GWP Tice to visit London 4060, Toronto 2311 May 28

David Tice, Grand Worthy President of The Fraternal Order of Eagles and his wife Roberta plan to visit both London Aerie 4060 and Toronto Aerie 2311 on May 28, 2014.

GWP Dave Tice

Current plans are for a luncheon visit to London 4060 and an evening buffet at Toronto 2311, where he will officiate at the installation of aerie officers for the 2014-2015 fiscal year.

Wednesdays noon to 3:00 pm, as luck would have it, is a busy time at the London Aerie. A large group of new members from the Canadian Auto Workers meet then, having lost their own London clubhouse nearby. Says London past president and OPA President Robert Williams, "If we have time I would like to pop into the Sir Frederick Banting museum and take a few pictures with him and the Banting statue and eternal flame.  When we find a cure for diabetes, the flame will be extinguished."

Sir Frederick Banting was a Canadian medical scientist noted as the first person that used insulin on humans. Banting, who received the Nobel Prize at age 32, remains the youngest Nobel laureate in the area of Physiology/Medicine. Known as “The Birthplace of Insulin”, Banting House is the house where Sir Frederick Banting came up with the idea that led to the discovery of insulin.

Statue of Banting, left, and the Flame of Hope, right, at Banting House.

In the summer of 2008, the Fraternal Order of Eagles made a $25 million pledge to the University of Iowa to fund the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center - a comprehensive research facility dedicated to finding a cure. All Eagles contributions go directly to diabetes research with the University of Iowa funding the construction of research space, recruitment, and core facilities. In addition, the Eagles support will leverage funds from the federal and state level totaling several million dollars more.

Later the same day, Brother Tice will visit Toronto Aerie 2311. Unlike his primarily social visits to local aeries throughout the year, Toronto intends to put him to work. He will install the newly-elected Aerie 2311 officers elected for the 2014-2015 year after elections May 12. Typically the installation ceremony uses a stand-in for the ritual position of Grand Worthy President. Toronto has already been honoured to have the actual GWP officiate in that position by two recent Grand Worthy Presidents, Jim Roberts in 2009 and Mike Lagervall in 2010. A free buffet for all aerie members follows.

Here's the crop of incoming Toronto Aerie 2311 officers installed by Grand Worthy President Jim Roberts (lower right) in 2009. I'm the guy who's completely blocked out in the back row,

David Tice joined Two Rivers, Wis. Aerie #2433 in 1956 and has been a dedicated and heavily involved Eagle ever since. He has held every office in his local Aerie except Treasurer, served as Secretary of the Wisconsin State Aerie from 1974-1986, was elected State President in 1978 and a year later was appointed Great Lakes Regional President.

In 1988, Brother Tice was inducted into the Wisconsin State Eagles Hall of Fame and has held the position of Wisconsin State Treasurer since 1989. He spent four years as a Grand Trustee before being elected Grand Worthy Vice President in July 2011 in Orlando, Fla.

His motto for the year is “One More For The F.O.E.” in an effort to encourage Eagles to push harder to sign one more member or raise one more dollar for charity. His official charity for the year is The Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center.

A retired Facilities Manager, Brother Tice and his wife, Roberta, have three children and 13 grandchildren.  Two sons and one son-in-law are members of The Fraternal Order of Eagles.