New National Policy on Lodge Names
Posted in OAImages News by John E. Pannell on April 1st, 2008 at 12:01 am (Edit 4/2/08: Remember what day this was initially posted on. Please read the following with that in mind and react accordingly!)
A few years ago the BSA and the OA ended their practice of officially assigning lodge numbers. Official records were no longer to use these historical lodge numbers. On the national level, lodges are now known by the council’s number when a number is needed for record keeping purposes.
It’s since been realized that names are a bigger problem for the folks in Texas. While some could remember which lodge numbers belonged to which councils no one could easily remember which lodge names applied to which councils. It’s even harder when the names are spoken over the telephone and not written. In addition, the BSA also wants to stress that the OA lodge is an integral part in the councils’ operations. So, effective January 1st, 2009, lodge are to be known simply as (name of their council) Lodge and always with “BSA” added to the end. This stresses the lodge’s place in the council and within the BSA and emphasizes the OA is not a separate program unto its own.
It was announced that Scout Executives are responsible for enforcing this policy change at the local level. All official lodge insignia must refer to the lodge in this new style. This is similar to the imposition in the 1970s of the requirement for all lodge and council patches to include one of the BSA’s distinguishing indica. Historical lodge names and numbers can continue to be used for ceremonial and other purposes but not on any official patches. It is strongly encouraged that the change of insignia happen as quickly as possible. Since the BSA’s licensing process requires all patch designs to be approved before production this change will be further emphasized by the rejection of all proposed patch designs that fail to comply.
This move is not unprecedented within the BSA. There are historical examples of lodges taking their councils’ names. A high ranking national employee suggested this has already been used with great success for the past seventy years in the council from Raleigh, NC. It also has worked well for councils in Johnson City, TN and Columbus, GA. In further comments directed at those adult members who feel this is abandoning tradition, OA historians on the National Committee have noted that in the earliest days of the Order lodges were frequently named after their camps, councils, or even headquarters cities.
Lodge advisers and Scout Executives are also reminded that all advisers serve at the will and pleasure of the Scout Executive. It has been intimated that those adults unwilling to accept this change should be replaced.
At the head of this post is a mock-up of the new flap our lodge should issue this Fall, in accordance with this new directive. All remaining stock of our current standard flaps, will be sold at a special price.
Some folks locally are said to be upset about this change. They believe this is a move to rob the OA of its traditions and make it nothing more than a tool of the BSA’s professionals. This patch shown here was produced to show their loyalty to the lodge’s traditions and their disdain of BSA professionals. You will notice there is nothing on the patch to identify it as a BSA issue; all such elements have been removed.
This certainly creates a problem for this website and others who catalog patches. It has been practice in the past that a name change, even without change in territory, creates a new lodge for cataloging purposes. Following past practice this would create 300 new lodges to track, each with their own first flap. This is a system rife for confusion and manipulation. This can only get worse as more lodges continue to think their council number is now their lodge number. Several lodges already use their council numbers.
So, barring a better solution, I propose two significant changes that I will implement here:
- Issues from existing lodges will still be listed under their current numbers. Numbering will continue after the lodges cease to use their historical names on patches. Lodge names aren’t being banned. Their use is only prohibited on official items and for official BSA/OA purposes.
- Since there are no longer any official lodge numbers this site will start to assign lodge numbers, for cataloging purposes, to all new lodges. Numbers will start at 620 and be assigned sequentially. This will apply to all mergers, consolidations, or any other change that results in new lodge boundaries.
Please feel free to comment on these changes here, or by private email to me a jepannell “at” oaimages “dot” com.
So I am now a member of San Diego-Imperial Lodge? Well, I guess it makes more sense than Tiwahe did. After all, what connection to southern California did the Lakota Sioux word for “family” ever have?
Well, so much for honoring the customs and traditions of the OA. I am sure glad to know that a bunch of minimum wage secretaries at the National Office can dictate OA policy. What BS.
Well here I go again — a whole new set of names and numbers starting 1-1-09. Glad I am caught up on having a complete set of current names and numbers.
Jeff Ansley
Cascade Pacific Lodge 492
The secretaries didn’t bring this about, the ever-more-dictatorial professional officer class within the BSA did. The only thing missing is the word “Achtung” at the beginning of the directive. Note the overbearing reminder that the Scout Executive can “hire and fire” the Lodge Advisor (happily this is the ONLY volunteer they can deal with in this way).
Interestingly, the National Committee appears to have completely knuckled under on this one. They even got the historians among them to scurry around and dig up some “historical precedent” to support the move.
Of course, lodges are free to use their traditional names “unofficially”. Yeah, right.
John Jewett
Thanks for the heads up, John. I see one work-around National may not have considered: Changing the Council name to the lodge name. I think there’s more money in CSPs than flaps for most councils. Can you imagine the killing Gamehaven and Great Salt Lake will make from reissuing hundreds of CSPs? But the CSP collectors would be pissed, I bet!
Wow, you only waited one minute to get this post submitted. Way to get the news out quick! Any truth to the rumor of Troop numbers being eliminated too?
And what is the date?
Paul - it may not be a rumor. With the 100th anniversary coming up, BSA is taking a hard look at getting back to its roots. There is a proposal floating to follow the UK tradition of Group names (i.e. First Derbyshire Cub Group; Derbyshire East Rovers, etc). They also want to reduce the Christmastree look of the uniform, too and the merit badge sash may give way to a non-uniform form of display. Tico may know more (new National Commissioner) but probably can’t say. These things are usually unveiled at National meeting (May) or Top Hands (August?) Exciting times! (I guess)
Take your choice, either:
BSA National Giveth and BSA National Taketh away!
All praise to BSA National!
or
This is an April Fools joke.
I’m assuming that this isn’t an April Fool’s joke: Therefore, having been a member (youth & adult), of a New Jersey council that has gone through three mergers, with each merger enlarging the territory of the merged council & resulting in three diiferent council names, I’ve personally lost my sense of identity as to my original council’s history and traditions. Ditto for the each of the OA lodges that have changed name, number and totem with each merger. I understand business logic is “the bottom line”. I recognize that National BSA is “Big Business” and their guiding parameters are increased revenues & membership. However these constantly shifting sands of can be very confusing to the heart of the BSA program, the volunteer leaders. At one time neighboring troops and towns engaged in Scouting rivalries. To me that spirit seems to have disappeared under the avalanche of dogmatic boundary changes which are issued as iron bound National Policy. Just one old Scouter’s opinion.
Confirm not an April Foolishness Joke……..
WOW! What an amazing coincidence - it is April 1st and there is a major announcement- between National Board and National OA Commttee meetings - that I knew nothing about… here I thought I might actually be on the inside of these decisions for once! Nicely done John - y’all be careful about the condemnations - and check the date. I suspect that there will be more clarity in the next 24 hours or so. Tico
So I guess this means numbered sets will be outdated and no longer collectable.
Our lodge merged in 1999 and we went through a lot of discussion on number and name of the new merged lodge. We even researched the local indian tribes and came up with a name based on the area. I guess this is of no importance anymore.
Excellent job John . . . although, I’m sure there are more people than we would like to think that feel that your story makes sense. Very well written . . . and I’m also glad that I was able to read Tico’s post as well . . . Smile . . . Craig
Wonderful news! Now there will be lots of new issues to add to my collection of flaps without lodge names!
Hi John - in 1938, Orson Welles and the folks of the Mercury Theater of the Air had a delightful program called “War of the Worlds” . Unfortunately, millions of Americans listening to the radio that night did not realize it was a JOKE. They did many rash and stupid things to avoid the “martians” ( new BSA policies) that were attacking the east coast of the US.
Lets hope that the latest joke will not lead anyone to do something rash and stupid.
Happy April Fools Day.
John,
Sturm und Drang. Great Post!!
Appropriate quote to:
“You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”
Abraham Lincoln
[…] John Pannell has an important post on a new decision, fresh from National to abolish Lodge names. […]
I can only confess that I am one scout and if being in the OA for 20+ years I know that though we support the councils we are in, the flip side is they do not always support us. We honor many traditions that make the life of the socuts in the council much better (usually because with Cheerful Service we are a great asset, we are motivated and don’t cost much to get good things accomplished).
From where I sit, it appears that as an organization, we can keep the Cheerful Service part but as for identity and the sake of what we have been (whether 60, (or more,) years, or as in Kathy’s sake just 8 years,) that is too much tradition and we need to shake things up for the sake of some serious concern. (Revenue?)
Just my thoughts. I can’t imagine my lodge being called unoffically something that has been solid for almost 50 years. Our lodge number is our number-everyone knows it and there is no confusion. I hope that somehow this is April Fools and we will all laugh tomorrow. In the meantime, what to do today.
Peace!
WWW
Keith
Wow, this made a mess on ARROW-L this morning =) haha
April Fool’s!!!!! John, I fell for this one too. HAHA
Great job, John! Nothing like poking a hornet’s nest with a stick! Happy April Fool’s Day to you, too…
Regards,
Rob Russell
Blue Ridge Mountains Council Lodge
(formally Tutelo 161)
ROTFLMAO
Well done John - you got the top membership to bite.
Frank
Dear John,
I immediately noticed the date on your posting and after continuing to read the “announcement”, thought of how many will be calling their local Scout office in a panic about the “new rules”. I hope that there won’t be too many “April Fools” today.
Michael Jacobson
“April Fools”?
Our local newspaper (Kankakee, Illinois 1960’s) did an April Fools joke on the headline story of the front page for many years. Once a helmet on a soldier that was on the cover of the front page a few days before, was now a UFO that crash landed in the local river. Another time a current TV star was supposed to be filming the TV program in the local state park. They used a photo of him superimposed in front of the park entrance. Many people would rush out to see the site. Always there would be a reference to a professor or a photographer or something named “Lirpa Loof”.
Once there was something that was caused by the ‘Lirpa Loof effect’.
Ha ha ha… Great story. Great April Fool’s Day read!!! Loved it!
This is funny people, good April Fool’s joke. Brought joy to my day here at Fort Campbell, being with the 101st Airborne is tough work.
Jim Clark
United States ARMY
2nd Brigade Combat Team (2-502 Infantry)
Strike Force
Fort Campbell, Kentucky
It has to be true and not an April fool’s prank. Two reasons. Like everything that national does it makes no sense to us mere mortals.
Second, there was more security around National HQ when I passed it on my way to work. Of course that could just be the fact that the Irving PD was running traffic enforcement in the area today.
PT Barnum is alive and well, and managing OAIMAGES.com….
Verrrrrrrrrrrry nice!
Let’s just hope that John’s story doesn’t turn into TOMORROWS HEADLINES….
or
Will National like the idea FOR REAL….. Heaven forbid… Then who has the
last laugh……
The best part about these April Fool’s stunts is that it draws out and exposes the real attitudes of so many people.