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The Parkway Plaza Hotel |
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The Parkway Plaza Hotel |
Supreme Session 2004
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Hey there. Not a lot to report, but we did get on the road. Riding with me are Mom Toni Underwood, PGG, Supreme Librarian, Katie Underwood, PHQ, GBSP, and Sarah Pillow, PHQ #12. We got on the road about 2:30 p.m. We had originally planned to stop at a motel in Nebraska for the night, but we got on a roll and decided to head all the way to Casper. We did stop and rest in the last rest stop in Nebraska for a while, and then made the final push into Casper. |
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We got to the Parkway Plaza hotel about 10:00 a.m. Our room wasn't quite ready, so we had a bit of time to kill. Mom Toni, Katie and Sarah went shopping (gee, what a surprise), while I hooked up with the rest of the Supreme Line Officers and we had our meeting regarding the many issues which confront Job's Daughters these days. Following that we all headed to Poor Boy's restaurant for a wonderful dinner. One of the girls in attendance ordered desert, which turned out to be a huge quantity of ice cream on top of a frozen brownie. I think about 7 people had to help her eat it, and then there was still some left. Being diabetic, I was unable to help so I basically served as a cheerleader, although I cautioned them that you should never eat anything bigger than your head. Anyway, I am not too sure that Cotton Candy flavored ice cream would be one of my favorites. After dinner we headed back to the room for some much needed sleep. Tomorrow the Board Meetings start bright and early. I will be back with another update tomorrow evening. |
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Well, the Board of Trustees meeting got underway today, so I was in there for a good part of the day. Things actually moved along at a fairly good clip, and we managed to get to a few of the items that were on the agenda for tomorrow. In the meantime Mom Toni, Katie and Sarah headed to Cheyenne for Frontier Days. For those of you who don't know, this is one of the biggest rodeo's in the country. It lasts for two weeks, and cowboys and cowgirls come from all over the world to compete in all of the activities. There is also a fairgrounds where there are plenty of rides and food booths to keep everyone happy. This evening, Mom Toni, Katie and Sarah are at the Kenny Chesney concert in Cheyenne, so they are having a great time. I will try to have one of them write about it, probably tomorrow because I don't expect them back until very late this evening. While the girls are down in Cheyenne, this evening I attended a special reception hosted by Margie George, PGG-WY and Kathy Winders, PGG-WY, at the National Historical Trails Interpretive Center. Being the history buff that I am, this fantastic center which told the tale of the settlers who settled the region as they moved along the various trails heading west. We were able to wander around the interactive exhibits and truly get a sense of some of the hardships the pioneers had to endure during their westward treks. It was a fantastic event and our thanks go to Margie, Kathy, and all the volunteers at the Center. After the reception, I came back to the room, posted a few items of the website, and now I am going outside to look at the blue moon. For those who don't know, a blue moon is the second full moon to occur in a calendar month. They are rare, occurring on average about once every 2 1/2 years, although occasionally there will be a year with two blue moons. Okay, that is our lesson for the evening :) I will be back tomorrow with another update. |
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| Hi everyone. First of all I would like to say thanks to all
who have e-mailed me regarding the Session Diary. It is really
good to know that folks out there are reading and that they are able to
get a bit of the flavor of Supreme Session from the Diary. The day started out with the Church Service. It was very nice. There was a report on some of the missionary work in the Sudan, and the Wyoming Job's Daughters performed the Living Cross. We also sang some special songs which required us to physically act out the words we were singing. It was quite a work out and definitely got the blood pumping. Following the Church Service it was back to the Board of Trustees meeting. We talked about several issues that are or will be affecting Job's Daughters all over the world. Following the Board Meeting it was on to the Chuck Wagon Barbecue. The Barbecue was held at Fort Caspar. Yes, the Fort name is spelled differently than the city name. Apparently there was some discrepancy in the way the army officer that the town and fort were named for spelled his name. No matter how you spell it, we had a great time. The Fort has been restored, and it really gives you a look into the past. Many commented on how uncomfortable all of the accommodations looked, but I mentioned to them that some of the pioneers that stopped there had just walked about 1200 miles on their way to the west, and I bet that the accommodations looked just fine to them. Following a tour of the fort, we had some fantastic barbecue. It really worked out well, because the caterers were so impressed with all of the enthusiastic Job's Daughters in attendance, his daughter will be joining one of the local Bethels. You never know when someone is taking notice of you girls, so always act in such a manner as to bring credit to the Order. After dinner, we were entertained by a Native American Dancing Troupe. They were really good, and the crowd loved them. Following their regular performance, they got the entire audience up to join them in one final dance. Even I put on my dancing shoes (or in this case I should say moccasins) and did the side step dance. It was a lot of fun and we thank all involved for putting on this really cool evening. Well, that is just about all for now. Well, actually I have one more item to talk about. I now have several name badges. It seems that there are some shenanigans going on with the registration committee, and every so often someone comes up to me and says, "We found your name badge in the parking lot. Give us $10.00 for HIKE and you can have it back." Well, like I said, I now have several of them. By the end of the week I fully expect that when I am wearing all of my name badges that I will look like that picture of Olympic Swimmer Mark Spitz as he posed with the 7 Gold Medals he won at the 1972 Olympics. Oh well, the money is for a good cause, and it is all in good fun. Okay, now that is really all for the night. I will be back tomorrow with another update. |
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Well, the day started out with another Board of Trustees meeting. Once again we discussed various issues relating to the world of Job's Daughters. Then at noon, it was time to head over to the Holiday Inn for the Alumni Association Luncheon. The food was great and the company was even better. Those from Missouri in attendance were Mom Toni Underwood, Mom Ginny Goede and Dad Lon Goede, Mom Marlene Frakes and Dad Loma Frakes. After that Mom Toni and I wandered over to the Session Sales room to check out all of the fantastic merchandise being offered up by the Jurisdictions of those in the Supreme Line. Then it was back to the Parkway Plaza Hotel for the afternoon session of the Board of Trustees Meeting. We met with Rod from Doc Morgan. They really have some exciting new items planned. Be sure to watch the Supreme Website for more announcements on that. Following the BOT session, it was time to head out to the Men's Masonic Meeting. We went to the Casper Shrine Club for dinner, and boy was it good. We dined on some great Wyoming steaks. Kudos to the kitchen staff for a job well done. Then we headed over to the Casper Masonic Temple for the meeting. Dad Mike James, PAGG-WY, filled the Master's Chair and did a great job. We also saw a performance of The Traitor, a play about the many Masonic figures in the Revolutionary War, including Benedict Arnold and George Washington. Basically the play tells of a dream that a despondent Benedict Arnold has about regaining his good standing in American Masonry. It was very well acted and a wonderful time was had by all. After we returned from the Masonic Meeting, I caught the end of the Conflict Resolution Workshop conducted by Mama Donna Goede, Grand Marshal, MO. She did a fantastic job, especially considering she was filling in at the last minute when the original presenter had to bow out. Congratulations to Mama Donna. Following the workshop I came back to the room to write this update and to work on my report for the Supreme Business meeting. That's about it for now, we'll meet again tomorrow :) |
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Hey folks, how are things going. The day began with . . . yep, you guessed it, another session of the Board of Trustees. This was, however, the final one, barring any last minute items that do occasionally pop up. Following the Board Meeting, it was off to the Supreme Officers and Deputies luncheon. It was at this luncheon that Shirley and I thanked all of the members of the Supreme Team who have worked so hard for us over the past year. The food was very good, and everyone was in a relaxed and fun-loving mood. Shirley and I told a few stories about our year on the road, and some of the other Officers and Deputies told some of their stories from the past year as well. One of them concerned our Supreme Chaplain, Heather Jones from Queensland. While we were at our Wyoming Visit, we were honored to have dinner with the Past Grand's Club of Wyoming. Heather had a delicious prime rib steak. She slathered what she thought was mayonnaise onto her steak and bit into the first piece. Unfortunately, the custom here in the United States is not to have mayonnaise on the side, but rather it was horseradish sauce. Well, when Heather bit into that first piece and tasted the horseradish instead of the mayonnaise, she turned about 17 different shades of red, and began to gasp for air desperately reaching for a glass of water to put out the fire in her mouth. She finally got settled down, scraped the remaining horseradish off of her steak and was able to finish the meal without further incident. Everybody got a chuckle out of that story. Following the luncheon, it was off to our Formal Opening rehearsal. The rehearsal went really well, with a minimum of fuss and confusion. Kudos to Mom Linda Sinley, PGG-MO, and Mom Patti Brand, PGG-MO, who ran the rehearsal for a job well done. We were in and out of there in about an hour, which as anybody who has been in some of the interminable rehearsals that sometime occur at Supreme Sessions (as well as Grand Sessions), was greatly appreciated by all involved. After the luncheon, it was off to the HIKE Activity. This year it was a night at the ballgame. The Casper Rockies, the Double A farm club of the Colorado Rockies Baseball Team, played a game and we were the guests of honor. We had a tailgate party before the game, and everyone enjoyed hamburgers, hot dogs and bratwurst. The food was great, as evidenced by the extremely long line of folks waiting to get served. During the Tailgate Party it was discovered that one of the players on the Rockies team was from Melbourne, Australia. Our Supreme Chaplain, Heather Jones, and Reanna Nelson from Australia has a good time talking to him, and he really appreciated it. He said it was the first time in many many months he could actually understand somebody talking to him. Anyway, the Ballgame was great and then I came back to the room to write reports for the rest of the night. I will be back with more later. C-ya then. |
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Hey folks, for those of you who have been reading this daily, I apologize for being so late with this update. We have been really busy and by the time I have been getting back to the room, all I wanted to do was hit the sack. Let's pretend that this was written Wednesday night and it will be our little secret, okay . . . lol :) The day started with the first Business Session. There are a lot of items on our agenda and I hope that we can get to everything. Some of the items that seem to be garnering the most interest are amendments to our by-laws to make the fees that are paid to Supreme payable in the currency of the country in which the Bethel exists. For example, if a fee was $10.00, then it would be $10.00 in US currency for a Bethel in the United States, but for a Bethel in Australia it would be $10.00 in Australian currency. With the exchange rates for various countries wreaking havoc with their income it was felt that this was an equitable way of assessing fees. By the way, that amendment passed, but please remember, the amendments are not official until they are compiled and published. Shirley and I gave our reports on the year's activities, and they were well received. Shirley gave a very complete rundown of everyplace we had visited, while my report was more of the general overview with a few well placed specifics. My report also included a Slide Show and a visit by Elvis. Actually Elvis was Bethel #12's Associate Bethel Guardian, Charlie Boehme. He did a great job and was very well received by the audience. Later that day we had the Men of Job Luncheon. This was very well attended, and featured a fantastic Cowboy Poet as our entertainment. Everyone loved him and a good time was had by all. By the way, during the luncheon, a local news camera crew came by and I was interviewed. That was pretty fun. That evening, the Formal Opening was held. It was a very neat ceremony. The Bible and Flag Ceremonies were well done and the Necrology Ceremony was very moving. We had a lot of visiting dignitaries who gave remarks, but I must mention that the General Grand Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star donated $5,000.00 and the York Rite College donated $4,500.00. We are so thankful to these two wonderful organization for the overwhelming generosity. Shirley presented a slide show for her remarks, and following that, Katie Underwood performed Memory from Cats. She did a great job and her performance was very well received. During the closing, I got very emotional watching the formation of the living cross. I was crying like a baby, but as I have said many times before, there are a couple things that Job's Daughters teaches us. One is leadership skills, another is public speaking skill, and lastly, weeping in public. Anyway, I made it through the closing and then headed back to the room for some much needed shuteye.
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The day started out very early at the Missouri Breakfast. We all assembled in the hotel restaurant, had breakfast and wished our Miss Missouri Diane Lynch good luck in the Miss International Pageant this evening. Later that morning we attended the Supreme Bethel Meeting. We had a wonderful time and Laureen Stadle of Arizona was selected as Supreme Bethel Honored Queen. In addition, there were two Missouri Girls selected as Supreme Bethel Representatives, Sarah Duing-Davis was selected as the Supreme Rep to California 1 and 2 while Sarah Pillow was selected as the Supreme Rep to Ontario. Congratulations During the meeting, SBHQ Renea made her farewell remarks. Quite honestly, I agree wholeheartedly with some of her remarks, but disagree vehemently with others. Still, I respect her right to say them. Several people have requested a copy of her remarks. Those who want to get a copy, you can e-mail Renea. In the afternoon, we resumed our Business Section, and an amendment to change the definition of Masonic Relationship failed. Later that evening we attended the formal Banquet and the Miss International Pageant. All of the contestants were very good. Our own Miss Missouri Diane did very well and we were all proud of her. The new Miss International Job's Daughter is Teirnee Childers, also of Arizona. Boy, they are going to be a busy Jurisdiction this year trying to keep up with both the Supreme Bethel Honored Queen and Miss International. Congratulations to both of these fine young ladies. Following the pageant, a large group from Missouri went to Perkins for some late night dining. We all had and great time and Diane especially had a wonderful time. Afterwards it was back to the room, did some work for tomorrow's business session and then to bed. |
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This was another busy day. We started off with the Business Session. The main feature of the morning session was the SGC Elections. It is during this time that the Associate Supreme Guardian runs the meeting, and I was very proud to do so. I was also proud to use the gavel that I was presented with in Queensland. Here are the results of the SGC Elections: Supreme Guardian: Jeannine Hinman, California Congratulations to each of them. I know that they will do a fantastic job. Following the close of the morning Business Session, it was off to the Past and Present Grand's Luncheon. This was very well attended, and it was a good time to renew acquaintances or make new friends with those who have served, or are serving, as Grand Guardians and Associate Grand Guardians. Then it was back for the afternoon Business Session. The California-Oregon team made a presentation for the 2005 Supreme Session in Fresno, California. It looks like it will be a fun session.. The rest of the day's Business Session featured a lot of discussion back and forth, with very little result honestly. While I respect the right of every delegate to have their say, sometimes we do get stuck in a rut. I have often said that on occasion, the Supreme Business Sessions are the place where the delegates will argue for 20 minutes over whether or not they have 10 minutes to spare. Anyway, we will be meeting on Saturday morning now, and hopefully we will be able to finish up everything we have to do. Then is was on to our Wyoming-Missouri dinner. We all had a great time, sharing stories about the last 4 years and just enjoying the company of our Wyoming Supreme partners. Later in the evening, the Supreme Bethel Installation was held. Laureen Stadle of Arizona was Installed as Supreme Bethel Honored Queen and Sarah Duing-Davis was Installed as the Supreme Bethel Representative to California Region 1 and 2 while Sarah Pillow was Installed as the Supreme Bethel Representative to Ontario. Congratulations to all of them as well as the rest of the Supreme Bethel Officers and Representatives. Our own Dad Jeff Kitsmiller, who served as Associate Supreme Bethel Guardian, also took part in the meeting, and did a great job. After the Installation most of the girls went to a special dance while I attended a meeting for the new Supreme Officers and Deputies. I will be serving next year as Supreme Deputy to Arkansas. I look forward to that job, and I know that with everybody pulling together, Arkansas can come back strong. After the meeting I came back to the room, updated the diary, and now I am heading to bed. Good night, folks. |
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Due to the fact that we had a morning Business Meeting, we didn't get to attend our Farewell Breakfast. These things happen when you have a lot on the agenda. At the Business Meeting perhaps the biggest thing that happened was that we lowered the Initiation age to 10 years old. That's right, now (or more accurately, when the By-Law changes are published and distributed) girls 10 years of age are eligible to join (provided they meet all the other eligibility requirements). Mom Marlene Frakes was especially happy because now her granddaughter Kourtney will be able to join in the spring. Following the Business Meeting, Mom Toni and I were actually able to get to my room and take a much needed nap. Several of the Missouri Jobies in attendance went to Douglas, Wyoming for the Wyoming DeMolay State Officers Installation. They all said they had a great time. The girls just made it back in time for the SGC Installation this evening. Actually, so did I since I slept until 6:45 p.m. and the Installation started at 7:30. Still, we made it in plenty of time, and the Host and Hostess of the Installation, Don Harris and Mom Marlene Frakes introduced Mom Shirley and I. This would be the final time for us to be introduced as Supreme Guardian and Associate Supreme Guardian. Then the Supreme Deputies were installed, and I was proud to be among them. I will be serving as the Supreme Deputy to Arkansas this year. Mom Shirley is also serving as a Supreme Deputy, only she will be in Manitoba. After that, the new Supreme Officers were installed. The ceremony was very beautiful, and the Installing Officer, Marty Schaffer, PSG-CA, and Associate Installing Officer, Ken Bastin, PASG-IN, did an outstanding job. Jeannine Hinmen of California was then installed as Supreme Guardian and Bob Thurman of Oregon was installed as Associate Supreme Guardian. Congratulations to them both. I know that they will do a great job. Upon the Proclamation of Installation, I removed the insignia of my office (Jewel and collar) and prepared to face my Job's Daughters life as a has been. I presented Bob with the jewel and collar and wished him well over the next year. Following the Installation, Mom Toni, Mom Shirley and I went to Perkins Restaurant for a late-night dinner. Also there were folks from Michigan, Indiana and Washington. We had a good time talking and eating, and then headed back to the hotel. I stayed up until about 3:00 a.m. here in Casper, Wyoming and then hit the sack. |
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After a late night, we didn't get up until 10:00 a.m. Boy, did a few extra hours of sleep feel good. I know I only had 7 hours, but I have been running on 3 or 4 a night during session, so I really did get some extra sleep. We got the car packed, I visited with Shirley as well as Heather Jones for a bit, and then we headed on out. Our first stop was at Devil's Tower in Wyoming. This was the first place designated a National Monument, and for those who don't know anything about it, but saw the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, it was the setting for the final scenes of the movie. This really is an amazing sight. It is a natural landform, caused by pre-historic volcanic activity and erosion. If you ever get the chance, I would urge you to visit this wonderful place. After leaving Devil's Tower, we then journeyed on to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. During our journey there, we were on the road with hundreds of motorcycle riders who were on their way to Sturgis, South Dakota for the annual rally held there. They were very colorful and courteous. Actually, there were so many of them that they not only filled the streets of Sturgis, but also Rapid City and Mount Rushmore, as well as many other places as we were to find out later that evening. Mount Rushmore is an amazing place. Unlike Devil's Tower, which is a natural landform, Mount Rushmore was the product of many people working together to carve this magnificent monument out of the granite mountaintop. Of course, when I was a child I thought differently, and figured it was just an amazing coincidence that the top of this mountain just happened to look like four US Presidents. As I talked to many people at the monument, they all had similar experiences. As with Devil's Tower, if you ever get a chance to visit Mount Rushmore, please do so. After leaving Mount Rushmore, we started looking for a place to spend the night. As I stated before, the hundreds of bikers not only filled the streets of Sturgis, Rapid City and Mount Rushmore, but also the hotels of cities for hundreds of miles around. We finally found a Holiday Inn in Mitchell, South Dakota that had 4 rooms available. We quickly took one of them, just before a couple of carloads of people pulled into the parking lot. We got to bed around 2:30 a.m. and were quickly asleep. |
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We woke up around 10:00 a.m., and had breakfast while everyone else slept in a bit more. Finally we headed to the Corn Palace which is located in Mitchell. This is a very unique building, and is decorated with various colors of corn, corncobs, stalks, grains and grasses from the area. The building is used for sports, concerts, as well as many other civic activities. We toured the building, bought some souvenirs, and then hit the road for the rest of the trip home. We had intended to stop by the Job's Daughters International Center in Papillion, Nebraska, but unfortunately got by there too late for a visit. The rest of the ride was fairly uneventful except for a last minute traffic jam by the airport in St. Louis. We finally rolled into the driveway around 12:30 a.m., unpacked the car, and sat down exhausted but happy over our trip to Supreme. Words alone cannot express how I feel about my year as Associate Supreme Guardian. It was a wild, exhilarating ride. Usually happy, occasionally exasperating, but always fun. I wouldn't change a thing about it. Special hugs and thanks must go to all of the members of our Supreme Team, especially my traveling companions Mom Shirley Bryngelson, Supreme Bethel Honored Queen Renea Spoonemore and Miss International Job's Daughter Megan Cook. Renea and Megan are both extraordinarily talented young ladies. They both have the best of the Order at heart and will do well in whatever they choose to do in the future. I would hope they will stay involved in Job's Daughters and do the things necessary to help the Order grow and prosper. As for Shirley, I could not have asked for a better partner to go through the Supreme Line. She has the best interests of the girls always in her mind, and will never deviate from the path that leads to their betterment. She is an outstanding person and was a fantastic Supreme Guardian. Finally, I must express some thank-you's to some of the folks that helped me along this journey. First and foremost, my family. Toni, Kim and Katie have been very understanding and supportive, and have never flinched when I told them of the next adventure I was about to embark upon or the next port of call that I would temporarily call home. I love them very much. To my Missouri Job's Daughter people, you are the best. Continue to do the things you do. Of all the jurisdictions I have visited this year, and there are many great ones, you are right there at the top of heap. To Executive Manager Susan Goolsby and her office staff, keep up the good work. You guys put in a lot of hours and hard work and are to be commended for your knowledge of our Order. To the Board of Trustees, continue to hold the best interests of the order as your guiding light. The Board often catches a lot of flak, but I truly believe they have the Daughters at heart in all of their decisions. Finally, to everyone in our Job's Daughters world, thank you for allowing me to hold the best position in the world. Your hospitality over the past year was amazing. You opened your homes and on more that one occasion, your pocketbooks to all of the Supreme Team. You will always be a part of me. Well, that's about it. This is Dad Ashley saying so long for now, we'll be seeing you later. |
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