Non - dues payers wearing the flap.

[Bill Pitcher]

Should we police our troop for "OA (non)members," who wear the flap and have not paid their dues? And then help them REMOVE the flap from their uniforms? Opinions please ! ! !

[ThunderingWind]

If you get a list of your Troop youth that is in the OA and it states they have not paid up, take them aside quietly (within the YP rules) and ask them about it.

They may just forgot.

If they make it know they no longer want to participate, gently remind them of the Insignia rules. But give them until next meeting (or two) to see if they do what they were told. If they still have it one, talk to them again with the parent.

Another option is to have the Senior Youth talk with each boy in this non-dues paying status. Then move it up a SM conference, then add the parents.

An additional option is to use the admin time of the Troop meeting to remind everyone of pproper uniform policy and include the OA Flap.

But I do wonder is not the OA Treasurer sending out "LATE BILL" or "PAST DUE" notices? Or at least making some phone calls?

[wagionvigil]

Actually the Youth deal with the Youth and the adults deal with the adults.
YOu are only a member if your dues are paid.

[koholintscout]

I think this is making a mountain out of a molehill... just explain how you see wearing the flap, be logical, and have the boys get the boys to see it your way and have the adults talk to adults. I think coming out swinging and declaring someone not a member of OA because of dues not being paid is counterproductive and will put people on the defensive.

[wagionvigil]

According to all BSA Policies You must have your dues current to be AN OA Member and to wear the flap. It is not a Rank it is a separate organization just like the Boy Scouts and with out your dues being paid you are not a member of the Boys Scouts.

[biglou]

I hate to say that I have 2 shirts that have flaps on them and I do not pay dues. I disagree with the adult leadership here and will not pay them. So, to make it easy, I do not wear those shirts. I will pay OA dues next year so I can wear a flap at the Jamboree or after a new OA Lodge Adviser is in place.

As for a kid not paying dues, I would look into it if asked but I have not been. If I saw the boy wearing a flap that I know has not paid his dues, I would sit down and ask him why and then offer him suggestions. If he asked me why I did not pay my dues, I would tell him. I am not going to lie to the boy. I don't like the OA leadership in Bucktail. They have collectively caused more problems in this council than they have actually helped.

You may notice that I am a Vigil Honor Member of the OA. The Ah'Tic Lodge is not a "boy" run Lodge. I know what I went through when I was a youth and the current Lodge Adviser was LA when I was chief. I did not want to be a part of it and I will admit, that the Ah'tic Lodge is dominated by adults that want to see things run their way. I will say that the boys are starting to step up a bit. I will admit, I was quite surprised at what kind of drinks that you can get from a keg from the Straub Brewery. The Lodge Chief's uncle is the head brewmaster at Straub. The Chief and his brother talked him into allowing them to fill 2 kegs with Hawaiin Punch. Kind of cool and innovative but then again, probably not the best thing to have at an OA weekend. But it was cool!

[wagionvigil]

For the past 10 or so years a list of OA members from the troop is attached to the charter renewal package for each troop. We ask that they clooect the dues in the troop and pay it all when they send in their charter renewal. It ha sreally worked.

[smtroop168]

We pay at recharter time. The OA sets up a separate table.

[kwildman]

K-scout - its funny because i have heard some scouters worry about the OA hurting their troop because it takes their best kids and consumes their time away from the unit. I think the OA flaps look really good on those forest green uniforms.

[biglou]

To be quite honest, the OA flaps do look good on the Venturing Uniforms. I wish I had my old shirt from 1990 that was forest green. It took me a trip to Philmont to get one. Well, the only reason I want a shirt like that was because it had Boy Scouts of America over the right breast pocket versus the Venturing BSA on the current shirt. I guess you could get away with wearing that with the old red loops. I did!