Submitted by Jessie Dewey
Two Harbors, Minnesota –– On Tuesday, March 19th, the first of many attendees arrived in Two Harbors to prepare for a Moose Legion training session on Wednesday. The conference officially kicked off Thursday with a meet and greet for Official Visitor, Moose International Board of Directors Bruce Snider, out of Woodward, Oklahoma. Local musician Tracy Parks, performed in the lodge social quarters following the meet and greet. Friday morning session was called to order by Minnesota Moose Association President Kaye Anderson, with colors posted by American Legion Post 109. The National Anthem was performed by Warren Miller of Harbor Insurance Agency, followed by the playing of the Canadian National Anthem. In attendance were members from all 15 Minnesota Moose Lodges – Baudette, Coon Rapids, Albert Lea, Faribault, South St. Paul, St. Charles, St. Cloud, Braham, Maplewood, Grand Rapids, Proctor, Cloquet, Aitkin, Ortonville, and of course, Two Harbors. There was even a group that drove down from Thunder Bay, Ontario! In addition to the Official Visitor, was another special guest from Moose International Board of Directors, Kirk Schoepp out of Williston, South Dakota. There were a total of 92 members registered for the conference overall, which is a great turnout despite the predicted winter storm.
The local members involved in planning really wanted to showcase our amazing town. Each registered attendee received a Lovin’ Lake County Guidebook and donations from participating local businesses were included in raffle baskets. One evening, Sue Bott loaded up her car and drove a group of dignitaries around to see a docked ore boat, Edna G, steam engines, and other landmarks in the area. They were excited to learn about the Harbor Cam so they could watch the ore boats after they returned home. Many members talked about returning to the North Shore with their families.
At each conference, the hosting lodge provides a list of non-profits in the area for the Association Heart of the Community Committee to choose from. One organization is chosen to receive donations collected from all the participating lodges and chapters. This year, North Shore Horizons was chosen as our Heart of the Community project. To help support the cause at this event, Lovin’ Lake County lit up downtown purple for Domestic Violence Awareness. Donations were collected and presented to Jean with North Shore Horizons at the closing banquet on Saturday.
Another tradition is the beloved MN Moose Association mascot, Mortimer. This mischievous, oversized, plush moose is the responsibility of the Association President for the entirety of their term in office. At each event, he tends to go missing, and the President is faced with a fine, bail, or ransom depending on the situation that arises. This is just another way that Moose Members make it fun and raise money for Moose Charities. Mortimer made the most of his time in Two Harbors, visiting many local attractions!
This year, THHS senior Rebecca Blaisdell received a standing ovation during the Friday afternoon session when she shared her experience participating in the Moose Youth Awareness Program. With The Moose being a family fraternity, her story began talking about memories of being at the lodge as a young child alongside her grandfather, Ron Blaisdell. She agreed to share her story at the conference to help encourage other lodges to participate in the program designed to promote safety and health for youth ages 4-9 through “kid talks” created and presented by teens in grades 9-12. Becca will be representing the MN Moose Association and Two Harbors Moose Lodge #1463 at the Youth Awareness International Congress in the state of Virginia later this month where she gets to compete with approximately 60 other high school age kids across the country for a chance to earn one of six scholarships, with first place being $12,000! The trip is fully funded between the Association and the lodge, and she will be awarded a $500 scholarship from the MN Moose Association for being chosen for the International Congress.
After the closing banquet Saturday, both local and visiting members stuck around the lodge to enjoy live music by Ricky Sundstrom, of Ricky Carl Music. On Sunday morning a group of women participated in the Higher Degrees, Academy of Friendship conferral, including local members of Two Harbors Women of the Moose Chapter #109, Cheryl Sundstrom, Jessica Carlson, Kathy Oberg, Sue Bott, and Holly Booterbaugh.
The Moose organization founded and continues to support Mooseheart Child City & School, a 1,000- acre community and school for children and teens in need, located 40 miles west of Chicago; and the Moosehaven retirement community, a 65-acre campus for qualified retired members and their spouses, located near Jacksonville, Florida. Additionally, Moose Lodges and Chapters conduct nearly $90 million worth of community service (counting monetary donations and volunteer hours worked) annually.
The Two Harbors Moose Lodge #1463 and Women of the Moose Chapter #109 would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to Tim Bott and the THHS DECA Club students and parents for helping in the kitchen and dining room all day on Friday and Saturday; Lodge and Chapter members and their families for all the volunteer hours put in for this event, and the amazing bartenders and janitors for all their hard work. Also, thank you to Superior Shuttle Service for providing safe, efficient transportation all weekend between the lodge and hotels, and courteous service to visiting members. Thank you, Lovin’ Lake County, for providing a grant to help with some of the expenses needed to make this event a success!
