One year new or renewal PATRON
membership with OFCC.
Ohioans For Concealed Carry has some of the best grassroots supporters
in the state! For those who have been looking for a way to go above and
beyond, we are pleased to offer a new
PATRON membership level!
PATRON members are regular voting members of OFCC but have a few additional benefits including:
- Commemorative challenge coin! (see "More Information" to learn more!)
- "Patron" rank image on the OhioCCW Forums
This is a critical time for gun rights in Ohio, and OFCC is in the thick
of the fight. In the summer of 2008, our long battle to preserve
statewide preemption of local gun bans was successful. Thanks to our win
in the Ohio Supreme Court in the
Ohioans For Concealed Carry v. the
City of Clyde case, all local gun related ordinances, registration
schemes, 'assault weapons' bans, public park bans, etc. were
invalidated. It was a long, grueling process, but we persevered and
prevailed; and your gun rights are safer because of it. But we cannot
rest on our laurels.
We've all seen on the news that concerned citizens have been stocking up
on guns and ammunition out of fears of new gun rights restrictions from
the incoming Barack Obama administration. Since Federal laws trump
State laws, OFCC will be heavily involved in Federal issues if your
Rights are threatened on a national level.
In addition, the work here at home is not done. Ohio still has some of
the most restrictive laws in the country, and these need to be
addressed. In particular, the ban on self defense while dining that
denies your Second Amendment rights simply because you are in a
restaurant that happens to serve alcohol, even when you're not consuming
any alcoholic beverages.
We also need to work to expand the Castle Doctrine to return the
presumption of innocence to those forced to defend their lives against
violent criminal attacks when outside of their home. Stand Your Ground
legislation, which has proven to be a great success in every other state
where enacted, needs to come to Ohio. If you're the victim of a
criminal attack and forced to defend yourself, you should not be
victimized again by a court system that automatically assumes you were
at fault and forces you to prove otherwise.
Our strength is in our members, and we truly cannot do it without you.
Note that you can order multiple years and save us processing your
renewal every year!
If this is a renewal membership, please enter your membership
number above if you know it. While this is not needed to process a
renewal, it will make it easier if you do have it.
If this membership is for a person other than yourself, please
note the information as needed above. You do not need to list the
address if it is the same as yours.
You do not
need to fill out that box if the membership is for yourself.
These large, 1-1/2" diameter coins are 3mm thick and struck from solid
brass, plated in sterling silver and then given an antique bath for additional character. The face of each coin features a bald eagle and our organization's name. The reverse has our logo, year of issue, and Article 1, Section 4 from Ohio's charter protecting the right to armed self-defense.
Each coin comes with a display box and a plastic carrying case.
Supplies are limited, so get yours today! These oversized challenge coins are only for the inaugural run and future designs will be smaller!
What is a challenge coin?
A challenge coin is a small coin or medallion (usually military), bearing an organization’s insignia or emblem and carried by the organization’s members. They are given to prove membership when challenged and to enhance morale.
While many organizations and services claim to have been the originators of the challenge coin, the most commonly held view is that the tradition began in the United States Army Air Service (a forerunner of the current United States Air Force).
Air warfare was a new phenomenon during World War I. When the army created flying squadrons they were manned with volunteer pilots from every walk of civilian life. While some of the early pilots came from working class or rural backgrounds, many were wealthy college students who withdrew from classes in the middle of the year, drawn by the adventure and romance of the new form of warfare.
As the legend goes, one such student, a wealthy lieutenant, ordered small, solid-bronze medallions (or coins) struck, which he then presented to the other pilots in his squadron as mementos of their service together. The coin was gold-plated, bore the squadron’s insignia, and was quite valuable. One of the pilots in the squadron, who had never owned anything like the coin, placed it in a leather pouch he wore around his neck for safekeeping. A short while later, this pilot’s aircraft was heavily damaged by ground fire (other sources claim it was an aerial dogfight), forcing him to land behind enemy lines and allowing him to be captured by the Germans. The Germans confiscated the personal belongings from his pockets, but they didn’t catch the leather pouch around his neck. On his way to a permanent prisoner of war facility, he was held overnight in a small German-held French village near the front. During the night, the town was bombarded by the British, creating enough confusion to allow the pilot to escape.
The pilot avoided German patrols by donning civilian attire, but all of his identification had been confiscated so he had no way to prove his identity. With great difficulty, he crept across no-man’s land and made contact with a French patrol. Unfortunately for him, the French had been on the lookout for German saboteurs dressed as civilians. The French mistook the American pilot for a German saboteur and immediately prepared to execute him.
Desperate to prove his allegiance and without any identification, the pilot pulled out the coin from his leather pouch and showed it to his French captors. One of the Frenchmen recognized the unit insignia on the coin and delayed the execution long enough to confirm the pilot's identity.
Once the pilot safely returned to his squadron, it became a tradition for all members to carry their coin at all times. To ensure compliance, the pilots would challenge each other to produce the coin. If the challenged couldn’t produce the coin, he was required to buy a drink of choice for the challenger; if the challenged could produce the coin, the challenger would purchase the drink.