Hillbilly and Lady Hillbilly of the Year. At the Unit's December meeting, Jesse Brumage and his Lady Patsy were unanimously selected as the Kena Hillbillys' Hillbilly and Lady Hillbilly for the year 2002. Congratulations, you two, for a recognition well deserved.
A Really Fun Holiday Party! Could there have been more laughter or a better time?! Thirty-four Hillbillys, their Ladies, a Sweetheart, and invited guests gathered Saturday night on December 14 in the Anek small room for a festive, fun, 4-hour Holiday party. It was really a team effort … everyone contributed to the evening … setting up the room and tables; bringing hors d'oeuvres, side dishes, and desserts; working in the kitchen and setting out a two-table-full buffet; bringing exchange gifts; creating/ bringing neat centerpieces for the tables; and finally clean-up. The bar, gift table, and coat rack were set up just outside the kitchen and small room area, where many gathered at the start of the evening. Chaplain Tom gave a heart-felt blessing before dinner.
Frankie started the exchange of the wrapped gift packages, as she had drawn ticket #1, and the laughs began. Remember Patsy's ducks that no one else wanted, the tin of candy that Jim ended up with, Freda's fish (its third consecutive appearance at our annual Holiday party), the beer stein (how many times did it change hands?), the red-nosed reindeer on a stick that Ron Morris merrily claimed from Jim, the framed copper-colored elks that Elk Tommie quietly claimed as his own, the Santa coin box claimed by Skip just as Ray was feeding it a coin, the Jack Daniel gift box, the 2003 planner kept by Shorty, the crystal wine bottle stoppers claimed by Ed, the several talking stuffed creatures, and the Dirty Mind game that Frankie gleefully claimed to end the exchange?
Jerry led a spirited auction of the nine holiday-themed table centerpieces, including one that was auctioned twice (thanks Jesse and Patsy). Remember Sharon's protests over her misinterpreted (she said) $15 bid that was enforced by her undeterred auctioneer husband? And Tim's "Mary, remember my beer stein that you claimed from me earlier?" as he upped the bid for the 2-foot high Christmas porcelain-faced figurine (brought by Freda) that Ron's wife just had to have! The final item auctioned was Tommie and Pat's beautiful personally-crafted reindeer-pulled sled full of Hillbillied clothespins (complete with faces and teeny-tiny black Clan hats), with a fez-donned Hillbilly holding the reins of the Kena 2004 sleigh. Jerry started the bidding at $20, which was quickly raised to $45 by Sharon, who then solicited an additional $5-a-couple contribution for the item. She then presented the centerpiece to Mary Armenakis as an expression of thanks for all that she has done for the Unit. In all, the auction raised $244, all of which was donated to the Mary Armenakis 2004 fund.
By 11 pm, the Anek was returned to its original condition, all trash was deposited in the outside dumpster, the bar and other supplies were returned to the Unit room (thanks, Rich), all lights were turned off, and everyone had departed. A really good fun time was had by all.
Happenings at the 2003 Kena Elections. The Hillbillys were well represented at Kena's election meeting on January 13, 2003, at the Shrine Center, at which Bill Hendricks was elected Kena's Potentate for 2003, and past Hillbilly director Jim Armenakis was elected Kena's Chief Rabban for 2003. Hillbillys present included past potentates (and past Hillbilly directors) Jerry Oliver and Don Moore; other past, and the current, directors Ron Hamilton, Ron Morris, Ed Groff, Skip Poole, and Tim Butcher; and Ray Arthur, Don Byers, and Grant Routzohn, for a total of 11 Hillbillys. Elections were held for many other Kena bodies. For example, Kena's Executive Committee consists of the elected progressive divan members plus four elected nobles. Ron Hamilton, whose 4-year term expired at the end of 2002, was elected to serve out Jim Kincheloe's term for 2003, since Jim had to vacate his executive committee position upon being elected to the divan as Oriental Guide. Don Moore was elected to the Executive Committee through 2006, to replace Ron's expired 2002 position. And Joe Evans was appointed as the Assistant Marshall. Following the meeting, Kincheloe's Mule Skinners put on a lavish feast of spiced shrimp, beans, chicken, and ham, followed by a delicious two-layer chocolate cake honoring Past Potentate Bob Bateman. This was Grant's first Kena meeting as a Hillbilly … ask him about his new "Hillbillis" fez!
The Open Installation of Kena's New Officers. The January 19, 2003, open installation of this year's Kena officers was well attended. All new leaders were introduced, eight Highlanders played before and after the ceremonies, the new Potentate's daughter adorned her dad with his jewels, and Bill appointed three nobles as The Potentate's Conscience, The Potentate's Official Toot, and The Potentate's Pal. The Potentate encouraged ceremonial participation by family members, and several unit leaders held their kids in their arms during the swearing-in ceremonies. Hillbillys and Hillbilly Ladies Ray and Bonnie, Shorty and Mary Elizabeth, Skip and Joy, Tommie and Pat, and Jason and Rich watched Jim and Mary and Ed and Frankie be installed.
New Members. Nobles Al Freeman and Grant Routzohn became Kena Hillbillys at our December 2002 meeting. Al has been around Kena for many years, and he will be helping the divan with Kena-related insurance matters. Grant became a noble at Kena's 2002 fall ceremonial. Grant is also in line at Andrew Jackson lodge in Alexandria (the mother lodge of Hillbillys Tim Butcher, Skip Poole, and Carl Gagliardi), and his dad is a Shriner and a Hillbilly in Ohio.
Kena Hillbilly Annual Dance. Plan to attend our 20th annual dance on Saturday, March 29, from 8 p.m. to midnight, at the Temple main ballroom. Sam Campbell and The Campbell Brothers Band will again provide the music. We'll again have plenty of door prizes, barrels of cheer, snacks, free setups, a cakewalk, and lots of surprises. This fund-raising dance was a huge success last year, and we look forward to continued support from members of the other Kena units and clubs. See any Hillbilly, or contact Tom Little (brtomsg@aol.com) for your tickets. At $25 per couple, this function is a tremendous value!
Kena's Fall 2002 ceremonial, which posthumously honored Kena Hillbilly Preston Burner, was held Saturday, November 9, 2002. The spring-like-weather day saw 12 new nobles go through the hot sands initiation, including a noble who was nominated by Tim Butcher, his coworker. Grant works with Tim at Fort Belvoir, and Grant's dad is a Hillbilly in Ohio. Behind the scenes, Hillbillys Ed Groff, Don Moore, John Mayers, Joe Evans, and Skip Poole helped the preceding Wednesday evening to set up tables and chairs in the ballroom and in the Anek, where lunch was served on Saturday. Don Moore, Ron Hamilton, Skip Poole, and of course Jim Armenakis, the current Assistant Rabban, observed the installation Saturday morning, and Ron, Don, and Skip marched in the unit/club parade (sans vehicles) after lunch. Ron and Mary Morris, Jim and Mary Armenakis, Sweetheart Freda Burner, and a number of other Hillbillys and their Ladies attended the dinner/dance Saturday evening. Freda spoke at the Saturday Ladies luncheon and during the Ball Saturday evening, and she sent Kena a thank you note for the honor bestowed to her husband. And Freda wanted to express the following sentiment and expression of thanks to the Hillbillys: "The Fall Ceremonial is now a part of the past but it will not be forgotten. The honor and affection given my family and me were more than I expected. How proud Preston would have been to have a class named after him. I thank the Potentate for the highest honor that Kena can bestow upon a noble. I thank the unit for its participation. I am sure that the members of the unit know how important it was for Preston to be a Hillbilly. He faithfully attended the meetings, took part in the parades, and was ready to assist when asked to do so. Members may not realize that once Preston went on oxygen, there was a good possibility that he would no longer be able to attend the meetings because of the cigarette smoke. We were thankful that the unit voted not to allow members to smoke during the meetings. I thank you for making it possible for him to continue attending almost to the end."
At the Unit's November meeting, Jesse Brumage and his Lady Patsy were unanimously selected as the Kena Hillbillys' Hillbilly and Lady Hillbilly for the third quarter of 2002. Like our earlier 2002 Hillbilly of the Quarter selections, Jesse and Patsy are very active in the Unit. Even though they live in Louisa County, Virginia, some 70 miles from Kena in Fairfax, they always attend our monthly meetings and other Kena events, they personally sold hundreds of raffle tickets for the fall ceremonial, and Jesse is doing extensive work on Froggi, giving her a totally new appearance. (In years past, the Unit also recognized the contributions of the Lady of a selected Hillbilly of the Quarter, but the practice was somehow dropped in recent years. This was noted at our November meeting, and we voted to resurrect this deserving practice, effective this quarter.) In recognition of a noble's selection as a Hillbilly of the Quarter, the Unit extends to the honoree a PCM (Permanent Contributing Membership), which acknowledges a $150 contribution to the Shriners Hospital. Since Jesse already is a PCM, Jesse graciously bestowed his award to Ray Arthur in an expression of appreciation for all that Ray has done for the Unit as its Treasurer for the past several years. Dues Notices in the Mail. Unit dues for calendar year 2003 have been mailed to all Hillbillys. If you did not receive your notice (a small postcard), please contact Secretary Tim Butcher at home at tbut91@aol.com or 703-590-9138. For our Hillbillys who have moved from the Washington, DC, metropolitan area and now live in Florida (Mike and Robin Amig), Missouri (Dom and Rosemary Gomez), Tennessee (Jerry and Sharon Oliver), Maine (Mike and Sandy Seely), and Delaware (Don and JoAnn Simmons), we sincerely hope you continue your affiliation with Kena and the Unit. We have strived to keep you up-to-date on Hillbilly happenings this year through our e-mails, the phone tree, this newsletter, and now through our updated Hillbilly web site. It's always good to occasionally see you at Kena or to hear from you by letter, phone, or e-mail.
The Hillbilly Officers for 2003. The Hillbillys have an excellent slate of officers for 2003. In accordance with our by-laws, elections were held at the November meeting. Our new officers are:
- Director: Ed Groff (Lady Frankie)
- Assistant Director: Tom Little (Lady Margaret)
- Secretary: Tim Butcher (Lady Ethel)
- Treasurer: Ray Arthur (Lady Bonnie)
- Chaplain: Selma Corder (Lady Lucille)
- Quartermaster: Rich Thompson (Lady B'Linda).
The Kena Hillbillys Web Site. Surf and enjoy our newly updated Hillbilly web site! Thanks to our own Charlottesville, Virginia, based web master, Hillbilly Howard Parsons, our well-designed site now presents current information on all aspects of our unit. Go to www.kena.org, click on Units, then click on Hillbillys, which will take you directly to Howard's personally maintained Kena Hillbilly web site. Our site has many, many pages, including one for the Ladies. Ours is perhaps the most up-to-date unit site on the Kena web site. If you visit the other unit sites, you will find many way-outdated pages (like ours used to be before Howard's latest effort), as well as some with links that do not work. Many of the other unit sites are but one short page of general information. So we should be proud of, and most appreciative of, Howard and his effort. Send him an e-mail (htp@parsonsage.net) to say thanks.
Veteran Finally Able to Share His WWII Experiences. During WWII, Selma Corder was a mortarman with the 83rd Army Infantry Division. He was drafted in May 1941, spent 3 years pulling guard duty (much of it at the US Capitol), and in June 1944 (14 days after the invasion), landed at Normandy. With his unit, Selma helped battle the Germans through almost 1,500 miles of some of the bloodiest fighting in Europe, from Omaha Beach to the Elbe. Though he was not a front-line soldier (the men who hauled the mortar guns lobbed their artillery over the heads of the infantrymen), he was witness to fierce battles as the 83rd slugged it out with Hitler's armies.
For some 55 years, Selma did not care to share his wartime experiences with anyone … they were still to painful to recall … until about 3 years ago when he was asked to talk to the youth group at his Greenwich Presbyterian Church in Nokesville. "I took a picture of me when I was first drafted into the Army, a book, some medals - I really didn't know what I was going to talk about," recalls Selma. Nevertheless, talk he did. They did not realize it, but the youth had provided an opportunity for Selma to unlock memories that he had not allowed himself to think of since the war.
Other school visits have followed and have provided Selma with some interesting experiences. "Were you scared?" the students often ask. "Of course I was scared. You prepare yourself for the worst and then can't explain to them how you feel when you see others fall around you, and you are still going," he commented. "I tell them about how I was able to save my feet from the bitter cold by always keeping a pair of socks warm inside my shirt, close to my skin. I did what I had to do to survive."
Selma, thank you for sharing this part of your life with us, and for your service to our country.
Our Next Meetings. Don't forget our monthly meetings at 7:30 p.m. in the Unit Room every 2nd Wednesday of the month. See you on January 8 and February 12. And don't forget our installation of officers on Friday, January 17.
Welcome Bill and Alice. Bill and Alice Weisenberger, our latest new Hillbilly and Lady, in August attended their first Unit meeting as Hillbillys. Bill has been a Kena noble for 15 years, and is the busy owner of Decotec, Inc., a local manufacturer of security systems designed to prevent remote control bombings. They also plan to join the Clan after Alice recovers from another hip operation this fall. Alice is recovering nicely from a recent hip operation.
Jesse Wins Photo Awards. At the Louisa County Agricultural Fair in August, Jesse Brumage entered 22 photos in the photography competition. More than 850 photos were entered for judging by the panel. Jesse's photos awed the judges and spectators, and he was awarded 10 blue 1st-place ribbons, 1 red 2nd-place ribbon, and 4 white 3rd-place ribbons. His color and black & white photos were entered in the following categories: Still Life; Landscape; Animal - Fin, Fur, and Feathers; Pictorial; Montage - Group of three photos; and Floral. The photos were judged in sizes of 8x10 and 5x7 with a 2-in. white mat.
The Groff's Oktoberfest. Ed and Frankie's ninth annual Oktoberfest fundraiser on Saturday, September 14, at their home in Nokesville was a fun event, as always. Despite the threat of rain from a tropical depression, the C-Flat band (i.e., Selma Corder on drums) and Charlie Gardner on the accordion performed out on the deck under cover. The gathering of members of the Groff's church, Ed's blue lodge, and the Kena Hillbillys enjoyed a delicious fare of German food and libations beginning at 7 pm. Twenty Hillbillys and their Ladies had a really good time. Seen were Jim and Mary Armenakis (who scooted early to attend a Kena function at the temple), chef Herb (who masterfully tended the grill) and Adrian Hollander, Skip and Joy Poole (who drove in from their weekend place at Lake of the Woods), Tom (who led us in grace before dinner) and Margaret Little, Mike and Carolyn Tolley (who probably drove the furthest to attend), Cheryl Morgan (whose husband Jim literally was on a plane, as usual … this time to England), Lucy Corder (who watched her husband in the corner), Jason Lotz (who enroute got caught up in the Nissan Pavilion traffic for a few hours), Tommie and Pat Hillis (who as usual danced up a storm), modest Don and Tammy Kerr (yes, Hillbillys, there really is a Don Kerr!), and of course the Groffs, who were everywhere. A lot of the evening was videotaped. How many saw Selma, with a spontaneous sharp drum roll, help the Groff's affectionate cat flee the deck?
The Virginia Mountaineers Clan 15 and the Hillbillys were well represented at the 21st International Convention held in Pigeon Forge, TN, on August 8-10. Those in attendance were Jesse and Patsy Brumage, Tommie and Pat Hillis, Don and JoAnn Simmons, Frankie and Ed Groff, Al and Liz Pettit, and Tim and Ethel Butcher. They also managed to connect up with Paul and Marilyn Lanning from Florida, formerly from Kena Temple. A booth was set up in the convention center to sell the handmade goods made by the Hillbilly Ladies and to sell raffle tickets for the Charity Ball. The convention proved to be very enjoyable for everyone. Events throughout the convention included a picnic, a banquet dinner and dance, the ladies luncheon, a possum Queen Contest, and of course, a business meeting and initiation for new Clan members.
Even though the convention was very busy, all managed to see some of the sights of the city and take in the shows and dinner theatre. The ladies managed to spend several hours at several Christmas shops in the area (it is believed that Patsy and JoAnn clocked in the most time), while the men folk enjoyed visiting the Muscle are Museum and Knife store. Jesse Brumage became a star of the Dixie Stampede show. He was selected from the audience to compete with a gentleman from England to (are you ready for this?) pitch toilet seats, like horseshoes. Jesse ended up defeating the poor Englishman who had only seen horseshoes being pitched on TV. Jesse was awarded a gold medal. It is believed that Jesse has not removed the medal since it was placed around his neck!
It was an excellent trip for everyone, and a grand time was had by all. Everyone is encouraged to make plans to attend next year's convention in Pittsburgh, PA.
Thanks to Ron Morris, Backlick Texaco in Springfield, and the Newington Car Care Center also in Springfield, Froggie and its trailer are repaired, inspected, and ready to roll! Prior to Ron's effort, Froggie, the 1984 Ford Econoline 350 that pulls the C-Flat Band in our parades, had proven to be somewhat unreliable … the batteries seemed to keep running down, an engine belt appeared missing, and we had no idea when the last oil change was performed. And both the van and trailer bore expired Virginia inspection stickers. Jack at the Newington Car Care Center changed the oil and filter, did a lube job, and replaced the muffler and tailpipe exhaust system. Scott Gunderson of Backlick Texaco replaced two fan belts, installed a new 24F-50 battery, replaced the marker light, conducted the state safety inspections on the van and trailer, and performed the emissions inspection on the van. Ron took all the inspection documents to DMV and procured the needed license tag stickers. We spent $655 to get Froggie back on the road, and Ron believes that both of the service companies gave us a break on their charges. This effort took Ron longer than a month to complete. He first had to find a service company that could replace the muffler system (Midas Muffler could not help, as they apparently did not have a lift strong enough to accommodate the weight of Froggie). And Ron, thank you for your donation of the cost of the 2-year license tag stickers. Through your efforts, we now have an operational vehicle, and we probably saved at least some $350 in the process. Good job!
At its August monthly meeting, the Unit unanimously selected Keeper of the Key John Mayers as its Hillbilly of the Quarter, for the second quarter of 2002. John is most supportive of our Unit, and he very quietly and happily does so much behind the scenes to make our Unit function smoothly and effectively. He always raises his hand to volunteer for work, he participates in our parades, on his own initiative he constructed a second bench board for Ol' Cuss, he fixed a perpetual flat on Ol' Cuss, he drove Ron Morris to and from home when Ron was taking Froggie to and from repair facilities, he is always making supply runs and visits to the Unit Room in his diligent management of the Unit Room bar, and he and Diane always attend the monthly Unit meetings, arriving early, of course, to open the bar and lay out the comestibles. John and Diane also yearly make a considerable donation to the Philadelphia Shriners Hospital. Thank you, John, for your support, presence, smile, generosity, and example.
Ol' Cuss has a new bench board, thanks to the generosity and creativity of John Mayers. On his own initiative, John constructed the new 5-foot seat-board in time for use in the Falls Church parade. So now, we have two boards to sit on in the back of Ol' Cuss, one obviously brand new, one older and weather-beaten.
The Hillbilly Unit provided refreshments following the 6/10 Kena monthly meeting. We served pork BBQ, chicken BBQ, coleslaw, potato chips, coke, chocolate milk, and Oreos to some 70 nobles. The chocolate milk was the first and only menu item to be exhausted. Thanks to Tim Butcher, Ray Arthur, Jesse Brumage, Rich Thompson, and Skip Poole for acquiring the food and drink, set up, serving, and clean up. Kena promptly reimbursed our expenses for the food and drink.
A number of us Hillbillys showed up for Kena's spring ceremonial on Saturday, June 15, to participate in the induction of 21 new nobles into Shrinedom (three of whom were brought in by the Hillbillys). The Ritualistic Divan did an excellent job with the formal program. And especially for the relatively newer, and older, Hillbillys (specifically Skip Poole, John Mayers, and Ray Arthur), we observed things that we really did not remember, at all, from our own ceremonial 3 years ago in 1999. In addition to Past Potentates Jerry Oliver and Don Moore, and Assistant Rabban Jim Armenakis, the other Hillbillys present included Ron Morris, Rich Thompson, Jason Lotz, Shorty Seip, and Skip, John, and Ray.
Following the traditional lunch in the Anek, a number of Units paraded for the divan and the new nobles. Thanks to Rich, Ol' Cuss made an appearance! Rich and others hitched Ol' Cuss' trailer to Rich's SUV just before the parade began, and we filed in between the bikes of the Motor Corps and the Ultras. Don Moore hung on the right front running board, Shorty rode in the cab with Rich, and the others sat in the truck bed. After the parade, we all then enjoyed the Hot Sands ritual!
John Mayers opened the Unit Room in the afternoon after all the formal festivities in the ballroom, and we had a number of new nobles visit for a drink and inquire about the benefits of becoming a Hillbilly. We invited four or five to our Unit meeting in July.
A host of Hillbillys participated with the Kena Shrine in this popular and well-attended annual parade through the streets of downtown Fairfax. We all met at 7:30 a.m. at the temple to ready Ol' Cuss and Froggie for the drive to the Massey Building parking lot staging area. Step-off occurred a little before 10 a.m., and Kena led Division 2 towards the front of the parade. Temperatures had to be in the 90s at step-off. Ron Hamilton hauled the still-trailered Ol' Cuss with Jason Lotz, Tom Little, Rich Thompson, Ed Groff, Tim Butcher, and John Mayers sitting and standing in the back, all in their bib overalls and decorated clan hats. With Jason and Tom sitting at the back of the flatbed with their bare feet swinging, the six really looked like a bunch of Hillbillys! Froggie, driven by Jessie Brumage with Skip Poole riding shotgun, followed Ol' Cuss and pulled the C-Flat band with Don Moore, Joe Evans, Bill Van Balen, and Dick Morris doing their music to the obvious delight of the hundreds of people lining the streets. Observing the parade along the parade route were Al Petite and his Lady Elizabeth, and Ladies Patsy Brumage, Frankie Groff, Joy Poole, Diane Mayers, and Mary Armenakis. And of course, Jim Armenakis led the Nobles as part of the divan. Thanks to Ron Morris and John Mayers for their persistent successful effort in getting Froggie in mechanical and electrical shape to participate in the parade.
Serious efforts have been underway for weeks to get Froggie, the C-Flat Band's trailer, Ol' Cuss, and its trailer repaired, inspected, and refurbished. Through his many trips to his local service station, various exhaust companies, and the DMV offices, Ron Morris has persevered the ordeal of getting Froggie and its trailer through the Virginia emissions and state inspections. Work on Froggie included battery replacements, an oil change and lube job, the replacement of a missing belt, and exhaust system repairs. And later this summer, Jesse Brumage will repaint Froggie to a rust-primer color as approved by the Unit at our July meeting. Skip Poole will get Ol' Cuss and its trailer to the owner of a local auto repair company, Mr. Chris Trefny of City Auto Repair on Pickett Road, who has agreed to provide some pro bono work to get Ol' Cuss operational. Chris said he loved to work on old vehicles! And we plan to get new magnetic Hillbilly display signs to place on our vehicles. So maybe the Hillbillys will have an entirely new look at the Labor Day parade in September! Cross your fingers!
Assistant Director Ed Groff was unanimously voted as the Unit's Hillbilly of the first quarter of 2002, in recognition of his bringing in two new nobles into the Unit and for his work on the Hillbilly Dance in March.
The Divan-sponsored Annual Picnic on Sunday, 7/21, was a lot of fun. Attending the function were Al and Elizabeth, Jason, Skip and Joy, Patsy, Shorty and Mary Elizabeth, Bill and Trudy, Bob and Jean, and Jerry and Sharon. Jim Armenakis was in charge of the watermelon table and Mary helped sell 50/50 and charity ball tickets. And Jerry arranged for a Huey helicopter from MDW to be on display in the parking lot. Thanks to Rich, John, Herb and Adrian, and Jesse for working the 1 to 2:30 shift.
Past Hillbilly Director and past Kena Potentate Don Moore was selected this month to receive the award of the Knights Templar Cross of Honor. This is quite an achievement as there is but one awarded in Virginia each year. This is the highest award given by the Grand Encampment of the Knights Templar of the USA for meritorious service above and beyond that normally expected of a Knight Templar. His award cited excellence in ritual, philanthropic achievements, and distinguished service as a member and Past Commander of Arlington Commandery No. 29. Don served as its Recorder for 12 years, and he is currently the Deputy Grand Treasurer of the Grand Commandery of Virginia. Congratulations, Don!
The 2002 Kena Hillbilly Onion Brigade did its thing this past Saturday in support of Kena's Vidalia onion fundraiser. Ed Groff arrived at the Manassas Kmart promptly at 9 a.m. hauling the trailered Ol' Cuss loaded with a full pallet (1,000 pounds in 100 10-pound bags) of the onions. For 5 hours, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., nine Hillbillys, wearing fezzes, clan hats, and Hillbilly caps, sold a total of 51 10-pound bags of the onions, collecting $510.
Jesse Brumage, Ed, Tom Little, and Tim Butcher worked tirelessly trying to entice drivers along Route 234 to turn into our onion stand. Hundreds of passers-by fervently yelled and motioned to Ed that his handheld sign was upside-down! We sold one bag to a driver who stopped at the curb, holding up traffic along the three-lane highway. One lady buyer had her son with her, a current patient at the Philadelphia Hospital! We had but one non-Shriner-buyer of two bags.
Jim Armenakis took 15 bags and set up a remote sales point nearer the front of the Kmart store. You could easily spot this onion sales site … it was the only car with a fez on top! Tommie Hillis and Rich Thompson helped with this outpost's sales. Selma Corder and Skip Poole delivered the bags and collected the money from buyers. Selma was actually our first customer, as he bought two bags for himself during setup.
Frankie Groff, Patsy Brumage, and Ed's pastor stopped by from time to time to give us encouragement. As we closed down, we left five bags on Ol' Cuss' flatbed for Ed to sell at church on Sunday, and Skip loaded the remaining unsold bags into his car for return to Kena's onion patch at the Anek. It was a long morning, but it was fun, and we did earn some money for Kena and the Unit.
And thanks to John Mayers for fixing the flat tire on Ol' Cuss' trailer so that we could use our vehicle as a prop. Thanks also to the other Hillbillys who separately sold bags of onions this year.
Just wanted to give all an idea of the continuing support we Hillbillys give Kena and Shrinedom:
- Kena Leadership. Assistant Rabban Jim Armenakis is in line for our 2004 Potentate, Ron Hamilton is on Kena's Executive Committee, and two Hillbillys, Jerry Oliver and Don Moore, are past potentates
- Monthly Kena Meetings. There are always a half dozen or more Hillbillys at the second-Monday-of-the-month Kena meetings
- Unit Club Dance. We participated in, and won, the competition for the best table-top decoration at the Temple's annual dance in February honoring Kena's units and clubs
- Parades. We marched in the George Washington's Day Parade in February, and are scheduled to participate in the May Falls Church parade and the July 4th City of Fairfax parade
- Potentate's Ball. A full table of Hillbillys attended the formal affair in March
- Easter Egg Hunt. We donated dozens of 2" colored plastic eggs filled with candy for the annual Easter Egg Hunt in March, which was attended by a 100 or more excited kids
- Puppet Show. At least half the Hillbillys were Puppet Pappys this year, and several of us helped blow up and distribute balloons to the kids at the show in April
- Onions. In May, the Unit sold more than 1,000 pounds of the Vidalia onions for this year's Kena fundraiser
- New Kena Nobles. At least two Hillbillys have brought in new nobles into Kena in 2002
- Drivers. Three Hillbillys are currently active drivers of patients to and from the Philadelphia Shriners Hospital.
The Hillbillys do make a difference at Kena!
Twenty-eight Hillbillys, their ladies, and guests attended the function on Saturday, February 2, in the Kena ballroom. We had the largest unit/club turnout by far and filled four tables. And a small contingent of Hillbillys and their Ladies was the last to leave the Shrine Center!
Prizes were awarded to the three best unit/club tabletop decorations, and the Hillbillys won first prize for its lazy-susan-mounted wooden Hillbilly doll carrying two small crutches and a young girl with a bandaged leg. The girl was carrying a small cuddly teddy bear. The theme of our entry was perfect! Thanks to Jesse Brumage, Sharon Oliver, and Mary Armenakis for perfecting our award-winning entry. The prize was a $100 Kena check payable to the Hillbillys!
Thanks to all Hillbillys and their Ladies who attended the Unit's installation dinner in the Kena dining room on January 18. The networking and intermingling of all in attendance was beautiful to behold! We had a large turnout, and all members of the Divan were in attendance. We seated the divan members at different tables, and a selected Hillbilly introduced them in turn during the ceremony. However, we had trouble introducing Recorder Tom Loftis, as he could not find the correct table!
Former Director Tim Butcher was given an engraved plaque in recognition of his time and effort on behalf of the Hillbillys during the past year, and his Lady Ethel was given an inspirational book in appreciation of her behind-the-scenes contributions. Thanks, you two!
Are we proud off John and Diane Mayers! At the end of 2001, they made two $500 contributions to the Shriners Hospitals, one in honor of the Kena Hillbillys and one in honor of the Wives of the Kena Hillbillys. Their names will be listed in the Gold Book on display at the Philadelphia Hospital. At this month's Unit meeting, John was unanimously voted to receive a PCM for his and Diane's commendable donations.
Don Kerr and his Lady Tammy Jo, and Fred Tingle and his Lady Julie, are the newest members of our Unit. Don and Tammy Jo live in Amissville, Virginia, which is in Rappahannock County west of Warrenton. Don has been a Shriner for 3 years and is a past Worshipful Master of his Haymarket Masonic Lodge. Their two daughters, Tori 10 and Tara 8, love the Shriners! Fred and Julie live in New Baltimore, Virginia, which is just east of Warrenton. They are good friends of the Kerrs; Julie and Tammy Jo met years ago at the Mom's Club of Warrenton. They also have two children, Samantha 10 and Matthew 7.
Just wanted to make sure that all Hillbillys are aware that our own Jim Armenakis, the current Assistant Rabban, is on track to be the Kena Potentate for 2004. Jim and his Lady Mary are gearing up for their reign. Any contributions to the 2004 Fund will be appreciated.