I would like to take this opportunity to thank you the membership for placing your trust and confidence in me to lead this great organization through the next year. It is hard to believe that Installation has come and gone and we are well into the Summer Official Visits. They certainly have been well attended and I would like to thank you for your support at each one.

I would just like to remind you about our projects for the year. I have three, the Alexandra Schencking Nursing Memorial Scholarship, Cancer and Hospice; they all have special meaning for me. The monies raised for the Cancer charity will go to provide social service support to cancer patients and their families who have limited resources within Washington State. Our Worthy Grand Patron this year is supporting ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) or Lou Gehrig’s disease and the monies raised will help support patient and family services for those living with this disease.

We are still collecting pull tabs to benefit the Ronald McDonald house. Last year Jr. PGM Diane had a goal of 1,000 lbs and well, she went through the roof on that and turned in well over 1,700 lbs. So I am challenging everyone to SAVE, SAVE, SAVE those pull tabs. It’s easy to do, get your family and friends and local businesses to save them and bring them to Grand Chapter next year. The other project that is on-going is the Cancelled Stamps for Cancer. Buy those commemorative stamps and save those Forever Stamps for the next postage increase.

We haven’t had the information out yet on our trip, but we will be traveling to Ohio September 22-30, 2010. Now some would ask why travel to Ohio and what is there to do. There is plenty to do and I am rather proud of my home state. Here is just a bit of what is planned, Ohio’s Grand Chapter (Friday evening), Amish country, Longaberger Homestead, the Statehouse

in Columbus, the Wright Patterson Air Museum, and more. Stay tuned for more information and save the dates.