OFFICIAL VISITATION AT VALDOSTA

My snowbird Iowa/Dunnellon, Florida friend Lois called me back a bit. 

I picked up the annoying machine that was ringing. The conversation went:

                “Hi, how are you?”

                “Fine, and you?”

You know, the regular non-committal, nonsense words, small talk one speaks into that infernal creature known as a phone.

The conversation continued:

                “Hey, do you want to go traveling?’

                “Sure” I replied.  I had no idea where or to whom I was speaking.

                “Who is this?” I continued.

    “It’s Lois!”

I knew she would be coming south soon, but kind of lost track of time.  I did not expect to hear from her yet.  Too early in the season.  Wait a minute!  It is November, after all.

She proposed a trip to Valdosta, Georgia on November 19, 2011.  Like most of us, she prefers to travel with someone.  Sounds good to me.  I had no idea why we were going, but I have always enjoyed being with her.  So, sure, I’d go.

Lois and I first met on a tour affiliated with General Grand Chapter in Oregon in 2003.  My Florida friend Lynne was supposed to join me on this trip, but her daughter lived in Portland.  She wanted to spend more time with her.  So, I boarded the tour bus by myself.  And being the wall flower that I am (hahaha), I soon started chatting with a bunch of ladies from Iowa.  There was only one of me.  And, as I said, there was a bunch of them.   We had a nice bus tour of portions of Oregon, spending some time at Seaside where Lewis and Clark ended their pilgrimage.

Wind forward several years…Steve and I went to Dunnellon Chapter (2007), I think.  The Chapter I had been attending just consolidated with Gainesville.  Dunnellon was closer, so I thought that I would start visiting some Chapters closer to my home. 

This very nice and attractive lady in the AM’s seat said, “It’s nice to see you again!”

“What,” I thought, “is she talking about??!!?”  I replied, “But, I’ve never been here before!”  The next time I went to one of their meetings, she asked if I had been to GGC in Oregon and did I take a tour and did I remember a bunch of ladies from Iowa.  Yes, Yes and Yes.  Lois was one of them.  She even had a picture of me.

When Lois became WM and her husband Rich became WP the following year, I pro temped for them on a regular basis.  They nominated me for one of  the Florida-WGM’s-Deeds-of-Kindness awards (given for extra special service).  This was really, really extra special since I no longer hold a dual membership in Florida.

The summer of 2010 we traveled west to Wyoming on auto trip.  We stopped and spent two days with them in their Iowa home.  Steve and Rich bonded.  When they came south last year, we traded dining in each other’s home.  They took us on a wonderful trip up the Rainbow River on their pontoon boat.

So, from that initial, short-lived meeting, we have become good friends.  I was really looking forward to our special travel, but still did not know a lot of details.  I learned later that the WGM of Georgia was initiated in Iowa in the same Chapter in which Lois and Rich are members.  WGM Lynn Marie and Lois had been lifelong friends.  Lynn Marie was planning to be in Valdosta…only a two-three hour ride.  We were going to go to an Official District Visitation with a luncheon.

She picked me up shortly after eight in the morning.  The adventure started. 

About half way, I realized that I had left my camera at home.  “Lois, can we turn around?  I forgot my camera!”  Well, Lois assured me that she had hers and that she would not turn around.  Of course, she knew how goofy I can be.  And that I knew she really could not nor should not turn back.

The trip went very quickly with our constant yakking.  Lois thought it was a noon luncheon.  We got there around eleven.  Everyone had already started eating.  Fried chicken.  Potato salad.  Green beans.  Rolls and Butter.  Iced tea. (Of course, this is the South…I expected only sweetened (icky and syrupy) tea, but, apparently, there are others beside me who like tea unsweetened.  And they had that as well).  Yellow cake with chocolate frosting and chocolate cake with white frosting.

Then, I began to see why they call it SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY.  The WGM came over, threw her arms around Lois and then around me.  We were treated like honored guests.  The WGM’s mother Jeanette is her traveling companion and Grand Martha.  Lois knew her as well.  And, it seemed Lois knew a whole bunch of people.  Everyone was sooooooooooo cordial.

In 2009, I had attended Georgia’s Grand Chapter with my friend Marianne.  I had talked to a woman named Kay who invited me to come to Valdosta Chapter sometime.  I said that I would try.  We all know what that most likely means…that it probably would never happen.  Well, Kay, I MADE IT.  Kay was in the kitchen.  She was the chair of the luncheon (and Treasurer of the host Chapter).

Lois brought out her camera.   Of course, the batteries were dead.  So, I thought that we have no pictures of our excursion.  Sorry!! And, Lo! And Behold! Kathleen forwarded a handful of pictures seen below.  Thanks Kathleen

Every jurisdiction handles Official Visitations (as well as their Grand Chapters) differently.  I have now traveled to four states for an official and been to Grand Chapters in at least seven jurisdictions.  My Missouri friend Linda has told me about her Officials.  In Missouri, they are “district” officials.  Many other jurisdictions have single Chapter Officials.

An official is verrrrrrrrrry different in a district than In individual Chapter visitations.  I had never been to a “district” official before.  All Chapters in a given district consolidate, meeting at one Chapter’s residence, to share the work from luncheon preparation, costs and running the meeting.  The more Chapters in a district, obviously, the easier the task.  I understand that particular district had seven Chapters at one time.  But, as in too many places, we have become an aging organization and have lost some of our Chapters. Now, there are two.  So, everything was split down the middle. 

That District also has two Grand Officers (one from each Chapter)…Grand Chaplain (her Chapter’s WM and a nurse) and Grand Adah (her Chapter’s AM).  The second Chapter in this District was Nashville.

One Chapter normally does ritualistic opening, one usually does introductions and one closes. Before the Chapter can actually be “opened” all WMs have to declare their respective Chapters open (and later closed).

The room, expected to be very crowded, had “saved” places on many of the seats.  But, again Lynn Marie WGM had taken good care of her friend Lois and--vicariously by virtue of my being Lois’s friend-- me.  Lynn Marie had saved us seats next to her mother.

The traveling gowns for the Grand Officers were sequinned tops and satin bottoms in royal blue.  Grand Chapter appointees (non officers) also wore these gowns.  The exception were Grand Star Points who wore the colors of their office.

There was an EMT and a nurse (one of the WMs) in the Chapter.  GOOD THING! Never have I seen so much need for one.  Before the meeting started, someone fell.  It turned out that after a few moments on the floor, she got up, dusted herself off and proclaimed herself okay!  But the EMT was there immediately.

Opening ceremonies had begun when in the northeast section of seats, there was a flurry of activity.  Bible had just been opened.  Prayer about to be said.  The EMT in very high heels was sitting on the opposite side of the room.  She yanked off her heals and bee-lined across the room.  One of the Grand Officers was having a problem.  Close the Bible.  Sit and wait.  A whole passel of folks went out with her.  They dribbled back in.  The patient eventually came back about an hour later, but remained seated for the rest of the day’s activities.  Debbie (the WM and nurse) praised the EMT for having her equipment with her as Debbie had left hers in her car.  She mentioned that she knew that it did not do much good there.

There are many Grand Session appointments for which announcements are made at Officials.  (In Connecticut those appointments are made and announced in a regular Chapter meeting at each home Chapter of the particular participants with no fan-fare).

The WGM and WGP were presented with a corsage/ boutonnière (not unusual) with the greenery coming from many dominations of bills…fives, tens and maybe a couple of ones, or even perhaps a twenty.  Very nice!

The WGM and WGP arrived a day early.  She reviewed the books.  Over forty joined them for dinner the previous evening.  The actual Official consisted of many introductions, speeches, honorings,  announcements, thank yous.

Lynn Marie has as her emblems the lady bug and wishing well.  She gave a gorgeous pin to both Lois and me with these emblems along with a daisy.  It is a pin that can be worn anywhere.  Many of the pins that we have gathered over the years are sort of Eastern Starish.  This one was not.  I love it.

Kathleen, the photographer and the lady sitting on the left side of Lois, and I got into a discussion about being a Yankee.  I am proud of my being a Yankee. For my family, it goes back earlier than the word which seems to have first appeared around the 1690’s in Southern New England.  Of course, over the years, depending upon who and where the word is spoken (or written), the name Yankee has been broadened.  But, to me, a TRUE YANKEE is a New Englander of many generations. So what!  I’m a snob!  I don’t like sharing my Yankeeness with all those others. 

Kathleen has lived in Georgia for a long time, but claimed to be a Yankee.  When I asked her from where she had come, she told me Pennsylvania.  When I declared my snobbynish about her nativity, she told me that her ancestors were from Massachusetts.  Of course, both of us were laughing through the entire conversation.  Okay, so she really is a Yankee.  But, she further added that since she has stayed, she is (as am I) truly one of those d---Yankees, of which many Southerners call those of us who do stay.  D---Yankee, by the way, is all one word.

We were sitting in the back row.  The chairs are movie-theater style with a step down to the row below.  One of the ladies had dropped something under the chair in front of her.  It seemed as though I was the one volunteered to fetch it (most agile, I think).  Anyway, I dropped down on the step and had almost reached the runaway item when the WGM started a new paragraph. “We have some visitors from out of state!”  Oh, great…I’m down on the floor retrieving the runaway item (which I did manage to find and pick up).  I tried to get up and back to my seat, but I had a long dress on.  As I started to get up, I got my foot caught in the hem and was sort of stuck. Wrestling with the dress now wrapped around the shoe, I finally was able to stand.  Lois and I were the only two visitors from “out of state.”  I was still struggling to regain my footing, arms flapping and flailing. Fortunately, she introduced her long-time friend—Lois--first.  Hooray!  Then she mentioned that I was Lois’s friend and introduced me.  Laurel and Hardy had nothing on my routine!  Neither did Kramden and Norton!

The WGP brought smiling star pins for each of us.  I will wear my two pins with pride (the wishing well with its lady bug and daisy and the smiling star).  Whenever I look at the smiling star, however, I remember my dance from the floor to a standing position. My friends, when reading this, will be nodding their heads;  as, only I can get myself in such a position at such an untimely time.

When I talked to WGM Lynn Marie later, she said that when she looked over to the area where we were sitting and did not see me, she thought I had left, perhaps for a rest room call.  No, Lynn Marie, I’m here.

The two-time hurried activity of the EMT and my disappearing under the seat caused some unexpected excitement for the day.   

After the meeting closed, a reception followed for the two Grand Officers. A receiving line was the beginning of the reception.  Then, of course, food.  The food (all homemade goodies) looked yummy.  I grabbed a piece of homemade apple pie, a strawberry, and a lime tart from the back end of the table (kind of cut to the end of the line) and ate them in the car.  Lois had asked me to get her a couple of brownies which were also downed as we started on our way—homeward bound.   A three hour drive loomed ahead of us.  Lois wanted to be close to home when the darkness came upon us.  So, we left after rushing through the receiving line.

This ol’ Yankee girl still has problems with all that huggin’ and kissin’.  People tell me that I will get used to it.  But, after twenty something years in Florida, it is still difficult for me to hug folks I don’t know.  I forced my way through the line.  I guess I should remind myself that there are no strangers.   Only friends that I have not yet met.   

Thank you Georgia for your wonderful hospitality.  We enjoyed ourselves!