Tamegonit Lodge By-Laws

I. NAME AND AFFILIATION

A) The name of the Lodge of the Order of the Arrow shall be Tamegonit Lodge, WWW.
B) The Lodge shall be affiliated with the Heart of America Council, B.S.A., and shall be under the supervision of the Council Camping Committee and the administrative authority of the Council Scout Executive.
C) The totem and call of the Lodge shall be that of the wild turkey.
D) The Lodge shall be divided into chapters. Each chapter shall come under the supervision of that District’s Camping Committee and its District Director or Executive.
E) All members of the Lodge shall wear the Coup Thong to be made in accordance with the instructions established by the Lodge Executive Committee.

 

 

II. ELECTION OF MEMBERSHIP

A) The requirements for membership in the Tamegonit Lodge are as required in the current printing of the National Order of the Arrow handbook.
B) The procedure for election shall be as stated in the National OA Handbook.
C) All election results must be cleared through the Lodge Membership Committee.
D) Procedures for the Ordeal shall be as stated in the National OA Handbook.

 

 

III. OFFICERS

A) The officers of the Lodge shall be as follows: Lodge Chief, four Lodge Vice-Chiefs, Lodge Secretary, and Lodge Treasurer. These elected officers must be under twenty-one (21) years of age during the entire term of office.
B) The officers of the Chapters shall be as follows: Chapter Chief, Chapter Vice-Chief(s), and Chapter Secretary (Treasurer). These elected officers must be under the age of twenty-one (21) during the entire term of office.

C) Lodge Officers will be elected at the Fall Fellowship. Chapter Officers will be elected at either Fall Fellowship, following Lodge Elections, or the Chapter’s District Roundtable immediately following Fall Fellowship. The term of all officers shall begin at Winter Banquet and end immediately following the next year’s Winter Banquet. Chapter Officer Elections will be reported to the current and incoming Lodge Key 3 within three (3) days of the completion of the election.

D) The Lodge Executive Committee shall be composed of the elected Lodge Officers, immediate Past Lodge Chief, Lodge Adviser, Council Camping Committee Chairman or representative, Chapter Chiefs, Chapter Advisers, Lodge Committee Chairmen, Lodge Committee Advisers, and the Scout Executive or his/her designee.
E) The Lodge and Chapter Advisers shall be appointed by the Scout Executive, or his designee, in consultation with the Council Camping  Committee.
F) The Lodge Chief shall appoint such operating Committee Chairmen as may be required with the approval of the Lodge Adviser.

G) The Chapter Chiefs shall appoint such operating Committee Chairmen as may be required with the approval of the Chapter Adviser.

H) All Chairmen shall be under twenty-one (21) years of age.

I) The Lodge Officers shall be elected using procedures established by the Lodge Executive

 

 

Committee within the following guidelines:

  1. Written ballots shall be used for the election.
  2. Votes shall be counted by the current Lodge Chief, Lodge Secretary, and the Lodge Adviser or their designates. If either the Lodge Chief or Secretary is running for any Lodge office they must appoint a qualified replacement to take their place in counting votes.
  3. Lodge officer candidates are allowed to hang any signs, posters, banners, etc… with discretion of size and content given to the current Lodge Chief.

J) Elected Lodge and Chapter officers of Tamegonit Lodge may be impeached by the Lodge Executive Committee, within the following guidelines:

  1. A 3/4 vote of the LEC members present, and consent of the Lodge Advisers, shall be required for impeachment.
  2. The Officer being impeached will be notified in writing by the LEC at least one week in advance of action by the LEC.
  3. The Lodge Executive Committee may appoint a successor.
  4. The successor must be an active, dues paying member of Tamegonit Lodge.
  5. The successor shall serve until the following Lodge or Chapter meeting, where the appointment shall be approved or disapproved with a vote by the lodge or chapter.
  6. If disapproved, the lodge or chapter shall elect a new officer.
  7. If approved, the lodge or chapter officer shall serve his position until the end of the current term of office.

K) In the case of a resignation of any Lodge or Chapter Officer, the LEC shall have the power to elect a successor to the office, within the following guidelines:

  1. The successor shall serve until the following lodge or chapter meeting, where the appointment shall be approved or disapproved by the vote of the members of the lodge or chapter.
  2. If disapproved, the Lodge or Chapter shall elect a new officer.
  3. If approved, the lodge or chapter officer shall serve his position until the end of the current term of office.

IV. LODGE MEETINGS

A) The Lodge shall schedule the following events. Winter Banquet, Induction Weekends, weekly meetings at Camp Naish during the summer camp season for all campers and staff, and Fall Fellowship. Other events may be scheduled by a vote of the Lodge Executive Committee.
B) The Lodge Executive Committee shall meet at least four times a year, in addition to scheduled lodge meetings. At least 50% of the voting members must be present to conduct business.

C) Special meetings of the Lodge Executive Committee may be called by the Lodge Chief or Vice-Chiefs with the approval of the Lodge Adviser, by the Scout Executive, or his designee.
D) Special meetings of the Lodge may be called by the Lodge Chief with the approval of the Lodge Adviser, the Scout Executive, or his designee.
E) Each meeting of the Lodge shall be opened with the recitation of the Obligation of the Order of the Arrow.
F) Members of the Lodge twenty-one (21) years of age or over do not have a vote in matters of Lodge business.

 

 

V. LODGE DUES

A) Dues will be collected annually from each member of Tamegonit Lodge to be considered an active member.
B) Dues for all Lodge members shall be set by the previous year’s LEC. If a change is made, the lodge shall be notified by December 1 and it will be published in the next Torchbearer.
C) Dues will be collected by the Heart of America Council Service Center.
D) Upon paying dues, each Arrowman shall fill out a dues renewal form, either individually or as a unit, to be sent to the council office to update the Lodge roster.
E) Upon paying dues, each Arrowman shall receive a Lodge membership card by mail (or distributed through district roundtables) to carry throughout the year.
F) Dues are valid through December 31 of the given year.
G) Active members rights:

  1. Attend functions of Tamegonit Lodge on the Lodge and Chapter level. Each Arrowman
    may be requested to show their membership card to prove active membership
  2. Receive awards and honors established by the Lodge.
  3. Receive Tamegonit Torchbearer and other Lodge and Chapter publications.
  4. Hold a Lodge or Chapter office or serve on a Lodge or Chapter Committee (including
    Ceremonial and Dance Teams)
  5. Purchase OA merchandise and paraphernalia.

H) Inactive Members:

  1. Will be notified of their inactive status and will be asked to change their status.
  2. Will be denied all rights of active membership until action has been taken to change inactive status.

VI. FEES

A) Ordeal candidates will be required to pay an induction fee established by the Staff Adviser.
B) At the time of induction, each new Ordeal member shall receive:

  1. Membership card by mail (or distribution through roundtables)
  2. Order of the Arrow Ordeal sash
  3. A coupon for an arrowhead at the Theodore Naish Scout Reservation Trading Post
  4. Order of the Arrow handbook
  5. Tamegonit Lodge pocket flap
  6. Dues paid through December 31 of the current year
  7.  Tamegonit Lodge handbook
  8. Additional items at the discretion of the Lodge Executive Committee
  9. Ordeal members becoming Brotherhood during the year shall pay the cost of the Brotherhood sash.
  10. Brotherhood members who become Vigil Honor members during the year shall not pay an additional fee.

VII. BROTHERHOOD MEMBERSHIP

Completion of Brotherhood membership shall be in accordance with the requirements in the current printing of the National OA Handbook.

 

 

VIII. VIGIL HONOR

Attainment of the Vigil Honor shall be in accordance with the requirements in the current printing of the National OA Handbook.

 

 

IX. CEREMONIES AND COSTUMING

 

A) All ceremonies shall be established by the Ceremonies Committee and approved by the Lodge Executive Committee.
B) All ceremonies shall be conducted in accordance with National OA policies.
C) Lodge costuming guidelines shall be established by the Ceremonies Committee and approved by the Lodge Executive Committee.

 

 

X. AMENDMENTS TO THE RULES

The Tamegonit Lodge Rules may be amended by completion of the following:

  1. The amendment shall be proposed to the Lodge Executive Committee by any voting
    member thereof.
  2. It shall be approved by a simple majority of the Lodge Executive Committee members
    present.
  3. It shall be published in the Tamegonit Torchbearer prior to being voted on by the
    Lodge.
  4. The Lodge shall approve the amendment by a simple majority at any regular or
    special meeting of the Lodge.

Updated: 22 September 2012

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