Benevolent and Spirited Order of Oil and Sand

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A piece of the BASOOS cut out from one belonging to Monlia Wu.

The Benevolent and Spirited Order of Oil and Sand, aka the BASOOS, is an award that was created after a harrowing trip to a national convention during which the bus broke down in the middle of nowhere/desert. The brothers going banded together and still made it to the convention despite their travelling woes. Thus the BASOOS was created and given to people in the chapter who have shown excellent spirit and passion for the chapter. It is an award that is passed from one recipient to the next when the holder feels someone is deserving (usually when someone goes above and beyond their call of duty as an officer or as an active).

A V-shaped piece of the BASOOS cut out from one belonging to Teri Sheets.

History and Tradition

Region X members with Earle Herbert at the 1982 National Convention.

In December 1982, several Iota Phi brothers left Davis in the Boy Scout Troup 66 bus headed toward the 1982 National Convention in Kansas City, MO. Along the way, they planned to pick up several other brothers. The group got into the Tehachapi Mountains when the bus blew an oil line and was stranded. Several brothers turned around and went back home. However, several other brothers found any means possible to complete the pilgrimage to the Mecca of Alpha Phi Omega, Kansas City, as the National Office was located there in 1982 (in the old Waltower Building).

In 1983, Earle Herbert, the National Vice President at the time and later National President, bestowed upon those brothers who drove, flew, or bussed their way to the National Convention, that Iota Phi since has passed down through all generations: The Benevolent and Spirited Order of Oil and Sand (BASOOS). The "Oil and Sand" refers to the busted oil line in the middle of a desert. After the National Convention, the chapter decided to pass the BASOOS down to an active brother who has exhibited a spirited and positive attitude throughout the term. The BASOOS used to be handed down at each chapter banquet, at least through the early 1990s. In more recent times, it has been passed down only when a holder felt that a Brother was deserving. This award is considered to be among the highest honors an Iota Phi brother can earn, surpassed only by the Chapter Distinguished Service Key and, perhaps, becoming a pledge class namesake.

Prior to handing it down the current holder of the BASOOS (which has been a blue ribbon sash with a golden-yellow stripe down the center) cuts a small piece of the sash to keep as his/her memento for receiving the award. In the past, the BASOOS was cut into V-shape piece. More recently, it is cut into a straight piece. Since the sashes have been cut repeatedly and become too short to wear, they are inevitably replaced to keep the tradition alive. Traditionally, once cut, a piece of the BASOOS bears a Key Pin.

BASOOS Recipients

Originally there were 7 BASOOS awards, but the whereabouts of two are unknown. The following table lists the known order of recipients for each of the remaining BASOOS from oldest (top) to most recent (bottom).

BASOOS Recipients

Recipient Recipient Recipient Recipient Recipient

The Original Seven

The original seven recipients of the BASOOS award are as follows:

  1. Andrea (Levy) Isaacs
  2. Beth Tom
  3. Dave Emery
  4. Debbie Sloane
  5. Karen Gozzi
  6. Lee Stone
  7. Rick Rochester

Other Previous BASOOS Recipients

While we may not know who these individuals received the BASOOS from or to whom they passed theirs to, the following individuals were each bestowed the award.

  1. Teri Sheets
  2. Mimi Huang
  3. Clifford Alumno (received from Mimi Huang)
  4. Roger Clark
  5. Erick Kim
  6. Joanne Graham
  7. Bella Fong
  8. Anne Daugherty (Spring 1989)
  9. Kam Wan (Spring 1989)
  10. Keith Chow (Spring 1989)
  11. Loretta Tse (Spring 1989)
  12. Susie Zanger (Spring 1989)
  13. Willie Tai (Spring 1989)

Trivia

An image of the BASOOS crest.

The BASOOS Crest

Dave Emery, one of the original BASOOS recipients, had designed a BASOOS crest. The crest features an oil lamp that represents the oil leaking from the red Boy Scout bus the original recipients had started the trip to the National Convention on. The vehicles in the band are the aforementioned red bus, Dave's yellow car, and a plane--the ways these members started or got to the convention. The heart represents Kansas City, the heartland of the U.S. and location of the 1982 National Convention. The bird is the fraternity's golden eagle. The meaning of the grapes and lightning bolt are unknown.

The Bus Driver

The driver of the bus that broke down in the BASOOS origin story was John W. Jones.

Nicknamed BASOOS

While all BASOOS are equal, two of them have been given nicknames over the years. They are as follows:

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