Flag Unit — Bangor, Maine
2006 Officers
Gene Kelley, Captain
Keith DeWitt, 1st Lieutenant
Gerald Carey, 2nd Lieutenant
Keith DeWitt, 2nd Lieutenant
Arthur Herbest, 2nd Lieutenant
Ed Rogers, secretary
Lew Higgins, Treasurer
Richard Reidy, Reporter
Cecil Sprague, Sergeant
Chris Urquhart, Sergeant
Herb Carey, Sergeant
Ray Mosely, Quartermaster
Charles Kennedy, Divan Representative
Roger Grindal, Divan Representative
Members
Arthur Abbott,
Richard Anderson,
James Campbell,
Jerry Cole,
Paul Davis,
Robert Davis,
Edwin DeWitt,
Keith DeWitt,
Steve DeWitt,
Richard Doane,
Arthur Dority,
Lee Ellis,
Allen Fernald,
Arthur Grant,
Dennis Green,
Floyd Harrison,
Fred Harmon,
William Harmon,
Arthur Herbest,
Terry Johnson,
Barry Knowles,
Walter Lougee,
Thomas MacDonald,
Glenn McManus,
Dennis Morang,
Don Moulton,
Donald Noddin,
Tim Oshoa,
Stanley Reed,
Richard Richardson,
Gregory Russell,
Robert Shelton,
Clement Shine,
Leman Smith,
Sewall Snowman,
Cecil Sprague,
David Thompson,
Tim Torrey,
Roger Trussell
Monthly Column
Richard Reidy - Reporter
Here it is November and time for Thanksgiving Day, Halloween is now gone by and we all have had our full share of the leftover candy if there is any leftover. We never get any "Trick or Treaters" to our dooryard due to the fact that we are on a very busy Ellsworth road and we are set back from the road. We always have a full bowl of candy just in case; however we do get a knock on the door. We always buy the candy that we both like however so it will not go to waste.
This month begins the deer hunt in Maine, does it not? I'm not a deer hunter, deer hunting was not a big issue in the Bronx when I was growing up in the 1930's and 40's so I never caught the "bug" of deer hunting. In some ways I regret not growing up in Maine, I missed a lot of things that are taken for granted by a lot of my current friends who had the privilege of being born in Maine and cutting their teeth on a 30-06. I have a lot of memories of my days in the Bronx like now at this time of the year walking past the Yankee Stadium on the way to the subway to take the train to my high school and seeing Yankee baseball fans camping out on the sidewalk in their sleeping bags and waiting in line to buy tickets for the World Series when in those bygone days when the Yankees always won the American League race. I can't erase those pictures; however I'm glad to be able to spend my remaining years here in Maine, both summer and winter, for as many years that I have left on earth.
I have nothing to report about the Flag Unit this month, we had our October meeting on Monday, October 9th at the Shrine Center, we had seven members in attendance, five from Ellsworth and two from Milo plus our Divan Representative Noble Chuck Kennedy. At least we had a quorum if necessary for a vote but with only seven members present there really was not much we could bring up that required a vote of any consequence. We did discuss the possibility of having the Annual Meeting at the Shrine Center and have it catered; also perhaps we should have it at a restaurant in Milo that we had discussed last year. Noble Steve Dewitt was going to make some inquires about this place. Our Secretary Ed Rogers was going to call Noble Sonny Crocker about the use of the Shrine Center. We really need to increase our attendance at our meetings because you can't run an organization without members present to voice their opinions about what we should do. Speaking for the Ellsworth contingent we are getting on in years and most of us who do attend meetings month after month are in serious health conditions. One of us in chemo therapy, another has serious back and leg problems, we have an 80-year old who has a real bad foot condition and has just resumed attending our meetings, Thank God I can say for myself that the pacemaker is working and is keeping me on the straight and narrow, I really can't walk any distance without feeling it so I don't. Our last companion is a diabetic in good control but we all know what this problem can lead to. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that we do not know how much longer we "old fogies" can last, we do need young blood to pick up the pieces and go forward with the Flag Unit.
Speaking of "old fogies", I guess it is time to list the birthdays for the month of November of our Nobles and Ladies. For our Nobles they are Noble Greg Russell and Noble Barry Knowles Jr. For our Ladies they are Ladies Cynthia Burton, Katie Harmon, Linda Russell and Pauline Ellis.
In November the following couples joined hands in matrimony, Noble Arthur & Lady Joanne Dority, Noble Bob & Lady Mary Helen Davis, Noble Lee & Lady Pauline Ellis and Noble Bob & Lady Eva Shelton.
Finally I can relate one story that our Divan Representative Noble Chuck Kennedy told us the other night about one of our members. Chuck went on the our Potentate's trip to Branson, Missouri last month and became friendly with one of the stewardesses, he told her that they were Shriners and told her about us and the hospitals, etc. When they had to change aircraft at a new airport and boarded the plane to Branson one of the stewardesses said to Chuck that you must be the Shriners, Chuck was surprised and asked her how she knew of them, she replied that the stewardess from the other aircraft had told her that Shriners would be aboard her plane. She said to Chuck, "I know a Shriner but I can't remember his name, he located a flag for me which I bought" Chuck said "Would that be Walter Lougee?" She said "Why yes but I can't remember where he was from" Chuck said, "Would that be Milo, Maine? The poor stewardess was so surprised that Chuck knew all this information about a man she knew by a purchase of a flag but she did say that she was so impressed by Noble Walter that she continues to send him Christmas cards each year. Noble Walter, you are known far and wide and isn't it a small world. It gets smaller all the time.
On this note I will end this report with the hope that all of you, our Nobles and your families have a great and Happy Thanksgiving. Don't eat too much.
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