Loyal Order of the Og

Many years ago, in 1995 to be exact, a group of intrepid Scuba divers and associates bravely journeyed from the inhospitable climate of the land known as Philadelphia to that Caribbean jewel called Grand Cayman. It was there that the true power of the Og was revealed to those who eventually became the founding fathers of the Loyal Order of the Og.

The Og required constant care and protection and had to be carried with the group at all times by one whom the Og selected and who was known as the Keeper of the Og. When it was arduously protected and nurtured, the Og bestowed on its keepers good dives, calm seas, safe travel and, most importantly, the promise of a return to the wonderful island in the British West Indies.

Accepting the Og’s benevolence carried with it a price, however. If the Og was neglected, or forgotten, it could call down plagues such as a multitude of sea wasps or an epidemic of seasickness upon its followers.

As a final gesture of homage to the Og, it has been decreed that the Og must be taken beneath the surface on the final dive of the trip. On this dive, the Og shall be released and commended to the sea. The Og shall express its degree of satisfaction with its treatment by either rising to the surface if it has been pleased , or, if displeased, by sinking into the abyss, never to be seen again.

The release of a very happy Og

Although some soothsayers would regard the Og’s sinking as an omen, predicting the success of the next trip to Grand Cayman, those wise and loyal followers of the Og realize the need to select a better Og next time.

The powers of the Og have become legendary and have attracted an entourage from the wastelands to the north, where the waters are dark and frigid, in that country called Canada, Eh? The Og is pleased by this homage and has decreed that its followers be hereafter known as the International Loyal Order of the Og.

February, 2000