HAWAII - OAHU

HAWAII – Oahu, Coming Full Circle, December 11-15

Tuesday morning we all flew from Kona to Honolulu.  Honolulu has special significance for Venita since it is the city where she was born.  We were greeted at the airport by PSP Wayne and Colleen Howard, PDDGER John and Colette Brown, DDGER Chuck Minnick and Exalted Ruler of Pearl City Elks Lodge, Richard Williams.  After gathering the luggage, we headed out for lunch at Sam Choy’s at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickham.  DDGER Chuck is a retired submariner and still works as a contractor for the Navy.  Since most of his time was spent at Pearl Harbor, he was a great tour guide and shared his considerable knowledge of the Base.

 

After lunch, we took some time to drive over to Kaneohe Bay and the Marine Corp Station there.  We made a stop to see the church building where the Kailua Lodge #2230 holds their meetings and had a quick tour of the facility.  We then headed for the Sheraton Waikiki to get checked in and unpacked.  Dinner that evening was at the Mariposa Restaurant which is part of the Neiman Marcus store in the Ala Moana Center.  It was a lovely restaurant and the excellent dinner was made even more enjoyable since it was shared with Jim, Lucia, Chuck, Wayne, Richard and his wife, Rachel.

Wednesday morning Chuck took us to the Swap Meet at the Aloha Stadium.  More an artisans’ market than an actual flea market, it was amazing to see the things we brought back even though we didn’t think we needed anything!  Of course, after walking the market we needed lunch.  Chuck obliged by taking us to the Seven Palms Navy-Marine Golf Course followed by a stop at the Harley Davidson Motorcycle Shop for the required souvenir t-shirts.  That evening, we were treated to a reception by the members of Honolulu Elks Lodge #616.  Located at the foot of Diamond Head on Waikiki Beach, the Honolulu Lodge is a beautiful facility and we enjoyed their hospitality very much.  Of special note were the “ER Sliders” named in honor of their Exalted Ruler Robert Kekuna, Jr.  Thanks, Bob!

Thursday started with a tour of the Iolani Palace in downtown Honolulu.  The official residence of Hawaii’s monarchy, this National Historic Landmark was started in 1879 and was occupied in 1882 by King Kalākaua and his family as well as his sister and successor, Queen Lili‘uokalani.  It is a beautiful building and is the only Palace in the United States.  After our tour, we went to the Honolulu Memorial and Punchbowl National Cemetery where we placed a wreath at the Elks commemorative plaque.  Thursday evening, we had a formal reception and dinner for the Hawaii Elks at the Pearl City Elks Lodge #2669. They presented Venita with a beautiful koa wood box engraved with honu (turtles) and Tom a koa wood clock of the Hawaiian Islands.  They also presented Venita with a necklace and earrings representing the plumeria flower.

Friday morning we went to Ford Island for a tour of the Pacific Air Museum.  We had a wonderful docent and spent several hours wandering through the displays and the hangars that were part of the history of the December 7^th attack on Pearl Harbor.

 

After lunch at the Museum, we went to the Submarine Memorial.  This memorial is dedicated to the 52 submarines and 3,700 submariners who were lost during WWII.  We placed a lei on the plaque commemorating the loss of the U.S.S. Seawolf and then took a tour of the Bowfin, one of the surviving submarines of WWII.  After our tour, we met the officers of the Kailua Elks Lodge #2230 for appetizers and drinks at Schooner's Restaurant at the Marina.  We enjoyed our time with these folks very much and complimented them on all of the hard work they are doing to promote Elkdom in their area.  After leaving our hosts, we boarded a launch and took a night tour of Pearl Harbor. This is a special tour done during the holiday season to show off the lights on the various ships in the harbor.  As the holiday music rang out over Pearl Harbor, we had an up close look at these beautiful light displays.

Our visit to Hawaii ended with lunch at a wonderful sushi restaurant, Ynagi’s courtesy of DDGER Chuck.  We could not have had a more perfect ending to our time in this beautiful state.  Thank you, Hawaii Elks, and aloha!

HAWAII - THE BIG ISLAND

HAWAII – Aloha to The Big Island, December 7-11

We arrived in Kona on Friday, December 7 and were met at the airport by PDDGER and DL Vern Ungerecht and Exalted Ruler of the Kona Lodge, Ron Cole.  We were greeted with beautiful orchid leis and hugs all around.  We then made the short drive to our hotel, the Marriott Kamehameha Beach Hotel which is located right on the ocean in downtown Kona.  That evening, we went out to dinner at the Fish Hopper with PGER Jim and Lucia Grillo, Vern and Ron.

Saturday morning, we got up in time to have coffee and watch the sunrise on the lanai (patio) outside our room.  After breakfast at the hotel, we started out around the southern part of the island headed for Hilo.  Along the way we went through Kona coffee country, old lava flows from Mauna Loa, past the most southern point in the United States and then stopped for a mid-morning snack at the southernmost bakery in the United States, Punalu’u at latitude 19 degrees, 4 minutes north of the Equator.

We arrived at Volcano National Park and went to the Jarvis Observation Site where we could look down into the Kilauea caldera.  At that site, the volcano is quiet, although there were quite a few steam vents that reminded you of the power right below your feet.  After paying our proper respects, we moved on to Hilo.

We arrived at the Hilo Lodge #759 and were greeted by Exalted Ruler Bob Shimamoto and his officers.  After a tour of this beautiful old lodge, we were treated to “puupuus” (appetizers) and some wonderful Hawaiian hula dances by a group of local ladies.  Congratulations to the folks who brought all of the puupuus – they were wonderful!  We also found out that it was ER Bob’s birthday, and we all treated him to a group rendition of “Happy Birthday to you” over birthday cake!

We left the Hilo Lodge to return to Kona over the Saddle Road that cuts through Hawaii between its two volcanoes, Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea.  This road has been expanded and resurfaced in recent years and made our trip home scenic and enjoyable.  We joined Jim and Lucia for a casual dinner at a local restaurant, Boston Basil’s, before falling into bed after a very full day.

Sunday morning we attended Mass at a local church, St. Michael’s.  Their venue, however, was a little unusual.  Their physical church is located one block from our hotel.  However, this old historic church had been so damaged during the Japan tsunami that they had to tear it down and are rebuilding.  So Mass was held under a massive tent a couple of miles north of town.

In the late morning, we were all picked up and after a stop to pick up some Spam sushi to share with everyone drove north along the Kona coast to Anaehoomalu or as it is known locally, “A” Beach.  “A” Beach is where we were married during Thanksgiving ten years ago.  We took a few minutes to recreate our “wedding” picture while we were there, followed by lunch at a new restaurant right on the beach, the Lava Lava Club.  Late that afternoon, we went to the Kona Elks Lodge #2616 for drinks and appetizers with their officers and members.  The Kona Elks Lodge has expanded their facility and it is now almost twice the size it was when we were there ten years ago.  We had a wonderful time with they and thoroughly enjoyed seeing what they had done in recent years.

Monday morning we toured the northern end of the Big Island.  We made a stop at Pu’ukohola Heiau National Park where King Kamehameha dedicated a temple.  It was at this site that he eliminated a chief rival, the King of Maui by inviting him to visit the temple dedication and then sacrificing him during the ceremony.

We then drove on up to Hawi where one of the two original King Kamehameha statutes stands.  After stopping for some shopping, we continued to the end of the road where we could look out over the beautiful valleys of the north end of the Big Island.  After backtracking a little, we turned east to the town of Wilea and lunch at Merriman’s restaurant.  After an excellent lunch featuring local produce and cuisine, we returned to Kona knowing that we had truly seen the best the Big Island had to offer.

Monday evening, we were able to make contact with two old friends from the Mainland, PER Claude and Joanne Barnett from Monterey.  After drinks at the hotel, we walked across the street to Quinn’s Almost By-The-Sea restaurant where we all had some of the best fish and chips ever.  It was a wonderful conclusion to the first part of our stay in the beautiful state of Hawaii.

MISSISSIPPI

MISSISSIPPI - Gracious Southern Hospitality, November 30-December 2

We arrived in Jackson, Mississippi in the late afternoon and were greeted at the airport by PGER and State Sponsor Mike and Sandra Smith, Special Deputy Mike and Bonnie Gordon, Past Special Deputy Dub and Tiny Hicks, Past State President Arnie Blackmon and Toni and current State President Tasos Alekos.  As we left the airport, four Mississippi Elks on their motorcycles took the lead and proceded to escort us to the hotel.  We were honored and arrived with big smiles on our faces.  That evening we went out to dinner at Tico's Steak House.  A local restaurant, it is owned and run by a prior chef for the national chain, Ruth's Chris.   Tom enjoyed a 24-ounce bone-in ribeye.  What a steak!  We enjoyed our meal, the service and the company.

Friday morning, Tom had breakfast with the men followed by a half hour interview on a 50,000 watt radio station with statewide talk show host, JT.  During the interview, Tom had a chance to educate the entire state of Mississippi about who the Elks are and what we do.  Meanwhile, the ladies headed north for a tour of the Canton Elks Lodge #458.  Located on the main square of Canton, Mississippi, this historic lodge was founded in 1898 and was the filming site for the movie "A Time to Kill" based on the novel by John Grisham.  It is a beautiful lodge and we enjoyed hearing about its history and seeing all of the memorabilia that their members have preserved.  After leaving the Lodge, we walked around the town square enjoying all of the Christmas decorations and stopping in and out of the various shops.

Lunch found the men at Mama Hamil's, an all-you-can-eat southern style BBQ buffet which lived up to its name.  The ladies stopped at Primo's, a southern diner-style restaurant featuring catfish, sweet potato fries and gumbo.  After lunch, we all rendezvoused in downtown Jackson for a guided tour of the Capitol building.  Completed in 1903 at a price of $1,093,641, this beautiful building is a prime example of the Beaux Arts architecture, characterized by grandiose composition and an abundance of classical detail.  As is the case with most capitol buildings, is a beautiful structure and speaks of Mississippi heritage and pride.  After our Capitol tour, we had a chance to meet the Governor of Mississippi, Phil Bryant.  We spent some time with him sharing information about the Elks and the work they do in the State of Mississippi.

After a casual dinner at the hotel Friday evening, we spent some time visiting with the Mississippi Elks in several of their hospitality suites.  True to the tradition of "southern hospitality", there was wonderful food (gumbo, bisque, southern tamales) and generous drinks.

Saturday morning began with the business session for the State Association.  Venita attended a luncheon for the ladies, followed by a shopping trip to some unique gift shops in the town of Madison.  That afternoon, we went to Mass followed by the State Banquet.  The Mississippi State Association presented us with a beautiful engraved silver tray with four cocktail glasses bearing a hand crafted pewter elk head on each glass.  They were truly works of art and will be put to good use in our home.

Sunday morning Tom headed for Michigan to do some work for his law firm while Mike, Bonnie, Arnie and Toni took Venita out to lunch at Jerry's Catfish House for some of the best southern fried catfish and hush puppies she's ever had.  Deciding the "all you can eat" was truly more than she could eat, she still managed not to go home hungry!

As Tom said, you can't possibly understand Southern Hospitality until you experience it.  Congratulations to the Mississippi Elks and all of our escorts and hosts. You did it perfectly!

NEVADA

NEVADA – The Silver State, November 15-17

 
The Nevada visitation offered us the rare luxury of being able to drive instead of fly to the Convention since our destination was just south of Reno in Minden, Nevada.  We arrived on Thursday afternoon and were greeted by State President Bill Cooke and First Lady Sydney and our escorts Max and Rhonda Shen.  That evening we met up with State Sponsor PGER Jim Grillo and Lucia for a casual taco dinner at the Tahoe-Douglas Elks Lodge #2670, the host lodge for the Convention weekend.

Friday morning, Tom headed out to breakfast at the Lodge with Jim and Max, followed by meetings of the Advisory Council and the State Trustees.  Venita had breakfast at the hotel with Lucia, and then the ladies (and three gentlemen) all met at the hotel for the spouses’ luncheon.  After lunch, they were treated to the comedy genius of Kat Simmons, a professional comedienne who is local to the Gardnerville area.  She explained the pros and cons of aging, raising children, being married and traveling as a professional entertainer.  By the time she finished her final skit demonstrating the difference between the television commercials showing how to put on panty hose and the actual reality of struggling into these nylon nightmares, everyone in the room was laughing hysterically and had tears rolling down their cheeks.  That evening was the State President’s Dinner sporting a patriotic theme.  Tom had the privilege of handing out Grand Lodge awards for web site design to both the Henderson-Green Valley Lodge#2802 and to the Nevada State Elks Association.  He also presented the Golden Mike Award for Public Relations to Sabina Bye, Carson City Lodge #2177.

Saturday we went to the luncheon for the Nevada Elks Major Project, Safe Haven, a program that provides emergency care for battered and abused children.  The Association had solicited gift baskets from throughout the state to be raffled off as well as numerous silent auction items.  We were very impressed by the generosity of the Lodges and individuals and the number of items donated.  All together, they raised $3,000 in support of their Project. 

The final evening was the GER Dinner at the Lodge.   As had been our experience for every meal we enjoyed at the Lodge, the dinner was excellent.  After dinner, Tom shared his vision for Elkdom with the attendees.  Several people took the time to let him know they appreciated his comments and that they thought his suggestions were right on target.  We finished the evening signing cards and handing out pins before heading back to our hotel.

We want to thank the Nevada State Elks for their gracious hospitality during our visit.  As we told them all, we truly felt comfortable and at home in this, our sister state in Area 7.  Special thanks to Jim, Lucia, Bill, Sydney, Max and Rhonda for their companionship during our time with them.  We look forward to seeing all of you again soon!

MAINE

MAINE - Lobster and Snow, November 4-8

We arrived in Bangor, Maine to cold temperatures and warm hugs.  We were greeted at the airport by PGER and State Sponsor Amos and Barbara McCallum, State President John and Tina May Nicholson, Past Grand Inner Guard Andy Constantine, Past Aide to the GER Ralph Sicard and Marcia Bouchard and Past State President Mike and Freddie Powers.  After settling into our hotel, the group went to dinner at the Lucerne Inn, a beautiful historic inn just outside of Bangor.

After breakfast on Monday morning, we headed out for a tour of Acadia National Park and a breathtaking trip to the top of Cadillac Mountain.  Even though the weather was a little overcast, the views from the top of this 1,530 foot peak (the second highest in Maine) were beautiful.  After a couple of photos and a quick movie clip, we hustled back to the cars to get out of the wind and 32 degree temperature.  Our lunch stop was at the Ellsworth Elks Lodge #2743.  These gracious Elks hosted us to seafood "chowdah" and lobster rolls.  Many of those in attendance had come from work to spend their lunch hour with us.  While we were there we were told that they will be celebrating both their 25th anniversary next year as well as a mortgage burning ceremony.  We congratulated them on this significant achievement.

After lunch, we returned to the hotel for some rest and relaxation.  Much to Venita's delight, it began to snow in the late afternoon, but the storm did not amount to much.  Only enough for one good snowball.  Dinner that evening was at a wonderful riverside restaurant called Schooners.  Once Tom saw that the menu featured a one and a half pound lobster, his choice was made.  We also could not resist the steamer clams and the seafood experience was complete.  We returned to the hotel after dinner, barely able to keep our eyes open.  What a wonderful first day in Maine!

Tuesday morning we were taken to the Challenger Learning Center of Maine.  One of 48 centers around the United States serving 400,000 students annually, these hands-on facilities were started by the families of the Challenger Space Shuttle crew that were lost when their shuttle exploded after takeoff.  The Center features both a Mission Control and a Space Station mock-up, allowing students to experience real applications for science, technology, engineering and math and to promote awareness of potential careers choices that might not have occurred to students previously.  This was a fascinating experience and one we very much enjoyed.

Following the Challenger Learning Center, we took a driving tour of Bangor.  Andy Constantine, a Bangor native, took us by the home of author Stephen King, to the Thomas Hill Standpipe and through the Hope Cemetery, the final resting place for Abraham Lincoln's first Vice President, Hannibal Hamlin.  We also visited the monument to Chamberlain, a noted abolitionist during the civil war whose home was a documented site of the Underground Railroad.  After completing our tour, we made our way to the Sea Dog Brewery for lunch.

After lunch, the group toured the Cole Land Transportation Museum.  While we have toured numerous auto and motorcycle museums, we have never seen a collection with this much variety in our tours.  The museum features snow plows, buggies, wagons, tractors, cement trucks, cars, trains, motorcycles, bicycles, military vehicles and most of the freight trucks used in their family's company, Cole's Express.  We also had the chance to meet and talk with Galan Cole, a WW II Purple Heart recipient and the owner of the museum.

Tuesday evening, we attended a reception and dinner at the Bangor Elks Lodge #244.  It was a wonderful evening, made even more special by the many Maine Elks who made the effort to attend on what was a work night for most of them.  At the end of the evening, the Exalted Rulers from each Lodge presented us with a gift from their Lodge.  Many of them made generous donations to the Elks National Foundation in our name.  We also received a handmade lobster trap coffee table from the Biddeford-Saco Lodge and a wonderful gift basket from John and Tina May with assorted Maine items as well as a Maine quilt block for Venita's quilt.  We were stunned by the generosity of these gracious Elks.

Wednesday morning, Andy Constantine treated to a tour of the press facilities at the local newspaper, the Bangor Daily News.  Andy works for the paper and was able to give us insider information on how all those advertising inserts get into our hometown papers.  It was a fascinating look at the behind-the-scenes workings of the paper.

Our final afternoon, we headed for "deer camp."  Our hosts, Arnold and Ann Byers welcomed the eleven of us to their one-room cabin at the back of their property.The rest of the afternoon was all about kicking back, relaxing, eating and drinking.

The afternoon started with drinks and appetizers, followed shortly by ten pounds of steamed clams.  Meanwhile, the kettles were coming to a boil in preparation for the twenty-two (yes . . . count them . . . 22!) live lobsters that they had brought for dinner.  As a special honor for Tom, his main course would be the GER of lobsters - a three pound champion!  It was quite an adventure to see these guys coming in on the plates.  While we can't believe we are going to say this, we actually had our fill of lobster.  At least for one sitting!  Thinking we had survived, we leaned back from the table only to find that Ann had baked three pies for dessert.  We rolled home late that evening marveling at the hospitality of these generous folks.

Thursday morning, we awoke to three inches of fresh snow on the ground.  Fortunately (or unfortunately?), the airport was equipped to handle the flurry and our plane was on time.  While we were supposed to be heading for New Jersey, Hurricane Sandy had changed those plans and we turned our faces homeward a little early . . . with wonderful memories of Maine, its Elks and a vow to return again.

IOWA

IOWA - Food Capital of the World, October 31 - November 4

We came into Iowa a day early and were greeted at the airport by State Sponsor PGER Ted and Betsy Callicott,  SDGER Ralph and Barbara Buster and Chief Justice Mark Huegel.  Upon arriving at our hotel, we were greeted by Mark's wife, Kim Birch and Grand Trustee Pete Nelson and Sue.  After checking in, , we had a bite to eat and then retired for the night.

Wednesday, the gentlemen headed out to tour the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum.  Located on Camp Dodge, an active National Guard post, the museum features displays of Iowans serving in all branches of the military and the Iowa State Patrol.  Included in the exhibits were uniforms, artifacts, equipment, aircraft, equipment and ordnance.  After their tour, they stopped by the local Harley Davidson shop.

Meanwhile, the ladies took Venita to a historic shopping area of Des Moines called Valley Junction where their stops included a store featuring nothing but things made in Iowa.  They also stopped in a quilt shop down the street.  After lunch, they drove by Terrace Hill, the Governor's mansion and then did a loop through downtown to see the capitol building and the sculpture garden.

Wednesday evening, we drove over to Grinnell, Iowa to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Grinnell Lodge #1266.  Grinnell is the home lodge of current State President Larry and Sandy Manning.  We were given a warm welcome by everyone and after an excellent dinner, Tom presented the Exalted Ruler with the 100th Anniversary plaque.

Thursday morning, Tom was interviewed on the Van and Bonnie Show at WHO Radio, clear channel 50,000 watts.  He spoke about the charitable work we do and the strength of our organization.  Those who heard the interview said it was excellent and they were proud of being Elks.  That morning, the ladies went shopping for the day and came away with some great bargains, thus saving their husbands lots of money!  Thursday evening we went to Johnny's, a local steakhouse with an Italian flair.  Dinner was excellent and the company matched the meal.

Friday morning we were greeted with a Convention Newsletter under our hotel door, compliments of Carl and Sue Jacob.  We almost felt like we were at Grand Lodge! Tom headed out to attend the Advisory business sessions of the Association while Venita went with the ladies to tour the Iowa State Historic Museum.  After a terrific lunch at the museum, the ladies returned to the hotel for some relaxation and socializing prior to dinner.  Friday's dinner was at the hotel in the company of the Iowa Past State Presidents and their spouses.  That evening, we went down to the courtyard area of the hotel to socialize with the Iowa Elks, share our pins and dance to their great DJ.  A wonderful time was had by all.

Saturday morning was the opening session of the Iowa State Association, followed by lunch and afternoon group meetings.  Venita went to the ladies brunch, where they were entertained by Jackie Schmillen, a local TV traffic personality.  With a heavy background in theater, Jackie had us all laughing in very short order.  She told us about her charity work and we noticed that she had an application to join the Elks with her when she left. That afternoon, Venita, Betsy and Barbara went to Betsy's favorite needlepoint store where we browsed through the canvases and supplies for a good hour prior to making our purchases.

Saturday evening was the closing banquet of the conference.  Tom spoke to the attendees, sharing his vision for Elkdom and offering concrete suggestions for how to grow their membership and reminding them to be sure to make application for the ENF grants that are available to their lodges.  After dinner, we were presented with a goodie basket, along with notification that at the end of our year of traveling, the Iowa Elks will be sending a box of beef to our home for us to enjoy.  We were so appreciative of this generous gift and thanked them from the bottom of our hearts.

We truly had a great time in Iowa.  Our thanks to Ted, Betsy, Mark, Kim, Larry, Sandy, Ralph, Barbara, Pete, Sue and all of the Iowa Elks for making our stay so memorable.  We'll look forward to seeing you again soon.

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.