Lodge 786 opens the year with music, wine, books
February 14, 2012 - Jean Koci, Lodge 786 Secretary/Treasurer
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| DON MILEK and NORBERT BERNHARDT entertained with their accordions during the Lodge 786 January meeting. |
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| DOROTHY JERNEYCIC, ROSEMARY MLAKAR and FRANCES AMBROZICH browsed the book collection while attending the Lodge 786 January meeting. |
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| MARY LOU JENSEN (723) and ANA LORENZO BERNHARDT (786) enjoyed sampling a selection of Slovenian wines. |
ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. — The first meeting of Lodge 786 in 2012, held Jan. 29, was a huge success! We had a great turnout of members, several guests joined us, and an exceptional social followed. Typical of our group of loyal members, some traveled long distances to be with us, coming from areas such as Palm Desert, Victorville, Sierra Madre, Temple City and all over Orange County.
During the month of January, the basic plans for our annual Wine Tasting Picnic were set. The date is Sunday, June 17, at Wien’s Cellars in Temecula, Calif. We were happy that we could reserve this great facility once again. The caterer who has served us in the past agreed to take care of this year’s event. We discussed details and made a few preliminary decisions.
Also during our meeting, voluntary hours were reported and our annual audit was held after the main business was taken care of. We signed cards for two of our members who have been ill, Kay Nowjack and Pauline Bužan. Those were delivered in person by Dorothy Jerneycic and me the next day.
Lodge 786 welcomes its first new member of the year (and our great-grandson!), Evander Jonathan Lawson, born Dec. 13, 2011. Congratulations to his mommy and daddy, Krista and Jonathan Lawson, and grandparents Janet and John Lundgren, all Lodge 786 members. We are fortunate to have this young family live close so that we can keep track of the little guy as he continues to grow. We also have another new member in the works, so this year is starting out well!
Our social really kicked-off as folks started arriving from everywhere, nibbling on appetizers, and sampling wines and our home-brewed beer. Of course, we had a lot of water and juice available as well. After a champagne toast to our friends in Slovenia in honor of “Prešeren Day,” we went into the living room to take care of business.
The real wine tasting started after the meeting. We sampled the seven Slovenian wines that were provided, along with a typical, but simple, old-country menu of klobase, potatoes, sauerkraut, salad and flancate for dessert. Thanks to those who brought appetizers and desserts to add to our table.
It was great having Don Milek, Norbert Bernhardt, Bob Patocka and Arnie Koci play music for us throughout the afternoon. We have a rather small home, but fortunately for us the weather was beautiful and we were able to set up four tables on the patio and back lawn for eating and visiting. Everyone enjoyed the casual atmosphere and fresh air.
During the afternoon, many members and friends browsed through our books on Slovenia: some novels, some textbooks, and many travel- and culture-type volumes. There were also books available for the taking that had been donated by Mark Ryavec, and a few came from Dorothy Jerneycic and Lina Kerwick. We had some Maxim Gaspari artwork on display, making this a special cultural event, and perhaps educational as well.
It’s heartwarming to have such a wonderful group of members who participate and contribute so much to our gatherings; whether it’s a meeting or a special event, it’s always friendly and fun. Thanks to all!
Our next meeting will be held at the home of Norbert and Ana Bernhardt in Santa Ana Sunday, March 4, beginning at 1 p.m. Please call for directions if needed. Ana is planning a Cuban menu. Mark your calendar for this meeting, as well as the Temecula Wine Tasting on June 17. Early reservations will be needed for the wine event.