NORTH DAKOTA GRAND CHAPTER

ORDER OF THE EASTERN STAR

2016 WINTER NEWSLETTER

*********************** Grand Chapter Office: 1405 3

rd St. No., Fargo, ND 701-364-0335

www.ndeasternstar.org

Meet your 2015-2016

Grand Officers!

“I have learned that warmth, kindness, and friendship are the most yearned for commodities in the world. The person who can provide them will never be lonely.”

Muriel Hurt, Worthy Grand Matron,

Golden Rule #17 & Queen Esther #9

Fred Larson, Worthy Grand Patron,

Bismarck #11, Queen Esther #9, Golden Rule #17

Cindy Schwab, AGM

Evie Woodall, AGC

Cindy Schwab, AGM, (5,4);

Thomas Payne, AGP, (5); Robbie

Kloster, Gr. Sec, (5,4); Kathy

Pratt, Gr. Treas, (5); Cheryl

Hewson, Gr. Cond, (17,AZ). Evie

Woodall, AGC (47)

Grand Star Points

Rita Frank, Grand Adah (17, MT)

Dee Beaumont, Gr. Ruth (14)

Pam White, Gr. Esther (68)

Mary Freije, Gr. Martha (12)

Marilyn Hoge, Gr. Esther (82)

Dawana Jensen, PGM, Gr. Lecturer, (5);

Cleo Rowe, Gr. Chaplain, (12); Darlene

Spooner, Gr. Marshal, (5); Carol

Troftgruben, Gr. Organist (12)

Cindy Weisenburger, Gr. Warder (4)

David Spooner, Gr. Sentinel (5)

Our 2015 Grand Chapter Session was held at the Baymont Inn and Suites, Fargo, ND June 5-

6. The session was conducted by Sister Janet Greenwood, Worthy Grand Matron and Brother

Bill Zeller, Worthy Grand Patron.

2013-2014 GRAND OFFICERS

Seated, left to right; Kathy Pratt, PGM, Grand Treasurer; Cindy Schwab, Grand Conductress; Muriel Hurt,

Associate Grand Matron; Janet Greenwood, Worthy Grand Matron; William Zeller, Worthy Grand Patron; Fred

Larson, PGP, Associate Grand Patron; Cheryl Hewson, Associate Grand Conductress; Robbie Kloster, Grand

Secretary.

Standing: Charmane Disrud, Gr. Martha; Audrey Well, PGM, Gr. Lecturer; Susan Vivatson, Gr. Marshal; Marilyn

Johnson, Gr. Chap; Dorothy Suggs, Gr. Adah; Thomas Payne, Gr. Sent; Connie Pederson, Gr. Esther;

Margaret Zaharia, Gr. Electa; Sandy Olson, Gr. Org; Cleo Rowe, Gr. Warder; Kathleen Halverson, Gr. Ruth

General Grand Chapter Committee Members and

Ambassadors

Seated: JoAnn Buriak, Bobbi’s Forever Friend, PGM

of ND; Janet Greenwood, WGM; William Zeller,

WGP; Paul Buriak, GGCCM, Alzheimer’s, PGP, ND.

Standing: Martin Kloster, GGCCM, Scottish Rite

Charities, PGP, ND; Alan Siirila, GGCCM,

Membership, PGP, ND: Margo Hellickson, GGCCM,

Peace Garden, PGM, MT; Doug Woodall, GGCCM,

Peace Garden Com. PGP, ND; Martin Bless,

Ambassador of Visayas, Philippines, PGP, ND.

Distinguished Guests

Floor: Gwen Schwartz, Grand Esther, SD

Seated: Hilda McMillan, Grand Conductress, Manitoba;

Janet Greenwood, Worthy Grand Matron; William

Zeller, Worthy Grand Patron; Marilyn Carlson, PGM,

MN.

Standing: Judy Luettjohann, Worthy Grand Matron,

MN; Milton Gobler, PGP, Manitoba; Nancy Fischer,

Grand Electa, MN; Leo Luettjohann, PGP, MN; Nancy

Kilhne, Associate Grand Matron and District Instructor,

Iowa; Bob McMillan, Grand Sentinel, Manitoba; Roger

Taylor, Grand Sentinel, MN.

CHAPTER NEWS!

Wahpeton Chapter #3, Wahpeton: Our chapter is alive and well! We brought in one new member this past

year, welcome Gerald Pulvermacher. We continue to support the Valley Lake Boys Home. They come for a

picnic in the spring, they joined us working at a food pantry and our Chapter buys them Christmas presents.

Some of our members are able to go to their open house when they have one. Our chapter also keeps a

memorial rose garden weeded as a project. We enjoyed a Christmas dinner together at the 4th

Ave. Manor

and had a lot of fun with good food, some games and just visiting. We were sadden to lose our dear Sister

Wilma Loken who was our Esther. Many of us went to her funeral which was such a celebration of her life

and was like going to a musical concert as she has a big musical family. We will miss her.

Mecca Chapter #5, Fargo: We donated food baskets to the YWCA during the holiday season. They get a

complete holiday meal, family games and a few other special items. We made our annual lefsa this year, 140

lbs total. We work a bratwurst stand in the summer months to earn some extra cash and also helped at the El

Zagal circus. Our chapter sponsors and puts on a fall rummage sale where the proceeds go to the Scottish Rite

Language Center and we will be hosting a Spring Party for the children and parents on April 10th

where we

have a variety of games and activities for them to do and, of course, food!

Queen Esther #9, Mandan: Has held two bake sales in conjunction with the Masons pancake breakfast and at

the local Eagles. Along with members of Bismarck Chapter #11, we work the hospitality room for the

Shriners and circus people. At Christmas we contributed to decorating a tree for the “Celebration of Trees”

put on by Pride Inc. Other projects we particiate in are the Herbergers coupon books, upkeep of the Masonic

building, working with Rainbow and Mandan’s Care and Share program.

Golden Rule #17, Dickinson: We are dark now for Jan. Feb. & March but have sent out 6 more petitions. We

have brought in 3 new members this year and we are busy preparing for Grand Chapter and hope to see ALL

of you here.

Cando Chapter #29 and Cando Masonic Lodge #40 jointly purchased 8 new long, light-weight tables for use at

the Cando Masonic Center. Memorial donations received in memory of Eastern Star Sisters and Brothers and

Masonic Brothers were used toward the purchase of these tables. A potluck supper, called a "table party,"

was then held on September 23, 2015, giving the Eastern Star and Masonic members first chance to use and to

"initiate" the new tables!

Friendship #68, Williston: We enjoyed a fun Christmas party at a local restaurant. We had a white elephant

gift exchange and brought donations for the Salvation Army food pantry. The following week we joined the

Masons for a potluck. Small fleece blankets were collected and distributed to the seniors who receive “meals

on wheels”. The Episcopal Church where we meet hosts a community meal for the needy and homeless once a

month. To show our appreciation for being allowed to meet there, we provided, prepared and served the Jan.

5th

meal. We have brought in 10 new members and 1 affiliate.

In August Acacia #12 of Grand Forks hosted a Official Visit with several

Grand Officers in attendance. September-Several members participated

in the Potato Bowl Parade and initiated 4 new members, Madison Melby,

Grand Worthy Advisor of ND/SD Rainbow, Rody Lynn Schultz, Mother

Advisor of GF Rainbow Assembly #2, Jolene Qvamme and William

Sellers; October - initiated Constance Bushaw and Erika Omdahl;

November - had a Baby Shower for 2 new moms, Danielle Bollman and

baby Anders and Eryn McGrew and baby Lane; December had our

annual Christmas Tea following the meeting; January at a special

meeting initiated Tony Telken, Grand Master of ND Masons; Several

members have worked a concession stand at the Alerus events center on

different occasions as a fund raiser for the Chapter

Order of the Eastern Star

North Dakota Grand Chapter

1405 3rd

St. No.

Fargo, ND 58102

NORTH DAKOTA GRAND CHAPTER

ORDER OF THE EASTERN STAR

FOUNDATION, INC.

This pin can be yours for a $100 donation to the permanent fund of the Foundation. Your donation may

be a memorial or honorarium. Donations to the Foundation can be designated for the permanent funds of

which a percentage is disbursed each year leaving the balance to grow so that more funds are available in

the years to come. Donations may also be made to the annual funds which are disbursed in full after the

end of the Grand Chapter year.

Donations to the permanent funds that are not designated for ESTARL or the Overlook Shelter will be

placed in the MORRISON Fund and used for various charitable or educations projects.

Donations may be mailed to the Grand Secretary at 1405 3rd

St. No., Fargo, ND 58102.

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

Paid Fargo, ND 58102 Permit No. 176

Past Grand Matrons and Past Grand Patrons of ND Floor: Julia Johnson; Audrey Well; Dawana Jensen; Darnell Woodall; Karen Pollock

Seated: Karen Tankersley; Ella Mae Rowe; Hazel Bless; Janet Greenwood, WGM; William Zeller, WGP; JoAnn Buriak; Richard

Suggs; Nancy Kainz

Standing: Kathy Pratt; Martin Kloster; Jack Rowe; Gene Plummer; Martin Bless; Paul Buriak; Doug Woodall; Larry Sitter; Alan

Siirila; Fred Larson; Harlan Pratt; Karen Overn.

Grand Representatives Floor: Susan Vivatson; Jeanne Johnsen; Ruth Ann Cooper, NM: Rebecca Benton, MD; Thomas Payne; Judy

Maxson; Shirley Syverson; Sally Dahl; Harlan Pratt; Carolyn Kastella.

Seated: Frances Greer: Lois Johnson; Sunya Swenson; Janet Greenwood, WGM; William Zeller, WGP; Linda

Clements; Janice Sather; Dorothy Sgutt; Carol Troftgruben.

Standing: Pam White; Melva Geiger, LA; Susan Godsell; Juanita Arndt; Gary Hansen, IL; Kathy Sullivan, CO;

Tami Stites, NE: Edith Dacks; Ross Fisher, FL; Donna Fisher; RI; Carolyn Paulsen; Ruth Broemer, MI; Bill

Ottesen, IA: Karen Pollock; Sharon Duffin, NV; Vicki Skoog; Keith E. Hall, ME; Roberta Charrier; Ken Huhta;

Gloria Griffin, NY: Diane Witte, WI; Cindy Harkness; Anna Wieland, MO; Ron Schroeder; Cheryl Disrud; Joe

Thomas.

New Website & New Webmaster!

ndeasternstar.org

Welcome to our new webmaster, Sister

Heather Bushaw who is a member of

Acacia Chapter #12, Grand Forks. Her

e-mail is; thebushaws@gmail.com

New E-mail address for Grand

Secretary too!

Grandsecretaryndoes@gmail.com

Thanks to Brother Harlan

Pratt, PGP, who has been

our webmaster for the last

several years, for his years

of dedication to our Order

serving in this position, and

many others!

“I’ve learned that you should never hire a plumber who bites his fingernails or an electrician who has singed eyebrows!”

Personal Pages, Grand Pages, Grand Ushers/ Assistant Sentinels

Floor: Kathy Sather; Larissa Schmitz; Sandy Peterson; Linda Fox; Sally Dahl; Cindy Weisenburger

Seated: Susan Godsell; Carol Troftgruben; Rita Frank; Janet Greenwood, WGM: William Zeller, WGP; Dee Beaumont;

Bev Hart; Darlene Spooner.

Standing: Joe Thomas; Verona Burbeck; Martin Kloster; Anna Marie Johnson; Pam White; George Beaumont; Diane

Huhta; Roberta Charrier; Robert Pitcher; Kris Hurt; Paul Zaharia; Marilyn Hoge; Ken Huhta; Juanita Arndt; Ron

Schroeder; Leslie Ogden; Sandy Payne; Dona Thomas.

Grand Committee Members

Floor: Julia Johnson; Cheryl Disrud; Diane

LaValley; Anastasia Silbernagel.

Seated: Martin Kloster, GGCCM, PGP;

Hazel Bless, PGM; Laurie Christianson;

Janet Greenwood, WGM; William Zeller,

WGP; Mary Freije; Richard Suggs, PGP;

Susan Godsell.

Standing: Joe Thomas; Ilene McLean;

Gene Plummer, PGP; Roberta Charrier;

Martin Bless, GGCCM, PGP; Nancy

Kainz, PGM: Paul Buriak, GGCCM, PGP:

Karen Pollock, PGM; Cindy Harkness;

Doug Woodall, GGCCM, PGP; Cheryl

Arndt; Alan Siirila, GGCCM, PGP; Judy

Maxson; Larry Sitter, PGP; Karen Overn,

PGM; Janice Sather.

Grand Musicians Seated: Sandy Olson

Standing: Carol Troftgruben; Ilene

McLean; Bobbie Holman

Seated: Janet Greenwood,

Worthy Grand Matron;

William Zeller, Worthy

Grand Patron.

Standing: Darlene Albertson;

Patricia Sitter; Donna Karel;

Not pictured: Hazel Bartron;

Roberta Whitehead; Maria

Overn; Dorothy Baker.

Deputy Grand Matrons

GENERAL GRAND CHAPTER NEWS

Report on General Grand Chapter

There were 5 of us from North Dakota that boarded the airplane in Bismarck bound for Pittsburgh, PA and the 48th Triennial

General Grand Chapter. Sisters Darnell Woodall, PGM, Julia Johnson, PGM, Doug Woodall, PGP, Evie Woodall Grand Assoc.

Conductress & myself. We attended the sessions & had a North Dakota night out that added the rest of the North Dakota

contingency, JoAnne Buriak, PGM, Karen Pollack, PGM, Hazel Bless, PGM, Paul Buriak, PGP, Martin Bless, PGP & Donald

Pollack, PGP. We also invited Ron & Helen Hodge of Manitoba to join us for a delicious meal at Applebee’s.

The registration process went very smoothly and the Delegates all received a lovely collector’s Delegate Badge, that had to be

worn at all times. There were less than 3,000 Eastern Star members from all over the world in attendance and the total cost of

General Grand was over $500,000. There were 28 resolutions to be voted on, some were passed & some vetoed. One that

passed was the one to add another permanent charity, Service Dogs and bibs can be purchased that says donated by the Order of

the Eastern Star.

Another resolution that garnered a lot of discussion but was passed was a way to dispose of the National Eastern Star

Headquarters building in Washington, D.C., should the need ever arise. The building was purchased in the late 1930s and is

now assessed at over $14,000,000. It is classified as a residence and the Right Worthy Grand Secretary and his or her spouse

live there during their term of office. Any Eastern Star member is welcome to tour or even stay overnight at the Mansion which

is only 5,000 square feet smaller than the White House.

While at General Grand Chapter I was able to meet with the Worthy Grand Matron of Italy and she presented me with the Grand

Representative badge for our Grand Representative to Italy in North Dakota & I was so proud to present our first ever Grand

Representative to Italy in North Dakota to Brother Alan Siirila of Mecca Chapter #5 of Fargo.

There was a huge vendor area & lots of vendors in a separate area of the building, there was a snack bar but no restaurants in the

building so if you wanted more than a sandwich you had to go outside for 2 to 3 blocks.

North Dakota received recognition for raising the 4th most money for Alzheimer’s Research, thanks to the hard work of Brother

Paul Buriak, PGP and a member of the Alzheimer’s Committee.

The following officers were elected for the 49th Triennial: Helen Westmorland, Most Worthy Grand Matron of Niceville, Fla.;

Robert Penoyer, Most Worthy Grand Patron of Red Lion, PA; Marianne Shenefelt, Right Worthy Assoc. Grand Matron of

Cheyenne, Wyo.; Henry Martin, Right Worthy Assoc. Grand Patron of Murphy, Tx.; Gary Miller, Right Worthy Grand

Secretary of Springfield, Ill.; Michael Berry was re-elected Right Worthy Grand Treasurer of Louisville, KY.; Glenda

Winchester, Right Worthy Grand Conductress of Six Mile, S.C.; Billie Bradfield, Right Worthy Assoc. Grand Conductress of

Kingman, AZ; F. Lon Lowry, Right Worthy Grand Sentinel, Delaware, OH. There were 4 candidates for the position of Right

Worthy Assoc. Grand Conductress & it took 4 ballots to elect Sister Billie.

Muriel Hurt, Worthy Grand Matron

Those attending GGC in

Pittsburgh, PA.

Darnell Woodall, PGM; Martin

Bless, PGP; Karen Pollock, PGM;

Helen Hodge, AGM, Manitoba;

Hazel Bless, PGM; Muriel Hurt,

WGM; JoAnn Buriak, PGM; Ron

Hodge, PGP, Manitoba;

Back Row: Doug Woodall, PGP;

Evie Woodall, AGC; Julia

Johnson, PGM; Paul Buriak, PGP

CONGRATULATIONS!

New GGC appointments: Congratulations to Ross Mushik,

General Grand Chapter Committee Member, Regenerative Medicine, PGP, of

ND, member of Queen Esther Chapter #9 & Bismarck Chapter #11

Richard Suggs, General Grand Chapter Committee Member, Membership. PGP, ND of Acacia Chapter #12,

Grand Forks, ND on their new appointments!

ESTARL (Eastern Star Training Awards for Religious Leadership)

Please remember that ESTARL is our major, on-going project where we award scholarships at Grand Chapter to

approved applicants who are in Religious Training of some sort, music, ministry, missionaries, directors of

Religious education or Counselors of Youth Leadership. The applicant must be a ND resident and these

scholarships can be awarded more than one year! If you know of a student going into this field, download the

ESTARL application from the website ndeasternstar.org and have them fill it out and send to the Chairman,

Hazel Bless, PGM, 1833 N Washington St, Bismarck, ND 58501 by May 1, 2016.

Past Grand Matron and Past Grand Patrons pins: Just a

reminder. Please recycle the Past Grand Matron and Past

Grand Patron pins. If you have such a pin and will have no

further use for it, please, please give it to the Grand

Secretary to be recycled. Leave a legacy with these pins.

Our hearts were sadden

with the loss of Brother

David Hanson, Past Grand

Patron, who passed away on

November 21, 2015. Our

heartfelt condolences go to

Sister Elaine and her family.

Brother David was Worthy

Grand Patron with Sister

Bonnie Elefson during our

Centennial year, 1993-94.

Our new leaders! Helen Westmorland, Most Worthy

Grand Matron from Valparaiso, Florida

Brother Robert C. Penoyer, Most

Worthy Grand Patron from

Elizabethtown, PA

GRAND REPRESENTATIVE’S

Our Worthy Grand Matron has had the honor of appointing many ND

members to Grand Represenative positions this year so far. A special

appointment was to Brother Alan Siirila, PGP, as the very first Grand

Representative from ND to Italy and he is planing a trip there for their

session in April. Congratulations to the other Sisters and Brothers who

have been appointed: Inger Thompson to Washington; Julia Johnson to

Alabama; Meredith Wedberg to West Virginia; Charmane Disrud to

Idaho; Ilene McLean to Vermont; Audrey Well to Pennsylvania; Janet

Greenwood to Nebraska; Diane Huhta to Ontario; Sandy Olson to

Ohio; Martin Kloster to Wyoming; Harlan Pratt to Nevada; Martin

Bless to California; Stan Krogh to British of Columbia; Mary Ann

Fluth to Australia; Janet Dykeshorn to Alberta; Marie Wolsky to

Illinois; Cheryl Arndt to Nova Scotia; Emily Halley to Oregon; Judith

Curl to New Mexico; Kathy Sather to Kentucky; Linda Fox to Kansas;

Connie Pederson to Maryland; Gloria Plummer to Louisiana; Linday

Hyatt to New York; Darnell Woodall to Quebec; Charlotte Lassonde to

Oklahoma; Nancy Kainz to Arkansas; Donna Karel to Florida.