ALASKA - WRANGELL

ALASKA - Wrangell, August 28

 

Early Tuesday morning, we packed up again and took a short 30-minute flight from Ketchikan to Wrangell. We were met at the airport by the Wrangell Elks and transported to the Sourdough Lodge, well-known accommodations for folks who are here for fishing vacations. We were given a beautiful suite with a bathroom big enough for a high school dance, not to mention a heated tile floor.  (I think that might be important in Alaska.)  As we looked out our windows, we were treated to a view of the beautifully landscaped grounds in full bloom.  

 

After we literally dropped our bags, we boarded a boat for an hour and a half ride to the AnAn Bear Observatory. As we approached the cove during high tide, we saw harbor seals and so many bald eagles that it appeared someone had exploded a bag of popcorn in the trees.

Since a mama grizzly and her triplet cubs were blocking the walkway bridge that we would have normally taken to the observation area, the boat dropped us off partway along the boardwalk path.

Noting that our guides were both carrying bear rifles, we paid close attention to their warnings and instructions regarding our outing.  When we arrived at the observation platform, we were treated to over a dozen bears fishing the river. We saw not only the grizzlies, but several of the smaller black bears as well.  One opportunistic black bear simply waited for his compatriot to catch a salmon and then calmly walked over and stole it. It was a fascinating glimpse into nature which we were talking about for days.

 
That evening, we went to the Wrangell Lodge for dinner. Exalted Ruler Chris Stewart gave us a tour of the Lodge, including their two-lane bowling alley!  Apparently they have quite a few active bowlers among their membership and the lanes are well used. Among the members at dinner that evening was Alaska State Senator, Bert Stedman. We enjoyed talking with him on what was actually Election Day in Alaska.  After a wonderful dinner with the members, we were presented with a framed watercolor done on a navigation chart as a remembrance of our time in Wrangell.  This was certainly a stop we will not soon forget.

ALASKA - KETCHIKAN

ALASKA - Ketchikan

Early this morning our group flew to Ketchikan from Seattle. We were met at the airport by David Blick, DDGER and Mike Luhr, SDGER as well as many other wonderful Elks from the Ketchikan Elks Lodge.  After checking into our hotel, we started a walking tour of downtown.

Our first stop was a funky, corner coffee shop where we had our first taste of Alaska coffee.  It was excellent and carried us forward for the rest of the day.  We then visited a locally owned souvenir shop where Tom bought an "ulu," a traditional curved Eskimo knife with a elk antler handle.  Our tour continued to the Ketchikan History Museum where we had a chance to see displays of the Eskimo heritage in the area.

Upon leaving the history museum, we followed the river down to Creek Street which was the "red light" district during Ketchikan's early days. Several of the ladies toured Dolly's House, one of the most famous brothels of the time and we even picked up a replica of their "employment application."

 

When it began to drizzle a little (in typical southeast Alaska style), we decided our timing was perfect since we had just arrived at Annabelle's Chowder House for lunch. After a great meal at Annabelle's, we boarded a private tour bus for a driving tour of the area with our guide, Forest, a PER from the Ketchikan Lodge. Our first stop was a beautiful waterfall, where Tom took a small tumble on the trail.  It was the opinion of the group that he had been attacked by a "flash" bear - a rare species that is so fast they cannot be seen but wreck havoc wherever they go!  After leaving the park, we had the privilege of touring the Saxman totem park and were educated on the purpose and construction of the distinctive Alaskan totem poles.
 

 Dinner Monday evening was held at the Ketchikan Lodge. The members have recently completed this new facility and are justifiably proud of their work. Their membership is growing and they have a vibrant a healthy lodge. For dinner, we were served the rare and special dish of white king salmon. We enjoyed our evening with the Ketchikan Elks very much and appreciated their gracious hospitality.

ALASKA - SEATTLE

ALASKA – A Stop in Seattle

 

We arrived in Seattle Sunday afternoon fresh from our visit to Nebraska.  We were met at the airport by PGER and State Sponsor Roger True and Marilyn, Washington State President Bob Ferda and his wife Ann and the First Lady of Alaska, Kerry Tomlinson.

After settling into our hotel, we all hopped in the van and headed downtown to visit Pike's Market.  We were amazed at the variety of fruits, vegetables, seafood and other assorted goods available for our consumption.  We stopped often to explore what the vendors had to offer.

 

Next, we headed for the old World's Fair grounds. We walked around the grounds and then took in the Chihuly blown glass exhibit. This world reknown artist doesn't just do blown glass vases as one would expect.  He does complete gardens, trees, chandeliers, etc.  His work is truly exceptional and each room held a new surprise as we toured the exhibit.

After our walk, we took the elevator to the top of the Space Needle for a delicious dinner while we watched night fall on the city of Seattle.  It was a lovely evening with good food and excellent company.

 

While we would have loved to spend more time touring this wonderful city, our morning flight necessitated an early return to the hotel after dinner.  Tomorrow, Alaska!

NEBRASKA

NEBRASKA – A Great Plains State

 

As we arrived at the airport in North Platte, Nebraska we thought we had time-warped back to Austin and our Celebration on the floor of the Grand Lodge.  Hand clappers, beach balls, lighthouses, beads and posters were all in abundance.  As we received warm hugs from state sponsor PGER Jim and Karen McQuillan, we were surrounded by the Nebraska Elks Association representatives, including State President John Folcik and First Lady Lynn, several of the Vice Presidents and as a special surprise, Past Grand Secretary Jack Jensen. 

After settling in our hotel, we took a quick trip out to the Bailey Yard, the largest train yard in the world.  Stretching over eight miles long and two miles wide, the yard processes over 10,000 train cars going east and west every day.  It was quite a sight from the observation tower, “The Golden Spike.”  That evening we had a relaxing dinner at the local Country Club with several of the Past State Presidents, the DDGERs and the Convention Commission.

Friday morning, Tom headed out early to ride along in the golf cart with Jim McQuillan for their annual golf outing.  The morning was beautiful and he enjoyed his time with the golfers as they "mastered" the course.  Venita had breakfast with Karen, Lynn and several other ladies and then a group of fifteen carpooled to the Dancing Leaf Cultural Center south of North Platte.  Dancing Leaf is the dream of Les and Jan Hosick.  Having bought an old Boy Scout Camp over 16 years ago, they set about turning it into a prehistoric museum and Indian culture center, not to mention their beautiful home.  We were treated to a lunch of buffalo stew, blue corn muffins and other assorted vegetables which would have been available to the Native American populations of the area.  Lunch was followed by a guided tour of the museum and the earthen house that they had constructed, using early Native American construction principles.  This was an inspiring afternoon and one Venita thoroughly enjoyed. 

Friday evening everyone gathered to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Nebraska State Elks Association.  Each Lodge had put together a memory board depicting their many years in Elkdom and their activities for the Association.  It was fascinating to look at the rich heritage of these Lodges over the years.  The dinner was finished off with a special cake to commemorate the anniversary celebration, followed by two very funny comedians who had the entire group laughing until tears were rolling down their faces.

Saturday morning Tom attended the business sessions of the Association.  They followed an avant-garde pattern of early morning announcements followed by breakout sessions grouped by area of interest.  There was a session for Secretaries, a session for fund raising and ENF, and other sessions on specific topics.  Each breakout group received excellent and detailed instruction on their subject matter.  We reconvened for the afternoon training sessions for all of the Exalted Rulers conducted by the three District Deputies.  It was evident that Nebraska has a rock solid state association based upon their financial strength and the depth and breadth of their working dedicated members.  Tom later commented on the superb work being done by these special Elks as they shared valuable information and educated their officers.

Publicity was just excellent.  Mark Flohr arranged for a newspaper interview that returned a three column write up of the 100th Convention of the State Association and about the generosity of Elks in general.  He arranged for two television interviews that aired on the late evening news with the gracious female anchor wearing the GER’s pin throughout the entire telecast!  Great work getting our message out, Mark.

Meanwhile, Venita attended the First Lady's Brunch where she had a chance to speak to the ladies about her background, to thank them for all of their hard work and volunteer hours for the Elks and to encourage them to consider membership in the order.  One of the highlights of the morning was when Rita Norton, United States Air Force Retired spoke about her work with the "Army of Hope" and how she was working to start a local shelter for homeless veterans.  She also told us that she had recently been presented with a quilt from the Quilts of Valor, a volunteer program that puts together quilts for our veterans.  She said it was a proud moment and something she will treasure.

 

That afternoon, Venita visited the Lincoln County History Museum where one of the feature exhibits detailed the activity of the North Platte Canteen.  The Canteen was started on Christmas Day in 1941 when a troop train scheduled to stop in North Platte carrying hometown soldiers turned out to be an error.  Not wishing the fruit and homemade baked goods they had brought for their boys to go to waste, the citizens of North Platte stepped forward and gave the food to the soldiers who were on the train!  And the North Platte Canteen was born.  Throughout the war years, many soldiers were heard to tell others, "Just wait until this next stop.  You're going to get a wonderful surprise."  And that wonderful surprise continued until 1946, with every train being greeted and the soldiers being thanked and fed, all with homemade goods donated by the generous folks of North Platte, Nebraska. 

Saturday evening was the Association convention banquet and the culmination of the Anniversary Celebration.  Tom shared his vision for the future of Elkdom with the audience and congratulated them on their hundred years of service to the Order.  We were presented with a beautiful sculpted elk statue made from local Nebraska clay and Tom was made an Admiral in the Great Nebraska Navy, with a commission by the governor himself.  Venita received a lovely pearl necklace and earring set as well as a donation to the ENF in her name.  As we finished the evening with these warm and hospitable Elks, we couldn't help but reflect on what a powerful and strong state Nebraska is and how privileged we were to share this time with them.  Thanks, everyone!  We'll hope to see you all again very soon.

OHIO

OHIO - Or As The Cheer Goes “O – HI – O”

We arrived at the San Jose airport for our usual early morning flight only to find that there was some severe weather passing through Chicago, delaying all air traffic for approximately two hours.  We were lucky enough that our connecting flight was also delayed and we finally arrived in Columbus only an hour and a half late.  We were greeted at the airport with big smiles and hugs from Jim and Mary Carolyn Nichelson and the day was back on track.  We were whisked away to the Dublin Marriott where we received a warm welcome from all the State Officers and their spouses and the State President from Michigan, Ron Zimmerman and his wife Jean.  We were also treated to a fabulous steak dinner that the hotel had managed to hold for our late arrival, only one of many superb meals we experienced throughout the weekend.

Friday morning Tom had breakfast with the State President, Dan Beaston as well as other State Officers and then worked throughout the day with the Past State Presidents and the District Deputies and Designates.  Venita attended a wonderful brunch with the wives of the Past State President hosted by the First Lady of Ohio, Mary Beaston.  Dan, Jim and Tom did take a moment for a photo with the ladies.

After brunch, the ladies headed out for a tour of the American Whistle Company which is the only company in the United States that makes metal whistles.  They make several whistles of note, among them the gold whistles for the referees of the Super Bowl.  We were guided through the manufacturing process, including how they get the little cork ball in the whistle after it is made. When the tour was complete, we all received our own whistle as a souvenier.

Upon leaving the American Whistle Company, some of the ladies went to historic downtown Worthington where they wandered the streets and then stopped for ice cream at Graeter’s.  Started in 1870 by the Graeter family in Cincinnati, they have maintained the tradition of making high quality ice cream in small batches to this day.  And Venita did agree that it was some of the creamiest and best ice cream she had ever tasted.

Friday evening, we had a get-together in our suite for the State Officers and wives.  We were presented with unique gifts made in each of the six Districts in the Ohio State Association, including a quilted wall hanging with the “Ohio Star” pattern and an Ohio State Football.  The gifts were all carefully thought out and will be constant reminders of our time with these wonderful Elks.  The evening continued with “Fun Night,” a casual buffet dinner and dance where we had the privilege of meeting many of the dedicated Ohio Elks personally.  We also hooked up with an old friend from Tom’s days on the Government Relations Committee, Marion Owens.  It was a pleasure to see him again.

Saturday morning opened with the business session of the Association where we were treated to a visit by one of the Cerebral Palsy children that received assistance from the Ohio State Major Project, Megan Hoersten and her parents.  Told she would never walk, the family turned to the Elks for assistance and that morning she proudly walked down the center aisle of the meeting along with her parents.  Her rehabilitation was partly due to the donation of a specialized piece of equipment, the LifeGait, to St. Rita’s, a local rehabilitation center in Columbus.  Now, rather than having to travel to Johns Hopkins for her therapy, she was able to stay close to home and receive the same treatment.  During her mother’s thank you speech, there was not a dry eye in the room.

The morning session was followed by the Youth Luncheon where the Ohio Elks presented awards for Hoop Shoot, Scouting and Scholarship to the youth of their state.  It was inspiring to see these young people and witness their achievements.  As Tom told them, “You are our future and we know we will be in good hands.”  Saturday afternoon, Mary Carolyn Nichelson did a presentation on how to apply for ENF Grants.  Her session was well attended and enthusiasm is growing within Ohio for ENF projects.  The evening concluded with a small, casual dinner with the Nichelsons, the Beastons, the Zimmermans, Roger and Julie Crowe and Jeff and Rose Durant.  As we traveled home Sunday morning, Tom and I reflected on this marvelous Association, the wonderful people we met throughout the weekend and the gracious hospitality we experienced.  We both agreed that Elkdom is in good hands in Ohio.  Go Buckeyes!

WEST VIRGINIA

WEST “By God” VIRGINIA – The Mountaineer State

We arrived in Charleston, West Virginia, the state capitol in the late afternoon and were greeted by the familiar faces of PGER Ted Hess, State President Carl Mooney and his wife, Ann, Grand Lodge Judiciary Committeeman Jeff Miller and his wife, Debbie, DDGER Daniel Goheen and his wife, Paulette and Charleston Lodge #202 Exalted Ruler Walter Ice and his wife, Jennifer.  A transportation surprise awaited us as we left the airport – a beautiful Class A motor coach courtesy of Past Grand Esteemed Lecturing Knight, Dick Harris.  We all piled into the coach, sank down into plush leather chairs and thoroughly enjoyed the air-conditioned ride “down the mountain” to the hotel.  That evening, we had a very enjoyable dinner with the Past State Presidents for the West Virginia Elks State Association.

The next morning, we were treated to a tour of the Governor’s Mansion and the State Capitol Building.  The Governor’s Mansion is a beautiful 30-room Georgian structure set on the Capitol grounds.  Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, it was completed in 1925 and has been the ongoing home for the Governor and First Lady ever since.   What impressed us was the openness of the facility to all the citizens of West Virginia.  Even though the Governor lives there, most of the mansion was available to us for a tour.  You felt like you could sit down in any room, pick up a book and read or converse, just like you were in your own home. What a fabulously decorated and maintained shrine to the people of the state!

Upon exiting the Governor’s Mansion, we strolled across the lawn toward the Capitol building.  In the early days of West Virginia, the capitol moved back and forth between Wheeling and Charleston four times due to fires that destroyed their building.  Both sides adamantly deny any knowledge of what caused the fires in the other city.  The present capitol in Charleston is built of limestone and marble (no more fires) and boasts a 293-foot gold dome, five feet higher than the dome of the U.S. Capitol.  The interior is truly magnificent, with the Rotunda being the centerpiece of the building.  The central chandelier is made of 10,080 pieces of Czechoslovakian crystal and weighs 4,000 pounds.  The Senate and House chambers showcase hand-carved black walnut desks for each member and more Check crystal .  West Virginians are justifiably proud of their Capitol Building, open almost every day of the year, and we were told that it is frequently used for weddings, prom and graduation pictures.  It is truly the people’s building and they make every effort to demonstrate that to the citizens.

After leaving the Capitol, the group took a moment to stop and see a quilt exhibit in the foyer of the Culture Center for Venita’s benefit.  The quilts were varied and inspiring and included all manner of quilting.

Friday afternoon, Tom attended the opening business session for the association while Venita joined the ladies for refreshments and the “Thieves Christmas” gift exchange.  Tom met with his DDs and Ted.  That evening, we had a chance to attend the PER dinner at the Charleston Elks Lodge #202.  The members of the Lodge had put a great deal of thought and effort into the decorations and the event and an excellent dinner was had by all.  We felt like we had been out to a fancy supper club for the evening.  Great job, Charleston Elks!

The highlight of the weekend, for us,  came Saturday afternoon when the West Virginia Elks hosted all of their youth scholarship winners to a luncheon and an awards ceremony.  Tom and I had the privilege of sitting with two of the award winners at our table, Timothy Beavers (TJ) and Kristen Chaffins.  We had a great time talking with them and learning about their plans and dreams for the future.  TJ had already completed and published a work on antibiotic sensitive of bacteria in local water supplies (as a high school student) and was off to earn an “honest living” by majoring in political science followed by law school.    Kristen was off to study mechanical engineering and we were impressed by her speech and her focus.  We are in good hands when we turn over this country to these future leaders.  After the lunch, each award winner came up to the dais to receive their scholarship award and then gave a short presentation about their college plans. 

Saturday evening was the closing banquet for the weekend.  We were presented with some lovely remembrances of our time in West Virginia including a West Virginia Elks shirt, a “do rag”, several books about the state, a blown-glass water pitcher and an engraved, framed photo of Tom with Ted Hess.  Tom also received a remembrance of Marshall University “green” in the form of a bottle of bright green Prell hair shampoo.  He commented that with his hair style the shampoo may be the gift that lasts forever.  We are so grateful to all of the West Virginia Elks for everything you all did for us this weekend and we truly appreciate your gracious and overwhelming hospitality.  We look forward to spending some more time in your state in the future – maybe on the motorcycles with the “do-rag” this time!

KENTUCKY

KENTUCKY - The Bluegrass State

Kentucky was one of the states that Tom and I had not been to before, so we were very much looking forward to seeing this part of our country.  We were greeted at the airport by State Sponsor, PGER Ted Hess along with the State President Ray Highley and his companion, Nancy Estes and Special Deputy Grand Exalted Ruler for Kentucky, Greg Willis.

Kentucky’s fall convention was hosted by Ashland Lodge #350.  As we drove into the parking lot, we were greeted with a sign on their marquis and a wonderful banner on the side of their building welcoming us to their convention and that evening enjoyed a wonderful steak dinner at the lodge.

Friday morning many of the Kentucky Elks treated us to what we believe to be a first in the history of GER travels – a motorcycle ride for the Grand Exalted Ruler and First Lady.  The ER from Ashland Lodge, Jack Brown had arranged for two Harley Davidson motorcycles to be available for our use that day.  (Thanks so much, Jack!)  After a wonderful breakfast at Bob Evans Restaurant, we headed out into the beautiful back roads of eastern Kentucky in typical summer weather – warm and muggy.  Our first stop was at the Jesse Stewart Lodge in Greenbo Lake State Park. 

While we were there, PGER Ted Hess thought he might try out the back seat of Tom’s motorcycle, but decided to continue on in the comfort of an air-conditioned, 4-wheel vehicle. 

Our second stop was the Oldtown Covered Bridge built around 1880.  Since the road was narrow here, the leaders decided they would just ride out through a field to make the turnaround.  So we dutifully followed, all the time thinking “This is not my bike!  Please don’t drop it, please don’t drop it!”

Our last stop for the day was the Rock Springs Winery outside Grayson, Kentucky.  This beautiful winery is one of the first in the area since it is located in what used to be a dry county.  We were greeted by Dr. John and Sue Bond, the proprietors who provided us with a wonderful lunch and an educational wine tasting experience.  We all enjoyed sitting out on the patio, relaxing and enjoying the panoramic view of the countryside.  Was that thunder?

Our run back to Ashland was done in "less than ideal" weather, but not anything that we have not previously experienced in our days of riding. After a quick sprint down the hill from the winery, we pulled over under the relative protection of a gas station to wait out some of the more torrential downpours.  At that point, I learned a new weather term.  One of the ladies told me this was a “frog strangling rain!”  We will be sure to use that technical description during our rainy season in California.

Once things let up a little, we continued on with various groups breaking off to go to their hotels and we arrived back at the Ashland Lodge safe and sound.  By the evening, we had emptied out our boots, wrung out our clothes and were back at the Lodge for the Past State Presidents’ reception and dinner with a grin from ear to ear on our faces.  What a great day!

Saturday morning, started with the Business meeting of the Kentucky State Elks Association.  Tom was presented with a “Key to the City” from Ashland Mayor, Thomas E. Kelley and a certificate proclaiming August 4^th as “Thomas S. Brazier, Grand Exalted Ruler” day in the city of Ashland.  We were also privileged to hear from the young man who represented Kentucky at the Elks National Hoop Shoot in the age 12-13 bracket, Nick Woolridge.  One of the other highlights of the morning was the Kentucky State Major Project, Kids with Cancer.  The Association presented checks to the directors of the two children’s camps, Camp Quality and Camp Indian Summer to assist with their ongoing programs in the state.  One of their goals this year is to institute a “siblings” camp where they can begin to address the needs of the entire family of a child with cancer.  After the meeting, Venita attended a lunch and ENF/Major Project auction sponsored by the Kentucky State Ladies Auxiliary while Tom held a session with his Kentucky District Deputies.

Saturday evening was the President’s Reception and Dinner at the lodge.  It was a wonderful celebratory evening enjoyed by all.  In a very generous gesture, the Kentucky Elks provided us with framed certificates from the Governor of Kentucky appointing us as official “Kentucky Colonels.”  We hear that entitles us to attend a special party during the Kentucky Derby!  

Congratulations are in order to the officers and members of the Ashland Elks Lodge #350 for all of the hard work and dedication they put in to making the weekend a success.   It is not an easy task to host a state convention, but they made everyone feel welcome and made the weekend a memorable event.

Finally, our sincere appreciation goes to Kentucky State Sponsor, PGER Ted Hess, State President, Ray Highley and Nancy Estes and Special Deputy Grand Exalted Ruler Greg Willis and his lady, Geri for their gracious hospitality and for putting on such a great convention.  It is a trip that will be a wonderful memory for years to come.