Some impressions from the New York State Convention

I don't take pictures often, and rarely still take posed photos of officials lined up holding plaques and cheques, so you won't see any here. (If anyone else has Convention photos of the June 19-21 Convention in Johnstown NY Aerie 1575, I'll be happy to post them here so anyone can access them. Just email the photos to me and I'll take care of it.)

First, why did I go to New York?

Just a few days before I became President-Elect of the Ontario Provincial Aerie on June 7, the Eagles' Board of Grand Trustees announced a realignment of Regional boundaries, putting two aeries from Ontario (my own Toronto 2311 and London 4060) with Eastern Region (with New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware State Aeries), dissolving Eastern Canada Region (all of Ontario and all of Quebec).

The Ontario Provincial Aerie was formed 18 years ago. Before that, my Aerie 2311 had been part of New York State Aerie and Eastern Region. I had been a member for 16 years as part of New York, almost as long as I've been a member of the Ontario Provincial Aerie. It was time to reintroduce myself and get a better idea of the reception we'd get there.

I also wanted to take the train - Amtrak's Maple Leaf, which leaves Toronto at 8:20 am seven days a week on its way to New York City. The Maple Leaf provides ready access to 19 New York State aeries along the way. At least two of them, Depew-Lancaster Aerie 2692 and Rensselaer Aerie 4446, are within easy walking distance of the train station.

The Maple Leaf doesn't stop in Johnstown but does in nearby Amsterdam. The unattended station stop doesn't get much use - I was the only arriving passenger last Wednesday. The pay phone (pictured on the wall at the far corner) was out of order, so I couldn't phone a cab as I had planned. The picture below shows you the view of the other side of the tracks.

Fortunately a very nice lady who lived not far from the station invited me into her home to call for a taxi. Clearly Johnstown is in a much more rural area than I'm used to, though it's within commuting distance of the State capitol, Albany.

Because it is in a small town, real estate costs are lower. Johnstown Aerie is huge by Ontario standards. They've got unused space bigger than the used space of all five of Ontario's aeries. Toronto 2311 is too small for our membership, but most of us would hate to leave our prime downtown location. Some Johnstown members may feel the same way - their aerie is too big (which they have to heat and pay taxes on), but they're also in a prime location, a block from the main street in the midst of a beautiful historic district.

So with all this space, why is there such a large additional piece added as the member's entrance?

Convention impressions Part Two

This is the inside of the entrance. There's a stairway leading to the door (below the light), but also the most impressive wheelchair ramp I've ever seen. The late (and disabled) Eagles member Franklin Delano Roosevelt would have been proud!

Perhaps less impressed would have been two of the greatest historic figures in the struggle for women's' rights, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B Anthony. Stanton was born here in Johnstown, and she spent the summer of 1884 in Mrs Brown's boarding house, above, where Susan B Anthony lived, while the two of them worked on a volume of their landmark History of Womens' Suffrage. It's directly across the street from Johnstown Aerie 1575. The Aerie itself, while 107 years old, was until 1992 a strictly men-only fraternal organization with no Auxiliary.

Convention impressions Part Three

Welcome to the social rooms of Aerie 1575. This is one corner of an area bigger than Toronto 2311's entire premises when you include the adjacent washrooms, Secretary, Trustees and Auxiliary offices.

Upstairs is the recently refurbished ballroom, where State Aerie meetings took place. This is a partial shot, taken from the large balcony above the bar area and overlooking the stage. The balcony is in front of the auxiliary's own meeting rooms.

Convention impressions Part Four

Coming from an aerie whose Auxiliary charter was surrendered several years ago, it was nice to see the incoming Auxiliary officers, above, getting pumped for their installation. I'll be posting soon my view that if an aerie is to prosper, it's as important if not more so that they do everything they can to ensure they also have a strong and growing auxiliary. Like the song says, "you don't know what you've got till it's gone". For Ontario Eagles, the Sister on the right is Lola Collie, once a major driving force in the Ft Erie Ontario Auxiliary before that Ontario aerie collapsed.

Community involvement is an important component of the success of a local aerie. This clothing donation box is one example, just beside the front entrance of Aerie 1575. It speaks for itself.

Here's another shot of the banquet room, taken half an hour before a State Aerie session. Everything from the opening ceremony, convention sessions and the installation ceremony to lunches, the memorial service and the banquet started on time! There's a growing sentiment that the New York State Convention should be cut back from three days to two. It's none of my business, of course, but I'll soon be posting my view that the Ontario Provincial Aerie Conventions be expanded from two days to three - based on my experience here.

Convention impressions Part Five

Pat Gray, above left, an impresario of Eagles ritual, was the installing Grand Aerie Conductor for the joint installation ceremony. Originally from Toronto Aerie 2311 (and later also of Depew Aerie 2692), Pat was the installing officer when I first was elected to aerie office over 30 years ago. Here he's briefing two incoming State officers, Junior Past President Garrett Smith and Vice President John Badi. Pat will again be a candidate for Grand Aerie office in Orlando in July.

Many of the New York State delegates proudly wore the "Return Pat Gray to Grand Aerie Office" button in Johnstown. If you haven't received a button, there'll be plenty more available at the Grand Aerie Convention in Orlando.

I wasn't the only outside visitor to New York State's Convention. Above right, incoming New York State President Robert G T Yager sits with Joe Marcovic, Past Connecticut State President and State Membership Chairman, one of several visitors from Connecticut. Bob Yager is also a Past Connecticut State President. Joe will also again be a candidate for Grand Aerie office at the Grand Aerie Convention. New York State also had several visiting Eagles from Tennessee.

And last, Convention impressions Part Six

In his installation ceremony speech, incoming New York State President Robert G T Yager asked his fellow Eagles to focus in the coming year on "being a little kinder (to fellow aerie and auxiliary members), a little friendlier (especially to new members) and a little more charitable (in support of Eagles charities)."

My own impression of my visit to Johnstown is that New York State Eagles already set a very high standard on all three counts.

Grand Aerie Representative Robert P Wahls (Honorary Past Grand Worthy President and past Grand Aerie Secretary) spoke to us about the importance of attracting, keeping and cultivating volunteers in all we do.

"Once you turn down their offer to help they won't come back," Brother Wahls warned. "Whenever someone asks if they can help say yes. If there's nothing else that comes to mind right away, give them your job and find something else to do.

"Not many volunteer on their own, but very few say no when they're asked."

I was made more welcome than I had any right to expect, including receiving a rare special invitation to the Past New York State Presidents Luncheon. The Ontario Provincial Aerie was formed in 1995 from Ontario Aeries once part of New York and Michigan State Aeries. In our enthusiasm at the time, none of us consulted or even warned the New York and Michigan executives. Nor did we even consult our own Auxiliaries.

The Award of Merit plaque I received as an organizer at the OPA inaugural convention doesn't mention that particular detail. I did hear it more than once in Johnstown, however, but always in friendship.

Because my own Toronto Aerie 2311 has had such membership turnover since 1995, I also welcomed several opportunities to swap stories about my own Aerie 2311 heroes of the past -  Frank Stokes, Don Rettinger, Ian Carry and Mary Dunn (all Grand Hall of Fame members) and my original sponsor Tom Philpott, all of them now gone but fondly remembered in New York.

My visit to Johnstown was the first in a series to gather information about Ontario's renewed relationships through Michigan in the Great Lakes Region and through New York in the Eastern Region. Next is the Grand Aerie Convention itself in Orlando, Florida July 15 to 18. I will visit (perhaps the last) Eastern Canada Regional Convention in Sault Ste Marie Aerie 3991 September 19 and 20, and the Ontario Provincial Aerie Fall Conference in London 4060 October 3 to 5, followed by the Eastern Regional Conference in Clearfield Pennsylvania Aerie 812 October 10 and 11.