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Lodge 188: Possible Concord Chapter Items

Posted in Itibapishe Iti Hollo 188, SR-5 Lodges by John E. Pannell on March 30th, 2008 at 12:05 am

Chris Jensen recently acquired a collection that had several pieces in it that might be of interest to lodge 188 collectors. They might be issues from this lodge’s Concord Chapter. Like a couple of other recent posts here, I throw these out for your comments and discussion.

The first item, pictured at the top of this post, has the strongest claim to being an issue from lodge 188’s Concord Chapter. Even though it does refer to the Concord District Spring Camporee it is conceivable the O.A. Callout was an chapter or lodge run event at this camporee. Beyond referring to an event specific to the Order of the Arrow program, the patch also prominently features an Ordeal sash oddly draped across a backpack.
Continue Reading »

"Here's something to think about how come you never see a headline like 'Psychic Wins Lottery'?"

Jay Leno

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What is a Patch?

Posted in Florida Lodges, O-Shot-Caw 265, OAImages News by John E. Pannell on March 28th, 2008 at 12:05 am

This is a sequel to an earlier post on this blog called, “What is a Neckerchief?”

Recently I posted the item pictured here as the “X28.5?” from O-Shot-Caw 265. It’s from the 2002 NOAC but had not previously been listed in Blue Book or my site. I had been told it was issued sewn onto a backpack and added it to the listings.

That last point has been debated by some collectors in Florida in email to me. Some believe this piece does not exist separately from the backpack unless the pack is cut up, and that’s why it had not been listed before now. Upon examination of the item in question, the facts prove otherwise.

As you can see, in the image at the top of this post, the item clearly has a finished cut edge border and a plastic backing. After production, this patch was sewn onto the backpack ini question and sold. As far as I’m concerned, this needs to be listed as a lodge issue.

I want to use this item as a jumping point to a more general question. So, what exactly is a patch? I’ll also ask the related question: What is a piece of OA insignia? What follows is my opinion and your mileage may vary. Continue Reading »

"Gradualness, gradualness, and gradualness. From the very beginning of your work, school yourself to severe gradualness in the accumulation of knowledge. "

Ivon Petrovich Pavlov

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BSA Southern Region Reorganization

Posted in Alabama Lodges, Florida Lodges, SR-5 Lodges, SR-7B Lodges, Scouting, other than collecting by John E. Pannell on March 19th, 2008 at 12:03 am

Rick Obermeyer sent word to patch-l that the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has once again reorganized the Areas of the Southern Region. All but two of the areas have seen changes in their composition. These changes are to take effect in 2009.

While Order of the Arrow sections do not formally exist within the BSA’s organizational hierarchy, they either follow area boundaries or are subdivisions of the areas. The rest of this post is my analysis of how this will affect the OA sections in the Southern Region.

"The riddle does not exist. If a question can be put at all, then it can also be answered."

Ludwig Wittgenstein

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Lodge 221: 2008 Region Chief Flap

Posted in Muscogee 221, SR-5 Lodges by John E. Pannell on March 4th, 2008 at 7:35 am

Brad Hutto has been doing his best to keep me busy with South Carolina issues lately. If only folks in the other 49 states were as eager to keep my busy. Thanks.

Muscogee lodge recently issued a flap in honor of their lodge brother, Mason Thomas, who was elected the Order of the Arrow’s (OA) 2008 Southern Region Chief.

"Mathematics has beauties of its own -- a symmetry and proportion in its results, a lack of superfluity, an exact adaptation of means to ends, which is exceedingly remarkable and to be found only in the works of the greatest beauty When this subject is properly ... presented, the mental emotion should be that of enjoyment of beauty, not that of repulsion from the ugly and the unpleasant."
In H. Eves Mathematical Circles Squared, Boston: Prindle, Weber and Schmidt, 1972.

J. W. A. Young

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National Vice Chief’s Blog

Posted in Scouting Blogs and Websites by John E. Pannell on February 13th, 2008 at 6:14 am

Ben Stilwill, this year’s Order of the Arrow National Vice Chief, has started his own blog. Like Bill Mulrenin and myself, he also uses Word Press as his blogging software. His blog can be found at:

http://www.benjaminstilwill.com/

He follows the lead of last year’s National Chief, Evan Chaffee, who maintained his own blog during his year in office.

So far there is only one entry, written a few days ago, where we learn he has decided to pledge Beta Theta Pi at DePauw University. I wonder how he’ll find balancing school work, pledging activities, and the demands of a national office in the Order of the Arrow.

"Education is too important to be left solely to the educators."

Francis Keppel

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Abbreviations Explained: LB, MTZ, GER

Posted in Patch Collecting by John E. Pannell on February 8th, 2008 at 4:25 am

There are many abbreviations used in Blue Book and on this site that may not be readily apparent to collectors, especially those with less experience in this hobby. Scott Dillard has written an excellent explanation of many of these abbreviations. However many still do not know what these abbreviations mean. I thought this would be a good time to explain three of the more obscure abbreviations used: LB, MTZ, and GER.

Once there were three major manufacturers of Order of the Arrow insignia. While these three companies did not manufacture every OA item, they certainly were dominant forces in this business. They were responsible for many of the classic issues of our hobby. Flaps produced by each of these companies had distinctive shapes. In some cases more than one of these companies produced very similar emblems for the same lodge. So, an important part of being able to identify some of these older items properly is knowing which company manufactured them. The three companies were Lion Brothers (LB), The Moritz Embroidery Works (MTZ), and the Geer Company (GER).

An explanation of each of thes three shapes follows.

"If you don't like the way the world is, you change it. You have an obligation to change it. You just do it one step at a time."

Marian Wright Edelman

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Lodge 560: Camp Bud Schiele CSPs

Posted in Eswau Huppeday 560, SR-5 Lodges by John E. Pannell on November 30th, 2007 at 4:08 am

Eswau Huppeday Week” continues here at OAImages.

Here’s a tough question for those who try to classify Order of the Arrow patches. If a council produces, awards and sells a councilstrip without any direct involvement from the council’s lodge, but includes the lodge number in the design, should this be listed in Blue Book and this site with the lodge’s issues?

"There are three things which are real: God, human folly, and laughter. The first two are beyond our comprehension. So we must do what we can with the third."

John F. Kennedy

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