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POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

As amended August 12, 2018.

Officers and Duties:

Lodge Chief:

  1. He shall lead and represent the lodge in all matters.

  2. He shall act as a liaison between the council, Palmetto Council #549, and the lodge, Skyuka Lodge #270.

  3. He shall, with the assistance of the executive committee, develop a set of goals for the lodge pertaining to the current term of service.

  4. He shall serve as chairman of the executive committee.

  5. He shall appoint committee chairmen for the current term of service, as needed, with the approval of the executive committee.

  6. He shall abstain from voting except in circumstances that result in a tie vote.

  7. He may call meetings of the executive committee, as he deems necessary.

  8. He shall conduct the election of lodge officers annually.

Vice Chief of Program:

  1. He shall preside over all lodge functions in the absence of the lodge chief.

  2. He shall coordinate and direct the lodge projects.

  3. He shall coordinate a schedule for each lodge event, as needed, with the approval of the executive committee.

  4. He shall assist the lodge chief in all matters.

Vice Chief of American Indian Affairs:

  1. He shall preside over all lodge functions in the absence of the lodge chief and vice chief of program.

  2. He shall preside over the lodge American Indian Affairs.

  3. He shall be responsible for the procurement and upkeep of all materials, items, and outfits that pertain to the lodge American Indian Affairs committee, i.e. drums, ceremonial regalia, and tipis. He shall approve all use of these materials, items, and regalia.

  4. He shall be responsible for all ceremonies.

  5. He shall be responsible for all teams planning to compete in the annual conclave under the pretense of American Indian Affairs.

  6. He shall assist the lodge chief in all matters

Vice Chief of Inductions:

  1. He shall preside over all lodge functions in the absence of the lodge chief, vice chief of program, and vice chief of American Indian Affairs.

  2. He shall oversee all aspects of the induction of candidates for membership.

  3. He shall oversee the preparations for all ceremonies concerned with the advancement of knowledge about the order, the pre-ordeal, ordeal, and brotherhood ceremonies.

  4. He shall direct the elections process.

  5. He shall oversee the elangomat and clan systems.

  6. He shall assist the lodge chief in all matters.

Secretary:

  1. He shall maintain all records of the lodge in good order.

  2. He shall keep the minutes of all executive committee meeting and lodge meetings.

  3. He shall publish the minutes in a timely manner and make them available to any member of the lodge.

  4. He shall be responsible for all lodge correspondence and publications.

  5. He shall be responsible for registration and preregistration of all lodge events.

Treasurer:

  1. He shall maintain the financial records of the lodge in good and current order and shall report them at executive committee meetings and publish the same at lodge events.

  2. He shall publish the budget as approved by the executive committee at the inception.

  3. He shall be informed of all lodge income and expenses.

Chapter Chiefs:

  1. They shall manage all chapter affairs.

  2. They shall direct the unit elections for those units in their respective chapters.

  3. The shall manage the Troop OA Representative program in their respective chapters.

Insignia and Patches/Flaps:

Insignia:

  1. All use of the lodge totem, the double-headed thunderbird, should be brought before the executive committee for their approval.

  2. All items containing the lodge totem may be sold at the direction of the executive committee.

  3. Items containing the lodge totem for special occasions may be used or sold with the pre-approval of the executive committee.

Unrestricted Pocket Flaps:

  1. The lodge will have no less than one current unrestricted lodge flap for all OA members and distinguished guests.

  2. Any OA member shall be able to attain one current unrestricted lodge flap at every event that he/she participates in.

Restricted Pocket Flaps:

  1. The lodge will have a current Ordeal pocket flap for all Ordeal, Brotherhood, and Vigil members. This flap will be restricted to two (2) per lifetime for these members.

  2. The lodge will have a current Brotherhood pocket flap for all Brotherhood, and Vigil members. This flap will be restricted to two (2) per lifetime for these members.

  3. The lodge will have a current Vigil pocket flap for all Vigil members. This flap will be restricted to two (2) per lifetime for Vigil members solely.

  1. An extensively damaged pocket flap may be returned to the lodge and a new current one of the same restrictive status be purchased only with the approval of the lodge chief and treasurer. The returning flap must be destroyed.

Thunderbird Committee:

  1. The purpose of the Thunderbird Committee is to ensure that the Double Headed Thunderbird, the lodge totem, is not misused or poorly rendered.

  2. The committee may suggest designs of patches to be presented to the LEC for approval.

  3. The committee may offer advice as to how many patches are ordered.

  4. All patch designs approved by the Thunderbird Committee shall then be sent to the Lodge Executive Committee for approval.

  5. The committee shall also handle the logistical side of purchasing approved patches.

Lodge Events:

  1. Participation in lodge events constitutes being present for no less than three meals. The participation must be present at the event by no later than Saturday at lunch to meet the above requirement. Order of the Arrow members exclusively may participate in events.

  2. Every person attending or participating in a lodge event must check in at registration upon arrival at which time they must specify which campgrounds they plan to retire to.

  3. No one may leave a lodge event after they have registered at an event without the express permission of the lodge chief and the lodge advisor.

  4. All persons seeking to operate a vehicle must obtain a Driver’s Pass from the lodge chief or lodge advisor.

  5. No driver under the age of twenty-one (21) may carry any person in their vehicle.

  6. Scout-like behavior should be practiced by all persons at every lodge event.

  7. Drugs and/or alcohol are strictly forbidden from all lodge events.

  8. Fireworks and firearms are strictly forbidden from all lodge events.

  9. All current youth protection guidelines must be followed by all individuals, participating or not, at every lodge event.

Finances:

  1. The amount of annual dues for individual lodge members shall be twenty U.S. dollars ($20.00). Notification of the individual lodge member on the subject of annual dues shall be sent with notification for registration of the lodge banquet.

Lodge Awards:

Lodge Awards:

  1. The lodge may give each year awards to arrowmen who are recognized for their service to scouting and the Order of the Arrow.

Lodge Awards:

  1. Founders Award – Introduced at the 1981 National Order of the Arrow Conference, the Founder’s Award was created to honor and recognize those Arrowmen who have given outstanding service their lodge. The award is reserved for an Arrowmen who demonstrates to fellow Arrowmen that he or she memorializes in his or her everyday life the spirit of achievement as described by founder E. Urner Goodman and cofounder Carroll A. Edson.

  1. Indian on the Mountain – The Skyuka Lodge Indian on the Mountain Award was started in 1989 as a way to honor Arrowmen and Advisors with an award that was truly Skyuka in its origins. The Indian on the Mountain was the first patch for lodge members and the first Vigil Honor members wore them on yellow neckerchiefs. What better symbol of our heritage and history of our lodge than our first patch. The criteria for Indian on the Mountain Award are the same as the Founders Award and are given each year to a deserving youth and adult who are the best examples of the spirit of the Order in our Lodge

Elders Charm Award

  1. Launched in 2013, the Elders Charm Award was created for the purpose of recognizing scouters in Skyuka Lodge for their continued cheerful service to Skyuka Lodge, Camp Bob Hardin, and to the youth of the Palmetto Council Boy Scouts of America.

  2. The charms shape is derived from the very first OA lodge, Unami. The Unami lodge totem is a turtle. The alligator snapping turtle species was chosen for the Elders Charm Award because of its origin in the southern region. The charm is made from polished nickel with the Skyuka Lodge totem on the turtle’s back. The patch included on the belly of the turtle is a 1960’s vintage Skyuka round patch chosen for its early history to our lodge.

  3. Candidates must have served fifteen years or more active tenure in good standing with Skyuka Lodge. Candidates must be agreed upon by past and present lodge chiefs and advisors. There are no set number of recipients for the award.

Awards Committee

  1. The Awards Committee shall be responsible for the nomination and election of candidates for the Founders Award and the Indian on the Mountain. The committee shall meet at the Fall Fellowship to elect candidates.

  2. The chair of the awards committee shall be the Awards Chairman. The awards committee shall be composed of the lodge awards chairman, chapter chiefs or representative, the awards advisor, and lodge advisor.

  3. Each youth committee member may bring before the committee candidates who are eligible based on the criteria of the award they are nominated for. The committee shall nominate and elect one youth and one adult for the Founders Award and one youth and one adult for the Indian on the Mountain.

Awards Replacement Policy

  1. If in the event that a former recipient of a lodge award has lost the physical award due to their situation, the recipient may apply to have the award replaced.

  2. The award’s recipient must submit a statement in writing to the Key 3 explaining the request for the replacement of the award.

  3. The Key 3 shall review the statement of the recipient. Examples of the situation for loss of the recipient’s physical award can be but are not limited to house fires, floods, theft, etc.

  4. If the request is approved by the Key 3, the recipient will have to pay a fee to the lodge equal to all expenses required to replace the award, except in special cases. The special cases in which the recipient will either pay no fee or a reduced fee will be decided explicitly on a case-by-case basis by the committee and Key 3.

Publications:

  1. The lodge shall have a newsletter known as the “TANAWA” which should be published at least four times a year.

  2. The editor in chief of the “TANAWA” shall be the lodge secretary.

  3. Any other publications distributed from Skyuka Lodge #270 to any segment of the members other than the members of the executive committee must have prior approval from the executive committee.

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