Eagles soar as 'People Helping People'

Eagles soar as ‘People Helping People’

    “I wouldn’t belong to any club that would accept me as a member.”

– Groucho Marx

For the most part, Dear Old Groucho’s maxim sums up my own philosophy about clubs that would pretend to accept the likes of me among their vaunted

numbers. Most are, quite frankly, better off without the likes of This Guy.

With one exception.

   Men have formed clubs at least since the 1600s. It’s been written that clubs were formed by common folks with, well, clubs. These commoners with clubs formed clubs for protection, for friendship, and for the chance to elect a board of trustees so they could kick out the “undesirables.”

   Since 1979, the only such club that would accept the likes of me as a member is the Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 1161. (Someone probably had a

weak moment back then.)

   Longtime Eagle and family friend Harry Hopkins, better known to all of us as “Hop” or just “H,” administered my swearing in ceremony. I was asked

to repeat the phrase “If I cannot speak well of an Eagle, I will not speak ill of an Eagle.” I was signed up by another former member and family friend, Cliff Reffitt. “H” and Cliff have moved on, as have many of my Eagle friends from those formative years.

   My Eagles membership did not officially begin until 1979; however, my association with the club began at least a decade earlier. I could be wrong

on the year, but it seems to me that Jerry Shelton was president of Aerie 1161 around 1969 or 1970.

   I do recall that Jerry had to decide if he wanted his name to be at the very bottom of the lodge’s original Presidents Board or if he wanted to be

at the top of the second Presidents Board.

   My dad’s suggestion was to take the top spot of the new board. Jerry opted for the final space on the original board. He made the right decision. The gold-lettered calligraphy on the old board was a work of art.

   The Fraternal Order of Eagles’ motto is People Helping People. When I was a kid, the local lodge was always raising money for the Jimmy Durante

Children’s Foundation and the Max Baer Heart Fund. I doubt too many people today know who Jimmy Durante and Max Baer were.

   I learned to play serious stud poker at the Eagles. Thanks for the lessons, Noah Jenkins and Hugh Fettro. They were not inexpensive. I also

learned to shoot pool at the Eagles, just outside the old poker room. After going more than 20 years without shooting a competitive game, I was somewhat

pleased to win two out of three matches this past winter. Still, losing is losing.

   The Fraternal Order of Eagles was founded in 1898 by six Seattle theater owners. The women’s auxiliary traces its roots to 1927. My earliest

recollections of the Hillsboro Eagles predate the women’s auxiliary “privileges.” 

   I can remember when the only women allowed near the bar worked behind it. It seemed strange to me even at an early age that Edna and Bee could

wait on customers seated at the bar, but when off-duty, they were not permitted to be in the bar area. Of course, that’s long since changed.

   The Eagles’ female membership has included the likes of first lady Bess Truman, wife of former President Harry Truman; first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of FDR; and Virginia Graham, of radio and television fame.

   Two of my favorite American actors, Ronald Reagan and Bob Hope, were Eagles. So was JFK, who had his own favorite actors.

   Through its 112 years, the FOE has raised money for charitable causes. A lot of money, in fact.

   A quarter of a century ago, the organization raised more than $1 million for St. Jude Hospital. St. Jude, of course, is the patron saint of lost causes. St. Jude also is the No. 1 children’s cancer hospital in the nation.

   The FOE has fundraisers for eight major charities, including kidney, heart, diabetes, cancer and spinal cord injury funds, a children’s fund, a

memorial foundation and the Golden Eagle Fund.

   Locally, the Hillsboro and Greenfield aeries are among the largest annual contributors to the Highland County Society for Children and Adults

Telethon each spring. And their charity does not stop there. They have contributed to local law enforcement and fire departments and have provided

academic scholarships and countless donations for those in need.

   From time to time, I’d like to reflect upon the good works of the Fraternal Order of Eagles. For me, it’s a very pleasant diversion from writing about the political and current events of the day. In a future column, maybe I’ll tell you about my many, many conversations on baseball with Harry Hopkins. Hop, a big Cincinnati Redlegs fan and a National League purist, always thought Stan Musial was the game’s greatest hitter. That is, until he heard Hall of Fame Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller speak at an Eagles convention. Feller was asked, by a “feller” Eagle, “Who was the best hitter in baseball?”

   “That’s easy,” Feller responded. “Ted Williams.”

   Hop and my dad exchanged so many similar stories over the years that I’ve most likely forgotten half of them. If you like this one, I’d be happy

to share a few more.

   “Cheers” had its Norm and Cliff, but there was quite a large cast of characters back in the day at Aerie 1161.

   In addition to “H,” there were men with similarly interesting nicknames like Griff, Ratchet, Whistle, Rabbit, Cotton, Spit-Eye, Shorty, Elrod, Melvine, Willie, Big Bud, Big Bill, Big Kenny, Big Dave, Boss, Chalkie, Corky, Pee Wee, Hambone and others.

   Many of these Eagles members were World War II or Korean War veterans. All of them were very good to me. They laid the foundation for the ongoing acts of charity by the men and women who make up today’s Eagles.

   They are People Helping People.

   Rory Ryan is publisher and editor of The Highland County Press.

 “I wouldn’t belong to any club that would accept me as a member.”

– Groucho Marx

For the most part, Dear Old Groucho’s maxim sums up my own philosophy about clubs that would pretend to accept the likes of me among their vaunted

numbers. Most are, quite frankly, better off without the likes of This Guy.

With one exception.

   Men have formed clubs at least since the 1600s. It’s been written that clubs were formed by common folks with, well, clubs. These commoners with clubs formed clubs for protection, for friendship, and for the chance to elect a board of trustees so they could kick out the “undesirables.”

   Since 1979, the only such club that would accept the likes of me as a member is the Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 1161. (Someone probably had a weak moment back then.)

   Longtime Eagle and family friend Harry Hopkins, better known to all of us as “Hop” or just “H,” administered my swearing in ceremony. I was asked to repeat the phrase “If I cannot speak well of an Eagle, I will not speak ill of an Eagle.” I was signed up by another former member and family friend, Cliff Reffitt. “H” and Cliff have moved on, as have many of my Eagle friends from those formative years.

   My Eagles membership did not officially begin until 1979; however, my association with the club began at least a decade earlier. I could be wrong

on the year, but it seems to me that Jerry Shelton was president of Aerie 1161 around 1969 or 1970.

   I do recall that Jerry had to decide if he wanted his name to be at the very bottom of the lodge’s original Presidents Board or if he wanted to be at the top of the second Presidents Board.

   My dad’s suggestion was to take the top spot of the new board. Jerry opted for the final space on the original board. He made the right decision. The gold-lettered calligraphy on the old board was a work of art.

   The Fraternal Order of Eagles’ motto is People Helping People. When I was a kid, the local lodge was always raising money for the Jimmy Durante Children’s Foundation and the Max Baer Heart Fund. I doubt too many people today know who Jimmy Durante and Max Baer were.

   I learned to play serious stud poker at the Eagles. Thanks for the lessons, Noah Jenkins and Hugh Fettro. They were not inexpensive. I also learned to shoot pool at the Eagles, just outside the old poker room. After going more than 20 years without shooting a competitive game, I was somewhat pleased to win two out of three matches this past winter. Still, losing is losing.

   The Fraternal Order of Eagles was founded in 1898 by six Seattle theater owners. The women’s auxiliary traces its roots to 1927. My earliest recollections of the Hillsboro Eagles predate the women’s auxiliary “privileges.” 

   I can remember when the only women allowed near the bar worked behind it. It seemed strange to me even at an early age that Edna and Bee could wait on customers seated at the bar, but when off-duty, they were not permitted to be in the bar area. Of course, that’s long since changed.

   The Eagles’ female membership has included the likes of first lady Bess Truman, wife of former President Harry Truman; first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of FDR; and Virginia Graham, of radio and television fame.

   Two of my favorite American actors, Ronald Reagan and Bob Hope, were Eagles. So was JFK, who had his own favorite actors.

   Through its 112 years, the FOE has raised money for charitable causes. A lot of money, in fact.

   A quarter of a century ago, the organization raised more than $1 million for St. Jude Hospital. St. Jude, of course, is the patron saint of lost causes. St. Jude also is the No. 1 children’s cancer hospital in the nation.

   The FOE has fundraisers for eight major charities, including kidney, heart, diabetes, cancer and spinal cord injury funds, a children’s fund, a memorial foundation and the Golden Eagle Fund.

   Locally, the Hillsboro and Greenfield aeries are among the largest annual contributors to the Highland County Society for Children and Adults Telethon each spring. And their charity does not stop there. They have contributed to local law enforcement and fire departments and have provided academic scholarships and countless donations for those in need.

   From time to time, I’d like to reflect upon the good works of the Fraternal Order of Eagles. For me, it’s a very pleasant diversion from writing about the political and current events of the day. In a future column, maybe I’ll tell you about my many, many conversations on baseball with Harry Hopkins. Hop, a big Cincinnati Redlegs fan and a National League purist, always thought Stan Musial was the game’s greatest hitter. That is, until he heard Hall of Fame Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller speak at an Eagles convention. Feller was asked, by a “feller” Eagle, “Who was the best hitter in baseball?”

   “That’s easy,” Feller responded. “Ted Williams.”

   Hop and my dad exchanged so many similar stories over the years that I’ve most likely forgotten half of them. If you like this one, I’d be happy to share a few more.

   “Cheers” had its Norm and Cliff, but there was quite a large cast of characters back in the day at Aerie 1161.

   In addition to “H,” there were men with similarly interesting nicknames like Griff, Ratchet, Whistle, Rabbit, Cotton, Spit-Eye, Shorty, Elrod, Melvine, Willie, Big Bud, Big Bill, Big Kenny, Big Dave, Boss, Chalkie, Corky, Pee Wee, Hambone and others.

   Many of these Eagles members were World War II or Korean War veterans. All of them were very good to me. They laid the foundation for the ongoing acts of charity by the men and women who make up today’s Eagles.

   They are People Helping People.

   Rory Ryan is publisher and editor of The Highland County Press.