly:

General Order
No. 11
Headquarters, Grand Army of the Republic
Washington, D.C., May 5, 1868

I. The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form or ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.

We are organized, comrades, as our regulations tell us, for the purpose, among other things, “of preserving and strengthening those kind and fraternal feelings which have bound together the soldiers, sailors, and marines who united to suppress the late rebellion.” What can aid more to assure this result than by cherishing tenderly the memory of our heroic dead, who made their breasts a barricade between our country and its foe? Their soldier lives were the reveille of freedom to a race in chains, and their death a tattoo of rebellious tyranny in arms. We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. All that the consecrated wealth and taste of the Nation can add to their adornment and security is but a fitting tribute to the memory of her slain defenders. Let no wanton foot tread rudely on such hallowed grounds. Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and found mourners. Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten, as a people, the cost of free and undivided republic.

If other eyes grow dull and other hands slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn trust, ours shall keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remain in us.

Let us, then, at the time appointed, gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with choicest flowers of springtime; let us raise above them the dear old flag they saved from dishonor; let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us as sacred charges upon the Nation’s gratitude,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ the soldier’s and sailor’s widow and orphan.

II. It is the purpose of the Commander-in-Chief to inaugurate this observance with the hope it will be kept up from year to year, while a survivor of the war remains to honor the memory of his departed comrades. He earnestly desires the public press to call attention to this Order, and lend its friendly aid in bringing it to the notice of comrades in all parts of the country in time for simultaneous compliance therewith.

III. Department commanders will use every effort to make this order effective.

By command of:
JOHN A. LOGAN,
Commander-in-Chief.

N. P. CHIPMAN,
Adjutant-General.

The official date  has since changed to the last Monday in May for the conveninece of creating a 3 day weekend.   Still, let us honor the spirit of Gen. Logan’s proclamation and remember all those Americans who have given their lives in service of this great nation.

Remember, in the words of Abraham Lincoln:

…It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us–that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion–that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.

… You never know who will see it.

Articles have been written about folks who send out emails that they later regret.     Either the writer is intemperate in his comments, sends the email to the wrong person, includes unintended recipients, finds it later forwarded to people he didn’t want to see it, or all of the above.     I, personally, have felt this regret.

The same applies on eBay.     When a potential buyer asks a seller a question about an item, the response can appear for all to see on the item’s listing page.     See this recent listing I found for  several patches from Aina Topa Hutsi lodge while working on this site’s price guide.     I have also uploaded a screen capture of the relevant part of this auction’s page.

It should be noted the set the questioner believed was worth no more than $15.00 sold for $57.88.

I wonder if either the buyer or seller regret what they wrote here.

“Come gather ’round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you
Is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’
Or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’.  ”
– Bob Dylan

I had shared this with some friends of mine and thought it was worth sharing with readers of this blog.     The link will take you to an audio-visual presentation about 6 minutes long.

I had seen most of this information before, but not in one place in such stark form… for the times truly are changing.

“Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

– George Santayana                              

Here’s another holiday time fluff post…  

I’m not a huge fan of YouTube.   There’s just so much garbage there one has to wade through before on finds  anything worth watching.       However, someone else put me on to this video.

Do we really learn the lessons of history?    

That’s the question some televsion follks from Australia wanted to learn.    The results turn out to be rather surprising.     It seems some folks still fall for a trick that’s over 2000 years old.     Check it out at:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs3SfNANtig

Some of these folks really should be on to something like this!

Building upon the successes of saving the Californian condor, whooping crane, and the Peruvian spotted wombat, environmentalists are now calling for action to save the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus.

Urgent action is needed to save this elusive species from impending extinction.       Critical habitat has been destroyed by commercial logging and urban sprawl.     Natural predators have also taken a toll on this rarest of cephalopod.     The  population of tree octopuses is now believed to be its lowest level in recorded history.

Conservationists have published a website to increase awareness of the plight of this gentle and intelligent animal.     They urge folks to take peaceful actions, suggesting activities such as:

• Write your representatives to let them know that you are concerned and that you feel the tree octopus should be included on the Endangered Species List and given special protection.
• Help build awareness of the tree octopus by telling your friends and co-workers.
• Place a tentacle ribbon on your website.
• Participate in tree octopus awareness marches. You can demonstrate their plight during the march by having your friends dress up as tree octopuses while you attack them in a lumber jack costume.
• Pamphlet your neighborhood. Tentacle ribbons make excellent doorknob hangers.
• Join and donate to an organization committed to conservation, such as Greenpeas.
• Boycott companies that use non-tree-octopus-safe wood harvesting practices.
• Sign the petition! — nothing activates activity like an Internet petition.

Act now!   Let’s save this species before it goes the way of the Douglas fir octopus and the red-ringed madrona.   Today we save the tree octopus, tomorrow the Sasquatch!