German American Society

A note from your President, Karin King: At out general meeting on April 5, 2024, we elected our new board members. They are ready to assume their duties and responsibilities. They are eager to navigate our German Society with financial fidelity towards fulfilling our social and cultural goals. We are fortunate that we have found such qualified and dedicated candidates to assume the following vacated positions.

We have a very competent and dedicated board of directors who work hard to provide and maintain our cherished cultural haven. They may not only provide the leadership of our organization, but they mostly provide the actual work of cleaning, painting, moving, sorting advertising as cooking. They have been generous with their time as well as financial contributions. They do this because they love our society and it is our wish that more of you will volunteer your services in such things as cooking, serve as hosts, help organize our dinners, help with entertainment and any one of the many things to help provide the German Gemütlichkeit for which our society has always been known. ~ Karin King

Dear Members, It's time to clean and organize our club. We need YOU to be part of this event. There is a job for EVERYONE to do whether it is cleaning shelves, changing out light bulbs or sitting and filling saltshakers. Wear your cleaning clothes and bring a potluck dish! Your Social Trustee to host and direct you to your assigned job. Electra Jubon 509-325-2446

A special thank you to: Trevor from Das Stein Haus for their delicious Schnitzel Dinner at our Pioneer Day Spring Concert! And, thank you to the choir for the beautiful club set up both upstairs and downstairs and the delicious cakes.

Welcome new members, and a very special thank you to ALL our loyal members. Your support is what continues to get us through thick and thin. We depend on the money to pay the bills, but we also need VOLUNTEERS to help keep the club in shape.

Membership dues are now PAST Due for 2024. Please pay your membership current ASAP so you can continue receiving our informational "newsletter" and be able to join us for special dinners and events. We don't want to lose you!!!!

Dear Members, I would like to welcome our newest elected members to our board. Annelore Kirn, Electra Jubon, Christi Kile, Barbara Vaughn and Ron Niederstadt. But with the excitement of our new board members come sadness of the departing members Inge Cantu, Rich Aspenleiter, Charlotte Shell and Charity Doyl, that have devoted their time, energy, and love to us and our club for many years. This is not goodbye but a farewell. ~ President Karin King

Election Night at the German-American Society - Although only a little German was spokane on April 5, 2024, Friday's election evening, the German Gemütlichkeit permeated the historic walls of our Deutsches Haus. Before, during, and after an evening snack of Bratwurst, Sauerkraut, and Kartoffelsalat, the procedures were friendly, informative. and inviting to participate. And we did elect a great slate of officers to ensure the continuation of our cultural traditions. Each candidate stood to introduce themselves with a brief background of their interest and involvement in our German society. As we thanked the retiring board members, they assured us of their continued support and cooperation. Rich Aspenleiter turned over his duties as bar manager to Christi Kile, our newly elected trustee with the assurance of his continued support to Christi and our society. Charlotte Shell's duties as 2nd Vice President have now been turned over to Ronald Niederstadt, but Charlotte will remain our loyal supporter and continue taking reservations for all of our events. Inge Cantu has devotedly served as our membership trustee for many years and is graciously passing on her duties to Annelore Kirn. Electra Jubson was unanimously elected to fill our Social Trustee position. Barbara Vaughn, who has served us diligently as our Interim Food Service Trustee, has now been elected to continue serving us for at least another two years.

These newly elected board members will be serving along with Dianna Kilgore, our secretary, Gail Miller, our treasurer, Becky Ostereich, our Vice President, and Gary Puseman, our rental trustee, under the leadership of our charming and enthusiastic president, Karin King.

As you will note, we are on the way to continuing our cultural traditions, maintaining our society, and preserving our Cultural Haven, our Deutsches Haus. ~ Edgar

Don't Forget to Renew your Membership - Dear G.A.S. members, Renewing your yearly membership of $50 per person, will ensure that you continue receiving our monthly updates and club event calendar.

Your membership helps ensure the upkeep of our club, supporting the club's dinners and fun events and promoting German culture in our community.

If we do not hear from you by the end of April, it is our understanding you are no longer interested in receiving this newsletter.

Thank you for your continued support. ~ Karin King, Inge Cantu, and our new Membership chairperson - Annelore Kirn.

Books - We have an assortment of German books in the Kaffee Stube looking to be donated. Please come ASAP abd see if anything looks like you would love to read and add to YOUR library.

We would like to thank all who attended the "Celebration of Life" on March 6, 2024 for Carl Griffith. Carl was an important member of our club. Thank you to the Concordia Choir for singing a beautiful tribute. His presence filled the room along with the ice cream and popcorn.

Upcoming Election of Officers - Our general meetings have not been well attended, getting less and less with every passing year. But now it is time to elect new Officers and Board Trustees. Our General Meeting will be on Friday April 5, 2024 at 6:30 pm. At our board meeting on March 1, 2024, we have discussed the candidates for the vacancies on our board of directors, 2nd Vice President, Bar Manager, Membership Chairperson and Social Trustee. If you are at all interested in applying for any of these open positions, please call Edgar Bueschke at 509-448-7029.

Copies of our recently revised bylaws are available on our society website at www.germanamericansociety-spokane.org and then by clicking on members only area. Send a message to webmaster@germanamericansociety-spokane.org if you need a username and password to get access. You may also contact me or our secretary, Dianna Kilgore, who can send you a copy via email attachment.

Membership Dues for 2024 are Now Due! Thank you to all who have continued to support our club by paying your dues and for the welcomed extra financial donations. Make checks of $50 per member payable to the:
German American Society
Inga Cantu, Membership Chairperson
25 W. Third Ave Spokane, WA 99201

Election Time - If you would like to run for any of the following positions, please contact Edgar Bueschke at 509-448-7029.
Bar Manager, 2nd Vice President, Membership Chairperson, Kitchen Trustee and Social Trustee.

Open Helper Positions - Dishwasher, Hostess, Cooks, Dinner Servers, Bar Servers, Parking Lot Attendant.

From the Library Committee - The club has accepted several donations of old German books from families who no longer wish to hold them in their libraries. The number of books is substantial, and we don't really have the room for them as our small book case located in the Coffee Stube is already full. Before we decide to donate them away to someone else, we are inviting the German-American Society members to come check them out and take home anything that you would like to add to your personal collection. Any remaining books will be disposed of after the April 5th Election Meeting.

Out German American Society Mission Statement - The purpose of the society is to offer "Hospitality" to all people of all nationalities who offer support and foster the traditions of the Germanic homeland, to cultivate the German language, to sing German songs and to enjoy humor, poetry, drama, music, and dance in the tradition of the German Gemeutlichkeit.

KUDOS - A very special thank you to Elke Griffith, sisters and their team who made our wonderful Ham Sweetheart Dinner. Alpine Deli for coming to the Fundraiser Dinners Rescue.

Thank you to Lee Malinda, Tyler Price and Fred Stahl for helping Karin King and Dianna Kilgore at the Convention Center for the Lunar New Year.

I would like to express a heartfelt "Thank You" to all out current and new members as well as our volunteers who supported our club during this past year in so many different and wonderful ways. Thank you for all the generous donations that helped keep us afloat! You are appreciated more than words can express and I am looking forward to celebrating many more events with you in the future.

Membership Renewal - Please remember to send in your 2024 membership dues. Thank you to all that have paid already.

Hope you have enjoyed the Newsletters. If you still want to be on our mailing list, please let us know.

A special "Thank You" - to our new member, a fun addition to our GAS family. He has graciously donated to our club. His kindness will help us, and the club, in so many ways. Thank you, Mr. Tyler Price.

Thank you to ALL who have donated with money, time, help around the club with cooking, etc. You are all appreciated.

KUDOS - Thank you, Russ Heaton, for the delicious Sauerbraten Dinner, the choir and members for the yummy birthday cakes, and all of the members who come to the dinners that the cooks work hard to prepare for you to enjoy. If you are so inclined, we are ALWAYS looking for cooks, servers and hosts.

Sunshine Committee - Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who have had recent illnesses or has lost a loved one.

January is Membership Renewal Month! Another year has come and gone. What better way to start out the new year, than renewing your Club Membership so you can enjoy club benefits all year round!
$50.00 per member! Inge Cantu 509-467-7389

Dear club members and friends,
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year. Another year has ended and what a year it was. We have had significant losses of very special long time, club members. Many of our pioneers. Several club maintenance issues that needed to be addressed and fixed. Some are still in progress. We truly have been blessed with Grants that has helped us get through, and thanks to all your support and dedication we can continue to have more dinners and special events.

We are looking forward to the New Year with many new and fun opportunities. This is sure to make us stronger for a very successful 2024.

My prayer is that you and your family will be richly blessed with happiness and continued good health throughout the New Year.
Warmest Wishes
President Karin King

The ongoing Tasks of our German American Society Board of Trustees - Our dedicated board of directors work hard to maintain our long-standing traditions, the various services, as well maintaining our aging Deutsches Haus. These dedicated members need to be recognized by name: Karin King, our enthusiastic president; Becky Oestreich, our first vice president, who has also participated in cooking delicious meals for us; Charlotte Shell, our second vice president, whose number everyone calls to make reservations; Dianna Kilgore, our secretary, who has maintained our records and is the editor of our newsletter; Gail Miller, our treasurer, keeps our financial records in order; Inge Cantu, our Membership trustee, is constantly welcoming new members; Gary Puseman, our Rental Trustee, manages our rental facilities and oversees its care; Barbara Vaughn; Our newest Food Service Trustee, maintains an accurate inventory of all our supplies necessary for our many dinners; Rich Aspenleiter, our Bar Manager Trustee, makes sure that our bar is well stocked; Ron Niederstadt, our Ways and Means Trustee, in a short time has been thrust into new responsibilities including being president of the Concordia Choir; Charity Doyl, is our social Trustee, who keeps us informed of social activities within and outside of our society.

Our board members perform their elected duties above and beyond their described board duties and positions. Our thanks and praise seem hardly enough, but for now, that is all that we have to offer.

The term of service for some of our board members will expire in April of 2024. All currently serving board members have been asked to accept another two-year term. In November, according to our bylaws, a nominating committee is charged with finding qualified candidates for the possible vacancies on the board. I, who have served on the nominating committee for the past several years, am asking you, dear Society members, to consider one of our board positions or be willing to work on one of our committees. The rewards for such services are the warm friendships and lasting bonds that have been formed over the years.

Please do contact one of our board members to volunteer a few hours of your time to help keep our society thriving as the special place for our traditional Gemütlichkeit. There are a number of tasks that volunteers could help with, such as setting tables for our special events, help serve dinner, decorate our Christmas tree as well as help in hiring and overseeing maintenance issues.

As I mentioned above, our board is doing a great job, but they surely would greatly appreciate a bit more help from the general membership. Edgar Bueschke

Thank you to ALL the Christmas Angels... Elke Griffith and daughter, for the lovely decorations. Peter Schoen and friend, for a delicious dinner. Barbara Vaughn, who did so much behind the scenes work. Rich Aspenleiter and Gae Meyer, who held down the fort, served us our drinks and helped clean up after every dinner event. Edgar Bueschke, for making the famous Glühwein. Which always make our Christmas extra special.

Dear club members, I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. I am proud to say that we are still functioning thanks to the dinners, rentals, grants, club memberships and the generous donations by several club members!

Please join us for our Christmas dinner on December 16, 2023 at 5:30 pm and our Christmas service at St. Mark's Lutheran Church. reception to follow at the Deutsches Haus, for complimentary coffee and cookies on December 17, 2023 at 3:30 pm.

Kudos - Thank you, Andrea for cooking a wonderful dinner for our Pioneer Day! Thank you to: Inge Cantu, Gary Puseman, Joe Letts, Becky Oestreich, Ron Niederstadt, Hans Behrens and Ladies and Barbara Vaughn for their hard work recovering the chairs.

Happy Birthday to all of our December members. Please join us January 20, 2023 for our Birthday Dinner. We will have a drawing each month and the winner will go home with a cake!

Welcome New Members - Please join us in welcoming some of our newest club members. Herzlich willkommen, we love having you and we are looking forward to seeing you at some of our upcoming events.

Danke Schön - Thank you very much! - Our German-American Haus was filled yet again during our recent Oktoberfest. This German festival is duplicated and repeated everywhere, yet we stand out. In our German-American Haus, we feature authentic German food, beer, and above all, German Gemütlichkeit! We have a list of volunteers that helped make this event such a success. The harmony with which our club members work together is the reason that our German-American Society remains the oldest and the only ethnic organization still functioning in this region. Events such as Oktoberfest in our German-American Haus serve to enrich our cultural experience, entertain us, and help create revenue to preserve and sustain our haus. We are all proud to own and preserve our haus.

Oktoberfest Review - Our 4th annual Oktoberfest was not only very successful, but also a lot of fun and everyone had a great time. Welcome to all the many new members that joined our club during the Oktoberfest celebration. A special "thank you" goes out to our advertisers who graciously contributed to our success by donating their services!

    ● George Weimer - Das Stein Haus for pretzels and brats, potato salad, and sauerkraut.
    ● U-haul and Frankie Doodle for parking.
    ● Mayor Nadine Woodward for tapping the keg.
    ● Edgar Bueschke and Delta Airlines/Unifi.
    ● And all of our volunteers!

Dear Members, We are having a small workshop on November 1st at 3 pm. We are looking for volunteers to help us recover our chairs with new fabric and possibly clean outside around the club. If you can spare an hour or two, it would be appreciated. Many hands make work so much easier and fun. If you have any questions and are willing to help, please call Inge Cantu at 509-435-7286. Thank you, Inge Cantu Membership Chairman

Oktoberfest - September 30th! Come and celebrate this fun filled event and our biggest fundraiser of the year! Catered by George Weimer from the Das Stein Haus! The food will be exceptional!

Our 3rd annual OKTOBERFEST plans for 2023 are well underway to make it another fun event in our German Hall. We need volunteers to relieve other volunteers so that we all have a chnace to mingle and socialize in an atmosphere of German "Gemütlichkeit."

1. Cashiers for front entrance. We now make it possible for guests to pay by credit cards. If interested, contact Gail Miller at gailandbruce73@aol.com or 509-869-4402.

2. Host or Hostess to greet and usher guests into the hall and away from a congested entrance area.

3. Beer and beverage servers - must have a MAST License that you can get at www.rserving.com. Contact Rich Aspenleiter at richa883@comcast.net or 509-863-2973.

Your questions, suggestions and ideas are always welcome to help make the events at our German-American Society a continued success. Please come to Oktoberfest and be prepared to enjoy German "Gemütlichkeit" on the 30th of September!

Oktoberfest Committee - A heartfelt thank you to our OKTOBERFEST planning committee. They have diligently been working on making our 3rd annual event a success.

Committee members are - Karin King, George Weimer, Rich Aspenleiter, Inge Cantu, Gary Puseman, Ron Niederstadt, Joe Letts, Becky Oestreich, Bruce and Gaul Miller, Kevin and Dianna Kilgore.

To our club members - It is hard to believe, but the first half of 2023 is ending. Our last dinner meeting before we recess for the summer month, will be on the 17th of June, 2023, and it promises to be a very special event as the Happy Wanderers Band will be playing for us.

In looking back of the past few years, I am very relieved to say that we survived these challenging times in better shape than expected.

Of course, this is only due in thanks to all of your generous participation in attending our dinners, the renewal of your memberships and all the many volunteers' efforts. The "grants" we have received, as well as our rentals that sustained us. Words cannot express how thankful, grateful, and encouraged I am about your continued support.

This gives me hope that moving forward into the fall season, we can come back even better and stronger.

During the summer months, our Oktoberfest committee will be working on our next :Oktoberfest." Our famous Oktoberfest will take part on Saturday, September 30, 2023. SAVE THE DATE!! If you are so inclined to volunteer, please call me, Karin King at 509-499-0109.

We are looking forward to welcoming you and your friends and families to all the upcoming actives.

Honor Award Ceremony - This award is presented to Alex and Elaine Schoen in loving memory and appreciation for their many years of devoted service to the German-American Society and to the Concordia Choir. As president of the choir, he inspired us, he arranged and led us to many Sängerfests. He invited or recruited many of us to join the choir, including me in 1965. Alex passed away in 1999. His devoted wife, Elaine was singing with our choir even last year when she died last November. To receive this award is their daughter, Barbara Schoen Voughn.

The next award goes to Ralph and Marianne Tibbetts, who served our society since the early seventies. Ralph and Marianne contributed many hours to the German Club by cooking some of their favorite dinners: Schnitzel, Rouladen and Pork Roast. They also were members of our Concordia Choir and brought their son, Ben to sing with us and to carry on the Tibbetts tradition. Sadly, Ralph, Marianne and their youngest son, Ben, are no longer with us. To receive this award on their behalf is their son, Ralph Tibbetts.

Eberhard and Susie Schmidt have been active members of the German-American Society and the Concordia Choir these past 45 years. Most of you are aware of the long list of contributions that Eberhard has made. Eberhard was elected president in 1986 while I was elected vice president. A few years later, he was elected president of the Concordia Choir while I was elected vice president. So, we had many years of friendly collaboration as officers of this society, but our lasting friendship will remain unforgettable. And Susie's help and support has been tireless. Her name is inscribed in bold letters as her place in our Kaffeestube. We are so happy that she is with us to personally receive this award.

With us this evening are two beloved pioneers of the German-American Society, Lee and Maria McKeirnan. Maria joined the German-American Society in 1957 and soon after joined the Concordia Choir, which then was called the Arion Choir. Maria sang with us until the age of 89 and she has remained a faithful member of our choir to this day. It is an honor and respect to announce her age of 91. There is a long list of services and contributions attributed to her involvement in our society. In 1992, she took the lead in organizing the Sängerfest involving German singing clubs throughout the Pacific Northwest and Canada. Her devoted husband, Lee McKeirnan, is still at her side right here in our German Club. Lee remained a great support of her and of our German culture and traditions. We are delighted to greet them and applaud them here in our midst.

Norm Seeberger has contributed much to the well-known Gemütlichkeit and the festive atmosphere that exists here at the German-American Society. He and his wonderful accordion music has made us all lively and enthused for many years. We, in the Concordia Choir, have marched into this hall to Norm's playing of Mein Vater war ein Wandersman - The happy wanderer. Our choir has been invited to perform at many retirement homes and other occasions. We were grateful that we could count on Norm to accompany us. Norm, a North Dakota native, not far from Lawrence Welk's home town, was influenced by that type of music that gloriously resonated with the rhythm of Germans in our club. Norm gladly played requests. "Life in the Findland Woods" was one of my favorite requests. So, with much appreciation, we award you this token of our appreciation.

KUDOS - Thank you to All involved in the Pioneer Day/Honor Award Ceremony. What a special event that was. Thank you to Andrea from Alpine Deli for yet another amazing dinner.

Becky Oestreich and team for the delicious Mother's Day Cornish Game Hen dinner. So wonderful to see the young children, "our future" helping and learning our traditions. Thank you, Becky, for sharing your family with us.

We want to say a very special "Thank You" to our board and Maintenance Committee for all the hard work and many hours they have been putting towards our club. A simple "Thank You" is not enough. Your efforts and willingness is very appreciated.

A note from our president - At our general meeting on the 31st of March, we elected our new board members. They are ready to assume their duties and responsibilities. They are ready to navigate our German Society with financial fidelity towards fulfilling our social and cultural goals. We are fortunate that we have found such qualified and dedicated candidates to assume the following vacated positions.

Please welcome Ron Niederstadt as our new Choir President and Ways and Means Trustee.

We have a very competent and dedicated board of directors who work hard to provide and maintain our cherished cultural haven. They may not only provide the leadership of our organization, but they mostly provide the actual work of cleaning, painting, moving, sorting, advertising as well as cooking. They have been generous with their time as well as financial contributions. They do this because they love our society and it is our wish that more of you will volunteer your services in such things as cooking, serve as hosts, help organize our dinners, help with entertainment and any one of the many things to help provide the German Gemütlichkeit for which our society has always been known.

A Special Thank You - Andrea and family from Alpine Deli for her AMAZING Rouladen with Kloesse at our Pioneer Day Spring Concert Dinner!

The Choir for the beautiful club set up both upstairs and downstairs and the delicious cakes.

Special recipients of honorary awards from our Spring Concert were - Eberhard Schmidt Family, Elaine Schoen Family, Tibbets Family, Lee and Maria McKeirnan and Norm Seeberger. More info to follow in the June newsletter.

Welcome New Members - Tyler Price and Richard Kuhlig and thank you to ALL our loyal members. Your support is what continues to get us through thick and thin. We depend on the money to pay the bills, but we also need VOLUNTEERS to help keep the club in shape.

Membership dues are now PAST DUE - Please pay your membership current ASAP so you can continue receiving our informational newsletter and joining us for special dinners and events. We don't want to lose you!! Thank you, Inge Cantu - Membership Chairman

Welcome to all our new members. We are so honored that you have joined our club family: Olesia Letts, Rosemarie Schmidt, Bethany Phillips, Robert and Ruth Johnson, Richard and Lorilee Schoen, Eric Kristin, Gia and Quin Schoen, Hamid Becirovic, Mikaken Cosic, Sanyin Sadzak, Sedin Unkic, Aaron and Johannah Crandall, Floyd Schneider, Edward Zeiser, Tammy White, Michael Adolfac, and, David and Connie Stiller.

Eberhardt Schmidt has been a member of the GAS for over 45 years. Eberhard was always friendly, kind, and full of fun. He was involved in and contributes to the activities and the upkeep of the club and building. He supported the GAS in every conceivable manner. The club membership recently participated with Eberhard's family and friends, in honoring his legacy by music, song, and beautiful words. It seems fitting we continue to honor Eberhard in a more concrete way.

In consultation with the President Karin King, as well as Susie Schmidt, an "Eberhard Schmidt Memorial Fund" has been established. To date, Lee and Marie McKeirnan, Edgar Bueschke, and Mallene and Hans Herzog, have contributed $500 per family to kick start this fund. The fund was established for the renovation and improvement of the kitchen facilitiues. The kitchen project was chosen because of the amount of time and energy the Schmidt family put into serving the membership and guests at numerous dinners and events.

We invite you, the membership, to consider a contribution to continue the work that Eberhard unselfishly contributed for so many years. $1500 is already in the fund to purchase and install a new hot water tank close to the kitchen.

Thank you for your consideration of a donation to this memorial established in the honor of our dearly departed friend, Eberhard Schmidt.

Dear GAS Club Members, Renewing your yearly membership of $50 per person will ensure that you continue receiving our monthly updates and club events calendar.

Your membership helps ensure the upkeep of our club, supporting the club's dinners and fun events and promoting German culture in our community.

If we do not hear from you by the end of April, it is our understanding you are no longer interested in receiving this newsletter.

We would like to thank all who attended the "Celebration of Life" for Eberhard Schmidt. We all felt his presence. Eberhard was truly a pillar of our club. Thank you to Andrea from Alpine Deli, the Concordia Choir, as well as our guests. The Spokane Symphony String Quartet. It was such a blessed afternoon.

Election Time: If you would like to run for any of the following positions, please contact Edgar Bueschke at 509-448-7029.

Thank You to Inge Cantu, for single handedly cleaning out the Broom Closet, and even painted the concrete floor! Gary and Inge also have installed motion lights going down the back stair well!

Upcoming Election of Officers: Our general meetings have not been well attended, getting less and less with every passing year. But now, it is time to ELECT new Officers and Board Trustees. Our General Meeting will be on Friday April 1, 2023 at 6:30 pm. At our board meeting on March 3, 2023, we will be discussing the candidates for the vacancies on our Board of Directors, Vice President, Ways and Means, Food Service Trustee.

If you are at all interested in applying for any of these open positions, please call: Edgar Bueschke at 509-448-7029.

Copies of our recently revised bylaws are available on our society website and then by clicking members only area at www.germanamericansociety-spokane.org. You may also contact me or our secretary, Dianna Kilgore, who can send you a copy via email attachment.

KUDOS - A very special thank you to Russ and Ann Heaton and their team who made our wonderful Schnitzel Sweetheart Dinner and Becky Tibbets and helpers for a last minute request to tend the Kaffee Stube.

Advertise in our newsletter - Thank you to all our loyal members and businesses who advertise in our newsletter. Because of their generosity, we can print and send our newsletters. Please take the time to look over the list of advertisers. Please Thank and SUPPORT their businesses.

A Valentines Message from the President - I would like to express a heartfelt "Thank You" to all of our current and new members as well as our volunteers who supported our club during this past year in so many different and wonderful ways. Thank you for all the generous donations that helped keep us afloat!

You are appreciated more than words can express and I am looking forward to celebrating many more events with you in the future. Vielen Dank!

Membership Dues: Please remember to send in your 2023 membership dues. $50 per person. Please send them in by the end of March! Hope you have enjoyed the newsletters, If you still want to be on our calling list, please let us know.

Our Dedicated Board of Directors - A new year has begun and old commitments and responsibilities have remained and have re-emerged for our dedicated board of trustees to deal with. The board has bravely and skillfully navigated through the stormy Covid pandemic, and nobody has abandoned ship. Our dedicated members are and have been determined to carry on with determination and dedication.

There are prescribed duties and obligations on our annual calendar such as election of officers scheduled for April. I have served on the nominating committee for several years and it becomes more challenging to find willing and qualified candidates. I have also asked members to serve with me on the nominating committee. It was mostly fear of Covid exposures the reason for their decline.

As long as things are going well, most of us resist change but rather hope things will continue continuing on. We are most fortunate that most if our board members have agreed to stay on and continue to serve our society. They are:

Karin King, who has served our society as our President since 2016. Charlotte Shell, our second Vice President has agreed to stay with us and provide us the additional service of taking and making reservations for our membership. Dianna Kilgore, our dedicated secretary who has also agreed to continue preparing and publishing our newsletter. Gail Miller, has agreed to continue maintaining our financial records as our treasurer. Inge Cantu, will continue to serve us as our membership trustee. Gary Puseman, our rental trustee, will continue coordinating with renters who rent our facilities. Charity Doyle, our social trustee, will continue keeping us informed and connected. Rich Aspenleiter, has agreed to serve another year as bar manager with the provision that we seek and find a bar manager in a year.

Our dear Eberhardt Schmidt has left us saddened and has left a vacancy on the board. Dr. Hans Behrens has graciously agreed to be a candidate for that position.

We have a candidate for the Food Service Trustee: Patty Boylan, who has served our organization in the kitchen before.

I am delighted to nominate Rebecca Oestreich as our First Vice President. Rebecca is the daughter of Ralph and Marianne Tibbets (both deceased) who have served our organization for many years. Rebecca has served our organization by cooking and recently volunteered along with her brother, Ralph, to cook our Mother's Day dinner.

In the meantime, I am willing to continue to serve in my capacity to find qualified candidates to serve our society either as board members or members of the various committees. We accept nominations until our April election. If you wish to be a candidate or wish to nominate a candidate, please call, text, or email me. ~ Edgar Bueschke

January is Membership Renewal Month! Another year has come and gone. What better way to start out the new year, than renewing your "club membership" so you can enjoy club benefits all year around! The cost is only $50 per member. You can call Inge Cantu at 509-467-7389, or send your $50 payment to 25 W. Third Ave, Spokane, WA 99201.

We are excited to welcome the following people into our club family:
Eric, Kristin, Gia and Quin Schoen, Floyd Schneider, Michael Adolfar, Mariam and Jeff Dreewas, Robert and Ruth Johnson, David and Connie Stiller, Edward Zeiser and Tammy White, and Caleb Kruse.

Take a Look at What's Coming Next:
Friday, February 3rd, 5:30 pm, Board Meeting
Saturday, February 11th, 6 pm, Sweet Heart/Fasching Dinner

Dear Club Members, This past year we have experienced some major maintenance problems, but "thanks to our President, Karin King, who with the help of Charity Bagatsing Doyl, put in countless hours and thus were able to secure an amazing grant in the amount of over $20,000 for our club. Well done!"

I am proud to say that we are still functioning thanks to the dinners, rentals, grants, club memberships and the generous donations by several club members.

Please join us for our Christmas service at St. Mark's Lutheran Church located at 24th and Grand Blvd. Reception to follow at the Deutsches Haus for complimentary coffee and cookies on December 11, 2020 at 3 pm.

Wishing you Happy Holidays and a healthy and prosperous New Year. - Karin King - President

Spokane Preservation Advocates - Historic Preservation Awards presented "The Cultural Award" to the German American Society on November 6, 2022.

As the holiday season is upon us, I return to my German heritage in celebrating the customs and traditions of my Heimat. I fondly remember the many Christmas holidays I spent with family in Germany and the traditions my parents handed down to me and my sister. These traditions and customs I passed down to my own children who now, as adults, still expect me to place chocolate and oranges in their shoes on St. Nikolaustag. As members and friends of our German Society in Spokane, I challenge you to wrap yourself in the unexpected and celebrate some German traditions this holiday season. On December 6th, St. Nikolaustag, surprise your children, spouse, partner, friends by placing chocolate and an orange in their shoes. During a weekend before Christmas, attend a local Christkindlmarkt (take a tripe to Leavenworth! I will be attending one in Hayden if you prefer something closer), sing some German Christmas carols on Christmas Eve. However, you choose to celebrate, I wish you all a Frohe Weihnachten und alles Gute im neuen Jahr! - Karin Austin

Dear Members, - Another Oktoberfest is in the books. I am happy to say that it was a very successful and much needed event. Our gratitude and appreciation goes to all that helped and donated. We were especially honored to have Mayor Nadine Woodward and City Councilman Michael Cathcart, join us.

Please continue to join and support all of this season's events and festivities. Karin King, President

Oktoberfest Review - Our 3rd annual Oktoberfest was not only very successful, but also a lot of fun and everyone had a great time. Welcome to all of our many new members who joined our club during the Oktoberfest celebration. A special "thank you" goes out to our advertisers who graciously contributed to our success by donating their services!

Andrea Lejeune-Weiler -- Alpine Deli for Brats, Sauerkraut and Cooking
George Weimer -- Das Stein Haus for Pretzels and Potatoe Salad
U-Haul and Frankie Doodle for parking
Mayor Nadine Woodward for Tapping the "keg"

Oktoberfest Platinum Sponsors
Cantu Commercial Properties LLC with Inge Cantu and Gary Puseman
Edgar Bueschke

Oktoberfest Silver Sponsors
Jon Heimbigner
Northwest Mobile IV
B&G Holsteins
Findley Toyota
Fairmount Retirement

Oktoberfest In Kind Donations
Aipine Deli
Das Stein Haus
Odom Brewery and Distributing
Charity Bagatsing
Rich Aspenleiter
Joe Danneker
Waltraut Johnson
Helga Switzer

Dankeschön -- Thank you very much -
Our Deutsches Haus was filled to overflowing during our recent Oktoberfest. This beloved German festival is duplicated, imitated and repeated everywhere. Yet we stand out. In our Deutsches Haus we feature authentic German food, beer, and above all, German Genütlichkeit, a most endearing ingredient for a wonderful time. I have a long list of volunteers that helped make this event such a success. The cooperation, friendliness and harmony with which our club members work together is the reason that our German American Society remains the oldest and the only ethnic organization still functioning in this region. Events such as our Oktoberfest in our Deutsches Haus serve to enrich our cultural experience, entertain us and help create revenue to preserve and sustain our haus. We are all proud to own and preserve our Deutsches Haus. Ein groβes dankeschön für Eure Hilfe! - Edgar

Welcome back! Hope you all had a fun and restful "summer!" We at the German-American Society are looking forward to everyone joining us in the up coming fall events and activities!

Choir Picnic- This August, Concordia Choir picnic had a welcomed summer social event. It is a traditional yearly event that requires the help and cooperation of our choir members. We owe much of its success to Elke Griffith, who arranged for us to meet at this lovely shelter in Post Falls Q'emiln Park. Elke and Carl as well as their daughter and granddaughter started at noon to set up tables with colorful coverings. They provided plates, napkins, tablecloths, plastic wear, cups, condiments and sauerkraut, as well as the buns for the Bratwurst. Everything was ready for our guests to arrive at two in the afternoon.

It is with help and cooperation that we can enjoy such socializing. Colorful salads, snacks and desserts made this picnic delicious and festive. To help move the heavy BBQ grill, it took a bit of manly muscle. Eberhard and Susie Schmidt (yes Susie) helped me lift the grill onto the trailer for me to transport it to Post Falls. With the help of JD and Bradley Hilliard, the grill was loaded again to be returned, and then at home Fred Stahl and Roger Reese came by to help unload it again. I could not have managed it alone. Thank you for your help.

Thank you all for participating. We all contribute to make our Concordia Choir special and meaningful. Your beautiful voice alone os a special contribution, so without it there would be no choir. We look forward to seeing you and hearing you when we resume rehearsals in September. - Edgar

Out Third annual OKTOBERFEST plans for 2022 are well underway to make it another fun event in our German Hall. We need volunteers to relieve other volunteers so that we all have a chance to mingle and socialize in an atmosphere of German "Gemütlichkeit."

Kudos Oktoberfest Committee - A heartfelt thank you to our OKTOBERFEST planning committee. They have diligently been working on making our 3rd annual OKTOBERFEST a success. The committee consists of: Karin King, Rich Aspenleiter, JD Lythgoe-Hilliard, Hans Behrens, Patty Boylan, Eberhart Schmidt, Inge Cantu, Gary Puseman, Charity Doyl, Helga Switzer, Waltrut Johnson, Pamela Newell, Mr. and Mrs. Letts, Ralph Tibbets, Rosemarie Carlson, Bruce and Gail Miller, Kevin and Dianna Kilgore.

To our cub members - It's hard to believe, but the first half of 2022 is ending. Out last dinner meeting before we recess for the summer month, will be on 11 June 2022 and it promises to be a very special event.

In looking back to the last 6 months, I am very relieved to say that we survived these challenging times in better shape than expected.

Of course, this in only due in thanks to all of your generous participation in attending our dinners, the renewal of your memberships and all of the many volunteers' efforts, as well as our rentals which helped. Words cannot express enough how thankful, grateful and encouraged I am about your continued support. This gives me hope that moving forward into the fall season, we can come back even better and stronger.

We are very excited to announce that on 4 August the German American Society has been selected to receive the Cultural Heritage Award, sponsored by the Spokane Preservation Advocates. Thanking us for our cultural contributions to our community.

After a long two years of not being able to celebrate larger events, we are finally planning on hosting our famous Oktoberfest on 1 October 2022.

We are looking forward to welcoming you and your friends and families to all the upcoming activities.

Kudos and a Very Special Thank You - To the Concordia Choir for their beautiful voices that made our Pioneer Day extra Specials.

Edgar Bueschke for inviting the entertaining and talented "Spokane String Quartet."

To Annelore Kirn and team for their delicious dinner. Judy Palrud for all of her decorations and lovely plants and to all those who volunteered to make our Pioneer Day such a wonderful successful evening!

Thank you to Dan Ueller's long time service for taking care of our dumpster on a weekly basis.

Ron Niederstadt for taking over Dan's duties for moving our dumpster in and out.

Members who volunteered to make our club more beautiful - Karin King, Karl and Elke Griffith, Robert and Kelly Daigen, JD Lythgoe-Hillard, Tolome, Joe Letts, Gail Miller, Eberhardt Schmidt, Inga Cantu and Gary Puseman, Rich and his grandson, Jordon, Hans Behrens, Dianna and Kevin Kilgore.

A note from your President: At you General Meeting on the 8th of April, we elected new board member and she is ready to assume her duties and responsibilities. She is eager to navigate our German Society with financial fidelity towards fulfilling our social and cultural goals. We are fortunate that we have found a qualified and dedicated candidate to assume the following vacated position.

Charity Doyl is the publisher of the Family Guide - a parenting directory distributed at local schools. In addition to being a professional event organizer for the Family Fun Fair, Spokane's Lunar Year, Asian Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Day. Art Earth Festival and Northwest Winterfest.

She inherited the library collection of her Great-grandfather, Henry Otley Beyer, a German-American sent to the Philippines in the 1900's to conduct the census for the United States new territory. He fell in love with the country anddevoted his life to preserving its history. Charity joined the German-American Society to learn more about her German heritage.

"I have felt at home from day #1; the members, board andofficers made me feel welcome and part of the family. I am honored to serve as a Board of Trustee and embrace this part of my genealogy."

We have a very competent and dedicated board of directors who work hard to provide and maintain our cherished cultural haven. They not only provided the leadership of our organization, but they mostly provide the actual work of cleaning, painting, moving, sorting, advertising as well as cooking. They have been generous with their time as well as financial contributions. They do this because they love our society and it is our wish that more of you will volunteer your services in such things as cooking, serve as hosts, help organize our dinners, help with entertainment and anyone of the many things to help provide the German Gemütlichkeit for which our society has always been known. - Karin King

Peter Schoen andfamily for the AMAZING Rouladen Dinner! The Schoen's graciously donated all the food provided for the Glass Jar Rouladen Dinner.

Elke and her team for their DELICIOUS Pork Roast Birthday Dinner that was donated by husband, Carl Griffith, and her daughters for the Easter decoractions.

Friday - June 3, 2022 - 6:30 pm - General membership Meeting.
Saturday - June 11, 2022 - 6 pm - Father's Day Dinner "Chicken Schnitzel" cooked by Esma Hatkic

Welcome New Members and thank you to our loyal ones. Your support is what has got us through thick and thin. We depend on the money to pay our bills, but also need VOLUNTEERS to help keep the club in shape.

Membership dues are now Past Due for 2022. Please pay your membership current ASAP so you can continue receiving our informational Newsletter and joining us for special dinners and events. We don't want to lose you! Thank you. - Inge Cantu

Dear Members, It is time to clean and organize our club. We need YOU to be part of this event. There is a job for EVERYONE to do whether it is cleaning shelves, changing out light bulbs or sitting and filling saltshakers. Wear your cleaning clothes and bring a potluck dish!

Your Membership Chairperson will be hosting and directing you to your assigned job.

Dear G.A.S. Club Members - Renewing your yearly membership of $50 per person will ensure that you continue receiving our monthly updates and club events calendar.

Your membership helps ensure the upkeep of our club, supporting the club's dinners and fun events and promoting German culture in our community.

If we do not hear from you by the end of April, it will be our understanding you are no longer interested in receiving this newsletter.

Election Time - We will be voting in our new candidates April 9th. If you would like to run for any of the following positions, please contact Edgar Bueschke at 509-448-7029 before April 1st.

Planning Ahead - May 14, 2022 - Spring Concert and Dinner. Featuring Concordia Choir and Special guest performers, Spokane String Quartet.

Terms are expiring on April 9 at the German-American Society General Meeting. If you would like to run for any of the following positions, please contact Edgar Bueschke at 509-448-7029.

President, 2nd Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Ways and Means, Membership Trustee, Rental Trustee

Upcoming Election of Officers - Our general meetings have not been well attended, getting less and less with every passing year. It has largely been due to the Covid pandemic. Now that we see signs and hear rumors that there will be some easing on the restrictive way that we had to conduct our club business, I am hopeful that we might announce a general meeting. This is in anticipation of our election meeting on the 1st of April. At our general meeting on March 4th, 2022, we have discussed the one candidate for the one vacancy on our board of directors for Social Trustee. No other candidate was introduced at the March meeting.
~Edgar Bueschke

By-Laws - Copies of our recently revised by-laws are available on our society website at www.germanamericansociety-spokane.org and then by clicking "Members Only Area." You will need a username and password to get access. You can also contact Edgar Bueschke or the secretary, Dianna Kilgore, who can send you a copy via email attachment.
~ Edgar Bueschke

Lost and Found - If you are missing items at the club, they may be in the lost and found. Come take a look.

KUDOS - A very special thank you to Dianna and Gail and their team who made our wonderful Goulasch Dinner. Also, a very special thank you to Russ Heaton, and his team, for his Brisket Dinner and Judy Palrud for decorating for the Fasching.

Membership Dues - Please pay your membership dues of $50 per person and send them to -
German-American Society
25 W. 3rd Ave
Spokane, WA 99201

Advertise in our Newsletter - Thank you to all our loyal members and businesses who advertise in our newsletter. Because of their generosity, we can print and send our newsletters. Please take time to look over the list of advertisers and please THANK and SUPPORT their businesses.

Gus Apsey - We had a great turn out for Gus Apsey's celebration of life on 20 February 2022. We are grateful and humbled for the many financial donations we received in his name. Pictures of the celebration are to follow soon.

A Valentine's Message from the President - I would like to express a heartfelt "Thank You" to all of our current and new members, as well as our volunteers who supported our club during this past difficult year in so many different and wonderful ways. Thank you for all of the generous donations that helped keep us afloat! You are appreciated more than words can express and I am looking forward to celebrating many more events with you in the future. Vielen Dank, Karin King

Our dedicated board of directors - Our dedicated board of directors has bravely and skillfully navigated through this stormy Covid pandemic, and nobody has abandoned ship. When the menacing Covid restrictions threatened our scheduled sit-down dinners, plans had to be changed. Volunteers were called to provide takeout dinners. True, that is not the same as sitting and chatting with our friends across a decorated dinner table, but it is the best alternative to doing nothing. And the board is determined to carry on with the concept of not to do nothing.

There are prescribed duties and obligations on our annual calendar such as election of officers scheduled for April. I have served on the nominating committee for several years and it becomes more difficult to find more willing and qualified candidates. I have also asked members to serve with me on the nominating committee. It was mostly fear of Covid exposure as the reason for their decline.

Just for a moment consider the idyllic thought, just as in the past years, a hall filled on election night. Then members will retire to the kitchen to count the ballots and then the president will announce the winner. We know that will not happen this year, but what can we realistically expect?

Is it wise to disrupt and rock our boat during these uncertain times and conditions? I have asked our board members to continue serving our board. Some say yes, and others answered with a smile that suggests we must wait and see what happens. I do hope that they all will continue serving our society with diligence and dedication that they have shown so far. I think they will, but they need your help and support. So please, continue volunteering and supporting our board and our events.

In the meantime, I am willing to continue to serve in my capacity to find qualified candidates to serve our society either as board members or members of various committees. If you wish to be a candidate or wish to nominate a candidate, please call, text, or email me at 509-220-8371. - Edgar Bueschke

Membership renewals - Please remember to send in your 2022 membership dues of $50 per member. Please try to have dues in by the end of March to keep receiving our newsletters. -
Inga Cantu
Membership Chairperson
509-467-7389

As your president, along with the help of several other board and club members, we have been working diligently over the past years to sustain the club through this period of uncertainty created by the pandemic.

I am proud to say that we are still functioning thanks to the takeout dinners, Rentals, Grants, Club memberships and the generous donations by several club members!

Please join us for our Christmas service at St. Mark's Lutheran Church. Reception to follow at the Deutsches Haus, for complimentary coffee and cookies on December 19, 2021 at 3 pm.

Our German American Society Mission Statement:
The Purpose of the Society is to offer Hospitality to all people of all
nationalities who offer support and foster the traditions of the
Germanic homeland, to cultivate the German language, to sing German songs
and to enjoy humor, poetry, drama, music, and dance
in the tradition of the German Gemeutlichkeit.

Club member Update: John King has retired as our Maintenance Repair Man. If you are interested in being his replacement, contact John for further information at 509-499-7989

Gary Puseman - our Rental Coordinator is retiring in April. If you are interested in filling the Rental Position, please contact Gary for further information at 509-960-0805.

Welcome to our new members and "Thank You" to the old members for hanging in there with us in these difficult times. Hope you all stayed well and can come to our club to have a good time and delicious dinners. - Your Membership Chairperson, Inge Cantu

Rental Coordinator Position: The club is looking for a rental coordinator. This position requires an outgoing personality, meet and greet people, make appointments with clients to show the building and keep track of incoming and outgoing monies. You will also create monthly reports to the G.A.S. board. If you're interested, call Gary Puseman at 509-960-0805.

Game Night: This year we are starting a new feature at the club - a game/movie night which is starting December 10, 2021 at 6 pm. Initially, it will be on a monthly basis, but will also include additional times when warranted such as Gonzaga University games. It will consist of a variety of card games, board games, chess/checkers, trivia, scrabble and darts. We will alternate these nights with German and English speaking movies viewed on a large screen TV. Sporting events of importance will also become available when they occur. Opportunities for presentation by members on a variety of subjects can also be scheduled. Snacks and the bar will be available. We invite you to come and join us for evenings of fun and fellowship. Stay tuned for updates as we approach launch time.

Sunshine Committee: Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those who have had recent illnesses or has lost a loved one.

Facebook: "Like" or "Follow" our Facebook page. We are asking everyone, as well as your friends, to go to our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/GASSpokane and "Like" or "Follow" the page. We are going to try increasing activity on the page with all kinds of interesting information pertaining to Germany and our club. We also ask everyone to "Like" or comment on any posts you see to help with increasing our coverage and popularity and spreading the word.

Our Board at Work: We seldom hear from our elected men and women who diligently keep our German-American Society running. They do not toot their own horn, so I would like to give a little toot for them. Things seem quiet and uneventful, but the business of our organization is ongoing. At last Friday's board meeting it was mentioned that some of our society members don't feel well informed, or that your newsletter did not arrive. Your comments welcomed, they have been heard, they have been discussed, and answered by the board.

The board has acted decisively on our various commitments and plans, although changes and revisions had to be made to comply with health mandates. For example, Oktoberfest has always been a loved celebration to beer and fun-loving Germans. A large Oompa band was hired. Volunteers in various areas were scheduled including bratwurst cooks and beer servers. The Oompa band backed out because of Covid. We even committed another band, but under this uncertain health climate, we could not proceed with our plans.

Pioneer Day is scheduled for the 13th of November. Because it is a smaller event that mainly includes our membership and guests, we plan to move forward on this. The Concordia Choir, that is usually the main feature has not had a chance to rehearse, but has now scheduled rehearsals with all vaccinated choir members. We shall keep you informed.

The board welcomes your comments and suggestions, but even more than your comments, the board invites you to be more involved in the various club activities by volunteering your time. Just contact any of our board members if you could serve us as a cook, hosting, serving at dinners, decorating and many such activities to become acquainted with the functions of our club and possibly being a candidate for a board position.

Time and space keep me from naming the activities of all board members. There are plans under way for innovative activities for the entertainment and amusement of our members. Details will be published soon. In the meantime, please continues supporting our organization by attending our dinners and other activities. As we individually cope with this health pandemic, so is our baord of directos to do as much as possible for the good of our society. - Edgar

Beautifying our Deutsches Haus has been an ongoing endeavor by our committed members and especially our dedicated board members. Currently, the north facade will catch the attention and admiration of passing traffic on Third Avenue. The mural that Karin Austin has designed is now becoming a reality. Hans Behrens, who also expresses his artistic talents with a paint brush, is seen on the scaffolding along with Karin. And soon, the large blank archway will reveal a colorful scene, reminders of German landscape and culture.

We hope that such endeavors will inspire more of our members to participate and contribute to keeping our Deutsches Haus as our inviting home for our members and guests. Currently, we have a most enthusiastic board of directors who contribute generously of their time as well as financially to preserving and maintaining our house. Because of the pandemic, our income has shrunk drastically as most of you are aware. Our fund-raising dinners had to be halted and our hall rentals were cancelled. We honor and acknowledge those who contribute financially by placing their names on a decorative plaque and we would be grateful to see your name appear on it as well.

Not so lovely as our mural are the ongoing efforts of such things as the repair of our roof, the water damaged ceiling. We filled in and cemented over the large planter area in front of the now painted archway. A wrought iron fence is planned around that area to protect the mural. These are just a few items that require your generosity of time or contribution. There are many generous members that deserve our thanks and acknowledgement. The one person I simply must mention this time is John King. He has spent countless hours on maintenance. He knows who to call when things need to be repaired and he is on the job to see the project through. He deserves our gratitude. And yes, he can also prepare a scrumptious Schnitzel dinner. It is hard enough, but thanks. -- Edgar

Dear Members - Thank you very much for renewing your memberships. We are depending on every little income at this difficult time. I also would like to welcome the new members that just joined. We hope that you will enjoy the club as much as we all do. Your membership Chairman, Inge Cantu

New Board Members - At our general board meeting on the 9th of April, we elected new board members who are ready to assume their duties and responsibilities. They are eager to navigate our German Society with financial fidelity towards fulfilling our social and cultural goals. We are fortunate that we have found dedicated candidates to assume the following vacated positions.

J.D. Lythgoe-Hilliard has been an enthusiastic helper and supporter of the various chores in and around our dining facilities. This involved helping with moving shelving and equipment while our facilities were being painted and organized. This board position had been vacant for over a year because of illness. Now J.D. has been elected as food service trustee and is a board member of our society.

Rich Aspenleiter is no stranger to the operation and functions of our organization. He has served as our bar manager before. His valuable contribution to our club these several years is to maintain our website, www.germanamericansociety-spokane.org. This website has provided valuable information to members as well as nonmembers. We hope Rich will continue this valuable service to our society as well as making sure that we shall continue to have a well-stocked bar. Marc Connally has been meticulous in preparing monthly bar reports. He has been just as meticulous in providing a detailed transition for Rich. Thank you, Marc, and welcome Rich!

Dr. Hans Behrens, our new First Vice President has been an active member of our society for several years. His contributions have included providing a great tenor voice to our Concordia Choir, and lately he has added his artistic talents to beautify our Deutsches Haus. He and Karin Austin are the artistic duo who painted the beautiful mural face Third Avenue. There are more such artistic projects ongoing. He has been a valuable member of our By-Laws Committee and has a background in organizations and board managements. We are confident that he will contribute much to running our society and to promote our German culture.

We have a very competent and dedicated board of directors who work hard to provide and maintain our cherished cultural haven. They not only provide the leadership of our organization, but they mostly provide the actual work if cleaning, painting, moving, sorting, advertising as well as cooking. They have all been generous with their time as well as financial contributions. They do this because they love our society and it is our wish that more of you will volunteer your services in such things as cooking, serve as a host, help organize our dinners, help with entertainment and anyone of the many things to help provide the German Gemütlichkeit for which our society has always been known for. - Edgar

A Special Thank You to: Edgar Bueschke with the assistance of Charity Doyle and Karin King, for their efforts in obtaining two more grants. One for $3,000 from SAGA (for our future Oktoberfest) and one for $5,000 from the Care Grant.

Advertise in our Newsletter! Thanks to those community organizations who have agreed to place a business card sized ad in our newsletter. For $100. per year, we will attach a company's business card to each newsletter to let our members know of the services these organizations offer. This revenue will help offset the cost of mailing our newsletters each month!

Membership Dues Are Now Due! $50. Per Member. Make checks payable to the German American Society 25 West Third Ave. Spokane, WA 99201 Inge Cantu, Membership Chairperson.

Membership Dues For 2021 Are Now Due! Thank you to all those who have continued to support our club by paying your dues and for the welcomed extra financial donations. We will get through this tough time soon.

Membership is $50 per person. Any member who signs up a new member will get a free dinner. Make check payable to: The German American Society.

Upcoming Election of Officers: Our general meetings have not been well attended, getting less and less with every passing year. This year it is due to the pandemic. And now that we see signs and hear rumors that there will be some easing on the restrictive way that we had to conduct our club business, I am hopeful that we might announce a general meeting. This is in anticipation of our election meeting on the 9th of April. At our next general meeting on the 5th of March, we shall introduce the candidates for the two vacancies on our board of directors. At that meeting we shall also accept nominations for any board position from the floor.

At the election meeting on the 9th of April, we will not accept any more nominations. Where there is more than one candidate for any board position, election will be by ballot. Printed ballots will be passed out to all members in attendance (membership will be verified). The election chairman along with another board member will count the ballots and announce the winner by the end of the meeting.

Copies of our recently revised bylaws are available on our society website (www.germanamericansociety-spokane.org) and then by clicking "Members Only." You will need a username and password to get access - you can acquire that by sending a message to webmaster @ germanamericansociety-spokane.org. Your membership will have to be confirmed before we can let you have a username and password. You may also contact me or our secretary, Dianna Kilgore, who can send you a copy via an email attachment.

Cheerful Helpers: A cheerful and industrious group of club members showed up at the Deutsches Haus on Monday the 8th of February to sort through and store the piles of decorations and kitchen supplies that were left on the downstairs dance floor while the storeroom were being painted. John King and Ron Niederstadt deserve our thanks and praise for having prepared and painted the storerooms. We fellows assembled and set up the shelving for all the stuff to be stored in marked containers.

The following ladies efficiently performed their tasks with a tolerable amount of laughter and chatter: Heiderose Glass, Annelore Kirn, Helga Schwitzer, Inge Cantu, Waltraud Johnson, Charlotte Shell, and Elke Griffith.

The guys that did the heavy lifting and provided their technical knowhow assembled shelves and moved filing cabinets: JD Lythgoe-Hilliard, Eberhardt Schmidt, Ron Nirderstadt, Gary Puseman, Peter Shell, and I too did my part.

It is worthwhile to note that all those members that we contacted to help, gladly said yes, and cheerfully came by to help. We have over 175 members and many others would help if we contacted them, but it is out of habit that we call the ones that we know. We would like to get to know more of you on a more personal basis. There is still much more to be done that will require your help. For those of you who are not that familiar with the functions and operations of our facility, please contact one of our board members, we shall be happy to include you in one of the various activities.

Kudos: A very special thank you to Andrea and her team from the Alpine Deli who made our wonderful Sauerbraten "Take Out Dinner" and also to John and his team for our "Sweetheart Schnitzel Takeout Dinner." We are thankful for their donations and volunteering their time and YOU for supporting these events during this pandemic to help keep our club thriving. We also would like to thank Charlotte Shell for donating a printer to the society!

Advertise in Our Newsletter: Thank you to all our loyal members and businesses who advertise in our newsletter. Because of their generosity, we can print and send our newsletters. Please take the time to look over the list of advertisers and SUPPORT their businesses.

Reminder: Please send in the by-laws approval/disapproval self-addressed envelope the secretary, Dianna Kilgiore, has provided. You are welcome to send in your membership dues for 2021 in the same envelope, if that helps.

Help Wanted: Our dedicated board members are maintaining the various functions and duties even during these restrictive COVID times. Dianna, our secretary, was busy stuffing envelopes and mailing our updated bylaws. Karin, our president, has been made aware of Chapter V, section 1,that we are to have a nominating committee in November. I was handy, so I am at it again.

We have a well-functioning and cooperative board, so I have contacted all the incumbent board members whose term was to expire this year, to serve another term. They all have agreed to serve - president, secretary, membership, and ways and means trustee. Marc Connally, our capable bat manager, has asked that we seek a replacement for his next term. And, we also have been seeking a replacement for Food Service Trustee.

In the meantime, we welcome nominations for all the board positions that I have mentioned above. We also seek volunteers to server in the ongoing functions of our society. Please do contact any one of our board members. The pay is poor, but the comradery and friendships are most rewarding. - Edgar

Thank You: to all those who generously gave of their time and treasure in this time of need. Your gifts are so appreciated.

Our thoughts and prayers - go out to the families who have lost their loved ones this past year.

A Note from The President - It is hard to believe that we have already made it to the fall season of 2020. It certainly has been one for the history books.

While we are still adjusting to the lasting impact that COVID-19 has had on each andeveryone of us, I am confident that we have taken the steps to position our club for survival.

We have proven that by standing strong in the face of uncertainty we can accomplish what we have Previously deemed impossible...

Spokane Preservation Advocate Grant - A very special "Thank You" goes out to the "Spokane Preservation Advocates" for graciously awarding our club a grant in the amount of $3521.25, to help with the repair of our unfortunate sewer project flood. The sewer repair included the concrete pouring, installation of new pipes, adding a new vinyl floor in our coat room as well as replacing the carpets in the upper and lower entry way of our club.

Mural Update: The mural has been completed. If you have not seen it yet, please drive by and let us know how you like it! A huge "Thank You" to all the club members who made this special project possible by donating to our "mural" and the soon to be completed fencing in front of it. However, we are still short some $$$, so if you are so inclined any further donations, it would be greatly appreciated.

A note from your President: Welcome back to our Fall season. Even though we are still not able to meet in person, we are doing our best to stay in touch with our membership through our Newsletters and offering our much sought after take-out dinners. On 26 September, we have the Schnitzel take-out dinner. Our October take-out dinner will feature a dinner prepared by our famous cooks, Heiderose and Helga. We are still hoping to hold our Christmas service at St. Marks on the 13th of December. Despite these trying times, we are continuing to reach out to our club members and their friends, and you have been amazing supporting us. We have received several donations that help us keep afloat and we even received our first Membership renewal for 2021. This certainly lets us know that you are standing behind us and encourages us to keep going.

ZUM GEBURTSTAG alles Gute
To Marie Meyer Schlomer on her 100th Birthday
Stay Safe until we meet again.

By-Laws - As per our by-laws, the by-laws committee met on the 21st of August to review our by-laws and will be presenting changes and recommendations to the membership to review and approve. Some items are a matter of correcting clerical errors but there are some changes recommended that will bring our aims in line with current conditions.

We have a great board of directors that diligently works to make our organization an inviting place for all our members and guests. Besides the many administrative duties, our board members diligently work on maintaining the physical aspects of our building. we seek and welcome your help and your contributions.

Beautifying our Deutsches Haus has been an ongoing endeavor by our committed members and especially our dedicated board members. Currently, the north facade will catch the attention and admiration of passing traffic on Third Avenue. The mural that Karin Austin has designed is now becoming a reality. Hans Behrens, who also expresses his artistic talents with a paint brush, is seen on the scaffolding along with Karin. And soon, the large blank archway will reveal a colorful scene, reminders of German landscape and culture.

We hope that such endeavors will inspire more of our members to participate and contribute to keeping our Deutsches Haus as our inviting home for our members and guests. Currently, we have a most enthusiastic board of directors who contribute generously of their time as well as financially to preserving and maintaining our house. Because of the pandemic, our income has shrunk drastically as most of you are aware. Our fund-raising dinners had to be halted and our hall rentals were cancelled. We honor and acknowledge those who contribute financially by placing their names on a decorative plaque and we would be grateful to see your name appear on it as well.

Not so lovely as our mural are the ongoing efforts of such things as the repair of our roof, the water damaged ceiling. We filled in and cemented over the large planter area in front of the now painted archway. A wrought iron fence is planned around that area to protect the mural. These are just a few items that require your generosity of time or contribution. There are many generous members that deserve our thanks and acknowledgement. The one person I simply must mention this time is John King. He has spent countless hours on maintenance. He knows who to call when things need to be repaired and he is on the job to see the project through. He deserves our gratitude. And yes, he can also prepare a scrumptious Schnitzel dinner. It is hard enough, but thanks. -- Edgar

To view the progress of the mural art project from start to finish on the front of the building, please click here

Concordia Choir - is taking a trip to Vancouver, Canada on May 21-24, 2020 using a large Alpha-Omega bus. Choir members, their spouses, and guests, are encouraged and welcomed to join us on the bus. Increased participation will reduce the bus fare and increase the fun and support.

If you are interested in joining and supporting the choir on this trip, please contact Eberhard Schmidt at 509-230-5017 or email Eberhard at easgeos@comcast.net.

Kudos: A very special thank you to all the cooks and volunteers who made our Sweetheart dinner such a success. Oh, my goodness John, the schnitzel was amazing and left us happy and satisfied! Along with John's schnitzel, he donated and baked the outstanding Apfel Strudel with the help of Karin Austin.

Advertise in Our Newsletter: Thank you to all our loyal members and businesses who advertise in our Newsletter. Because of their generosity, we can print and send our Newsletters. Please take time to look over the list of advertisers and THANK and SUPPORT their businesses.

We currently have spaces left. This means we need you to advertise your company or business.

For $100 per year, we will attach a company's business card to each newsletter to let our members know of the services these organizations offer.

John is willing to teach, guide and assist the new person on all the vital functions and operations of the Deutsches Haus, to insure a smooth transition into their new role.

If you are interested, please contact Edgar Bueschke- Club VP, Karin King- Club President or John King himself to schedule an appointment and discuss the responsibilities in further detail.
Edgar Bueschke 509-448-7029

The society could always use help setting up for dinners by setting up tables and clearing tables, or serving, cleaning, and certain kinds of maintenance. Please call the hall at 747-0004 if you are interested or you can send an e-mail to help@germanamericansociety-spokane.org.

Kudos - To Heiderose, Helga and Elke for the most delicious Choir Fundraiser Rouladen Dinner! John King, for all of the winter season's snow removal and the little things like bringing light to the Kaffe Stube. To Russell and Ann Heaton from walla Walla for preparing the wonderful New Years Dinner for us.

A Valentines Message from the President: I would like to express a heartfelt "Thank You" to all of our current and new members and volunteers who support our club in so many different and wonderful ways. I feel that we are truly blessed to have you as a part of our community. You are being appreciated more than words can express and I am looking forward to celebrating many more events with you. Vielen Dank! Karin King

DECEMBER 2019

Kudos - To Heiderose, Helga and Elke for a lovely Christmas Rouladen Dinner! To Karin Austin for making the beautiful “Thoughtful Donations Plaque” so we can recognize those who have helped the success of this club. * IF you, or someone you know that should be recognized, but isn’t, please reach out to Karin. A big thanks goes out to Dan, JD and Ron for taking care of our dumpsters!

Our Deutsches Haus has remained our cultural haven since 1897 where we meet to sing, dance and enjoy delicious German food. Over these 123 years, there have been dedicated members who have kept our facilities functioning properly. John King has kept our furnace functioning, our coolers cooling, our faucets flowing and now that he is passing on his maintenance position we are looking for someone to take his place!

John is willing to teach, guide and assist the new person on all the vital functions and operations of the Deutsches Haus, to insure a smooth transition into their new role.

If you are interested, please contact Edgar Bueschke- Club VP, Karin King- Club President or John King himself to schedule an appointment and discuss the responsibilities in further detail.
Edgar Bueschke 509-448-7029

NOVEMBER 2019

Dear Club Members,

As your president, along with the help of several other club members, I have been working diligently over the past three years to have our building added to the Spokane Historic Registry.

To celebrate this wonderful milestone event, we will be hosting a Plaque Dedication Ceremony featuring a slide show of our club's history, presented by Meagan Duvall, Spokane City Historic preservation officer.

Reception to follow at the Deutsches Haus, for complimentary coffee and cake on December 1st, 2019 at 2:30 pm. - Karin King

Club Member Update: John King will be retiring as our Maintenance Repair Man at the end of this year. If you are interested in being his replacement, contact John for further information. 509-468-2761

Kudos - To the Tibbetts family and friends for a lovely Pioneer Dinner! Becky, Ralph, Dan, Kathy, Lindsey, Emily, and Haley. And, to Elke and Linda and their team for providing a wonderful Welcome Supper for our Canadian Visitors from Kelowna, BC.

OCTOBER 2019

OKTOBERFEST REVIEW - Our 2nd annual Oktoberfest was not only very successful, but also a lot of fun and everyone had a great time. Welcome to all the many new members that joined our club during the Oktoberfest celebration. A special "Thank You" goes out to our advertisers who graciously contributed to our success by donating their services; Georg of Das Stein Haus, Andrea of Alpine Deli, and Manny of U-Haul.

Dankeschön - Thank you very much! Our Deutsches Haus was filled to overflowing during our recent Oktoberfest. This beloved German festival is duplicated, imitated and repeated everywhere. Yet we stand out. In our Deutsches Haus we feature authentic German food, beer, and above all, German Gemütlichkeit, a most endearing ingredient for a wonderful time. I have a long list of volunteers that helped make this event such a success. The cooperation, friendless and harmony with which our club members work together is the reason that our German American Society remains the oldest and the only ethnic organization still functioning in this region. Events such as Oktoberfest in our Deutsches Haus serve to enrich our cultural experience, entertain us and help create revenue to preserve and sustain our Haus. We are all proud to own and preserve this our Deutsches Haus.

Welcome Back! Hope you all had a fun and restful summer! We at the German-American Society are looking forward to everyone joining us in the up coming fall events and activities. Please check the calendar of events to see

Our 2nd annual OKTOBERFEST plans for 2019 are well underway to make it another fun event in our German Hall. We need volunteers to relieve other volunteers so that we all have a chance to mingle and socialize in an atmosphere of German "Gemütlichkeit." If you would like to volunteer, please contact Edgar Bueschke at 509-448-7029 or at ebueschke@msn.com

Kudos Oktoberfest Committee - A heartfelt thank you to our OKTOBERFEST planning committee. They have diligently been working on making our 2nd annual OKTOBERFEST a success. Chairman Edgar Bueschke and Committee members Karin and John King, Karin Austin, Suzanne Capstick, Eberhardt Schmidt, Inga Cantu, Gary Puseman, Gail Miller, John and Eileen Shull, and Dianna Kilgore.

GERMAN TRANSLATION:
If you need help with translation, please contact us at info@germanamericansociety-spokane.org and we will try to find a member that can assist you. We are not set up for formal or lengthy translation services. We gather your information and find a member who can help with small projects. It is up to them if they want to charge for their services; some of our members have formal translating or teaching experience, so if we are able to help you, you can be assured that you will get accurate translation.

GERMAN PASSPORTS:
While the German-American Society does not have the resources to help you obtain a passport, we are very happy to direct you to the German Consular information to get you started.

For residents of Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana, your consular offices are located in Mercer Island, WA or Portland, Oregon.

They can assist you, but appointments are required.

Oregon: (By Appointment Only)
200 SW Market St, Suite 1965
Portland, OR 97201
TEL: (503) 222-0490