NORTH CAROLINA

NORTH CAROLINA - Sneaking In Ahead of Hurricane Sandy, 10/24-28

Our trip to North Carolina started on Wednesday and involved a hop-scotch itinerary from San Jose to Minneapolis to Detroit to Asheville.  All went as scheduled, and we arrive in Asheville where we were met by PGER and State Sponsor Jack and Sharon Frost and Special Deputy John and Ann Boyd.  After dropping our luggage at the hotel, we went out for a casual dinner and spent the balance of the evening cheering for the San Francisco Giants in the first game of the World Series. (Go Giants!)
 

Thursday morning, we had a great country breakfast at the "Moose Cafe" before we checked out of the hotel.  It is a famous local restaurant with some of the best Southern Cooking going.  We then made the 45 minute drive to Swannanoa, North Carolina for the dedication of the new North Carolina State Veterans Home at Black Mountain.  Before the ceremony, we were given a private tour of the facility and were impressed by the noticeable effort that had been made to ensure that the areas felt like a home for the residents. The North Carolina Elks are very involved with all the veterans programs and have donated seven vans/busses to the North Carolina Veterans' Homes throughout the state.  During the ceremony, the Elks presented the Black Mountain Home with the newest of the busses outfitted with a wheelchair lift.  We were also privileged to meet the Governor of North Carolina, Beverly Purdue and received her heartfelt thanks for all the Elks do for the North Carolina Veterans.  Jack Frost actually got a kiss from her for all the wokr the association had done!

 

After the ceremony, we did a three and a half hour drive across the state to the Fall Convention site in Raleigh.  The weather was perfect and the drive gave us a chance to see the beautiful mountain region of western North Carolina.  Upon arriving at our hotel, we met State President Bob and Gloria Gower as well as many of the other Past State Presidents and First Ladies for dinner at the hotel.  After visiting with everyone in the Presidential Suite for a little while, we headed back to our room for the night.

Friday morning, Tom joined Jack, John and Bob for the Advisory Meetings while Venita joined Sharon, Ann and Gloria for breakfast prior to our outing. When it was discovered that Gloria was concerned about driving the van, Venita volunteered to drive since she had previously chauffeured the Grand Forum through the Napa Valley in a 15-passenger van during their visit to California.  With the driving issue settled, the 26 ladies piled into the van and two cars for a trip to the 100th Anniversary Titanic Artifact Exhibition at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.  This was an amazing display that told the story of the Titanic from its beginning design and construction through to the discovery and salvage operations that have taken place over the last 25 years.  After visiting the exhibit, we went to The Pit for lunch.  The Pit is a restaurant that carries on a 350-year tradition of North Carolina BBQ and the food was excellent.  BBQ is an art in North Carolina!  Bob Garner, the owner of the restaurant as well as a local TV celebrity stopped by the table to visit with us and gave Venita an autographed souvenir menu. After lunch, we checked out the chocolate factory across the street and then returned to the hotel.  

Friday evening, we joined Bob and Gloria for a social hour in their suite and then met all of the Past State Presidents for dinner.  Later that evening, we wandered through several of the district hospitality suites to visit with the convention attendees and talk to them about their lodges and association.

Saturday morning, Tom attended the business session of the convention with Jack, John and Bob.  Venita went to the ladies hospitality get together, followed by the Basket Party.  For the Basket Party, the North Carolina Lodges and some individuals had brought baskets to raffle as a fundraiser for Gloria's charity of choice.  The 50 ladies in attendance purchased almost $300 worth of tickets for the various baskets which was donated to the Veterans' Homes.  In order to liven things up, Carol used a "Family Feud" format to determine who would actually get to take the chosen basket home.  The group was very lively, and at one point one of the convention attendees from the adjoining room came to let us know we were having way too much fun!  The North Carolina ladies presented Venita with a beautiful basket of items manufactured in North Carolina, including the North Carolina Elks Cookbook which was something Venita had been coveting in one of the other baskets. They also presented her with a beautiful necklace and earring set which had been made by one of their members.

After the morning activities, we attended the Memorial Service and the final luncheon.  Tom delivered his speech, commending the North Carolina Elks on their outstanding Veterans Program and encouraging them to work on growing their membership. The State Association presented Tom with a John F. Kennedy Rocking Chair as well as leather motorcycle vests for both Tom and Venita with the Elks logo and Tom's lodge number on the back.  We were very appreciative of their generosity and thanked them profusely.

Saturday evening was casual and we had social time with Bob, Gloria, Jack, Sharon, John and Ann before dinner.  That evening, we visited two more of the district hospitality suites before heading back to our room to pack.  Sunday mornig was the PER Association breakfast with a big attendance and many enthusiastic PERs around.  That was really fun. 

Our heartfelt thanks go out to the North Carolina Elks for their gracious hospitality during our stay.  We truly appreciate all the special effort that went into making our visit one we will always remember.  

MICHIGAN

MICHIGAN - Herr and Frau for the Weekend, October 18-21

 

Our Thursday morning travel to Saginaw, Michigan was uneventful and we arrived to the smiling faces of the Michigan Elks.  We were pleased to see PGER and State Sponsor Jim Varenhorst again who had been unable to attend our installation in Austin.  We were also greeted by State President Ron Zimmerman and First Lady Jean.  Our long-time friends from the Committee on Judiciary, Jim and Tina Deamud were there beaming as were we.  Long time friends Grand Trustee Eric Mulholland and Barbara were there too.  We then turned to find a large welcome banner held by the rest of the Michigan Elks who had come to greet us, First Vice President George and Shelley Sermon, Second Vice President Chris and Loretta Ferguson and Public Relations Chairman Mary and Dean Reid.

After a short drive from the airport, we arrived at the Bavarian Inn Lodge in Frankenmuth, Michigan.  The town of Frankenmuth is a notable Michigan tourist destination boasting a German heritage and the Bavarian theme is prevalent throughout the area.  After checking into our room, we joined Ron and Jean for a social hour in their hospitality suite prior to heading for Sullivan's Steak House for dinner to finish the evening.

Friday morning, Tom attended the Advisory meetings followed by lunch.  In the afternoon, he attended the working session of the Michigan Elks Gold Key Charitable Grant Fund.  This fund is designed to provide post-secondary education scholarships for special needs students.  It started as two friends put $100 each into a fund and began soliciting private donations that lead tothe $300,000 program it is today.  Great work! Tom was very impressed with the program and congratulated the Michigan Elks on their significant work in this area.  Meanwhile, Venita attended a ladies coffee in the hospitality suite where she visited with the ladies and shared her pin.  Much to her delight, Venita was presented with a denim shirt embroidered with a picture of her 2007 Harley Sportster.  After coffee, several of the ladies took Venita to Bronner's, the world's largest Christmas store.  Started in 1945, their facility holds over 50,000 ornaments and is the size of one and a half football fields.  Needless to say, Venita was in seventh heaven and did support the local economy.

Friday evening, we attended a dinner with the Michigan Past State Presidents.  Judy Zehnder, one of the third generation owners of the Bavarian Inn, spoke to us before dinner about their family and the history of the Inn.  She was a funny and gracious hostess and we enjoyed her very much.  The buffet dinner included some of the best fried chicken we have ever had.  We came to find out that apparently it is their specialty.  After dinner, we visited the Michigan hospitality suite to meet and talk with the members who had arrived that day.

Saturday morning, Tom attended the opening business session for the State Association.  Venita went to the Ladies Brunch and thanked the attendees for all of their support of the Elks and encouraging them to join as members whenever possible.  One of the special guests at the brunch was a young lady named Brooke who was sponsored to camp through the Michigan Elks Major Project and then went on to receive a scholarship through the Gold Key Charitable Grant Fund mentioned above.

After brunch, several of the ladies took Venita to downtown Frankenmuth where they visited a local fudge shop, a cheese factory, the woolen mill and a local quilt shop.  After finishing their shopping, they took an afternoon break at a lovely local tea house, enjoying not only tea, cider and hot chocolate but delicious cookies and desserts.

Saturday evening was the closing banquet for the Fall Convention.  Judy Zehnder spoke to the group again and we had the privilege of meeting her mother, Dorothy, 91-years-young still working six days a week running the kitchen at the Inn.  The tradition of excellent food continued and everyone had a great time. The Association presented Tom with a denim shirt to match Venita's, only his was done with a replica of his BMW R1150RT. They also presented us with a beautiful Waterford crystal clock which will occupy a place of honor in Tom's office. After dinner, we stayed for photos, signed cards and gave out pins. All together, the Michigan Elks donated $1,100 to the Disaster Relief Fund throughout the weekend.

Sunday morning we met Jim, Tina, Cassie, George, Shelly, Chris and Loretta for breakfast. After checking out, we took a tour of the Michigan’s own Military and Space Museum.  This museum features more than 500 uniforms and related artifacts of Michigan men and women who served our nation in seven foreign wars, plus the largest collection of original Medals of Honor on display in the United States.  Each display tells the story of that soldier and their extraordinary experience of war.  It was a unique experience and we found it fascinating.  After lunch we headed home, with heartfelt thanks to all of the wonderful Michigan Elks for the wonderful time we had at their fall meeting.

One footnote:  As of the posting of this write-up, the San Francisco Giants will be facing the Detroit Tigers in the World Series.  Rumor has it that ENF will benefit from a serious bet on this match up.  We know we're a little biased but . . . Go Giants!

PENNSYLVANIA

PENNSYLVANIA - A "Keystone" Visit, October 12-13

 

After leaving San Jose at 5:30 in the morning, we landed in Pittsburgh for our Pennsylvania visitation and were greeted at the airport by PGER and State Sponsor Carlin O’Malley, Grand Trustee Vic Cid, State President Kevin Brouse and First Lady Margie, and Vice President Terry Liersaph and Pat.  Upon arriving at the convention site in Cranberry, a suburb of Pittsburg we were greeted by Donna Cid as well as several of the Past State Presidents and First Ladies of the Pennsylvania Elks and SDGER/Convention Coordinator Paul Lafayette.

 
After settling into our beautiful suite, we joined everyone in the hotel restaurant for dinner.  The hotel was featuring a wonderful seafood buffet and we indulged ourselves in clam chowder, Atlantic salmon and wonderful desserts.  After dinner, we visited with everyone for a bit and then adjourned to our room for the night. 
 
The next morning, Tom joined Carlin and Kevin for breakfast and then attended the meetings of the Advisory Council for the Association.  Venita had a leisurely morning visiting with Margie and was then honored at a luncheon hosted by the Past State Presidents’ wives.  Venita was presented with a beautiful silver Brighton cuff bracelet, which she promptly put on and wore throughout the weekend.  After lunch, Margie took Venita to a quilt shop housed in an old historic farm house. 
 
Later that afternoon, we visited several of the District hospitality suites to talk with the Pennsylvania Elks.  One district had brought a “doo rag” for Tom to autograph and it was raffled off for their major project, Pennsylvania Elks Home Service.  Home Service is an program of nurses who provide in-home advocacy services for individuals with developmental disabilities.  A very solid program, they spent $1.2 million last year in home services and have a multi-million dollar legacy trust fund to support the program. During the weekend, the Committee also held a raffle for items donated from various district and individuals ranging from baskets to lottery ticket money trees to pots and pans!  A great time was had by all when the final drawing took place.  Throughout the weekend, these dedicated Elks raised over $2,600 for their major project. 
 

Saturday morning, Tom attended the opening business session for the Association.  Venita went out to lunch with the Past State Presidents’ wives followed by a trip to Volant and New Wilmington with First Lady Margie and Past First Lady Jean Kanouff.  These two towns are located in the Amish country of western Pennsylvania and Jean’s and her husband, Denny’s family had lived in this area for a number of years.  Volant was having its Pumpkin Festival and we enjoyed the beautiful fall weather as we wandered through several of the quaint shops.  On our way to New Wilmington, we stopped at Tena’s Quilt Shop located in one of the buildings of an Amish farm.  The work done by the ladies of the community was beautiful and we spent some time browsing through the quilts that were stacked on the bed.

 

Saturday evening we attended the final dinner where Tom talked with the group about the state of our Order and how we might grow our membership.  The Pennsylvania Elks presented us with a letter indicating they had made a donation to ENF in our name as well as a beautiful framed painting of a winter forest scene.  Margie presented Venita with a lovely pair of pearl earrings.
 
We spent the rest of the evening talking with the Pennsylvania Elks in their hospitality suites.  At eleven o’clock, Venita had the privilege of giving the Eleven O’clock Toast to close out our time with these wonderful people.  We had a very special weekend in Pennsylvania and we thank Carlin, Kevin, Margie, Vic, Donna, Terry, Pat, Walt and Paul for making our stay one we will treasure.  Our best wishes to the continuing success of this great State Association.

SOUTH DAKOTA

South Dakota - Faces in the Rocks, October 5-6

Our day started in San Jose with a delayed flight and the potential for a missed connection in Denver.  Fortunately, our gates were close and we made our flights without an issue.  Upon our arrival in Rapid City, we were met with welcoming smiles from SDGER Barclay and Eileen Allibone, DDGER Delores and PDDGER Dwight Pogany, State President Bob and Gloria Bartlett and PSP Dean and Roberta "Bert" Reichert.  We exited the terminal into an unseasonably cool South Dakota afternoon which, after our 104 degree temperatures in California, felt wonderful.  That evening, we went over to the Rapid City Elks Lodge #1187 and were hosted to a wonderful dinner by Exalted Ruler Andrew Gay.

Friday morning, we boarded our tour van for our visit to the first of South Dakota Elks two Major Project sites, the Children's Care Hospital and School.  Children's Care has two facilities, a hospital, school and rehabilitation facility in Sioux Falls and another rehabilitation center in Rapid City.  The purpose of these facilities is to help with both outpatient and in-home, school and daycare center rehabilitation for children with physical or cognitive challenges.  The Elks support this organization by providing vans for their therapists to use as they travel the state as well as cash contributions.  

 

Our second stop was the Children's Home Society, a facility in the Black Hills of South Dakota providing support for children ages 4-14 who are, for whatever reason, removed from their parents and require a safe place to reside and emotional rehabilitation.  They serve over 2,000 children per year with residential, educational, therapeutic, emergency and foster/adoptive services.  Founded in 1893, it is the oldest human services agency in South Dakota.  We were given a tour of the facility and were extremely impressed by the talent of these amazing people and their dedication to the welfare of the children in their care.

After our visit to the two facilities, we traveled further into the Black Hills on winding roads, through narrow rock tunnels and across "pig-tail bridges" as we worked our way toward "The Shrine of Democracy," also known as Mt. Rushmore.  (Pig-tail bridges are named after their shape as the road curls back underneath itself, sometimes 360 degrees!)  Throughout the drive, we would catch views of Mt. Rushmore as we came through the tunnels and each view would be closer than the last.  Upon our arrival, we walked up through the Avenue of the States and the presidents were directly in front of us.  It is an inspiring view and we felt pride in our American heritage that was so beautifully displayed on this granite mountain.  We were grateful that we had a chance to see this wonder.

 

After lunch, we left Mt. Rushmore and headed for the Crazy Horse monument.  As we journeyed on, a few small snowflakes began to drift through the air.  By the time we made it the 17 miles to Crazy Horse, it was snowing in earnest.  We could barely see the mountain and could only discern the faint shadow of the carving.  Fortunately, Dean Reichert had been a tour bus driver and had connections at the site.  A fellow Elk who works for the monument had determined that the road to the top of the mountain was passable.  So we loaded up his 4-wheel drive and started up.  At the top, we were given hard hats, walked out onto the top of the arm of Crazy Horse and then told to turn and look.  There, in all his majesty was the completed face of this famous chief.  It was quite an experience and one we will never forget.

Saturday morning, Tom joined Bob in the Association meetings and lunch while Venita attended a luncheon hosted by Gloria.  The afternoon found Tom with several of the South Dakota Elks out at the Rapid City Elks Lodge talking with the members.  The ladies took Venita downtown to Prairie Edge.  Set in a historic building, Prairie Edge features work by Native American artists and is a cross between an art gallery and an old-time trading post.  The ladies browsed every nook and cranny, marveling at the craftsmanship and the heritage displayed.

Saturday evening, the Association held their convention banquet.  It was well attended and enjoyed by all.  The South Dakota Elks Association presented Venita with a necklace and Tom with cuff links featuring their famous Black Hills Gold.  They are treasures that will always remind us of our wonderful time in South Dakota.  Many thanks to Barclay and Eileen, Bob and Gloria, Dwight and Delores and Dean and Bert for making this a weekend to remember.  And thanks for the invitation to come back to attend the Sturgis Rally.  We'll just have to do that!

MASSACHUSETTS

MASSACHUSETTS – “Old Ironsides,"

September 27-29

 

On our drive from Vermont to Massachusetts, we made a stop at the "Elk by the Trail," a monument erected to deceased Elks.  This beautiful memorial was the project of several local lodges and sits right next to the highway.  It is a very special sight and we appreciated the chance to see it.

 

We then met up with Grand Trustee and SDGER Mike Zellen and Donna at Greenfield Elks Lodge #1296 in Greenfield, Massachusetts for a wonderful clam chowder luncheon with Exalted Ruler Sid Jensen and the officers and members of the lodge.  Greenfield will be celebrating their 100^th  Anniversary this year and we congratulated them on this achievement.   After a tour of their beautiful lodge, we joined Mike and Donna for an afternoon drive to our hotel south of Boston in Somerset, Massachusetts.

Thursday evening we went to dinner at the Fall River Lodge #118.  State President Frank Barone and Rhone and State Sponsor PGER Dr. Leonard Bristol and Ginny also joined us and we had an excellent Minestrone soup followed by a pot roast dinner.  We very much enjoyed the “comfort food” menu.  The hospitality extended to us by Exalted Ruler Gene Alves and his officers was wonderful and made our evening thoroughly enjoyable.

Friday morning we awoke to rain.  Not to be deterred, we set out to tour the Boston area.  Our first stop was the U.S.S. Constitution, more fondly known as “Old Ironsides.”  The Executive Officer of the ship came down to welcome us on behalf of the Captain who was away in Washington, D.C. on official business for the weekend.  We toured the decks of the ship from stem to stern, marveling at the beautiful condition of this, the oldest commissioned warship in the U.S. Navy.  After an overview of the Charlestown Navy Yard and a quick walk through the Constitution Museum, we boarded the van and headed for Bunker Hill.  We stopped for pictures at the Monument on our way to lunch at a terrific Italian restaurant in Boston’s North End called Benevento’s.  True to all of our experience with Italian restaurants, the food was excellent, the quantity more than any human being could possibly eat in one sitting and the service was impeccable.  While we were at lunch, someone in the group noticed that our van driver for the day, Kevin Alkins from the Malden Lodge #965 bore a striking resemblance to Tom and the “Me and Mini-me” theme began.

After lunch, we toured the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.  As has been the case for many of our stops, we wished that we could have had more time at this venue.  The detailed information about this period of our U.S. history and the comprehensive displays were amazing.  We know that we will make time to thoroughly tour this museum the next time we return to the Boston area.

Friday evening we celebrated the 100^th Anniversary of the Middleboro Elks Lodge #1274 with a dinner/dance.  When Tom presented them with their plaque, he commented on what a significant milestone this was and how proud they should be.  Their anniversary committee did a beautiful job of planning for this event, having devoted well over two years of effort to ensure all went well.  The dinner was excellent and it appeared that a good time was had by all.

Saturday, we traveled to the Weymouth Elks Lodge #2232 for a luncheon with the District Deputies, the Past State Presidents and other State Officers.  The Weymouth Lodge has been expanded several times over the years and they have a beautiful and extremely functional facility.  After lunch, the Weymouth Riders, a committee of the lodge, presented Tom with his own leather vest with their patch on the back and made him an official member of the "Elkwey Riders."  They also let Venita know that she was included and that her vest would be coming as soon as they received some additional club patches.  We knew they were serious about their group when we noted the motorcycle parking outside their lodge.

 

Saturday evening was our final celebration with the Massachusetts Elks at a reception and dinner at the Venus de Milo banquet hall.  After dinner, Tom thanked everyone for all of their hospitality throughout the entire weekend and commented on how much we had enjoyed ourselves.  He went on to talk to them about their achievements and how we can grow our membership through our community projects and involvement of the local lodges.  At the end of the evening, we were presented with several mementos of our visit.  The last gift was from Tom’s Massachusetts District Deputies and was a photo of what had already been shipped to us.  When we opened the package, we found that they were presenting us with a scale model of the U.S.S. Constitution in full sail.  Upon our return to Tom’s office Sunday evening, we found that our ship had already arrived and is magnificent!  We are clearing out a special place in our home for this beautiful model.
 
We want to thank PGER Leonard and Ginny Bristol, SDGER and Grand Trustee Mike and Donna Zellen, State President Frank Barone and Rhona and all of the Massachusetts Elks for their warm welcome and gracious hospitality while we were visiting with them.  Also, thank you for your generosity for our special cause and your donations of $600 to the Elks Disaster Relief Fund.  You are all doing great things for Elkdom and we very much enjoyed our time with you.  We can’t wait to come back and explore more of your beautiful state. 

VERMONT

VERMONT - The Green Mountain State, September 26

Wednesday morning, we left Lebanon, New Hampshire bound for for Rutland, Vermont.  On the way, we had a chance to stop at the Quechee Gorge, known as the "Grand Canyon" of Vermont.  This glacier carved gorge was quite deep and many of the trees had started to change color.  We then drove on through Killington, Vermont where the color increased significantly.

When we arrived at Rutland Elks Lodge #345, we were met by the State President, Lori Pinsenneault and her husband, Greg.  We were also welcomed by the Exalted Ruler of the Rutland Lodge, Leslie Johnson.  We had an excellent lunch featuring lobster bisque and the biggest turkey sandwiches we've ever seen.  We both made it through about half our sandwich and then gave up.  We thanked the Rutland Lodge profusely for their hospitality and then headed out for Bennington.

In Bennington, we went to the Bennington History Museum to see the Bennington Flag.  This flag has a mysterious history, but its fibers have been documented back to the 1820s.  It was passed down through the Fillmore family and is one of the oldest flags in existence.  The museum also had a gallery devoted to the work of Grandma Moses as well as her original schoolhouse.  After leaving the museum, we took a tour of The First Church as well as a visit to the grave of Robert Frost.

By coincidence of timing, the museum also had on exhibit the Stickle Sampler quilt.  This quilt was completed in 1863 by Jane Stickle and is only on exhibit for a few weeks every year.  Venita was fascinated and the curator told her that they will be offering a special two-day seminar next year in honor of the 150th anniversary of the quilt.  Can you say quilting road trip?

In the late afternoon, we checked into the beautiful South Shire Bed & Breakfast.  This lovely victorian home was right across from the Bennington Elks Lodge #567.  Our room was a beautiful suite with a king size four-poster bed.  After settling in, we joined Amos, Barbara, Peter and Sharon in the "parlor" for refreshments prior to leaving for the lodge.

At the Bennington Lodge, we had a great time visiting with Elks who had come from all over Vermont for the evening.  We were humbled when we found out that some of the folks had come from the far reaches of the state and would have at least a two hour drive to get home after the dinner. One of the fun events of the evening was the 50-50 duck drawing.  State President Lori has been raising money all year to purchase some special swings for their major project camp by ordering and then selling special "theme" ducks on all of her visitations.  In our honor, she had purchased "biker ducks" and we, of course, had to buy several.  While we did not win, we have gained a great new idea for fundraising that we will share with folks on our travels.

After dinner, the Vermont Elks presented both of us with the President's Volunteer Service Award, along with some special gifts to remind us of our time in Vermont.  Tom received a beautiful clock made out of a slab of granite and engraved with his name and the Elks logo.  We also received a number of children's books that we can read to our grandchildren when they come to visit.

The next morning, we took time to visit the Bennington Battle Monument, taking the elevator to the top to get a bird's eye view of the beautiful fall foliage.  Then we bid farewell to Vermont as we headed for Massachusetts and our final stop on this most excellent New England tour.

We can't thank everyone enough for our wonderful visit to Vermont.  Having Amos and Barbara, Peter and Sharon and Lori and Greg share their beautiful state with us was a special experience.  It is definitely on our "motorcycle vacation" itinerary for our next trip to this part of the country.  Thank you all for your gracious hospitality.