Emacs Package Loading & .emacs ??

[David Masterson <dsmasterson@gmail.com>]

I used the Emacs package menu to install the latest version of Org
(8.2.5h).  It installed it into ~/.emacs.d/elpa as you would expect.
Now, I'm trying to initialize Org and make proper use of it, but it
appears that the new Org package is not initializing right and, instead,
I am picking up the one that came with Emacs 24.3 as describe-variable
on org-version reports 7.9.3f.  Yet, I see the new Org's directory on
the load-path, so something ran.

Can someone explain the package loading process?  In particular, I get
the sense that the new package is added to the load-path *after* my
.emacs is loaded.  If that is true, what is the proper way to make use
of the new package as adding (require 'org) to my .emacs will pick up
the original Org and not the installed package?  Should I physically
delete the original Org module that came with Emacs?

-- 
David Masterson