MONTANA - First Visitation
It was the first state visit. And what a visit it was! We arrived in Great Falls, Montana on Thursday, July 12th and were greeted at the airport by many of the officers of the Montana State Elks Association, including Bob and Julie Hilliard, Bob and Candy Stephens, Steve and Denise Riggins, Jake and Hallie Jacobs, Marcus Burnham and Nancy Anderson, Dennis and Karen Cooper, John Stewart, Gene Murray and the Montana state sponsor, PGER Jack Traynor. We were also greeted by unseasonably warm weather in the mid-90s. |
| Jack Traynor, Tom and Venita |
As we exited baggage claim, we received ur first of many surprises for the weekend. Our transportation to the hotel was a mint condition 1935 Packard Touring Car. What a beautiful piece of machinery! Tom remembered learning to drive on a similar car when he was growing up. And as the doors closed with a solid sound of quality, our first visitation began.
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| President Bob Hilliard |
Thursday evening we had dinner with the Past State Presidents of the MSEA at the Meadow Lark Country Club on the banks of the Missouri River. It was a beautiful venue and we enjoyed having time to talk with the leadership of the Association in this intimate setting.
Friday morning began early with the State Presidents' breakfast. Tom attended the business sessions for MSEA while Venita had a chance to spend time with the ladies over morning refreshments and then lunch. Svend Larsen presented Venita with a handcrafted Norwegian "Bentwood Box", a very special gift for her since her family heritage is Norwegian. During the afternoon, the ladies took a walk through downtown with stops at a local tea shop and a quilt store. Tom had a chance to visit the Lewis & Clerk National Historic Trail Interpretive Center as well as one of the water falls on the Missouri River that gives Great Falls its name. It is here that Lewis & Clark had to port their boats and goods around the falls on their journey up the Missouri, a significant feat in any day.
Friday evening was the awards dinner for the Association, including special awards for ENF contribution achievement. Tom had the privilege of presenting these awards to the winning lodges, including the GER Per-Capita Award. The Association presented Tom with a beautiful handcrafted gavel to use during his year. They also presented us with a framed print of the famous painting by Charles M. Russell, "The Exalted Ruler", as well as a handmade stone plaque bearing his name, year, motto and an elk scene. (See more about Charlie Russell below.) 
There were some interesting numbers regarding their charity. Sidney Lodge #1782 was the highest per-capita ENF Lodge in the state, with Lewistown #456 and Bitterroot Valley #1651 right behind! Way to go Montana! We found that Montana had contributed $4,500 to provide nine children from Montana with a week at Camp "Make a Dream", an oncology camp for children. They provided $20,830 in grants to local rural hospitals for the purchase of equipment. And their annual statistics for 2011 showed cash contribution of $340,000 and non-cash contributions of $578,000 for a whopping total of $918,000. Some believe that a bad economy makes it difficult to raise charitable funds. Montanans don't think so. Saturday continued with the business meetings of the Association. The ladies took Venita to the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center after breakfast and then all reconvened at the Great Falls Lodge #214 for lunch and the installation of the new Association officers for 2012-2013. During the afternoon, we were treated to a tour of the C. M. Russell Museum.
Charlie Russell was called "The Cowboy Artist" and lived from 1864-1926. He was a prolific artist in watercolor and oil and based his work on Western history and his own experience, including cowboys, Plains Indians and wildlife. Part of the Museum also includes the home that he and his family lived in as well as his log cabin studio. It was an amazing exhibit and one we will not soon forget.Saturday evening, all relaxed and celebrated with a casual dinner at the Lodge to conclude the weekend. We headed home early Sunday morning, thoroughly spoiled by the Montana Elks and marveling at this wonderful journey we have undertaken.
