TEXAS

TEXAS - "Only The Shadows Know", October 17-20

We arrived at San Antonio airport on Thursday around lunchtime and were met by Texas Elks State President and First Lady Ed and Debbie Salazar, State President Elect Tom and Liz Hougham, and PGER and State Sponsor Chuck and Gladys Williams. After collecting our baggage, we were whisked away in a beautiful white limo for our trip to Kerrville, about a hour north. On the way, we stopped at San Antonio Lodge #216 for a member-prepared BBQ lunch. We had some absolutely great brisket and a wonderful poblano corn side dish!  Boy, that brisket was something.  I can still taste it.  Recipes were requested all around.  As we left the San Antonio Lodge, we were given our second surprise - a motorcycle escort provided by the Elk Riders #2279 for our back road trip to Kerrville, a beautiful town up in the hill country where the Fall Meeting would take place.  It was a wonderful treat and made us feel like rock stars all the way! People were staring from the sidewalk and in cars.  Tom told Chuck that he should stand up, with his head through the sky window, and wave so people could wonder who the heck that was. 

Upon our arrival at the historic YO Ranch Hotel in Kerrville, we were met by many of the Texas Elks, including a unique group called "The Shadows."  (See photo below.)  These four folks, Susan Harper, Roy Chambers, Steve Slaybaugh and Michael Christy, spent the entire weekend taking care of our every need - literally.  Need a safety pin?  Got it!  Need to get something from your room?  Stay put, we've got it!  Pirate costume broke?  Well . . . more about that later!  We very much enjoyed them all and their dedicated time and effort to making sure we were well taken care of.  It was truly a unique experience.

After The Shadows settled us in our rooms, we met up with Ed, Debbie, Chuck and Gladys and headed over to the Kerrville Elks Lodge #2081 for dinner.  As luck would have it, the San Jose Sharks hockey team was playing the Dallas Stars that evening.  Of course, since Past Grand Trustee Mike and Shan Clark are both serious Stars fans we made sure to bring and wear our San Jose Sharks team jerseys.  The game was being televised at the Lodge, and lots of ribbing took place on both sides.  (Stars won in a shoot out!)  We had a wonderful dinner of chicken fried steak that was bested only by the wonderful Elks of the Kerrville Lodge.  They had also invited several veterans from the local VA hospital to join them for dinner (as they do every month) and we enjoyed visiting with them before returning to the hotel.

Friday morning Tom met up with Ed and Chuck for several Advisory and Committee Meetings of the Texas Elks State Association.  The ladies had breakfast before heading out to historic Fredericksburg to visit a quilt shop, have lunch at "Altdorf's" (a wonderful German restaurant followed by shopping in the downtown stores of this quaint and charming town. One very interesting feature of Fredericksburg was the "Sunday Houses."  These houses were built in the 1800s by ranchers who had outlying properties.  Since they wanted to come into town on the weekend to shop and go to church, they build these small "Sunday Houses" to have a place to stay.  Many of them have been expanded and renovated and provide the town with a unique feel all its own.

After our tour of Fredericksburg, some of the ladies took a drive out to the Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. With much Native American lore surrounding this area, it received its name in the1800s.  It is part of a geologic region known as the Llano Uplift.  The visible granite dome is only part of a larger granite mass, most of which still lies beneath the ground.

We returned to the YO Ranch in the late afternoon and then met up with the Advisory Board for dinner prior to the opening ceremony for the Fall Meeting.  During the opening, the flag was presented by a group of Viet Nam Veterans followed by a demonstration and explanation of how the flag of our country is folded.  This was followed by a demonstration by the local Girl Scout troop on how to fold the Texas flag.  After the opening ceremony was completed, we joined several of the Elks in the Hospitality Suites to visit and socialize.

Saturday morning, the ladies met for breakfast while the business session and elections took place.  We then joined the meeting for several presentations, at which time the Elk Riders presented Tom with his own leather vest displaying the Elk Riders #2279 patch on the back and a name plate with "Past Grand Exalted Ruler" on the front.  It is a beautiful vest and one he will wear with pride.

After the morning session, the men went off to the General Luncheon, followed by afternoon breakout sessions on a variety of specialty topics.  The ladies went to Debbie Salazar's "First Lady's Luncheon" where we were entertained by a local high school choir.  We very much enjoyed the music of these talented young people.  After lunch, we went to Gibson's, a local general store that has just a little bit of everything.  We decided, if you couldn't find it there, you probably didn't really need it.  After leaving Gibson's, we went to a local quilt shop, Creations.  They had a great selection of fabric and several of the ladies, myself included, made a purchase. 

"The Shadows"

Saturday evening, the Texas Elks had their celebration dinner.  Having been clued in prior to our arrival that it was going to be a "Parrot Head/Pirate" theme, we had come prepared with pirate and wench costumes.  And we were not alone!  Most of the State Association had come in costume, and the band added to the mood by playing much of Jimmy Buffet's music.  The food was excellent and everyone had a great time.  Tom spent a few minutes talking to the group about the status of our organization and how we might work to turn some of our trends around as well as how to extend additional help to our veterans.  He said it might be difficult to get a serious message across to them by a guy dressed in dreadlocks as a pirate!  But it seemed to work and we enjoyed talking about those issues for the rest of the night and the following morning.  The Texas Elks then presented us with gifts from the King Ranch collection, including beautiful leather gloves and a pocket knife for Tom and a leather portfolio that would hold an iPad for Venita.  We so appreciate the generosity of these wonderful Elks.

Sunday morning, we were met by The Shadows and escorted to our transportation to the airport.  Tom needed to attend a meeting in Brownsville on Monday morning so we rented a car and made the drive to the southernmost corner of Texas.  While Tom attended his meeting, Venita headed out to her two favorite places – the Harley Davidson motorcycle shop and a local quilt shop.  Located in San Benito, the hometown of Freddy Fender, the quilt shop had at one time been a bar and Freddy had actually sung on the stage there.  After shopping, Venita stopped at the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park which was the site of the first battle of the American Mexican War on May 8, 1846.  It was an interesting place and provided a great deal of information about this strategic battle.  Monday evening, we enjoyed a quiet dinner a a local restaurant before heading back to the hotel to pack for our drive back to San Antonio on Tuesday morning.

We can't thank everyone in the Texas Elks State Association enough for your gracious hospitality and for taking such good care of us all weekend.  It is such a special treat to get to visit a state after your year as Grand Exalted Ruler is completed. It is a relaxed, fun time and we enjoyed every minute with the Texas Elks.  Congratulations on a strong, vibrant, rock solid Association!

MINNESOTA

Minnesota - Sun and 10,000 Lakes, June 27-30

For our final trip of the year, we flew into Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the most convenient airport for our visit to Worthington, Minnesota, a small town of 15,000 residents in the southwest corner of the state and the site of the Minnesota Elks State Convention.  We were met at the airport by PGER and State Sponsor Dwayne and Sandy Rumney and Grand Esteemed Lecturing Knight Ray Englland and Bev.  We were escorted to a spacious tour van where we were treated to champagne and snacks for our one hour drive to Worthington.  Upon our arrival, we were stunned when we pulled into the parking area for a beautiful turn of the century bed and breakfast, the Dayton House.  Built in 1890, this was the home of Dayton’s Department Store founder George Dayton.  It later became a nursing home and was recently renovated and returned to its original splendor.  We were greeted at the door by State President Lynn Rohlf, President Elect George Lehn and other Minnesota Elks.  After being shown around by the docent, Dwayne, Sandy, Tom and I settled into our lovely two-room suites.  We found that we were the only guests for the weekend and had the run of the house.  What a special treat!

Thursday evening, we had dinner with Past State Presidents at a local bistro, Benlee's Restaurant.  Dinner was excellent and we very much enjoyed meeting all of the Past State Presidents, their spouses and guests.  Afterward, we stopped at Worthington Lodge for some social time with the convention attendees and handed out pins and signed cards.

Friday morning, Tom, Dwayne, our escort Paul Woll and I had breakfast in the beautiful dining room on the first floor.  Everything we could possible want was available in the kitchen and we happily helped ourselves.  The gentlemen left for the opening of the business sessions while Sandy and I had a leisurely morning preparing for the Ladies Luncheon.  We were picked up by Lois Woll, Paul's wife, who was our escort for the weekend.

We had a lovely lunch at the local Lutheran church, followed by musical entertainment by a local group of ladies treating us to a music medley from the 50's and 60's.  Feet were tapping throughout the performance and they did a wonderful job.  We then met a gentlemen named Marty Rickers.  Marty is the sales manager for a local company named Bedford Industries, founded in 1966 by Bob Ludlow.  Their specialty is the production of twist ties (like you see on your loaf of bread) and Elasti-tags, ties that stretch and can be applied to more bulky products.  Marty shared with us that Bedford Industries makes 23 million feet of various types of ties per day!  He was a very good speaker and we found the information about this local company very interesting.

After the luncheon, the ladies headed for the local quilt shop, took a sightseeing drive around Lake Okabena and then back to the Dayton House to put our feet up.  We joined up with the men and several other Minnesota Elks in the afternoon for a visit to Spomer Classics and Museum.  The passion of Marv Spomer, the museum has a beautiful selection of historic cars as well as an amazing display of porcelain/neon signs, advertising items and gas/oil related memorabelia.  Marv gave us a personal tour, sharing the history of many of the signs and automobiles and giving us all a tour down memory lane.

Friday evening, Tom, Dwayne and Venita took some time to sit out on the veranda of the house enjoying the beautiful Minnesota weather and chatting about nothing in particular.  We then made our way over to the Elks Lodge for a casual dinner and social time with the convention attendees.

Saturday morning, Tom decided he would make omelets for anyone who came down for breakfast, which turned out to be Tom, Dwayne and Paul.  (Venita came down too late and had to make do with a bagel and peanut butter!)  After breakfast, the men left for the business session and the ladies stayed to chat over coffee at the House.  Everyone met up for the mid-day Memorial Service and Installation of Officers, followed by lunch at the Lodge.

Saturday evening we joined the convention attendees for the banquet where Tom delivered his final speech for our year.  He continued to share his vision for the Elks and how we can begin to turn around our membership issues.  The Worthington Elks Lodge presented us with commemorative motorcycle t-shirts and a beautiful handmade buffalo leather portfolio from one of their local merchants, The Buffalo Billfold Shop.  The Minnesota Elks gave us a beautiful hand-painted wall plaque with Tom’s motto “Elks – A Beacon of Hope” shining out from the Split Rock Lighthouse and the “Welcome to the Braziers” underneath.  We both looked at each other and knew immediately where it would hang – at our Washington beach home!

Sunday morning found Tom cooking again and this time Venita made it in time for the eggs.  We then joined Paul and Lois at their home church, St. Mary’s Catholic Church for Mass.  Built in the 50’s, it is a lovely church with spectacular stained glass windows.  Afterwards, we met up with Ray, Bev, Dwayne and Sandy and headed for the Sioux Falls airport.  The trip home was smooth and uneventful – a fitting conclusion to a very special weekend.  Congratulations to Chris Heinrichs, Exalted Ruler of the Worthington Elks Lodge #2287 and his convention committee for a job well done.  We had a wonderful time and will long remember this special time with the Minnesota Elks!

TACOMA, WASHINGTON

Tacoma Elks Lodge #174 – New Building Dedication, 6/22

We arrived Friday around mid-day and were met at the airport by PDDGER and Grand Lodge Advisor Mike Kennedy and incoming District Deputy John Juvinall.  PGER and State Sponsor Roger and Marilyn True were delayed by construction while driving over from Richland but they met us upon our arrival at the hotel.  We left our bags and went a couple of blocks away to the Pacific Grille for lunch. The food was excellent and we were interested to find out that the owner of the Grille will be the caterer for the new lodge.

That evening we joined Roger and Marilyn, Mike and his wife Patty, State President Larry Spencer and his wife Barbara, Past State President Joe and Virginia Basil and Past State President Robert and Carolyn McCord for dinner at The Tacoma Yacht Club. We were treated to a wonderful dinner and beautiful views of the south end of Puget Sound.  From the deck, we notice a bald eagle using the flagpole as his fishing perch and were told that he is there regularly!  After dinner we drove through Defiance Park, the largest city park in the U.S. after Central Park in New York.  Along the way we spotted a number of deer and countless raccoons.

Saturday morning Tom left early to attend the golf tournament. Tom doesn't golf but he is certainly skilled at driving the golf cart.  He had a great time touring the course with the golfers, signing cards and handing out pins.  Venita had a more leisurely start and met the ladies for a trip to the Farmer’s Market, shopping in some small specialty shops and a wonderful lunch at a local restaurant called Europa.  Everybody reconvened in the afternoon to get ready for the evening’s festivities at the Tacoma Lodge.

When we arrived at the Lodge, we were escorted to the flag poles where we witnessed the raising of the American flag accompanied by the POW flag, the Washington State flag and the Elks flag.  After the breeze unfurled each flag, we proceeded to the entry way where Tom and ER Robert Van Hagen each cut a ribbon across the door to officially open the foyer entrance to the Lodge.  In the center of the foyer, we were greeted by a 15 foot tall elk sculpture, all hand carved from a single piece of wood.  It was breathtaking and a fitting welcome to this beautiful building.

We then proceeded to what is currently serving as the dining room but what will be the lodge room when the lodge opens officially.  After a delicious prime rib dinner, Tom took a few minutes to talk about the history of Tacoma lodge and how the members have both dreamed and implemented their dreams since its institution in 1890.  The Tacoma Elks presented us with two beautiful leather motorcycle vests with the lodge logo embroidered on the back.  They also presented Tom with a numbered commemorative coin for the dedication.  His coin was number two and when asked where number one was, the ER replied, “In the time capsule.”  Tom was honored that they presented him with such a special coin.

After dinner we took a tour of the completed portion of the building.  It is an amazing structure and very reflective of the beautiful Pacific Northwest.  Thank you, Tacoma Elks for including us in your special day.  We will be back to celebrate with you as you dream for the future.  After all, we're just down the road!

VIRGINIA

VIRGINIA – Colonial History, D-Day and the Home, June 13-16 

Between the Indiana and Virginia conventions, we opted to take a few vacation days and tour the Colonial Williamsburg area.  We had a wonderful and relaxing time visiting Williamsburg, Yorktown and Jamestown.  We then drove leisurely across the state, stopping at Appomattox Court House, Lynchburg and finally finishing up with a 30-mile segment of the Blue Ridge Parkway.  We arrived in Roanoke on Thursday and were met at the airport by Bob Goolrick, Senior Justice of the Grand Forum who took us to the hotel.  Upon our arrival, we were greeted by State Sponsor and PGER Ted Hess, Grand Trustee Ron and Nancy Hicks, State President Darryl and Karen Myers and Special Deputy Bob and Cheryl Hinkle.  After settling into our room, the ten of us went out for a casual dinner at a local Italian restaurant, Luigi’s.  Dinner was excellent and we all enjoyed ourselves very much.

Friday morning, we were picked up by the shuttle bus from the Elks National Home in Bedford for a tour of several special venues.  Our first stop was the Bedford Elks Lodge #2844.  Even though the lodge had just acquired the building and renovations are still being planned, they were proud of their new home and hosted a special ceremony attended by the Mayor of Bedford as well as the Elks dignitaries.  After leaving the lodge, we were taken to the National D-Day Memorial.  Neither Tom nor I realized that this Memorial was in Virginia and we were very impressed with the beautiful site.  We were told that the reason it was located in Bedford, Virginia is that Bedford lost more soldiers per capita during the D-Day invasion than any other city in the United States.  These young men became known as “The Bedford Boys.”  Privately funded, the Memorial is an amazing tribute to that eventful day of 1944.


After leaving the Memorial, we headed for the Elks National Home.  Upon arriving, we were met by Pamela Mudder, the Executive Director of the Home.  Despite previous invitations, circumstances had prevented us from visiting the home prior to this and we were very excited to see this important part of Elks history.  Pam took us on a tour of various buildings and several residents were gracious enough to open up their homes to us.  The Home even has its own Lodge!  We were treated to a wonderful lunch in the dining room and had time to visit with some of the folks.  We left with a warm feeling in our hearts for the love and care that was evident in the Home. 

Friday evening, we joined the Virginia Elks Past State Presidents at the Roanoke Elks Lodge #197 for a wonderful steak dinner.  The Lodge was also hosting and adult swim night and BBQ around their pool that evening, so we had a chance to visit with some of their members and guests before we returned to the hotel for the evening.


Saturday morning, Tom joined Ted and Darryl for the opening of the business sessions.  Venita met up with the ladies for the Ladies Breakfast and Purse Auction.  Several “filled” purses had been donated by Virginia ladies, and First Lady Karen had decided that the proceeds would go to the Virginia State Wounded Warriors Project.  Since only a hint was given with regard to what was in each purse, it was quite a lively auction and there were many surprises when the purses were actually opened.  When all was said and done, between the auction and spontaneous donations, the ladies raised almost $800 for Wounded Warriors.  The ladies presented Venita with a Virginia t-shirt and a quilt block for her memory quilt.  After the breakfast, the ladies joined the men for the Memorial Service and presentation of the Elks Scholarship Award winners.  This was followed by lunch with all of the students and their parents.  We had a wonderful time visiting with two of the winners and came away encouraged by their positive outlook and plans for the future.

Saturday afternoon Tom spent time visiting with the Virginia Elks at the four district hospitality suites.  That evening, we joined everyone for the formal banquet and installation of officers.  Tom spoke to the conferees about his vision and concern for the future of the Elks.  The Virginia Association then presented us with a tray and two beautiful silver Jefferson cups, appropriately engraved with our names and the date and location of the visit to Virginia as well as a book about the previously mentioned D-Day Bedford Boys.  We had the privilege of watching the new leadership of the Virginia Elks being installed and the passing of the gavel.  Finally, we joined Ted and others in the suite for some final social time before heading for bed.

We can’t tell “y’all” how much we enjoyed our time in the beautiful state of Virginia.  The Virginia Elks were all most gracious and, as usual, southern hospitality must be experienced to be believed.  Thank you to everyone who did so much to make us feel welcome.  Fair warning – we’ll be back!

INDIANA

INDIANA – Hoosier State, June 6-9

We arrived in Indianapolis on Thursday afternoon and were met at the airport by State President Ed Hagemeier and President Elect John Sauer.  Upon arriving at the hotel and were greeted at the door by State Sponsor and PGER Jim and Mary Varenhorst, State First Lady Cheryl and most of the Indiana State Association!  It was a great welcome and we immediately felt right at home.  After settling into our room, we joined the Past State Presidents for a very nice reception and dinner at the hotel.  The final event of the evening was their annual Flag Day Ceremony which was very impressive.

Friday morning Tom joined Jim for the start of the State Association business meetings and Venita met up with the ladies for morning coffee.  As luck would have it, the convention hotel was located next to a large fashion mall which led the ladies out the door to do some shopping.  In another serendipitous moment, the hotel was also located directly across the street from the jeweler that Venita used to frequent when she visited her friend, Susan in Indianapolis.  Of course, she stopped in to say "hello!"

Friday evening the Association held their formal reception and banquet.  The Indiana Elks have a long tradition of being involved in the Miss Indiana and Miss Teen Indiana pageant, and we had the good fortune to meet Brooke Campbell, Miss Indiana Outstanding Teen for 2012.  She was a delightful young lady and we enjoyed talking with her at the reception.  Tom spoke to the convention attendees after dinner and shared his thoughts on the future of the Order and the challenges facing us today.  The Association presented Venita with a beautiful silver necklace and earring set and Tom with a Brickyard golf shirt.

Saturday morning Venita went off to see some of the ritual competition while Tom attended the business meetings.  After the state awards, everyone attended the Memorial Service followed by lunch.  In the afternoon, the ladies did a little more shopping while the men continued the business sessions.  That evening, the Association installed their new officers and finished up with the presentation of their ritual awards and the 50/50 drawing.  We joined some of the State Officers and Convention Committee for an informal dinner and conversation to conclude the evening.

We want to extend our thanks to Indiana for a great convention weekend.  We enjoyed our time with everyone and very much appreciate your gracious hospitality.  We look forward to seeing all of you in 2015 for the Grand Lodge Convention!

WATSONVILLE LODGE - 100TH ANNIVERSARY

Watsonville Elks Lodge #1300 100th Anniversary, June 1

After our visitation to the California/Hawaii Elks State Convention, we had a welcome two-week break at home.  Before we started our "Grand Year" we had looked at the calendar and had scheduled the 100th Anniversary celebration for Watsonville Elks Lodge #1300, the second in our District this year, for this break.

The West Central District theme for the Exalted Rulers this year is "The Pony Express Riders" and that theme was evident in the decorations and the menu at the Lodge.  We rolled into the Lodge late Saturday afternoon dressed in our boots and finest western garb, having time to visit with the folks doing the BBQ.  As the rest of our district members drifted in, we were welcomed with hugs and many rounds of "So glad to see you both!"  We enjoyed drinks and delicious hors d'oeuvres as we visited with our wonderful friends from our home District.

When the dinner bell rang, we joined PER Randy McClellan and Exalted Ruler Bea Tapiz in the dining room for a Santa Maria BBQ dinner.  Everyone was amazed that Bea was able to join us that evening since she had been in the hospital for gall bladder surgery earlier that week.  She is one very strong lady and we were tickled that she could be there.  Dinner was absolutely excellent and we all ate more than we should.

After dinner, Tom took a few minutes to talk about the significance of reaching a 100-year milestone for a lodge and how Watsonville Lodge has adapted and survived the changes in their community through their century of service.  He then presented Bea with their 100th Anniversary plaque from Grand Lodge.

PER Dave Peterson (the unofficial Lodge historian) entertained us with a history of the Watsonville Lodge and some of its more notable members.  We enjoyed his anecdotes and perspective on the Lodge.  It was also pointed out that Dave and Tom refer to each other as "Roomie."  They explained that David served as Exalted Ruler with Tom during 1993-1994.  Venita also reminded him that he served as ER with her in 2005-2006.  He may be the only PER in history to have served with both the Grand and First Lady!  David took this opportunity to present Tom with a 1904 copy of the Biography of Charles Vivian written by Vivian's wife.  Tom was truly speechless and thanked David profusely for his kindness.  This is a gift that we will truly treasure.

After the formal program ended, many of the guests adjourned to the bar to continue the celebration with Karaoke.  We have some talented singers in our area and everyone had a great time.

Congratulations, Watsonville Elks Lodge #1300 on your 100 years of service to the Order and your community.  We are proud of you all!

CALIFORNIA

CALIFORNIA – Home Sweet Home, May 15-18

After taking a couple of days in Newport Harbor with our friends Bud and Mary Hall, we headed for Anaheim and the California/Hawaii Association convention.  We arrived on Tuesday afternoon and were met at the hotel by State President Art and Shirley Echternacht, PGER and State Sponsor Ken Moore and Convention Coordinators Tom and Valerie Lamm.  Everyone was tickled to see Mom and made her feel very welcome.  When we arrived at our suite, we found wonderful snacks and two special gifts from Art and Shirley.  In honor of our motorcycle riding, they gave us a crystal motorcycle engraved with our names and our year.  Shirley also gave Venita a Brighton charm bracelet dedicated to the sites of California.  We very much appreciated their generosity.

That evening we went out to dinner at The White House in Anaheim with Art and Shirley, Ken and Rosemary and Jim and Lucia.  The passion of owner Bruno Serato, The White House is the only restaurant in the world that serves 300 meals a day to Homeless Motel Kids and has served a half million meals to date.  We had the privilege of meeting Bruno over dinner and thanked him for his dedication to such a special cause.  And, by the way, we had the most fabulous meal we’ve ever had in a restaurant.  Put this one on your list!

Wednesday morning Tom began his meetings with Ken and Jim while Lucia and Venita spent some time out shopping.  That evening, we joined the CHEA and CHEMPI Boards for dinner prior to the Opening Ceremony.   The evening concluded with the annual Memorial Service in memory of our deceased members.  Of special significance for us was the eulogy for Past State President Elmer Lanini of the Salinas Lodge.  He had been a good friend and mentor to us in the West Central District and is missed by all.  We were very pleased that his wife Rene was in attendance.

 

Thursday started the business sessions of the Association.  Tom attended the District Deputy Luncheon as well as the Exalted Ruler Luncheon.  Venita attended coffee in the President’s Suite, followed by the Ladies Luncheon.  The Association presented Venita with a beautiful quilt block for California done by Nancy Yeffa, our Administrative Aide’s wife.  Nancy had also done a block for Mardi Gras and The Rose Parade, the two other events they had shared with us.  Later in the afternoon, the Hawaii Elks hosted their annual Mai Tai party in the late afternoon and a great time was had by all.  That evening we went to the CHEA President’s dinner and Tom spoke to the attendees about our Order and its future.  The Association presented us with a beautiful Waterford Crystal Hurricane on a wooden base.  The Orange Coast District gave Tom a framed pin set with all of the CHEA Vice Presidents’ pins, Art and Shirley’s pins and several of the pins that have had meaning for Tom through his years as an Elk.  They had even found the pin for the Pioneers, Tom’s ER group from 1993-1994!

Friday the business sessions continued and Lucia and Venita spent some time shopping and visiting.  That afternoon we attended a reception for the new State President, Dick and Claudette McDonald.  That evening was the President’s Appreciation Dinner which had a 50’s-60’s theme.  It was a wonderful evening with great friends.  Josh Hachadourian, Vice President from the Bay District even got Mom up to dance.  She had a great time.  We did have a moment's pause when Bonnie Rucker tried to teach Jim Grillo to hula hoop.  Jim decided to keep his day job.  We were also tickled to see Ken Moore up doing the Electric Slide.

 

Saturday morning, the Convention concluded with the presentation of the Major Project Theme Child and the Exalted Ruler’s March.  Before the fundraising was complete, the generous California-Hawaii Elks had raised a total of $3,000,000 for our therapy programs.  Well done, ladies and gentlemen!  We couldn’t be prouder.

After lunch with Jim, Lucia and Wayne, we turned our car toward home.  It had been a wonderful road trip and a wonderful convention.  We could not have had a better time.  Thank you, California-Hawaii Elks for taking such good care of us.  Aloha!

 

ARIZONA

ARIZONA - Heat and Hats, May 8-11

Early on we had decided to drive to the Arizona and California visitations, which made it possible to bring our 98-year-young mother, Laura Helgeson with us.  Little did we realize that we would only be home for 36 hours after returning from the Kansas visitation Sunday night!  Leaving Tuesday morning, we arrived in Phoenix Wednesday afternoon and were greeted at the hotel by PGER and State Sponsor Ken Moore, State President Tom and Gail Shelby, Past State President Lee and Sunday Schwein, our escorts Lee and Betty Cook, and Special Deputy Charlie and Betty Servanti.


Thursday morning Tom joined Ken and Tom for the start of the state meetings. Venita, Betty and Mom went to do a little shopping and then out to lunch. We then spent some time with the Arizona Elks in the Hospitality Suite that afternoon.  Dinner that evening was at the hotel and was a casual, fun evening.  We were both drafted into their version of the Wizard of Oz with Tom playing the Cowardly Lion and Venita as Glinda, the Good Witch. It was a very creative production and we had an absolutely fabulous time.  We're not sure who laughed more - the audience or the cast.  We're not in Kansas anymore!

 

 





 



Friday morning the ladies went to breakfast while the men headed for their meetings. The Ladies Luncheon featured a "Mad Hatter's Tea Party" theme with all of the ladies sporting their pretties, oldest or funniest hat.  Venita assisted in judging the hats with awards going to the winners in each category.  The winner of the funniest hat category was a lovely "Bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken" hat.  When the men stopped in to say hello, Tom made special note of that hat and commented that they would need to talk later.  Lunch was followed by musical entertainment from the Upscale Singers, a group of Phoenix residents and "snow birds" whose ages range from 19 to 82.  The performed the music of Gershwin, Sondheim, Rogers and the Beatles. They were very enthusiastic in their performance and we enjoyed listening to them very much.  The Arizona State Association then presented Venita with a quilt square for her quilt and a Harley T-shirt from a Tucson Harley-Davidson shop, home for Tom and Gail.  After lunch, the ladies went to see the raffle baskets for the Social Welfare Project.  Ever hopeful, Venita put her tickets in several baskets but, unfortunately didn't win one.

Friday evening was the final banquet where Tom spoke with to the group about his vision and hope for the Order.  The Arizona Elks Association gave him a beautiful bronze elk sculpture which will have a place of prominence in his office. They gave Venita a gold charm bracelet with pins from some of the past First Ladies of the Order made into charms as well as Gail's First Lady charm. Venita had planned to have the bracelet made after the year was complete, but Gail had heard about the project and so Arizona made it happen for her.  It is a beautiful and thoughtful gift and will be treasured for years to come.

Saturday morning, Tom finished the meetings for the Association and then we packed the car and headed out for California.  We have always enjoyed our visits with the Arizona Elks and this trip was no exception.  A special thanks to all involved for the gracious hospitality you extended to Mom while we were with you.  She had an absolutely great time.  Great job, Arizona!