Fraternal Adventures
October 7, 2021: NJ-NY Fraternal Alliance 88th Annual Convention
October 25-26, 2021: PA Fraternal Alliance (PFA) 109th Annual Meeting
The PFA Annual Meeting offered me a break from travel since it was held in Pittsburgh. It was great to see some of the same fraternal representatives from the NJ-NY Fraternal Alliance at this meeting. Allison Koppel, CEO of the American Fraternal Alliance (AFA), was able to attend and give an in-person update on how the AFA is proceeding with alliance growth and the promotion of fraternalism throughout the country.
And the Winner Is ...
During the dinner banquet, our very own Matt Blistan was awarded the John Jordan Upchurch Award. Upchurch is recognized as the father of the fraternal benefit system, and this award in his honor recognizes distinguished and exemplary service to fraternalism within the PFA. Matt's lifelong commitment to fraternalism and his focus on its growth at GBU Life over his 20-year career distinguishes him among award winners. We at GBU were very proud to see him recognized for all of the great things he has done.
"It is a real honor to have my name added to a list of fraternal icons. In reality, if it wasn't for John Jordan Upchurch, we might all not be sitting here today as he really did bring the lifeblood of fraternals into a mostly social club industry by adding life insurance to our fraternal purpose." -Matt Blistan, Jr.
November 6-7, 2021: Flag Consecration
Matt Blistan and I recently attended the consecration ceremony for the new flag that was created for the Toledo Holzhacker Baum (THB). I brought my family along and learned a lot about this great organization that works in cooperation with GBU District 510.
When we received an invitation from the THB to attend its upcoming Fahnenweihe, I was immediately encouraged by Matt to attend. "It's a fun group, you'll love them," he insisted. So, I packed up my family, and we headed to Toledo. During the four-hour drive, I googled "fahnenweihe" and found out that it is one of those great German compound words that means "flag consecration." This is a very important day for a new flag. During the consecration ceremony, the flag is put under the protection of God and it is officially able to take up its duty representing the organization.
The day before the fahnenweihe, there was a casual reception held at the Chalet at Oak Shade Grove, the grounds of the German-American Festival where several German and Swiss cultural groups (seven to be exact) hold meetings and events. I met some District 510 members and officers as well as the current THB president, Andrew Beevis. Andrew told me the THB and District 510 joined forces in 2013 to promote German and Bavarian heritage in Toledo. Since then THB has grown, bringing a continuous influx of energetic families to help both organizations thrive. This past summer, THB found a unique way to fundraise by putting its energy and talent to bartending and catering for a huge summer concert series in Toledo.
My kids had a great time, as kids do when there are all-you-can-drink soft drinks and a dance floor involved. They were able to make fast friends with other children from the group. We toured Toledo on Saturday morning before the service, and both kids became Mud Hens fans for life, after simply seeing the logo. We also visited the Imagination Station, and I was almost unable to get everyone to leave in time!
The service itself was in the stunning St. Patrick's Cathedral and was a traditional Mass. It incorporated German hymns and readings and the final blessing and consecration of the new THB flag. At the reception afterward, the new flag of THB was displayed along with those of the other German dance organizations that came to celebrate and banners were handed out to mark the occasion. The evening progressed with lively (and live) music, dancing and great conversation, until the kids begged us to take them swimming at the hotel at 9:30 p.m.
The relationship between THB and District 510 is a great example of how districts can work together with organizations in their area for mutual benefit. The groups support each other, help each other to grow and bring a bigger presence in their community of their common bond-German heritage. Thank you to THB for the invitation to join in this celebration. We had a great time getting to know everyone, and my family and I are excited to return to Toledo for the German-American Festival in the summer!
