La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux Grand Voiture du Texas OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GRAND du TEXAS Winner of the Arthur McDowell Award 1991 – 1992 – 1993 – 1994 – 1995 – 1996 for the Best Grand Voiture Publication in the Nation without Advertising
January 2015
From the Grand Chef… I hope everyone had a nice Christmas and extend wishes for a great New Year to come. Please keep those who are dealing with hardships through the holidays in your prayers. In early December I made a trip to the Rio Grande Valley to commend Hidalgo County Voiture 1077 for an unprecedented donation of $10,000 to a dozen nursing students at the University of Texas Pan American as part of their Nurses Training program and to address membership issues as the locale voted to surrender their charter. As we are all very well aware – membership is a difficult challenge to overcome. There are letters from various Directeurs from Voiture Nationale added to this edition. They have suggestions that have proved successful in other Voitures so keep an open mind as they may contain some information you can use at your locale. Working programs is crucial if you want to be successful. You do not have to work all the programs – very few locales do work all of them, but find a few you can support and that is a very good place to start. The other important part of working programs is to report your activities! Report your events not only to Grand, but to the local media or through the TVN. I welcome anyone to write about their locale events and submit it for publication. There has been some discussion about a Grand Recruiting Team who would travel to different areas and help the locales host a special event so you can draw in more new members.
Without new members we cannot survive.
Everyone should be working to recruit new members, but again this is not always an easy task – it takes work and many of our folks have worked hard for many years. We have to work hard to pass our legacy on to the next generation. We must - or nearly 100 years of accomplishments will be forgotten. I believe we have worked too hard to let it all go away! We should not only do it for the future generations, but for our departed who dedicated their lives to La Societe. David Knutson Grand Chef de Gare
UPCOMING SPRING CHEMINOT FEBRUARY 6-8, 2015 Have you registered, made your hotel reservation or sent in your ad!!! We hope to see a good showing for the Spring Cheminot. Guest Speaker will be American Legion Department Commander Lynn Sparks – who is also a member of Harris County Voiture Locale 163 (Houston). Camp Mabry is opening the museum an hour early so we may have our memorial service on Sunday morning. If you have not made arrangements then make sure you do before the end of the month. Information enclosed. I have invited workers from the boxcar move to dinner with us so we may recognize them along with other VIPs who made significant contributions to the project and helped make it happen. Without their help we would have expended significantly more money that we did so please look for them at the banquet on February 7th.
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La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux Grand Voiture du Texas
Membership Report
Membership Totals January 9, 2015
We are making progress and some locales are doing very well. Please send in your renewals immediately as membership for 2015 was due on January 1st with the new changes. This means that those who have not paid will receive a dues notice from Voiture Nationale. The cost of sending these renewals can be eliminated if members would renew their dues on time and not wait. We also need to work on adding new members. The Grand Chef and I are planning to work with the American Legion and VFW Executive members to help get the word out more about the 40 & 8. We have many 40 & 8 members who are in a variety of leadership positions in both the American Legion and VFW. If you are one of these members you can help to add new members to the 40 & 8. Keep up to date with your locale and help out as much as you can. Most 40 & 8 members do a lot for many different groups – that is why you were invited into the 40 & 8 in the first place. We need your help to help our organization grow and in turn locales should be working with the post where they meet to help them grow. If there are veterans who do not meet the requirements for membership in the American Legion or VFW they still may be eligible for membership within the 40 & 8. . Joseph McCullough Grand Chef de Train
Division / Locale 1st Division 939 1123 1185 1601 Total
Sous Chef de Train Ron Mick Wichita Falls Longview Ft Worth Lake Dallas
2nd Division 163 266 312 980 1031 Total
George Murphy Houston
3rd Division
George Alexander Austin La Feria
175 231
Copperas Cove
Beaumont Willis Killeen
Current
Goal
Percentage
6 10 24 4 44
9 13 24 9 55
67% 96% 100% 44% 80%
31 28 13 6 41 119
34 28 16 21 77 176
91% 100% 81% 29% 53% 68%
20 16
17 15
118% 107%
542
San Antonio
27
39
67%
1077
Edinburg
6
13
46%
1134 Total
Kingsville
3 72
15 99
20% 73%
4th Division 605
Dan Barman El Paso
27
26
104%
1055
Kerrville
16
24
67%
Total
43
50
86%
Grand Total
278
380
73%
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La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux Grand Voiture du Texas
VOYAGEUR BRIEFS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FROM VOITURE NATIONALE
POW/MIA PROGRAM & PINS
Check out this excellent source of information on La Societe and our programs. Voyageur Briefs are published monthly by Voiture Nationale by email. If you do not receive it you can ask to be put onto the mailing list or find the latest and past editions posted on the website for Voiture Nationale. There is a link to Voiture Nationale on the front page of the Grand du Texas website: www.texasboxcar.org or you can go to it directly at www.fortyandeight.org/ and look under the “Programs” tab and “News and Notes” tab.
The purpose of the National POW/MIA Program is to raise funds in Honor of the Servicemen & Women who were Prisoners of War, or are considered Missing in Action while serving in the defense of the United States of America, or its allies during times of armed conflict. The funds are raised to facilitate the formation and continuance of a Scholarship Trust Fund for the direct descendants of verifiable POW/MIA Servicemen and Women. Scholarships are limited to the Veteran, the Spouse of the veterans, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren of the veteran.
What Are Voiture Activities The Sous Directeur of Voiture Activities Nationale recently sent out a letter explaining about the Voiture Activities Report which can be difficult to complete. Sous Directeur Reynolds stated in her letter: “Voiture Activities program has changed several times over the years. It has always been intended to be a measure of a Voiture Locale’s activities and membership involvement. At a point, the program was intended to measure a Voiture’s comparative activities in terms of dollars for a particular activity, the man hours converted into cash as a means of success of the program. In more recent years, the Voiture Activities Program is intended to measure the percentage of participation on each individual Voiture. The larger the percentage, the better the program.” The letter continued and explained what is reportable by saying: “….if two or more of you are gathered as 40 & 8ers, it is a Voiture Activity and it is reportable!” Debra D. Reynolds Sous Directeur of Voiture Activities Nationale
PINS, PINS, PINS I have a limited supply of the 2015 POW/MIA pins and they look very nice. I will have them at the Spring Cheminot or contact me directly to order your pins. Pins are $3 each. Thank you,
TOM ORLANDO, VOITURE 175 GRAND DIRECTEUR POW/MIA E-MAIL: TOM.ORLANDO@H4V.ORG
GRAND HISTORIEN Thank you to those who have sent some photos of their recent activities. It will help make the Grand du Texas History Book better next year. The 2014 History Book will be on display at the Spring Cheminot so please check it out if you have not had a chance. Keep sending more photos along with a description of the event including date, event, and names of people in the photo to me via email: dlbrom@yahoo.com
VISIT THE GRANDE DU TEXAS WEBSITE AT WWW.TEXASBOXCAR.ORG
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La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux Grand Voiture du Texas
Voiture 1031 Chef de Gare Ronnie L. Wheeler and Dame Marry McAnally had the pleasure of presenting the Harker Height Fire Department with toys for Kids donated by the Voiture and Dames of V-1031. Instead of exchanging gifts with each other the Voiture and Dames brought a toy for a needed boy or girl. This is what we are about helping in our community and making it better. Next year we hope to make this event even bigger, and we are going to start earlier.
GRANDE RAFFLE REPORT
Left to Right: Chef de Gare Ronnie L. Wheeler, Eric Pedroza Fire Fighter and EMS, Damon Sprouse Fire Fighter and EMS, Dame Marry McAnally, Rocky Zapata Fire Fighter and EMS
There is still time to get tickets and I will have tickets at the Spring Cheminot available before the drawing. See enclosed flyer for more information. Don’t forget - locales can buy tickets as well and then use the prize to do their own fundraiser. Thank you for your support. DON TAYLOR, VOITURE 266 DIRECTEUR WAYS & MEANS
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La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux Grand Voiture du Texas
La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux Voiture Nationale Sous Directeur Membership Region 6 Louisiana, Arizona, California, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas and Washington Johnny B. Keel, 103 Franklin Street, New Llano, LA 71461 Telephone: (337) 404-3286 Cell: (337) 718-1008 Email: phkeel12@aol.com
“Make a Difference Renew, Recruit & Reinstate” Mes Amis, The membership of Region 6 now stands at 69.17%. This is my “New Year’s” membership letter and my final letter for the 2014 calendar year. We need to make the first report for January 2015 a very good one. Please continue to work membership as hard as possible and report every paid member. We have only five weeks until January 31, 2015 to make the second quarter goal of 75%. I expect every Voyageur Militaries of Region 6 to help us make this goal. I know from history that every Grande is capable of making the goal with a little extra effort. I wish each and every member of the Region 6 Membership Team a happy, healthy and productive “New Year”. So let’s go get some new members for La Societe!. Remember Voyageur Militaries you are all on the Membership Team and should be looking for that worthy eligible Veteran to honor with an invitation to become a part of the Forty and Eight. Let’s Make A Difference, Recruit, Renew, and Reinstate" "ONE MORE" Member into La Societe. For La Societe JOHNNY B. KEEL Sous National Membership Directeur “2015 Make a Difference Renew, Recruit & Reinstate” Membership TEAM 12/29/2014 Forty and Eight, the Honor Society of American Veterans cc: Chef de Chemin de Fer, Committee on Committees, Correspondant Nationale, National Avocat, Nationale Directeur Membership, Sous Chefs de Chemin de Fer, Nationale Sous Membership Directeurs, Cheminot Nationale Région 6
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La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux Grand Voiture du Texas Carville Star Letter for December Seasons’ greetings to all my fellow Voyageurs. Thanksgiving is past and hopefully the turkey and dressing have either been consumed or sent to the freezer for safekeeping. Christmas will be here in just over two weeks with more Holiday parties. Now is the time to call or visit our fellow Voyageur’s, especially the older ones, to find out if they have any needs that can be met. People, especially veterans, need to know someone cares about them. It may take a few minutes, but the rewards are immense. In the same spirit of giving and caring, please help The Carville Star by purchasing a pin for $3.00 of which $2.00 goes to the program, getting a subscription to the Star Magazine to help fund the program, or consider your Voiture donating $50.00 to the “Buy a Country” or $50.00 to the Buy a Clinic” program Last but not least, sign up a new Voyageur. Consider giving a $30.00 gift to a fellow veteran by signing him or her up in the Honor Society of Veterans. Make sure the P.G has the information that tells them about the great programs that we as the 40 et 8 sponsor. MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE BLESSINGS, William (Bill) Hart Sous Directeur Carville Star Cell phone 405-974-8662 (Details are available online or if pins or forms are needed, contact me at william-hart@att.net.)
Nursing Scholarship recipients in Edinburg, Texas receive $10,000 in grants from Voiture 1077. Presentation made by V-1077 Correspondant Walter Greene and V-1077 Chef de Gare Gene Diaz. VISIT THE GRANDE DU TEXAS WEBSITE AT WWW.TEXASBOXCAR.ORG
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La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux Grand Voiture du Texas GRAND DU TEXAS PRESS RELEASE Date: December 5, 2014 Time: 2:00 pm Location: University of Texas Pan American (UTPA), ITT Lobby, Edinburg, Texas
$10,000 in Grants Awarded to Area Nursing Students The remaining members of Hidalgo County Voiture 1077, part of a little known national veteran’s honor organization known as “The Society of 40 Men and 8 Horses” or the “40 & 8” for short, are making good the organizations commitment to assist deserving individuals willing to undergo formal nursing training and make a career of that very noble profession. Eight students will receive $1,000 each and the remaining $2,000 will be divided between four more students. David Knutson, the Grand Chef de Gare (State Commander) of this small but dedicated group of veterans travelled from Austin to commend the members of Voiture 1077 for this unprecedented donation. “This generous donation by Voiture 1077 to help nursing students in the area is far more than any other locale in at least 20 years. The Grand Voiture du Texas has given an average of $3,000 to $5,000 per year statewide to nursing students, but with the numbers of military veterans involved in veteran organizations like the 40 & 8 dwindling down this may soon be a thing of the past!” “Many of the younger veterans do not have time or interest to dedicate to our veteran organizations like the veterans of previous conflicts. What these veterans fail to realize is how important these organizations are to all veterans and to the communities they serve. The American Legion, VFW, DAV and many other veteran groups have done great things for veterans and their communities since they were created.” Walter Greene, Locale Correspondant and Directeur of Nurses Training for Voiture 1077, coordinated with the Scholarship Committee of the University of Texas Pan Am to help identify students who submitted applications to the locale for final review. The few remaining members of Voiture 1077 decided to make the contribution as a final gesture of good will as their membership is too low to continue any longer and they are planning on surrendering their Charter. In 1946 an acute shortage of nurses came to the attention of our Voyageurs and a Nurses Training Program was initiated at the Voiture Locale level. In 1955 Voiture Nationale formally established our current Nurses Training Program. In many cases our scholarships are the critical difference that allows recipients to pursue their studies and go on to receive a nursing degree. We have the satisfaction of knowing that La Société has done a great deal to curb the shortage of nurses in this country. Since our National Program's inception in 1955 La Société as of September 2014, has expended over $31,936,972 and assisted 52,276 nurses in obtaining their nursing degrees. In 2014, $646,972 was donated with 754 nurses in training and 376 nurses graduating. Along with Nurses Training, the Forty & Eight supports several other charities including: The Ardery Child Welfare Trust, POW/MIA scholarships, Youth Sports, Veteran Affairs Voluntary Services, Flags for 1st Graders and Americanism.
VISIT THE GRANDE DU TEXAS WEBSITE AT WWW.TEXASBOXCAR.ORG
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La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux Grand Voiture du Texas
La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux Voiture Nationale Sous Directeur Americanism Area C: Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Germany, Illinois, Oregon, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, Texas, West Virginia Dan Evers PO Box 1117 Woodburn, Oregon 97071 PH: (H) 503-981-1470 (C) 360-772-3021 E-Mail legionpost46@q.com
« HAPPY NEW YEAR » Well the Season is over and time to sit back and relax but we have a lot of work to do. Your winter Cheminot should be coming up and this is when you should be working on your Voitures to get the programs going. Once you get it going it is a lot easier to keep it going. Have you sold all your pins, if so send the money into Milt, if not please get them sold so we can close the books out. Have you been looking for someone for the Americanism Award? Remember this is anyone that goes above and beyond for Veterans. Have you been working on your Flags for First Graders program? I borrowed this from Dixie Hotaling Area A, we know that flags for first graders can be expensive so here are some ideas that she had. (Are you still looking for funding? Try your community bank, many of them offer community-giving programs. You can usually find them on-line. Wal-Mart has a donation program, pick up an application. Again, partnering with other service organizations enables you to produce a pristine package. Put together a presentation and take it out into the community. You may be pleasantly surprised at the results. Voiture 99 Americanism Committee raised $10,000.00 for their program. They held fund raisers and applied for grants. So, what is stopping you?) Start handing out the Americanism Consolidated report, at the winter Cheminote. The 2015 is on the web site. Get it out and have them start keeping track of their time and miles. Remember that almost everything you do for can be considered Americanism. Let’s make this year the best ever: HAPPY 2015 Merci Dan Evers Sous Directeur Americanism Area C VISIT THE GRANDE DU TEXAS WEBSITE AT WWW.TEXASBOXCAR.ORG
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La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux Grand Voiture du Texas
Grand Raffle Ticket Order Form Number of Tickets Name:________________________ ____ x $5 per ticket: _____ or 6 tickets for $20
Address:_______________________
____ x $20 books: ______ Total:$_______
Make checks payable to Grand du Texas Raffle and mail to: Don Taylor 3271 Colorado Dr Copperas Cove, TX 76522 VISIT THE GRANDE DU TEXAS WEBSITE AT WWW.TEXASBOXCAR.ORG
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La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux Grand Voiture du Texas
VISIT THE GRANDE DU TEXAS WEBSITE AT WWW.TEXASBOXCAR.ORG
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La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux Grand Voiture du Texas
VISIT THE GRANDE DU TEXAS WEBSITE AT WWW.TEXASBOXCAR.ORG
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La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux Grand Voiture du Texas
VISIT THE GRANDE DU TEXAS WEBSITE AT WWW.TEXASBOXCAR.ORG
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La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux Grand Voiture du Texas
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La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux Grand Voiture du Texas Below right: The Voiture 1185, Tarrant County was proudly represented in the Ft. Worth Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 11, 2014. The weather was cold but the hearts were warm. Left to right: Jack Winslow, Grand Conducteur, Mason Palmer, SAL 379, Ronda Palmer, ALA 379, Deborah McKee, VL1185, Dan Zmroczek, VL1185 Chef de Gare Passe, Ruth Zmroczek, Caban 1185 President Passe
Above left: Gabe Cina and Lowell Mix with new Voyageur Militaire Barry Miller of V-542 who survived the “Okie Wreck”
More Photos from the Fall Cheminot 2014 – Denton County Voiture 1601 / Lake Dallas, Texas
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La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux Grand Voiture du Texas
VISIT THE GRANDE DU TEXAS WEBSITE AT WWW.TEXASBOXCAR.ORG
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La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux Grand Voiture du Texas
Special Thanks to Voyageur John Curry of Midland – Odessa who helped arrange the transfer of their Locomotive to Voiture 1055 / Kerrville. She has already been used in several events including the 4th of July parade and on Veteran’s Day!
La Grande Voiture du Texas La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux P.O. Box 170074 Austin, Texas 78717
Affix 1st Class Postage Here
Addressee
ADDRESSEE: Please notify sender of name/address correction Chef de Gare – David Knutson
Correspondant – Milton Chatham
Commissire Intendant – James Baca
L’Editeur – Dave Knutson
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