Fort Leavenworth Chapter 154

“What the L?” Yep, we have a few idLing in March. On an unseasonably nice-weather night, the company was present and in formation awaiting the Commander and the XO. And so we waited. Fortunately, an NCO in the ranks took charge and after 3 miles of Drill and Ceremony, we sat down to chow and the normal order of business.

We performed a rigorous examination of the documentation provided for the candidate student vying for a 2020 trip to Freedom’s Foundation Valley Forge to attend the 2020 Spirit of America Youth Leadership Conference. Looks like we have a highly qualified representative. So, the primary discussion was directed on how to pay for the trip to which we committed.

Heroes from our Camp will conduct a Presentation of the Colors at the Public Opening of the Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Kansas on Friday morning, March 20th. Color Guard currently consists of Brothers Herb, Rick, Vic, and Tom.

Flag Building on Saturday, March 21 at 1800 Hours. Brothers Richard, Herb, and Dick are the flag builders for an Air Force Group at Hereford House, 5001 Town Center, Leawood, KS. Hero show time is 1730 Hours. Heroes must pay for their own meals.

Brother George requested a Flag Building on Saturday, April 11th at Ararat Shrine for a Submariners Meeting with approximately 40 attendees. Show time is 1100 Hours, eat at Noon (meal provided), and presentation at 1240 Hours. Flag Builders: Brothers George, Herb, Tom and Dick.

DAV has requested a Flag Building program at 14605 East 40 Hwy, KCMO on Monday, 4 May. Lunch provided for Heroes. Presentation time is 1230 Hours.

The XO finally showed up at the end.

What do James Marshall, Jed Bartlet, Merkin Muffley, David Palmer, Frank Underwood, and Bill Mitchell have in common? If you said they were all Presidents of our chapter, you’d be close. They were all fictional movie US Presidents. In an era of 100% partisan politics and faux Americans in high elected positions, it’s nice to have a real American president. Brother Vic kicked off a Presidential Parade highlighting all our chapter past presidents and rendered them honors. Of course, getting 27 past anythings to line up in the right order was as entertaining as a Shrine Circus. Then we honored a few worthy US Presidents past and certainly present.

We also discussed the Freedom’s Foundation Valley Forge scholarship and decided to fund one youth for the 2020 program 14-19 July. Interested youth can find all the details and application at: National Sojourner Inc. Send the completed form to our Chapter. We will be sponsoring one very worthy candidate and will be focusing on Leavenworth High School JROTC students as our candidate pool. Other students are welcome to apply. We will cover the program fees and air fare. The program fees include tuition, meals and housing.

Young Socialist Indoctrination Centers, a.k.a. Public Schools, may teach children what to think instead of how to think, yet there are still plenty of youth out there who can discern that the United States of America is still the best form of self-government in the world when tempered with self-control, self-reliance, and self-responsibility. These are the youth that we are seeking to attend the Spirit of America Youth Leadership Conference (YLC) at Freedom’s Foundation at Valley Forge in July 2020.

At our January 8 meeting of the local Sojourners chapter, El Presidenté Brother Vic rallied the packed assemblage to fund a scholarship for one area youth to attend the YLC in 2020. That is over a $1,000 commitment for our small band of brothers. As Bro. Vic explained, “Voluntary contributions from Our Building the Flag program will not cover the cost. We simply do not have enough opportunities each year to provide the number of programs to raise that kind of capital.” So, he recommended that we each grab a shoe shine kit and hit the Leavenworth streets. A quick survey of footwear in the room revealed that the only shine-able pair of shoes were Vic’s classic Buster Browns. No worries. If we get a top-notch youth to apply, we’ll find the money. We’ll likely resurrect the Lodge of Military Tribute as a fund-raising Masonic Education program for area lodges.

Note to Leavenworth Area Youth: If you are interested in attending the YLC in July, please check back here next month for the brochure and application form. We will post them as soon as they are made available.

Our president found himself the subject of a whistleblower at the October 2nd meeting of Fort Leavenworth #154. Actually, everyone in attendance were whistleblowers thanks to an anonymous donation of 120 of the famous wood train whistles on sale at the Pullman Place Family Restuarant. “The noise was worse than a parade of kids with kazoos”, said one of the regulars at Pullman’s. “You should all be in the Shrine Oriental Band”, said a member of the Adballah Shriners divan, who wished to remain anonymous. “Yeah, said a Sojourner, “they are just a kazoo band for adults, so same difference.”

Bro. Arnold gave a rousing pitch for High Twelve and the Shawnee High Twelve charity called The Wolcott Foundation. The Foundation awards fellowships for graduate students seeking higher education in government-related studies. Since most of the attendees have had enough government for a lifetime, no one picked up an application.

Attention Heroes of ’76®: Mark your calendar for Wednesday, Nov 6th for an Encampment Bivouac at Camp Boughton. [Some high muckety-muck at HQ put out the official definition: One charter, one Hero, one camp is a BIVOUAC.  Two charters or more, two Heroes, two or more camps is an ENCAMPMENT.] Chow will either be Rear of Steer or a Rack of Ribs. (We’re opting for the ribs!). Heroes are required to bring your own carcass and muster with us.

Next Sojourners meeting will be held on Wednesday, December 4, 2019 at Pullman Place Family Restaurant, 230 Cherokee St, Leavenworth, KS. Gather at 6:00 pm, Dinner at 6:30 pm, Meeting at 7:00 pm. Brothers, you are encouraged to bring your lady. Meetings are usually over well before 8 pm.   Dinner is order-off-the-menu. Please let Brother Dick know you are coming so we have a seat available for you. But, please, if you say you are coming, come. Bring $US cash. The restaurant does not accept devil’s dollars (i.e. Euros).

We max’d out the ballroom at Pullman’s for our September meeting. President Henke could feel the anticipation in the air as the agenda items were ticked off (as opposed to the attendees). Finally, the meeting crescendo was reached and the drawing for the Big Prize resulted in a tie. Apparently, the winning ticket was stuck to another. Wise master Vic was about to declare that the baby should be cut in half, but the prize being only half a cow (the back half) there was some concern that further division would be half-a$$ed. Bro. Neff Befflle acquiesced and allowed Bro. Geo Arge keep the whole half prize.

President Henke then gave a lecture on the History of the National Sojourners complete with color graphic handouts which fostered excellent commentary by those assembled. He is looking for a Sojourner to provide education on the origins of the Camp Followers part of National Sojourners.

Attention Heroes of ’76®: Mark your calendar for Nov 6th for an Encampment at Camp Boughton. Chow will either be Rear of Steer (see above) or a Rack of Ribs. (We’re opting for the ribs!). Heroes are required to bring your own carcass and muster with us.

Next Sojourners meeting will be held on Wednesday, Oct 2, 2019 at Pullman Place Family Restaurant, 230 Cherokee St, Leavenworth, KS. Gather at 6:00 pm, Dinner at 6:30 pm, Meeting at 7:00 pm. Brothers, you are encouraged to bring your lady. Meetings are usually over well before 8 pm.   Dinner is order-off-the-menu. Please let Brother Dick know you are coming so we have a seat available for you. But, please, if you say you are coming, come. Bring $US cash. The restaurant does not accept devil’s dollars (i.e. Euros).

The mob of Leavenworth area Sojourners met at Pullman’s in the spacious Club Car during a perfect spring evening to conduct the important duty of receiving the Area Representative for Kansas, Lt Col Thomas L. Upton (US Army, Ret.) and his lady, Jane, who made the trip from Omaha.

After the uniformed Army ROTC Color Guard from West Leavenworth Vo-Tech presented the National Colors and the 1776th Army Band played the National Anthem, the Plaid Highlanders Scottish Pipe & Drum Corps piped the Area Representative front and center where he delivered an excellently prepared oratory that kept us spellbound and roused us into a rare standing ovation.

Bro. Herb made a pitch for members of the Kansas Volunteer Infantry to man the Sojourner/Hero table at the Leadership Academy on September 14th at the Doubletree in Overland Park.

President Bro. Vic presented the complete oratory history of Washington’s Crossing of the Delaware at Christmas, December 1776. How sink the potent patriots of these days when compared with those who braved the harsh winter and did what can only be described as mission: impossible. We still owe so much to those who had so little but the grand ideal of living free from a tyrannical government and foreign rule.

Next Sojourners meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 1, 2019 at Pullman Place Family Restaurant, 230 Cherokee St, Leavenworth, KS. Gather at 6:00 pm, Dinner at 6:30 pm, Meeting at 7:00 pm. Brothers, you are encouraged to bring your lady. Meetings are usually over well before 8 pm.   Dinner is order-off-the-menu. Please let Brother Dick know you are coming so we have a seat available for you. But, please, if you say you are coming, come. Bring $US cash. The restaurant does not accept devil’s dollars (i.e. Euros).

Chapter Commemorates Labor Day

“I see!”, said the blind man, as he picked up his hammer and saw.  – Sample of Labor Day Tool Usage

Brother George Arnold gets congratulated after initiation into Sojourners

President Vic noted that today is National Cheese Pizza Day.  Cheese, can you believe that?  President Vic also initiated a new member, Brother George Arnold who took the oath of a Sojourners and did 25, one-handed push-ups to celebrate.  It was a great turn-out to see the feat, or in this case, the arms.  We marveled  over the many upcoming events and activities.  President Vic then reviewed the next series of Sojourner events:

• Wednesday, October 3rd – Normal meeting at Pullman’s
• Wednesday, November 7th – Heroes Encampment at Boughton
• Wednesday, December 5th – Christmas Gathering at Mama Mia’s

Next Sojourners meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 3, 2018 at Pullman Place Family Restaurant, 230 Cherokee St, Leavenworth, KS. Gather at 6:00 pm, Dinner at 6:30 pm, Meeting at 7:00 pm. Brothers, you are encouraged to bring your lady. Meetings are usually over well before 8 pm.   Dinner is order-off-the-menu. Please let Brother Dick know you are coming so we have a seat available for you. But, please, if you say you are coming, come. Bring $US cash. The restaurant does not accept devil’s dollars (i.e. Euros).

Lately, we’d had several photos of our Heroes in action in the Leavenworth Times.  For example, in the May 22, 2018 edition, Bro. Dick Wright appeared on page A2 receiving a War Wound Certificate and Wounded Warrior Coin from the Sons of the American Revolution at a Henry Leavenworth Chapter meeting.

Then, in the June 8th edition, there’s Brother Dick Wright again on Page A2, at the Sons of the American Revolution, but this time with fellow Heroes of ’76; Brothers Vic Henke and Richard Schroeder.  They presented a history talk on the American Flag.

And, there is Bro. Dick again, this time trying to hide his face, but we know it’s him.  This was in the June 19th edition of the Leavenworth Times, page A2, Living History event with Bro. Dick near Henry Leavenworth’s gravesite in the National Cemetery on Fort Leavenworth.

And, one again, Bro. Dick appears in the Friday, July 13, 2018 edition on Page A2 receiving a certificate of appreciation from the Sons of the American Revolution for his portrayal of Henry Leavenworth shown in the previous picture.

Thanks, brothers, for being visible and active in the community.  Big judos to Bro. Dick who has been a media super star.

“Steamy!” That not only describes the weather outside, but also the show inside.  It being D-Day + 74 years, our venerable President, Bro. Vic opened the meeting with a moment of silence, followed by the Twilight Tattoo from the Fife & Drum Corps, then a reenactment of the storming of Utah Beach.  After all that, he proceeded with the normal order of business.   All this took place in the back room of the Pullman Diner.

At our meeting, we covered the ROTC/JROTC medals and  Essay Contest awards presented in May and upcoming Flag programs.  See upcoming Flag Building opportunities and join us where you can.  Organizations wanting a Flag program should contact us via our Contact Page.   The meeting went down hill when the slate of new officers was read and the All-Volunteer officer corps was voluntold what their new positions would be.

Next Sojourners meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 11, 2018 at Pullman Place Family Restaurant, 230 Cherokee St, Leavenworth, KS. Gather at 6:00 pm, Dinner at 6:30 pm, Meeting at 7:00 pm. Brothers, you are encouraged to bring your lady. Meetings are usually over well before 8 pm.   Dinner is order-off-the-menu. Please let Brother Dick know you are coming so we have a seat available for you. But, please, if you say you are coming, come. Bring $US cash. The restaurant does not accept devil’s dollars (i.e. Euros).

Note: We had a short May meeting, but pending severe weather required the early adjournment of the meeting and your author to be out weather spotting.

We had a faker’s dozen present for the kick off of our April meeting where the special program was an exposé as to how Colonials baked in the field for the heroes of the Revolutionary War.  Apparently, ingredients included whatever the bakers (sic) could get their hands on.  Bakers were just troops detailed to kitchen duty.  Since the “baker of the day” stayed the baker until someone complained, they were motivated to be very creative with their ingredients.  One diary shows that Private Milus Ryemann once remarked, “This bread tastes like horse dung.  But good!”  The jury is still out whether his quip was a complaint or a compliment.

Leavenworth High School will have their JROTC awards program the evening of May 4th.  We’ll be providing a medal for that.  We also are supporting an Essay Contest at the Junior High School in Fort Leavenworth.  Bro. Dick is looking for readers, so be a hero and sign up for that by calling Dick.

Next Sojourners meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 2, 2018 at Pullman Place Family Restaurant, 230 Cherokee St, Leavenworth, KS. Gather at 6:00 pm, Dinner at 6:30 pm, Meeting at 7:00 pm. Brothers, you are encouraged to bring your lady. Meetings are usually over well before 8 pm.   Dinner is order-off-the-menu. Please let Brother Dick know you are coming so we have a seat available for you. But, please, if you say you are coming, come. Bring $US cash. The restaurant does not accept devil’s dollars (i.e. Euros).