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News and Notes from around |
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| the World of Job's Daughters |
MIJD ACTIVITIES FOR JUNE & JULY |
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News and Notes from around |
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| the World of Job's Daughters |
MIJD ACTIVITIES FOR JUNE & JULY |
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I hope you can forgive me for taking so long to get this newsletter out. As you will soon find out, June was the busiest travel month for me all year and I have been hectically trying to get everything ready for Supreme. So without further ado, here is the final newsletter… If any of you were like me, you may have read that title
and thought… “Tall what? Of
where?” I hadn’t heard of the
Tall Cedars of Lebanon prior to this year- primarily because they are on the
East Coast. During our visit, I
learned a lot about this fun group and how they are an important part of the
Masonic Family. We arrived in Virginia Beach hardly two days after arriving
home from Australia, so needless to day I spent a majority of the down time
catching up on my z’s. The first
event we went to was a theme party Square Dance dinner. There were cowboy hats for everyone to wear and the food was
excellent. Soon the music and
dancing started. They had a caller
and several people who knew the ins and outs of Square Dancing that showed off
their moves. Eventually many people
were out of their seats and learning the steps to a giant Square Dance. The next morning, Aunt Denise, Uncle Tom and I had the opportunity to address the crowd. I quickly learned that the motto of Tall Cedars is Fun, Frolic, and Friendship. It was certainly exemplified throughout the meeting and was an entertaining crowd to speak to. We had a unique chance to see some degree work that better explained their organization. Ami, a girl from PA, is their Spirit Ambassador. Tall Cedars raise thousands of dollars every year for muscular dystrophy and Ami is available to speak to groups about MD. She and her family are very special and it was great to be able to meet them.
Aunt Denise and I attended the Ladies Luncheon and were
impressed with the decorations and speaker.
He was a professional gardener/landscaper and had tons of tips, tricks
and stories for gardening. The
ladies we sat with were very nice to talk with and interested in Job’s
Daughters. The next morning’s activities included a parade down main
street! The Job’s Daughters and
Rainbow representatives (Vicki Wherli, Acting Supreme Worthy Adviser, her
chaperone, Marie Rhenda, Supreme Worthy Adviser and her husband Toni) rode in
the first car, a trolley. We waved
from the windows at people who were shopping or on their way to the beach.
Since we were the first car, we were able to sit and watch the rest of
the parade as it passed. I was amazed at the floats, cars and color guards all put
together by Tall Cedars. It was
awesome publicity and a way to show off their creativity and enthusiasm. Prior to the closing banquet there was a delightful worship
service. The Supreme Chaplain was a
minister and led a fantastic service. I
was glad to see that they had to bring in more chairs to accommodate everyone in
attendance. At closing banquet they
announced that I had pins available and they allowed me and Vicki to circle the
room and make some sales. Without a
doubt, I found this to be a very fun group to be around! I would like to send a special thank you to the hospitality
crew who made us feel so at home! You
were perfect representatives to show us what being a Tall Cedar is all about. Their session was held in the capitol city of Pierre.
I arrived Tuesday afternoon and helped the Grand Guardian, Toni
Richardson to set up and unload the trailer.
I met up with Krista Greer, Miss South Dakota Job’s Daughter when she
arrived and met some of the girls from her Bethel.
Krista and I became good friends at pageant last year so I enjoyed
spending some time with her. They
introduced me to Zesto’s a fantastic and cheap ice cream place.
I got a teeny pineapple cone that rocked. Activities were underway early in the morning.
I spend most of my time with the MSDJD contestants.
The pageant committee, Carrie Gonzor, MIJD 2000,
Staci and Larissa were a riot and we had a lot of fun learning about each
other. I heard the test was pretty
tough and it reminded me of studying for the MIJD test during this time last
year. The rest of competition
included a judge’s interview and Ritual recitation.
I sat in the interview; however I didn’t judge but wrote helpful
comments. For the Ritual recitation
they did Fifth Messenger and I was glad that I only had to judge verbatim.
The committee took us out for a fun activity so they could vote for Miss
Congeniality. Naturally we went out
for Zesto’s again and had an entertaining story time and picture taking
sessions. Regrettably I missed the
actual pageant because I left for Alaska, but I’m sure they all looked
beautiful! Later I heard Jamie
Grotewold won MSJD and Sara Green was named Miss Congeniality. A carnival was held that night with tons of fun and games.
The big event was the dunk tank to raise money for HIKE.
I sat in the dunk tank and thought the suspense was worse than actually
falling in the water! The next morning I sat in their Bethel Ritual Competition. The Bethels who competed performed basically an entire meeting. They had to recite every opening part, regardless of the number of girls who were competing- so several of them had to double up on parts.
The night of the talent show was spectacular!
Some girls did a dance, solo, or skit.
I met Tiny, the Grand Guardian’s humongous elephant mascot.
She marched in and her Bethel did a cute song and dance for Toni.
Noel handed out red clown noses throughout the year, so he and Toni had
to do a race with their noses on! The
Demolay led the lip sync to a Brittney Spears song which turned out to be a huge
group dance. The Formal Banquet was different as well.
There were tons of door prizes handed out.
The men in the line made a promise that if the Daughters met a membership
goal, they would perform the Story of Job.
So prior to dinner being served the marched in with bath “robes” so
they could be judged in regalia. Their
presentation was admirable and I think the girls enjoyed listening to them. Formal Opening was beautiful. I watched the Grand Bethel perform the Degree of Royal Purple
and Lily of the Valley- a special jurisdictional honor. All of the honorees were surprised and it made for an
exciting evening. I was presented
with a stunning Black Hills Gold necklace.
A huge swappy party was held after the meeting and I had a chance to meet
the rest of the South Dakota girls. I
really felt at home during this visit and am so glad that I was asked to be a
pageant judge for a few years down the road.
J Before my flight left the next day, I was able to attend
their Grand Bethel meeting. Their
officers are selected much like ours, all of them are drawn.
First the Bethel is drawn and then an eligible Daughter.
The respective Bethels cheered loudly whenever their Bethel was drawn for
an officer or representative. The
GBSP moves up to become GBHQ the following year, so she has time to plan her
term with her counterparts. I got
to escort the new representative to Wyoming and made sure she would write to my
Bethel. I would like to thank the Grand Guardian Council for
covering the expenses of my hotel room while I was in Pierre.
As you know I felt right at home in South Dakota and I hope to visit
again soon. Krista, I am sorry I couldn’t be there for your pageant
night, but thankful we got to spend some time together.
Thanks South Dakota! I was aghast to find it daylight when my mom and I flew
into Anchorage at 10:00 pm! During
this time of the year they have roughly four hours of darkness each day.
Susan Anderson, Bethel Guardian and her daughter Jenny picked us up at
the airport and made sure we got checked into our room okay. Bethel #1 met the next morning for the Ceremony of
Installation. There were eight
Daughters installed into office; they have more members but school was out and
several girls were on summer vacation. Jenny
served as the Installing Officer but didn’t crown anyone into the office of
Honored Queen. She will help run
the meetings until the Sr. Princess and Jr. Princess are ready to move up next
term. I was thrilled to serve as
Installing Chaplain. As soon as the
Installation was complete they had a regular Bethel meeting.
The Daughters quickly picked up on their new opening march places and a
few of them had their new station and duties part memorized!
During the meeting, I realized that was the last meeting I would attend
as a Daughter under twenty years old. I
won’t reach Majority until I am finished as MIJD, but the meeting will still
hold a special place in my heart. It
was a totally unique for me to be the Chaplain, my favorite station, and to
close the Bible at the end of the meeting. The Daughters and council of Bethel #1 are very active in their community. I was ecstatic to hear about them sending care packages after Hurricane Katrina, and to troops in Iraq. They are also doing service projects for several OES Chapters and Lodges in their area- way to go girls!! I thought it was an awesome Bethel, and I am so thankful I was able to meet them. They are an inspirational group and understand what Job’s Daughters is all about.
My mom and I were able to take advantage of the incredible
splendor of Alaska. Truly it is one
of the most beautiful places I have ever been!
One day we drove out to Portage Glacier, and made sure to stop at all of
the turn-outs for picture taking. The
glacier was awesome and made me a believer in global warming when they showed us
where the glacier used to come out to. We
made it to Seward, Alaska and my favorite thing to do was the boat tour out to
sea. On the eight hour cruise we
saw orca whales, humpback whales, bald eagles, mountain goats, sea lions,
otters, puffins, and other native Alaskan wildlife.
The most spectacular sight however was the
Aialik Glacier. It was over a
mile wide and calving like crazy. The
glacier made an enormous sound, similar to thunder.
Massive pieces of ice would occasionally fall into the water, but when a
chunk the size of a football field crashed down, it left everyone on the boat
speechless. I’ll never forget it! I would like to send a special thank you to the Anderson
family for their hospitality. Thank
you for the dinner and all of your entertaining stories, you are a special
family and it was a pleasure to meet you. You
really made our trip to Alaska unforgettable.
Also a thank you goes to Bethel #1 for helping cover the cost of our
hotel room. You are a phenomenal
Bethel and I’m glad I was able to meet you! Grand
Session - Casper, Wyoming After a whirlwind of cancelled flights, I finally made it
into Casper. I arrived in time to
compete in Story of Job. As
frazzled and tired as I was, I am so thankful I had the opportunity to recite it
one last time as a Daughter. I
admit that I wasn’t word perfect, and got third place in the event, but the
final experience was more than words can describe. After roaming around greeting dear friends I was able to
get a much needed shower. The
picnic was that evening and I had the opportunity to see more of my Wyoming
family. One special person I was
thrilled to see was Roger Means, PAGG. He
looked great and my heart was so full when I gave him a hug- It was great to see
you about Roger! I miss you!! I was able to be with the Miss Wyoming Job’s Daughter
pageant girls during their meet and greet time. I wished I could be with them during the competition and
pageant because I knew it would be a tough one this year. Jessica- I know you served as best as you can and I hope this
year was everything you wanted it to be. Natalie
Hansen won MWJD, and Casey Miller was named MWC. Congrats girls!
Since it was my only day at Grand I was able to give
remarks while the judges were tabulating. I
cannot thank my jurisdiction enough for their support.
Had it not been for the generous donation from the Grand Guardian Council
as well as individual Bethels and people from Wyoming, I would not have been
able to travel this year. I cannot
thank them enough and am eternally grateful for those blessings. I
LOVE AND MISS YOU WYOMING! A special shout out to Marge Christiansen and Jessica
Blackman, MWJD for picking me up at the airport and for letting me shower at
their house. It was a hectic and
short visit and you helped me out immensely.
Also a thank you goes to Marilyn Olson for taking me to the airport so
ridiculously early Thursday morning. J I arrived in St. Louis with plenty of time to check in and
register. Aunt Denise and Aunt Geri
Kay picked me up at the airport and it was fun to be with the girls during the
weekend. We arrived at the
convention center in time to listen in on the election speeches. One candidate ran for International Congress Secretary and
two were in the running for International Master Councilor.
All three gentlemen presented impressive speeches and I was looking
forward to the rest of the election process. Other events that we attended included Formal Opening and a
couple of business sessions. I was
impressed with what Demolay around the world are doing.
I met the Brazilian delegation and evidently had met one of them during
my travels in Brazil! There were also delegates from Italy and all over the United
States. We attended the election
session, where Austin Whitaker was elected International Master Councilor and
Buddy Herring was elected International Congress Secretary.
When I addressed the Demolay delegation I urged them to continue in their
activities with the Job’s Daughters on the local and state levels.
I know that together the Masonic youth family can make a huge difference
in this world as long as we can work together.
We were invited to a VIP Reception to meet the incoming
officers and a Hall of Fame Inductee. I
had the chance to talk with both Austin and Buddy who will be excellent
representatives of Demolay this upcoming year.
The final session was the closing banquet and Hall of Fame induction.
The meal was excellent and Vicki, Acting Supreme Worthy Adviser for
Rainbow, and I joked about stealing everyone’s desserts. Overall
the convention was impressive and Demolay International of today will certainly
be prominent leaders of the future. Supreme
Bethel Honored Queen Reception On my twentieth birthday I headed to Grant, Pennsylvania
for Erin Nicole’s reception. Mom
Faith picked me up from the airport and I was able to spend the evening with
their family. The Duskeys treated
me to a great birthday supper and we headed back to the hotel to get ready for
the Grand Session and Erin’s reception. The following day was the start of registration and it was
fun to see people I’d met earlier on in the year. I helped put together super cool name tags and set up
decorations. As guests started
arriving for Erin’s reception I took time to catch up with them.
After formal opening practice was finished I started getting ready for
Erin’s reception. Erin Nicole picked out the meal and I was glad to see that Daughters were seated at the head table. As requested, Erin had a roast and it was definitely entertaining to relive stories from this year as well hear about other adventures with Erin prior to this year. I enjoyed giving my remarks and I hope that the reception was everything that Erin wanted.
Formal Opening was held next. Faith Duskey, Grand Guardian had a great opening.
The Necrology Ceremony was beautiful and the tribute to Emily was very
meaningful. I know it is hard to
say goodbye to such a beautiful woman and she certainly was an inspiration to
Job’s Daughters all over the world. After opening we changed into casual clothes and heard
campfire stories told a phenomenal story teller. She told us about falling stars, a mermaid and a princess
named Kate. I could have listened
to her for hours! During some down
time I chilled out with some of the Quad Squad in attendance.
It’s encouraging to see how much they support each other throughout the
year’s activities. Unfortunately
I had to leave very early the next morning to make it to California so I
eventually had to head back to my room to get what little sleep I could. I would like to send a special thank you to the Duskey
family for treating me to meals and making sure I got to and from the airport
when I needed to. I know this was a
busy weekend for you and I appreciate the time you took to take care of me. I actually
flew from one coast to another in one crazy day.
However I arrived with enough time to take a nap.
I stayed with the Dublin Bethel and they came back after the meeting was
over. That night was the talent competition and those California
girls know how to get down! I
enjoyed watching their dances and energy. I
couldn’t believe how many people were there in attendance.
Friday night is an exciting night for California’s Grand Bethel.
Their officers and representatives were voted on by the members of their
Bethels earlier in the year; however they didn’t know what station they would
be holding until Friday night. I
was blown away with all of the paraphernalia that came with each station-
particularly the representatives. For
example, the new Maryland rep had to cart home a massive crab on rollers, and
the rep to North Carolina had to deal with a six foot lighthouse!
Prior to Friday evening, the Grand Guardian drew out names to determine
which girls would hold which office. In
order to decrease the number of reps, each rep now covers three jurisdictions.
It was very entertaining to see how the representatives and officers
revealed which Daughter would become each office and the suspense was killing
me! After all of the announcements
we went to congratulate the new officers and representatives.
I got together with some of the Grand Bethel Representatives to Wyoming
that I’d met previously- it’s a small world!
Britt, the Grand Bethel girl from Dublin was installed as Representative
to Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri. The next morning I went with Bethel #1 to their
competitions. Two Daughters did
fine arts and many of them turned in beautiful arts and crafts (I stayed with a
talented group of girls!). I had
the opportunity to sell some charms as Daughters looked around at other
merchandise. I met the new Miss
California Job’s Daughter, Coral Osip. She
is a sweetheart and will do a good job this year.
The Bethel headed back to our hotel to eat some lunch before the big
volleyball tournament. We got geared up for the game and even tough we lost,
everyone got in and we had a lot of fun!
We relaxed the rest of the afternoon and got dolled up for our dinner and
Grand Bethel Installation. Our whole group went out to a fancy Italian place for dinner. It was fun to get all dressed up for dinner and have a girls’ night out. I had tons of fun with this Bethel! They treated me like one of their own and there was never a dull moment around them. Grand Bethel Installation was beautiful. Christine Bell, PHQ was installed as Grand Bethel Honored Queen. This corps of officers seems very enthusiastic and will represent the Grand Bethel extremely well. Throughout the week I was blown away by the spirit and enthusiasm of this jurisdiction. There were hundreds of people there and it was fun to be a part of their Grand Bethel Session.
I heard shouts and music from the dance, but had I made an
announcement about my charms. Not
only did I sell out, but took orders for almost 100 more, thank you for your
support California! We headed back
to our hotel and got ready for Britt’s reception.
We decorated a room and had tons of food to munch on. It was a blast to hang out and learn even more about the
girls from Bethel #1 I
hope they will keep in touch in the future. We finally went to bed and got packed up in the morning.
They had quite a drive home, but Mrs. Kinsel and Mrs. Williams agreed to
take me to the airport after a brunch at Mrs. Foster’s house.
She made a green chili egg bake and I heard all sorts of stories from the
four friends. It was very enjoyable
and I would have much rather spent the morning with them than at the airport. I would like to send a special thank you to Mrs. Hagen for
picking me up at the airport. To
Mrs. Lake and Miss Jow, thank you for helping me arrange the visit to
California. I would also like to
thank Dublin for all accepting me into their Bethel for the week.
I had a blast with you! You
have the Job’s Daughters spirit and I hope to see you again.
To the ladies who took care of me Sunday morning, thank you for the
special treat. When I left the house I was in denial that this would be
the final trip before Supreme Session. This
year has flown by! I arrived at the
airport and Aunt Denise picked me up. We
navigated our way down town and talked about how quickly this year has gone, and
what we were looking forward to most about Supreme Session.
Later we picked up Mrs. Windbiel and the three of us had a wonderful
ladies dinner. We took our time
eating and enjoyed the company. During the Time of Your Life Grand Session, I roomed with
Katie Paauwe, GBSP and Sarah VanDuinen, GBJP.
Our room was joined with Leslie Shaw, GBHQ and it felt like we were
headquarters for all of the fun get-togethers.
I mingled and met some Daughters in the morning during the Grand Bethel
practice, however it was nice to see old friends I had met at the Bridge Walk
held earlier in the year. I took
some time to admire the arts and crafts and look at the HIKE Baskets that were
auctioned or raffled to raise funds for HIKE. Katie, Sarah and a few other
friends decorated Leslie’s room with tons of pictures, balloons, streamers and
even a castle in the window. It is
a time-honored tradition and it looked like a pink and black explosion. J Thursday evening was the formal activities.
The theme for the session was high school and every session or dinner
played into the theme. At the banquet the host and hostess became the King and Queen
since it was called “Homecoming.” During
dinner announcements were made pertaining to scholarship awards and I was
impressed at the number of scholarships that were awarded. Of all the Formal Openings I have been to, this one was
totally unique. The first half was
a prep rally and everyone was in high spirits.
The floor was decorated as a football field and there was even a goal
post in the west! All of the
distinguished guests were the “Hall of Fame” and had pom-poms and megaphones
to cheer with. As the Grand
Officers and their Grand Bethel counterparts were introduced- their respective
Bethels cheered heartily. Next was
a parade that displayed district banners and floats.
Three judges and four referees (including Aunt Denise!) helped control
the rowdy crowd and decide which district was the loudest and most enthusiastic.
I thought it was a toss up! The
Hall of Fame Inductees were introduced and I was thrilled to see the Grand
Master and about a dozen of his officers in attendance.
The Flag Ceremony was next and was conducted much like a marching band.
First the Knights Templar of Michigan brought in the American flag.
Then as each of the other flags were brought up and a tribute was made,
the Marshals from this year made formations.
For example, they made a cross for the Christian flag, a smiley face for
friendship when the Michigan and Indiana flags were displayed and a triangle for
the Job’s Daughters flag. I
thought the whole evening was incredibly creative and a lot of fun! I was very excited to bring in the Indiana flag to honor our
Supreme Guardian. During the half time the football field was torn down and all of the officers changed into formal attire. The second half was much more serious and I got to see the Triangle of Honor Ceremony. I could compare it to the Degree of Royal Purple, however the members are nominated and voted on by the Grand Guardian Council and both men and women can receive it. I thought it was a beautiful ceremony. Next was a Dedication Ceremony conducted by the royalty of all the Bethels in Michigan. During remarks I could tell that each one of the Masonic bodies in Michigan supports the others as best as they can- what an excellent thing to see.
“Leslie’s Open House” or All Job’s Daughters
Luncheon was decorated like a graduation party.
The girls were excited for the delicious taco bar and we munched it down
in a hurry. When we arrived back at
the room, Katie’s Bethel had created an orange monster. It was fun to weave through the bright orange (Katie’s
favorite color) streamers, balloons, flowers, peace signs and pom-poms in our
room. I doubt I’ve seen so much
orange in one place! There was some
down time until the awards ceremony or “MJD-TV Spring Break Beach Party.”
The theme was a luau beach party and everyone dressed for the occasion.
Some of the awards that were announced included: Ritual, arts and crafts,
membership mania, talent etc. During
the evening door prizes were handed out and there was even a Fear Factor eating
contest that included, Triscuts, peanut butter, Cheese Wiz, sweet pickle relish
and oysters… did I mention that these were all eaten together? I got sick just smelling them and was so thankful I didn’t
have to eat it! It was a fun night
of activities and wrapped up with a real pool party and an extended curfew.
Up in our room, Mrs. Holman the Grand Guardian ordered the Grand Bethel
girls a ton of pizza. Needless to
say it was another late night… But while the adults had their Grand Guardian Council
meeting the next morning, the Daughters got to sleep in.
After the meeting was out, Aunt Denise, Mrs. Windbiel and I took
advantage of the big Khols sale. We power shopped most of the afternoon and got back in time
to change clothes for the installation. Before the installation, the 2006-07 Grand Bethel Officers
retired ceremoniously and removed their medallions. After a short break so some of the Daughters could change
into robes the installation was underway. Michigan’s
installation is much like Wyoming’s in the respect that the Daughters and
Grand Officers are installed together. It made the ceremony quite enjoyable and helps promote the
Daughters and adults working together. Carolyn
McClure was installed GG, Bill LeVeque, AGG and Katie Paauwe, GBHQ.
Both corps of officers formed a double cross for the Lighted Cross
Ceremony. I stayed up for the whole dance and loved every minute of it. The dj played some great jams and some of the adults joined in for some fun songs. I thought it was a great way to end the travels this year, although I think I will be in denial until Supreme Session actually starts. One more confession… since I stayed up until about 1:30 am, I overslept by about ninety minutes and missed my very first flight all year! Luckily I could be re-routed and got home later in the day. I think that wraps it up for the newsletters. Thank you to all of my readers out there! You were the ones that kept me motivated to stay as up to date as I could. Thanks again, I’m looking forward to seeing you at Supreme Session! Respectfully Submitted, Published as received
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