Choose your Own Choose your Own ADVENTURE

The GBU Youth Leaders program is a new part of GBU Life's commitment to our youth and their education. The best way to help the communities we care about is to help foster a sense of community in our youth. We hope that GBU Youth Leaders will grow up to be advocates and strong leaders both for GBU and for the communities they live in.

Whether you are a student or a parent, we understand that during the summertime, schedules can get a little crazy. Kickstart your points earning this summer with our revised GBU Youth Leader Choose Your Own Adventure Summer program. Simply take 3 (or more) virtual courses this summer and earn your annual points for the year.

As a GBU Youth Leader, you will receive three free gift enrollments that can be used for any preselected virtual Outschool course this summer. Choose a time and day that works best for your summer schedule. Summer is supposed to be a break, right? We feel the same, so we picked courses that are fun, light, and engaging.

If you're not signed up yet, now is the time. Register at inside.gbu.org/youth-leaders

Happy summer to all GBU members and their families and friends. The first day of summer arrives with the summer solstice on June 21, 2023, at 10:58 a.m. Break out the sunscreen and enjoy the sunny weather.

The District 45 Calendar of Events and Scholarship Request Letters were mailed. If you did not receive these, let me know, and I will make sure you get them. Scholarship donations may be sent to Treasurer Betty Richardson (2524 W. Chestnut Ave., Altoona, PA 16601). Please make checks payable to GBU District 45 and denote Scholarship Fund in the memo line.

Thank you to everyone who helped with and supported the spring Pie Sale. We were able to donate $400 each to Dreams Go On Riding Stable and Miracle League Special Needs Baseball Organization.

We presented the check on May 4 to Dreams Go On-Therapeutic Riding Stable with proceeds from the spring Pie Sale (l to r): Robin Kessler, Erin Kelly, Sophia DeGennaro on Cash the therapeutic riding horse, Program Manager Debbie Kelly and Chantel DeGennaro.

Thank you to everyone who helped with the Children’s Easter Party that was held in conjunction with the Unter Uns. There were 25 children in attendance with their families. Games, activities, food and a visit with the Easter bunny made for an afternoon of fun.

Thank you, everyone, for coming out to help with our Join Hands Day Project. We met at the Unter Uns for a week during the middle of April to work on the cement pad project and to help clean up the outside grounds. These preparations were for Memorial Day activities and the Club’s anniversary celebration held the last weekend in June. The anniversary activities were open to the public. Hopefully, you were able to stop in to enjoy some good food and music.

Sophia DeGennaro and I made friends with the Easter bunny. You can never have too many friends.

Easter Party at the Unter Uns.

Volunteers for Join Hands Day pouring the cement pad at the Unter Uns Club.

We continue our GBU Cares project as we collect personal hygiene items to donate to the local shelters. To have a donation picked up, contact Treasurer Betty Richardson (814-943-6655 ) or me. Motel-size or full-size bottles of shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, etc. are greatly appreciated.

Our annual District Picnic will be held on Friday, August 18 at the Swiss Club. The Club is located at 1219 Harrison Avenue in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Doors open at 5 p.m. for an evening of good food, fun and fraternal activities. We hope to see many of you there. Activities include a cake walk for the kids and another for the adults, treat bags for the kids, and door prizes. RSVP to me, one of our district officers, or your referral agent. We hope to see many members and their guests at the Picnic.

GBU District 45 Scholarships are now available for those planning to attend a post-secondary college, business or trade school full time during the 2023-’24 school year. Applications must be postmarked no later than Sunday, October 1, 2023, to be eligible for a scholarship. Please contact me for an application.

Our fall Pie Sale will again benefit the St. Vincent De Paul Assumption Chapel Food Pantry and starts on Sunday, October 1. Orders are due to me by Monday, November 6 The order will be delivered to the Food Pantry on Saturday, November 18 and pick up will be between 10 a.m. and noon. The pies would be good for Thanksgiving and will freeze well for the Christmas holiday, too.

We will also be collecting donations for the Assumption Chapel Food Pantry during the month of November. Donations can be dropped off at the food pantry on delivery day of the fall Pie Sale. If you need donations picked up, contact me or John (814-943-4481).

Save the date now and join us for the Veterans’ Day Parade to be held in Downtown Altoona on Saturday, November 11 at 10 a.m. If you are interested in participating, please contact me. Last year, the parade was rained out, so let’s hope for clear skies this year. As always, take a moment to thank a veteran for his or her service.

We welcome into our GBU family the new members who have recently joined GBU and District 45. We hope you have the opportunity to participate in one of our many activities and have the chance to meet some of our other members. Please feel free to contact me if you would like a copy of the district Calendar of Events or would like more information about the district. Check out the GBU website and be sure to sign up for access to the GBU Life Member Community page. This GBU members-only site enables you to participate in many fun activities, keep up to date with activities sponsored by the Home Office and our district and provides more information and photos.

Please join us at our monthly meetings. They are held at 6 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month at the Unter Uns Club, which is located at Van Buren Avenue and 14th Street in Altoona. No meetings are held in January, July, November or December. (Your officers will have officers’ meetings instead to plan for upcoming activities.) Come, learn, support and get involved in the fraternal activities, and join us for refreshments.

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On April 16, we had our first-ever Gift Card Bingo. Bingo was the highlight of our spring. We had an amazing turnout and gave away some really cool gift cards. We hope to do it again soon.

Robin Kessler,

Fraternal Secretary 814-943-4481 or rob1jon@atlanticbb.net

Happy summer everyone! I want to begin by sending my condolences to the Mays and Bisking family on the passing of Carol Mays , who passed away in February.

We haven’t had much going on. We did have a good turnout for our bowling in March. There were some new faces, as well as some familiar ones.

We had Phillies Game Trip in June, and a Luncheon and Ice Cream Social is scheduled for Saturday, July 15. There will be more on that in the fall issue of The Reporter. Since we are more than halfway done with 2023, if you have any ideas on events for 2024, please let me, Edna Suter, or TJ Suter, Jr. know. We are looking for new ideas.

July No meeting

Saturday, July 15 Luncheon & Ice Cream Social at Scoops August No meeting

Saturday, August 12 L ancaster Barnstormers Game

Saturday, September 9 District Picnic

Sunday, September 17 Monthly Meeting and Social

Sunday, October 15 Monthly Meeting and Social

Meetings are now at 12 p.m. on the third Sunday of the month and still at the Millersville VFW.

TJ giving instructions.

You can always get details on district events by calling President Terry “TJ” Suter, Jr. ( 717-283-3628 or steelerstj13@gmail.com) or Fraternal Secretary/Treasurer Edna Suter ( 717-333-9388 or ednasuter65@gmail.com), by going onto Facebook (GBU District 84), or going to our district section of the GBU website reporter.gbu.org/member-news

- Edna Suter, Fraternal Secretary/Treasurer 717-333-9388 or steelerstj13@gmail.com

Greetings! Hope everyone is having a great summer.

Thanks to Gary, Jack, Mark and Marian (district officers) for donating their time as helping hands to me with the Join Hands Day project at the clubroom. The project took two mornings to complete. Several projects were completed inside the clubroom as a thank you to the Home Association and its members for their continued support of our district projects and fundraisers.

The annual AAABA Tournament is approaching, and the district will show its support by placing a full-page ad in its program booklet. If you like amateur baseball, there will be numerous games in the Johnstown area.

A Fundraiser will be held (date to be determined) to benefit Operation Reach Out.

The 2023-2024 school year will be here before you know it, and we will continue supporting the Tribune-Democrat NIE (Newspaper In Education) Program. This program supplies newspapers in the classroom to be used as learning tools.

September brings our annual Fundraiser to benefit the annual Needy Children Shopping Tour, which is organized by First Summit Bank. Donations of any amount are welcome. They can be dropped off after 3 p.m. in the clubroom or mailed to District 146 Children’s Christmas Fund, 40 Bridge Street, Johnstown, PA 15902.

Meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of each month (except July) at the Moxham Beneficial Home Association, located at 40 Bridge Street in Johnstown, Pennsylvania (814-539-1290). Check the bulletin board in the clubroom for additional information, meeting dates and any changes.

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Barbara Weimer, Fraternal Secretary/Treasurer

814-255-4710

Greetings from District 510.

We hosted our first meeting of 2023 on February 21. Members enjoyed a chili with “fixins” and cornbread dinner prior to the meeting. Thanks to Marilyn Riedeman and Mary Smith for preparing and serving the dinner and to Tom Riedeman for the chocolate Valentine candy treats. Our speakers for the meeting were Order of the Eastern Star Organization representatives Cortney Coakley and Dan Garringer. They told us about the organization’s Service Dog Training Program.

At the March 21 monthly meeting, we enjoyed Reuben sandwiches with German potato salad prepared by Lynne Shoup. GBU District 510 officers performed its annual audit and held an officers’ meeting on March 29 at Tom and Marilyn Riedeman’s house. Thank you, Tom and Marilyn , for hosting it. Our Children’s Easter Bunny Hop Thru was held on April 2 at Oak Shade Grove. The children were greeted by the Easter Bunny and got to take pictures with him. Each child received an Easter basket full of goodies. Thank you District 510 officers and 2023 GBU Queen Sophie Riedeman for volunteering your time. Special thanks go to Jeff Schimming .

We capped off April with our monthly meeting on April 18. Attendees enjoyed brats and potato pancakes prepared by the Toledo Holzhacker Buam (THB) Schuhplattler Gruppe.

Sunday, July 16 Picnic, Riedeman’s Farm

Friday-Sunday, August 25-27 G erman-American Festival

Tuesday, September 19 Monthly meeting and Steak Roast

For current news on GBU District 510 events, please check the GBU District 510 Facebook page.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone at our future meetings. Our regular meetings are held the third Tuesday of each month at the GAF. The meal is served starting at 6 p.m., and our meeting starts at 7 p.m.

- Jacqueline Martin, Fraternal Secretary 419-350-6684 or Toysrmonica@sbcglobal.net

We are enjoying the spring weather and sunnier days. The flowers always make everyone feel happier.

Our small group has recently gotten smaller due to two regular members now living in nursing homes. We wish them well in this new phase of their lives.

We continue to meet once a month to enjoy fellowship and remember our more robust days when we had big crowds at our meetings. Now we go out to eat at local restaurants each month.

volunteer hours. A big thank you goes to Community Outreach Coordinator Susan Weber, who organizes our volunteers. If anyone is interested in volunteering, please let Susan know.

Earlier this year, we reported that we selected to support The Leukemia Foundation for Arizona’s Children in support of one of our members and their family who are experiencing childhood leukemia firsthand. GBU Home Office donated the first $1,000. District 630 members donated an additional $278.76 that the GBU Home Office matched! The total donation to The Leukemia Foundation for Arizona’s Children was $1,557.52. A big THANK YOU for all your support!

For our JOIN HANDS DAY project this year, we cleaned up the outside grounds and planted flowers at the Grotto Club.

Following our May meeting, we had a health and wellness presentation from our special guest and Home Office Great Lakes District Engagement Specialist Laqueeta Coleman . The presentation was followed by a Mother’s Day Celebration meal.

We do still donate to the local charities we have supported for years, and very soon, we will take a check to the St. Ann’s Share and Care Kitchen, in addition to donating money for supplies to a local elementary school.

Our thoughts and prayers are with those unable to attend our monthly get-togethers. Take care and enjoy life!

- M . Elise Thoennes, President/Recording Secretary 765-447-3249

Hello summer!

Summer is the perfect time for warm nights, bare feet, watermelon and barbeques. I hope you are taking advantage of the nice weather and enjoying outdoor activities.

For any member that has been feeling ill or is recovering from an operation, we send you wishes for a speedy recovery and hope you feel better soon. Please let one of our officers know if you are ill or recovering from surgery so we can send you well wishes from the Sunshine Committee!

Our Community Outreach Program resumed in January with monthly cooking for the after-school program at Peace Neighborhood Center. We would like to thank our members who continue to support this program and for all their

All mothers in attendance received beautiful flowers.

On May 9, Marianne Rauer and Traudel Kummer delivered to Busch’s the donations we collected in support of the ABC (All About Children) Food Drive. All donations from the food drive will help families in need through Food Gatherers, Forgotten Harvest and other local food banks.

On May 20, members attended the SUV Anniversary Dinner Dance. As always, everyone had a good time, and it was so great to see all our friends!

In September, October and November, we will be collecting donations for Food Gatherers.

Please mark your calendars for these upcoming events:

Sunday, September 10 Monthly meeting with Potluck, 1 p.m. Sunday, October 8 Monthly meeting with Elections and Oktoberfest meal, 1 p.m.

We look forward to seeing you at one of our meetings or events, which are held at the Grotto Club, located at 2070 West Stadium Blvd. in Ann Arbor.

- C hristina MacKellar, Fraternal Secretary 734-646-9388 or christina.mackellar@gbu.org

Greetings from District 684 in Pittsburgh!

The last few months have been busy for our district. We kicked off our spring with a social event/fundraiser at TopGolf Pittsburgh on February 26. We had 80 people in attendance on a beautiful, sunny Sunday afternoon. This fundraiser was to raise money through our 50/50 for the Lord’s Pantry at Baldwin Community United Methodist Church, which was our Districts in Action charitable organization for 2023.

On March 29, we were honored to assist District 171 at the Vietnam Veterans’ Luncheon at VFW Post 1810. All veterans were welcome. Our district made a monetary donation and provided desserts, and several of our members helped serve lunch.

Vietnam Veteran Luncheon volunteers (l-r): Mary Koczan, Sandy Wagner, Judy Bickel, Karen Potkul, Diane Warznak and Joann Pukansky.

On May 6, we had our annual Kentucky Derby night at Gianna Via’s restaurant. We enjoyed food, games and socializing with friends. The ladies wore their fanciest hats. Pictures to follow in the next issue.

We hope to see new members at our meetings and events! Please feel free to contact me so that we can add you to our email/mail list.

Stay safe and enjoy the summer weather!

- Jackie Alaimo, Fraternal Secretary

Jackie.alaimo@gbu.org or 412-720-4801

Fraternal greetings from GBU 699. By the time you read this, we should be well into summer, but we are just getting into spring when I write this. The beginning of this year has already been busy.

Our first meeting in 2023 was held on January 15. We went over all of our plans for the year. We talked about the Fraternal Passport and what GBU 699 could do to fill up our passport.

We had a Wellness event planned for February 4. This was a winter running race in the dead of winter. Our group represented GBU 699 in 18-degree weather and high winds.

Diverting traffic from the route.

Four members volunteered to work the Winter Lauf. Cheering on the runners.

At the February 8 officers’ meeting, we performed an audit, and then enjoyed some snacks and time catching up on stories and goals for the year. We also took care of some details for the upcoming Putt Putt and Pizza event.

After the February 19 meeting at the world-famous Bavarian Inn Lodge, we had our Putt Putt and Pizza event. Since the 18-hole course is indoors, we were all comfortable and putting away. This was one of our youth events. I am happy to say we had a good showing of young people at the event. Overall, it was a successful event with 29 participants.

The pizza was fantastic.

Members of all ages participated.

Having fun at the Putt-Putt event.

For this year, we picked the local cat rescue Pet Angel as our Districts in Action recipient. We will have an article in the Frankenmuth News to promote both Pet Angel and GBU.

An officers’ meeting, as well as a regular meeting, was held in March at daVinci’s. We went over the GBU Youth Leaders program and talked about who may be able to head the project. Our discussion turned to the upcoming GBU Community Day for the state of Michigan. This event will take place at the Detroit Zoo and is being headed up by Great Lakes Regional Coordinator Laqueeta Coleman . Members voted to donate $250 toward parking for all Michigan districts, as well as to cover our members’ admission fees to the Detroit Zoo.

The next meeting was scheduled to be at daVinci’s on April 16 at 1 p.m.

Join Hands Day on May 6 found members helping clean up Crayola Park in Saginaw and then enjoying lunch at Saginaw Old Town Junction, a train-themed restaurant.

Both the May 17 and June 21 meetings were held at daVinci’s at 6 p.m.

We hope that everyone has a wonderful summer!

Anyone interested in attending a meeting/dinner or a GBU 699 event can contact me for more information at dan.pierce@mail.com.

- Dan Pierce, Fraternal Secretary 989-482-9020 or dan.pierce@mail.com

SUMMER is here!

As a reminder, our district has chosen the DASV as our 2023 Districts in Action project. What we are trying to accomplish is a much-needed rebuild of the outside shooting booth (hopefully, for future events that are joined by surrounding, invited German groups), the outside bar and potentially picnic tables. Imagine the joy at the future Schutzenfests, Oktoberfests, Pig Roasts and other festivities surrounded by all DASV and GBU friends and family as we celebrate together. We can make it happen! This is a very large venture, where donations and fundraising activities are in the works. All of this may take some time, so please get involved and help spread the word to anyone interested in helping. Here are a couple websites to get more information: dasv.org and community.gbu.org

On another note, we are looking forward to the “big day’’ at the Detroit Zoo coming up on Saturday, July 22 at 10 a.m. It sounds as if we’re going to be joined by a few other GBU groups, so let’s pray for great weather!

Laqueeta is doing a fantastic job with her ideas!

Upcoming Activities

Friday, July 28 DASV Park Clean Up for Schutzenfest, 3 p.m.

Saturday, July 29 DASV Park Clean Up for Schutzenfest, 9 a.m.

Sunday, July 30 S chutzenfest featuring Tommy Schober & the Sorgenbrecher, 12 p.m.

Tuesday, August 8 District 701 General Meeting, 12 p.m.

Sunday, August 13 GACC Duetscher Tag (German Day), Austrian Park, 1 p.m.

Tuesday, September 5 District 701 General Meeting, 12 p.m.

Saturday, September 9 C hili Cookoff, DASV, time TBD

Thursday, October 5 DASV Park Clean Up for Oktoberfest, 3 p.m.

Friday, October 6 DASV Oktoberfest featuring Tommy Schober & the Sorgenbrecher, 6:30 p.m. Saturday, October 21 K ronungsball {Coronation Ball), DASV, 6:30 p.m.

Interested in joining us for a District 701 general meeting? We usually gather on the first Tuesday of the month at the DASV Clubhouse at Noon, located at 2650 Auburn Road in Auburn Hills, just east of the I-75 overpass. It’s always best to notify us before a meeting in case the schedule has changed.

- Richard A. De Arment, Fraternal Secretary 248-709-4949 or MetroDetroitBroker@gmail.com

We held our first meeting of 2023 on March 22. A lively discussion was held on what members would like to see our district do and what we can do.

As stated in my last article, District 707 chose Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Foundation as our 2023 Districts In Action recipient. A flyer was sent out to tell members how to donate and get funds matched by GBU. Thank you, GBU, for supporting this non-profit in our area.

Treasurer Ken Larm presented the Rehabilitation Foundation with a check of $1,000 from GBU.

Our annual May Day Dance was held on May 21. Flyers were sent out.

The District 707 College Scholarship program is available for our active members who are full-time students attending an accredited college in 2023-2024. Contact jcwik227@yahoo.com, or call me at the number below for the form. Applicants must provide verification of fall 2023 enrollment.

Be sure to join us at our meetings, which are usually held on the fourth Wednesday of each month at St. Casimir Hall.

- J udy Cwiklinski Fraternal Secretary 616-454-6026 or jcwik227@yahoo.com

On May 1, GBU provided a $1,000 check, plus $2,500 in matching funds, for a final total of $7,100 we raised for East End Community Services (EECS) through the Districts in Action program!!

Our next monthly meeting will be held on Sunday, September 17, and will be followed by bingo.

If interested in attending our meetings or activities, please contact District President Anna Janjanin (215-632-3837)

- J ulie A. Davis, Fraternal Secretary 215-870-6585 or bjb7241@verizon.net

Dear Members,

Group

The East End Community Services “You Science” program provides an aptitude/interest computer model for middle school and high school students to assess their abilities and match them to community resources.

GBU members, Dayton Liederkranz, St. Anne’s Hill and the EECS students—approximately 30 people—did an Earth Day Neighborhood Clean Up that included pizza and desserts afterward. We felt privileged to be part of this program.

The tablecloth, pop up and banner, along with the Liederkranz pop up, looked really nice.

Three months went by quickly, probably because we keep busy, right? I always experience pleasure seeing the positive attitudes and the accomplishments of our members. We practiced the songs for our Madison, Wisconsin, trip in June and the North American Singers getting together from all different states, as we do every three years. Covid protocols restricted having this get-together, making us wait until the fourth year.

We are thankful and enjoy our new place, the German-American Culture Center (GACC), located at 40450 Hayes Road in Clinton Township. There are several affiliated clubs that now call it home. We practice and meet there regularly. The mailing address of the GACC is PO Box 237, Warren, MI 48090-0237, but, our District 821 mailing address is 22454 Virginia, Eastpointe, MI 48021.

Ingrid H. Stein, our district member and president of the GACC, was mostly responsible for finding this home for our affiliated clubs.

Be sure to mark your calendar.

Friday-Sunday, August 11-13 G ermanFest Picnic, Liederkranz (1400 E. Fifth St., Dayton 45402); good food and entertainment. Volunteers are always appreciated. For more information: Dayton LiederkranzTurner (daytongermanclub.org)

Sunday, September 3

Magee Women’s Cancer Research Institute Walk (TBD)

Tuesday, September 19 G BU District Gathering (TBD)

Friday, October 6 G erman-American Day

Tuesday, October 17 G BU District Gathering (TBD)

Saturday, October 21 Remembrance Walk, Hospice (324 Wilmington Ave., Dayton 45420); 8:30 a.m. Registration, 10:00 a.m. Walk

- C hris van Breukelen, FIC, Fraternal Secretary 937-885-4784 or wvanbreukelen@compuserve.com

Happy 4th of July, happy Labor Day and happy autumn!

District 817 gave donations to various charitable organizations and also the GBU Foundation for scholarships.

The April 16 district meeting was followed by an Egg Hunt. Everyone in attendance had fun. A Pizza Party followed the May 21 meeting. We do not hold meetings in June, July or August ; however, our district will be doing a community project over the summer.

The male chorus had its Sauerkraut Abendessen on February 25. Five different sauerkraut dishes, brought in by members, were served in addition to other good food, a concert and a sing-along!

A new get-together for St. Patrick’s Day included corned beef and cabbage, music performances and another sing-along!

The official male chorus concert was held on April 30. Of course, GBU’s choir always loves to be there and participate.

Approximately 10-14 members have been actively attending the Senior Club at St. Peter’s German Church every other Wednesday.

We are pleased to see an active effort is being made to help Friends of Foster Kids. We had no idea how many children constantly seek family homes—about 2,000 yearly in Michigan. Some people had donated stuffed animals—“Comfort Babies” to the children.

The organization asked if we could dress the “Comfort Babies” with real pairs of socks, gloves etc. so that they can choose for themselves which one they like.

We finished on March 1 with two baskets full! We had already provided homemade hats, scarves and blankets for the children through the blanket drive.

Our last project with the senior group (over 10 of us with others) on March 15 was to fill 900 plastic eggs for the children of families facing challenges this Easter.

The eggs were dropped off at Faith @ Work and distributed on Holy Saturday night for Easter morning’s surprise.

District 821 member Lore Kopp has been assisting the Macomb Community College Foundation Performing Arts Annual Program for years through GBU’s One Hour at a Time. She just received a thank-you letter that the Foundation again had received a gift from GBU Financial Life. Thank you, Lore, and thank you, GBU, for having this member benefit!

A big thank you goes to Irmgard Krause for her efficiency in taking care of the district treasurer’s job for 22 years! Thank you, Irmgard , from all of us.

With all the worries we are facing right now, don’t neglect to make sure your financial status is in order. Please feel free to share any concerns you may have, and find out how they may be solved.

Sunday, November 19 Fall Concert, GACC

- M arianne Krenzer, Fraternal Secretary 586-776-7058, (cell) 586-996-1169 or mekrenzer@hotmail.com

District 1000–LFA

Dear Members,

“Summer means happy times and good sunshine.”

– Brian Wilson

Membership News

GBU District 1000 Scholarship Applications are due by Saturday, July 15, 2023. Applications can be picked up at the District 1000 office.

Membership Give Back Group Opportunities

Districts in Action Program. District 1000 was again able to award five 501(c)(3) organizations with an initial $1,000 toward their charity. The GBU Home Office matched additional funds donated by members towards the charity of their choosing. The final donations awarded to these organizations were as follows:

Camp Concordia $1,722

Macomb Charitable Foundation $1,404

Gifts for All of God’s Children $1,554

O.A.T.S (Offering Alternative Therapy with Smiles) $1,722

Seedlings Braille Books for Children $1,104

Thank you to all of our members who donated to these organizations. They will help make a difference to all those whom these organizations serve.

Relay for Life 2023 was held on May 6 at Chippewa Valley Ninth Grade Center. At the time this article was written, our team had raised $2,515!! We will make the final push to reach our goal of $3,000.

Please feel free to visit relayforlife.org , click on the Donate button and then enter GBU District 1000. You can enter in your donation amount online to help support the American Cancer Society.

Mark your Calendars (events might be subject to change) We will be working on trying to get some events together for us to participate in. If you have any ideas that you want to share, please let us know.

Mel Ott Lutheran Night with GBU Life District 1000 will be held at Jimmy John’s Field on Friday, August 11, 2023, at 7:05 p.m. Come watch the Utica Unicorns take on the Eastside Diamond Hoppers. There will be fireworks after the baseball game. Be on the lookout for a flyer in your mail for more information. Please contact a District 1000 officer to purchase your tickets. Tickets will be $36 a person (which includes premium buffet, unlimited soft drinks, two tickets for beer/wine and reserved grandstand seating). Children three years and under are FREE.

District 1000–LFA, continued

Look on GBU Life Member Community for upcoming events to join. We have a District 1000 page where you can find The Reporter articles, RSVP for events and connect with other GBU members. Please make sure you have a current email address on file at the Home Office to be included in GBU Life Member Community.

Reminders

We have “gently used” wheelchairs/walkers available for pick up at our district office at no cost for anyone in need. LWML is continuing to collect canceled postage stamps for its Stamps for Mission program. Simply cut the canceled stamp off the envelope and bring it to the next function. We will see that it gets to the LWML.

If any members have any suggestions or ideas for events that they would like our district to consider, please feel free to let us know. We encourage more members to get involved and attend events. Let us know what activities you would like District 1000 to host. Please feel free to call 586-677-2020

A district officers’ meeting will be held in August at 6 p.m. via Zoom.

Christian volunteering is contagious.

- S tacia (Penzien) Zarzycki, Sentinel 586-677-2020

Assembly 2A Fraternal Secretary Holly Ciotola presents the GBU Districts in Action donation of $1,000 to Mary Beth Koch, executive director of Helping Hands in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. Helping Hands is a nonprofit organization that provides top-quality higher education and therapeutic services to special needs children and their families. Its program also provides preschool and toddler classes for academic tutoring, speech therapy and parent counseling. They have enriched the lives of countless children in the area, regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender, cultural background or financial ability. Helping Hands has been serving the area for 40 years and is very appreciative of GBU’s financial support.

Assembly 9 Fraternal Secretary James Slough presents a $1,000 check to Michelle Simko, representative of the Trinity Lutheran Church Food Pantry in Cleveland, Ohio. This donation was part of GBU’s Districts in Action fraternal program that provides financial assistance to charitable organizations.

On March 12, Assembly 62 in Hermitage, Pennsylvania, held its General Membership Takeout Dinner in the Fellowship Hall of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. Members Kathy Haywood, Kathy Long and Sharon Bryan prepared the dinners.

Assembly President Ron Tomko and Ruth Klein show the meals are ready to go!

It’s a family affair delivering the packaged meals; President Tomko is joined by Jill, Astyn and Alyssa Antel. After delivering the meals, members held a brief meeting to discuss future activities.

FYI, Sharon Tobik from Assembly 9 in Cleveland, Ohio, was the first-quarter winner in our Assembly Attendance Drawing and received a $100 cash award. She was eligible to receive this stipend by participating in her local assembly activities. You could be our next winner by attending your assembly’s next function!

’til next time!

- Jerry A. Hauser, Treasurer jdhauser@comcast.net or 724-953-8287

On April 15, our Lodge 30 Danbury members, along with VFW Post 10201 members and community members, held its first fraternal project under the new program that promotes and deepens our involvement in our community. There were 30-35 people throughout the morning who helped rake and seed the lawn, cleaned out flower beds, built a kayak stand, cleaned out the shed, mulched around the building, chopped wood and got rid of debris in the lake and on the property.

It was a beautiful day for a BBQ! We grilled hamburgers and hot dogs and enjoyed some cold beer while enjoying the outdoor patio.

We had a wonderful time and enjoyed seeing new faces at the MCT meeting held on April 30 at the Sokol Club in Leechburg. The hall in Leechburg is really nice, and the food that Jeff Clever made was wonderful. Along with being president of Sokol Lodge 255 in Leechburg, Pennsylvania, Jeff has a catering business.

Additional upcoming events in the summer include Farrell Lodge’s Golf Outing. This event is open to the public and helps to fund programs at its lodge. In July, join with members and sister-related organizations to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Slovak Day at Kennywood Park in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. In September, MCT is sponsoring a Milan Getting Scholarship Dinner at Huszar Restaurant located at North Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The next MCT meeting will be held Sunday, April 28, 2024; please mark your calendars to attend.

- N ancy Hughes-Shurina, Fraternal Activities Chair fna240@verizon.net or 724-459-8170

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MAKE-A-DATE

Please check with one of your district officers to confirm whether an event has been canceled.

Date District Event

JULY

TBD 707 (MI) Summer Picnic

15 84 (PA) Luncheon & Ice Cream Social, Scoops

15 1000 (MI) District 1000 Scholarship applications due

16 ALL GBU at the Zoo, Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium

16 510 (OH) Picnic, Riedeman’s Farm

19 4000 (CT) Lodge 30 VFW Golf Tournament

22 ALL GBU at the Zoo, Detroit Zoo

30 701/821 (MI) Schützenfest, Schützen Park

AUGUST

ALL 1000 (MI) Food-A-Thon

TBD 291 (PA) Movies in the Park

TBD 4000 (PA) Lodges 103 & 255 Golf Tournament

11-13 815 (OH) GermanFest, Liederkranz; volunteers needed

11 1000 (MI) Mel Ott-Lutheran Night with GBU Life District 1000, Jimmy John’s Field, 5 p.m.

12 84 (PA) Lancaster Barnstormers Game

13 821 (MI) GACC Deutscher Tag, Austrian Park

18 45 (PA) District Picnic, Swiss Club of Altoona; doors open 5 p.m.; RSVP required

25-27 510 (OH) German-American Festival

SEPTEMBER

ALL 146 (PA) Fundraiser benefiting annual Needy Children Shopping Tour

ALL 630 (MI) Collecting donations for Food Gatherers

3 815 (OH) Magee Women’s Cancer Research Institute Walk (TBD)

9 84 (PA) District Picnic

10 699 (MI) Dow Gardens Tour, 1 p.m.

10 630 (MI) Potluck

17 84 (PA) Social

17 707 (MI) Octoberfest Dance

17 817 (PA) Bingo

19 510 (OH) Steak Roast

27 810 (OH) Retirement Planning and Happy Hour

Date District Event

OCTOBER

ALL 630 (MI) Collecting donations for Food Gatherers

1 45 (PA) District 45 Scholarship applications due

6 701/821 (MI) Oktoberfest, Schützen Park, 6:30 p.m.

8 291 (PA) Halloween Party

11 45 (PA) Fall Pie Sale benefiting St. Vincent De Paul Assumption Chapel Food Pantry begins

6 815 (OH) German-American Day

8 630 (MI) Oktoberfest Meal

15 84 (PA) Social

17 510 (OH) Trunk-or-Treat and Hayride, 1 p.m.

21 810 (OH) Give Thanks event supporting local charities

21 815 (OH) Remembrance Walk, Hospice (324 Wilmington Ave., Dayton 45420); 8:30 a.m. Registration, 10 a.m. Walk

22 817 (PA) Halloween Costume Contest

31 699 (MI) Trunk-or-Treat, Bridgeport Historical Village, 5 p.m.

ALL 45 (PA) Collecting donations for Assumption Chapel Food Pantry

ALL 630 (MI) Collecting donations for Food Gatherers

5 699 (MI) Sloan Museum Tour, 2 p.m.

6 45 (PA) Fall Pie Sale orders due

11 45 (PA) Veterans’ Day Parade, Downtown Altoona, 10 a.m.

12 818 (FL) Collect donations for food pantry and Toys-4-Tots

18 45 (PA) Fall Pie Sale orders pickup, Assumption Chapel Food Pantry, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

19 821 (MI) 100th Anniversary of GBU Choir, GACC

19 699 (MI) Anniversaries Celebration, daVinci’s, 1 p.m.