e clampus vitus - ECV Chapter 10 Home Page
Transcription
e clampus vitus - ECV Chapter 10 Home Page
® Chapter Ten Wm. Bull Meek – Wm. Morris Stewart “Orphans bless us, and the widow’s heart is glad” Original art by “All the news that fits” E CLAMPUS VITUS HEWGAG-MONITOR Volume 31, No. 2 Nevada City, California Joel Borstad May, 2014 ✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶ A SHORT HISTORY OF E CLAMPUS VITUS: XNGH Bob Wyckoff Another of our area’s Clamper legends gone to the Golden Hills by Tom Barry We were all shocked and saddened a couple of months ago to learn of the demise of three Chapter Ten Brothers. We had a small article in the last issue of the newsletter about the passing of Dick Rohde and Jeff Montgomery. That issue was all set up for printing but at the very last moment before heading off to the printer, word was received of the passing of XNGH Robert Marshall Wyckoff. The small article was edited to be a bit smaller, and a few sentences were added to include word of Bob Wyckoff’s passing on January 18th, 2014. More information promised in the next issue, and this is it. wasSeveral articles appeared in The Union upon Bob’s death at the age of 85. One, by Grass Valley resident Donna Reynolds, gives a good of some of the versatility Bob was account blessed with. Another article, written by the current Editor of The Union, Brian Hamilton, is similar in its praises for Bob’s skills as a writer, S and storyteller. Bob has been a photographer S regular Union contributor of historical articles and photo quizzes over the last few years. m i We found no obituary for Robert tM. Wyckoff, and I don’t have any information as to his date of birth, early education, places he had h lived before making Nevada County his home, s or even about his family members. But, perhaps o by combining information from both of the l sources mentioned, as well as information taken d from Chapter Ten Records of Director’s meetings, we can present a fair picture of Bob’s importance to the history-oriented communityt of h Nevada County. e Bob was the first staff photographer for The Union in the early 1960s, and was an all-around newspaper guy, writing articles, taking c e photographs of every imaginable thing around n the county, then developing those photos and making half-tones of them so they could tbe printed in the newspaper. If that were not e r enough of a full-time job, Bob was also quite (Continued on page 2) p o r 2014, Year of the X-Men of Chapter X All the new officers of Chapter 10 are XNGHs this year. They got together and decided to run a training camp for a year to get the next year’s crop of officers, as well as those who follow them through the next few years, on the right track to a more enlightened chapter operation. A more cerebral, less Neanderthal-like Initiation is in store. That fact makes this an Xcellent time for your PBC to rub elbows with some bigwigs of the Chapter. We’re going back to Hammon Grove again this year. Location in on Hwy. 20, ¾ of a mile east of Marysville Road (Browns Valley turnoff). About halfway between Grass Valley and Marysville, 52nd Spring Doinʼs Set for Hammon Grove is a very nice camp area for Clamping. Go in and keep right till you see May 3rd at Hammon Grove RED! No camping in the lower section!! We return to the location of many of our The prices for this truly Xceptional event previous doin’s this year, Hammon Grove, on are only $35 Advance Reservation and $45 at Hwy. 20 about midway between Marysville and the doins. PBCs are $60 Advance and $75 at the doins. This is not an overnighter, but you Grass Valley. This is a one-day doin’s, and our liquor license and liability is for Saturday only. can camp for free on Friday and/or Saturday You can come on Friday and stay with no night. You supply the grub. All the usual NO-NOs apply, including very serious camping fees, but there will be no beer or food paid for by the Chapter. You will need to bring admonitions from the Grand Council your own food, libations, light, shade, and about illicit drugs and guns. Leave your camping gear. There is no electricity on site, and dogs, bad attitudes, eggs and fireworks at you should also probably bring your own water. home. No electricity or potable water on As noted in the right-hand column, we cannot the site, so bring it if you want it! Oh!! Did camp in the grassy picnic area near the entrance, we mention…. LEAVE YOUR DOGS AT but must move up the hill to the site of our doin’s. HOME. THEY ARE NOT WELCOME! Hammon Grove is operated by Yuba County, and Only one meal will be served by XNGH they sometimes rent out campsites at this time of Randy Burk and our superb Cook Crew. Official Big and Little Slippery time is from the year. We were planning to have a Candle light 10 AM to 5 PM. Bring some $ to buy into our Initiation at the Malakoff Diggins, but plans have big Raffle. Bear has been scouring the alleys and gutters to get the best stuff for you to take changed. We’re going to try something new and entirely different: A Daytime Candle light a chance on. Winning numbers will be read Initiation, especially for those fellows that may be and posted at dinner for your convenience. a bit older (55+), a bit more frail, a bit less able to Turn your PBCs over to our Crack(ed) get around as well any more, a little harder of Initiation Team upon arrival, but no later than hearing, …. you know the drill! We will provide 10:10 AM. Once turned over to us, clean and such a world of wonderment to our Candle light sober, LEAVE THEM TO US. PBCs will receive a short history lesson on ECV and Initiates at this May Doin’s. They must still pay the rub….$60 advance reservation and $75 if they WBM/WMS Chapter Ten by XSNGH Tom screw around and pay after they get to the Grove. Barry. The Initiation will leave them tired and dirty, but all will survive to Clamp They must wear a white shirt and a sacrificial tie. As with all PBCs, do not pre-initiate them in another day! Candle light Initiation any way. Leave all the “dirty stuff” to our candidates welcome and will be given crack(ed) crew of miscreant misfits. special treatment. Get them there before 10:00 am for best results. Send paperwork to the Chapter Ten Recorder at the address below: GNR/GDR XNGH Jason Thorn P.O. Box 843 Penn Valley, CA 95946 or go to ecv10.com for PayPal info Page 2 taken with the area’s rich Gold Rush history, much of it “unspoiled” by modernization and rehabilitation projects. Bob took photos of most of the old buildings and other locations in downtown Nevada City and Grass Valley. He often took the time to visit the Nevada County Historical Society’s burgeoning library of materials, as well as to make contributions of his work. When he came across information about the previous residents of any of the houses he had in his file, he was able to put the pieces together and soon was able to publish several wellbooks, including “The Compleat received Pedestrian’s Partially Illustrated Guide to Greater Nevada City,” and “Walking Tours and Twice-Told Tales of Grass Valley,” as as “Hydraulicking, North Bloomfield well and the Malakoff Diggins State Park.” He wrote and produced a musical play for the newly restored Nevada Playhouse. He even took a role in the play. The play was based on a book edited by Bob called “Never Come, Never Go!” This story of the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad and its impact on the County was one of Bob’s favorite subjects. Bob used his writing skills to advantage to write grant applications for such projects as the playing fields and swimming pool in Pioneer Park in Nevada City, and he, along with many others, was instrumental in convincing State Parks officials to purchase the property around North Bloomfield for the Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park. In addition to his many years of experience with The Union, Bob worked at The Nevada Nugget and The Independent, as well as City other local newspapers. All during this period, he found the time to gather materials for a 3 volume set of historical books, published in conjunction with The Union, much of it coming from the extensive set of historical articles he had written for that paper over the years. Over the 50 plus years Bob lived in Nevada County, he became acquainted with many of its historians, County and City politicians, poets, old-time residents, law enforcement officers, and other assorted people. He had a great many friends and was very active in local history organizations. However, only one of the articles we have been looking at here mentions Bob’s involvement with E Clampus Vitus, one of the organizations he was most proud to be a member in good standing. In the late 1950s, there unfolded a great power struggle regarding E Clampus Vitus in Nevada County. The Clampers were a sometimes loosely organized fraternity. This was true actually, most of the time, to tell the truth. Many chapters of the order had sprung up over the years. And just as many were to fall into obscurity as historical interest waned. Often, it was simply the fact that there were no younger members to take over for the older ones as they passed on. Many towns and communities relied on mining for their existence. When the town’s mine would inevitably close, the old chapter records would become just more “trash” to be cleaned out when the houses of the members were sold or knocked down to make room for new ones. One group in particular interest to us was in Camptonville, home to several old businesses and it still retained a fair-sized population, as its economy was not dependent entirely on mining. The Clamper chapter there had been originally founded in the mid-1860s, and had undergone several cycles of renewal over the years. Finally, it had evolved into the William Bull Meek Chapter 10, having acquired that name upon the group’s reorganization in 1938, following the passing in 1936 of the pioneer Camptonville teamster/businessman William Bull Meek. His name was brought to the fore when the thencurrent chapter was being revitalized, as Bill Meek was perhaps the most prominent personality in the area. The first man chosen to be the Noble Grand Humbug of that “new” outfit was Meek’s grandson, Acton Cleveland, a Justice of the Peace and owner of most of Meek’s business ventures. About this time, the re-founders of E Clampus Vitus were busily trying to establish more connections to the Clamper days of old. Already, there had been several chapters of the new order established, including one in Yerba Buena (San Francisco), another in Los Angeles, one in Auburn, one in Santa Fe, New Mexico and the most recent additions, one at the newly refurbished Sutter’s Fort in Sacramento and another in San Diego. Of interest to us is the establishment of a lodge in Marysville, the King Solomon Chapter. Their numbers were not sufficient for any one chapter to cover the entire Gold Rush country, so they would meet by going on “pilgrimages” yearly or semi-annually to learn of the local history. New members would be taken in at these conventions and plans would be made for future treks to interesting and historical sites. From nearly the beginning of the re-founding, several of the “Old-timers” from the original chapters would appear and relate the lore and history of their early days in E Clampus Vitus. Adam Lee Moore, the last NGH of the old Sierra City lodge, contacted Carl Wheat, one of the spark plugs of the engine that was to become the new E Clampus Vitus. With his contacts in the mining country, and his razor-sharp memory of the old rituals and activities, Adam Lee Moore was instrumental in reviving the Clampers. Nor all the revived chapters survived, as might be expected. The Wm. Bull Meek lodge in Camptonville, even though named after one of its most illustrious citizens, foundered again after a few years and the onset of World War II. It would not be forgotten, though and in 1954, a new force would present itself in E Clampus Vitus. Andy Rogers, a businessman from Rough and Ready, had joined ECV in Mariposa in 1952, and having a keen interest in his own area’s history, was picked to try to revive the William Bull Meek Chapter again. He had been made Humbug somewhere along the line, and held tightly onto his reins of authority, not wanting to cede them to other, younger men also interested in local history. No one doubted his enthusiasm for E Clampus Vitus, as Andy would travel tirelessly throughout the west to attend Clamper meetings. He introduced himself to the hierarchy of the organization and researched and presented a number of truly outstanding events, especially one in Camptonville in 1956, at which time a beautiful bronze plaque made by renowned sculptor William Gordon Huff was dedicated to Bill Meek. Meanwhile, others in Nevada County saw Andy as a “showboat” operator, one that perhaps was in it for the money, so to speak. He was reputed to sometimes set up a card table on street corners in Nevada City and Grass Valley, “taking in” members for only the membership fee, not bothering to hold a proper initiation. One of the Nevada City detractors of Andy was a newspaperman by name of Alvin S. Trivelpiece. He and Bob Wyckoff had become fast friends, and along with a few other local history buffs, decided that since they could not get Andy Rogers to resign and pass the leadership off to others, they would start their own chapter. Andy Rogers called these men “the rebels,” who were trying to take his beloved Bull Meek Chapter away. See the articles previously written in this series on Andy Rogers and his battles with the “upstarts and rebels.” It didn’t take much in those days to start a chapter of E Clampus; mostly a few wellattended meetings, the choosing of a namesake for the chapter, a printer who could make decent-looking membership diplomas and cards, and a meeting or two with members of the leadership of the mother lodge and others in the area. Soon, the William Morris Stewart Chapter was in operation. The first NGH (in 1958) was Tom Walsh, a crusty old hotelkeeper from the little town of Washington, east of Nevada City. R. Peter Ingram, publisher of The Union, then held the reins for a year in 1959. The leaders of ECV, by this time calling themselves Proctors of the Grand Council, now consisting of more than a handful of chapters, saw fit to investigate the complaints about Andy’s operation, and convinced him to retract his operation to Rough and Ready, leaving the Nevada City area for the new group of W. M. Stewart Chapter. Then, Andy Rogers was killed in a car accident in 1959, and the William Bull Meek group was left rudderless, so to speak. A few successors to Andy were to find futility in keeping the chapter up and running. Membership dropped off, and the “upstarts and rebels” in Nevada City kept going. Danny Pello, a P.G.&E. employee took over the Stewart chapter for 1960, followed by our man, Bob Wyckoff, in 1961. That would be as far as the lineage of the Stewart chapter Humbugs would extend, as the conditions under which the chapter was started had totally changed. The Proctors felt that it was now deemed necessary to merge the two chapters into one, and start anew in 1962 with the issuance of a new Charter to William Bull Meek – William Morris Stewart Chapter No. 10, having all of Nevada and Yuba Counties as their territory. The members of both chapters were welcomed into the new group as Charter Members, and the rest, they say, is history. The leaders of the William Page 3 Morris Stewart chapter blended in seamlessly with the revitalized William Bull Meek chapter membership, providing wise leadership and continuing the historical project ideas they had started, as well as filling some gaps in the new chapter. The ensuing 52 years have seen the fruits of this labor: over 80 plaques have been dedicated to mark significant historical events, places and people in the area. The wonderful Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park has been established in North Bloomfield, thanks in great part to the participation of E Clampus Vitus. Buildings have been built in the park, parades have been attended, and monies have been raised for scholarships and other good causes in the counties. Most of all, public awareness of the rich historical past of this part of the great California Gold Rush has been made available to residents and tourists alike through our plaques and good deeds. Now, thanks to modern word processing capabilities, we’ll take a look at some of the projects and pipe dreams Bob Wyckoff tried to interest the rest of in the Meek – Stewart chapter over the years. This is possible because it is easy to “search” for a specific word or phrase in the written documents that have been written and stored in the memory of computers. By searching the chapter archives for the word, “Wyckoff” we can piece together some of his participation. Bob was the emcee of the consolidation dinner held at the Seaman’s Lodge in Nevada City on March 4, 1962. Elections for Officers of the new chapter were held, and various dignitaries of E Clampus Vitus were introduced, including Calif. State Senator Swift Berry, who introduced the Sublime Noble Grand Humbug, Archie Stevenot. Archie congratulated the group on the smooth transition and promised there would be no trouble in granting the Charter to the new Chapter. At the March 30 Director’s meeting, Dave Durand came in late and this reminded Bob to propose a motion that would outlaw one of Dave’s favorite Clamper stunts; the shooting through the victim’s hat by placing it over the muzzle end of his gun and firing. Many of the previous victims of Dave’s trademark action, displaying their own “holey” hats, applauded this restriction and the motion passed unanimously. In May 1963, Bob appeared before the Grand Council on behalf of the Sam Brannan and Chief Truckee Chapter organizations. Both groups were hoping to emulate MeekStewart Chapter in obtaining a charter from the Proctors. Thanks to the silver-tongued oratory of Wyckoff, both were granted charters. The Sam Brannan Chapter had been operating illegally for a couple of years already, and decided to “go legit” with approval by the Proctors. Chief Truckee organizers had started their drive for a chapter the previous year with a promise of help from Meek – Stewart in making connections with the proper “people in high places.” Due to the demurral of one of the officers to serve any longer in his position, Bob nominated Charlie Kitts for the position of 1VNGH, and the motion passed, leaving a hole at the position of 2VNGH. Wyckoff was nominated and elected to that position by acclamation and served for the remainder of the year. In 1964, Directors were informed of a manufactured “feud” between Nevada County and the State of Nevada over the use of the name, “Nevada.” The “feud” was instigated by R. Peter Ingram and Bob Wyckoff as publicity for the upcoming plaque dedication for the William Morris Stewart House in Nevada City. This would be a joint dedication with the Nevada State Centennial Commission and preparations included the “initiation” of Calif. Governor Edmund G. “Pat” Brown at his office in Sacramento. He and his wife were invited to attend the gala dinner and other ceremonies for the event. Others invited included Nevada Governor Grant Sawyer (already a Clamper), State Park officials, many of them Clampers, local politicians and ECV bigwigs Sublime NGH Archie Stevenot, Dr. Charles Camp and Sid Platford. Other dignitaries from local chapters were also to be in attendance. Wyckoff had done a masterful job in organizing the whole affair, and Ingram provided plenty of newspaper space for the events. The Stewart House plaque was dedicated on March 7 1964, and was one of Bob’s proudest moments in Clamperdom. In March 1964, Wyckoff also proposed to petition the Proctors for the dissolution of the Downieville and Auburn chapters because they had continually failed to pay their Grand Council dues, had not held any public events for years, and had not held elections to place new officers in charge. Their territories would revert to MeekStewart Chapter. This was discussed fully at the Chapter 10 Board meeting, but the motion was withdrawn before ever being presented to Chapter 10 Directors for a vote. Over the years, Wyckoff acted as “idea man,” bringing many worthy proposals to the Board for consideration. Besides his constant behind-thescenes work to get the property in North Bloomfield purchased for the Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park, he was in on the famous Nevada City redwood tree project, in which the chapter was given the wood from the huge, but because of freeway construction, doomed tree in Nevada City. We had no idea how to remove, process or handle any of the massive amounts of redwood lumber resulting from its removal. Finally, the State Division of Highways stepped up and agreed to arrange for a contractor to remove and cut the tree up for us, and we gave the wood planks to the Parks Division for making park benches, etc. at the Malakoff Diggins Clampicnic area. It was also Wyckoff’s idea to plant the 3 new redwood trees and place a plaque for the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Rail Road at the triangle by the new off ramp to Sacramento St. Each tree was named for a member of the Kidder family, owners of the short line. Other ideas for possible plaques presented by Bob were: The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad had several good sites ripe for us to plaque, the newly-restored Nevada Theatre, a park bench at a site overlooking the Malakoff Diggins in honor of Al Trivelpiece, who passed on in 1967, a plaque to the “Ladies of the Evening” in the parking lot of the National Hotel, a plaque on the home of Lola Montez in Grass Valley, and in 1982, a plaque in Camptonville marking the 50th anniversary of the ECV REVIVIDUS pilgrimage, at which Adam Lee Moore and William Bull Meek entertained the refounders of the Order, Carl Wheat, Leon Whitsell and G. Ezra Dane, with tales of the early days. (They also tried to sell them some mining stock!) That early event marked the first of many “pilgrimages” the early E Clampus Vitus members would attend. In 1969, Bob Wyckoff and Bob Paine were appointed as official representatives of Chapter 10 at the official reenactment of the placing of the Golden Spike at Promontory, Utah. Bob Paine was a retired NGNGRR employee and a good friend of Wyckoff. A later report by Wyckoff indicated his disappointment at the lackluster celebration. No special badges or ribbons, etc. The long trip ended in dissatisfaction for both of them. In June 1970, Chapter Ten received an official Resolution from the Assembly Rules Committee naming the Chapter as “The Fathers of the Malakoff Diggins.” This was almost entirely due to Bob Wyckoff’s efforts in schmoozing State Assemblyman Gene Chappie (also a Clamper) to underwrite the effort. The award was presented at the annual Malakoff Homecoming Celebration in early June at the Park. At the July, 1970 Directors meeting, Bob asked that his printing company be allowed to bid on all future printing jobs for the Chapter. He also introduced his very good friend, Stu Flansberg, who would soon become a Director of the chapter. Bob also indicated that the lawn and landscaping for “Clamper Square” was complete. The area is actually a triangle, but we didn’t quibble. Bob went ahead with the plans for the NCNGRR Plaque to the Kidders. Bob was also well known in ECV circles as a go-to guy to get things done. He reported on Rhett Reddeye, ECV by Bro. Ben Zeke, I’m getting more convinced that you aren’t paranoid if people really are out to get you! a group of men in Napa and Sonoma Counties who wanted to start the defunct Sam Brannan Chapter up again. They contacted him and he invited them to the Director’s meeting, but no one showed up. Bob acted as MC and main speaker at our dedication of the Nevada County Traction Company Plaque on the NW corner of South Pine and Broad Streets in Nevada City. He was requested to keep it short. Bob would step back into office again for the chapter, serving as Noble Grand Recorder for about 4 years beginning in October 1975 and ending when new officers were installed for 1980, when it was discovered that the then-current Recorder had mixed his own money with the chapter money in his checkbook, and had spent probably a “couple of thousand” dollars of Clamper money. He was immediately removed from office and Bob was appointed to try to fix up the mess. Sometimes, Bob would write or contribute to an article for the newspaper that tended to cast the Clampers in a bad light. One such example came in his comments for the article, “Brotherhood of the Booze. – E Clampus Vitus combines history with hops.” This article, written by Heather McDonald for the Jan. 10, 1992 issue of The Union included some parade photos Bob had taken at various meetings. The upshot of the article was that the Clampers tended to be a rowdy group, and it was “their right” to behave this way. Bob had his problems with the “demon rum” at times in his earlier days in ECV. He once attended an Election of Officers meeting for the chapter at the Holbrooke Hotel wearing a very natty white dinner jacket. During the course of the evening, Bob overimbibed, the jacket got soiled, and this was the signal for most of the rest of the Directors to “autograph” Bob’s jacket. We never knew if it was a rental or belonged to him, but it was certainly in no condition to be worn in public again. He was seemingly furious the next time he attended a meeting with us, but he soon forgave us our transgressions. Over the 55 or so years of his association with the Clampers Bob was ever the loquacious and charming representative of ECV. He knew the influential people of the county and he did have friends in high places, as they say. If some project needed an official nudge to get permission for a plaque location or to replace one that had been taken down for building repairs, Bob could always track the right person down, and most of the time, could convince them of what was needed to be done to make things right. If anyone in town needed a guest speaker regarding almost anything historical in the county, Bob was the man to turn to. He was MC at many Malakoff Homecomings, Historical Society meetings and city or county dedications for plaques or other projects. Bob Wyckoff was a unique and highly talented man, with a genuine sense of history and a great love for Nevada County and California, as well as the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus. Anyone who ever met him will probably agree on this assessment. THE UNION PLANS 150TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT IN OCTOBER Save October 28, 2014 for a rededication ceremony of Chapter Ten’s plaque given in commemoration of its 100th anniversary. Our plaque will be placed in the new offices of the newspaper on Sutton Street. We have been invited to participate with them and also to help remember the contributions our Clamper Bob Wyckoff made to the newspaper over the years. Details later…….. BRING THE FAMILY AND ENJOY THE MALAKOFF HUMBUG DAYS WITH US Saturday, June 14, 2014 is the day for the annual Humbug Days at the park. Bring the family and kids. This is a great day in the park. The kids can enjoy (and participate in) the world’s shortest parade, they can enjoy crafts such as candle-making, tin punching and weaving. They can also get wet if they get too close to the shooting off of the big hydraulic monitor on Main Street. Everyone can enjoy some mountain music and tales of the old days, presented by talented performers. Out Chapter Ten crew will man the Cook Shack and we will have hamburgers, hot dogs, chili, salads, cakes and cookies and soft drinks available for sale to the general public, so bring a few bucks and help us raise money for the Park Association. HEWGAG-MONITOR 7935 Aviara Place Sacramento, CA 95829-8031 (Note: This address is for the newsletter only!) See insert inside for Recorder’s address. Coming Events 2014 CY 6019 June 14 t h Malakoff Homecoming at the park 10 AM. Bring the family and join in on the day’s fun stuff! Bring money for food at the Clamper Cook Shack! October 4 t h & 5 t h Overnighter at Scott’s Flat Lake Interested in becoming a Director? Come to Seamen’s Lodge in Nevada City on the last Friday of the month at 8 PM. (No meetings in May, November and December due to holiday conflicts. First Class Mail William Bull Meek - William Morris Stewart Chapter Ten, E Clampus Vitus® CHAPTER TEN’S X-MEN and Corps of Gentlemen are pleased to announce our 52nd Anniversary Initiation and Doinʼs on Sat., May 3rd, 2014 At Hammon Grove in Yuba County west of Grass Valley All the new officers of Chapter 10 are XNGHs this year. They got together and decided to run a training camp for a year to get the next year’s crop of officers, as well as those who follow them through the next few years, on the right track to a more enlightened chapter operation. A more cerebral, less Neanderthal-like Initiation is in store. That fact makes this an Xcellent time for your PBC to rub elbows with some bigwigs of the Chapter. We’re going back to Hammon Grove again this year. Location in on Hwy. 20, ¾ of a mile east of Marysville Road (Browns Valley turnoff). GPS coordinates for the gate to Hammon Grove: N 39º 13.806’ W 121º 23.950’ About halfway between Grass Valley and Marysville, Hammon Grove is a very nice picnic area for Clamping. Go in and keep right till you see RED! The prices for this truly Xceptional event are only $35 Advance Reservation and $45 at the doins. PBCs are $60 Advance and $75 at the doins. This is not an overnighter, but you can camp for free on Friday and/or Saturday night. You supply the grub. All the usual NO-NOs apply, including very serious admonitions from the Grand Council about illicit drugs and guns. Leave your dogs, bad attitudes, eggs and fireworks at home. No electricity or potable water on the site, so bring it if you want it! Oh!! Did we mention…. LEAVE YOUR DOGS AT HOME. THEY ARE NOT WELCOME! Only one meal will be served by XNGH Randy Burk and our superb Cook Crew. Official Big and Little Slippery time is from 10 AM to 5 PM. Bring some $ to buy into our big Raffle. Bear has been scouring the alleys and gutters to get the best stuff for you to take a chance on. Winning numbers will be read and posted during dinner for your convenience. All Official Chapter Hawkers are welcome, but check in with GNR XNGH Jason Thorn or our NGH XNGH Tyler Souter. Turn your PBCs over to our Crack(ed) Initiation Team upon arrival, but no later than 10:10 AM. Once turned over to us, clean and sober, LEAVE THEM TO US. PBCs will receive a short history lesson on ECV and WBM/WMS Chapter Ten by XSNGH Tom Barry. The Initiation will leave them tired and dirty, but all will survive to Clamp another day! Candle light Initiation candidates welcome and will be given special treatment. They must wear a white shirt and a sacrificial necktie. Fill out the bottom of this page and make a copy of the back side of it for the Liability Consent Form. Everyone must fill out the Liability Consent Form. For more info about PayPal, go to: Don’t forget to feed the Sick Jackass if you can’t make ecv10.com it! It costs big bucks to get this out to you! $5 will buy a lot of Jackass food! Over 400 taken off m ailing GNR/GDR Jason Thorn list this tim e for not feeding the jackass. P.O. Box 843 Penn Valley, CA 95946 Get your reservations to the Recorder by Mon. April 28th, 2014! Make checks payable to ECV 10. Here’s my (our) Advance Reservation gold dust for our Annual Spring One Day doin’s! Year of the X-men! Advance Reservation Prices……$35 for each ECV. ($45 on site!) $60 for each PBC. ($75 on site!) Free camping! Clamper’s Name_____________________________________ Chapter Name__________________________________ Address_________________________________________ City____________________________________________ State_______ ZIP ________________ Phone (________)______________ email____________________________ Clamper’s Name_____________________________________ Chapter Name__________________________________ Address_________________________________________City____________________________________________ State_______ ZIP ________________ Phone (________)______________ email____________________________ NEW!! Make your reservations on line with PayPal! Go to ecv10.com for details! For PBC Applications and more info, go to ecv10.com and explore a bit. (Copy the back side of this sheet for each person. Everyone must fill out the release form!) 05‐2014 #158 s EVERYONE MUST FILL OUT THIS ENTIRE FORM AND INITIAL AND SIGN WHERE INDICATED. THE ANCIENT AND HONORABLE ORDER OF E CLAMPUS VITUS® Agreement and Release from Liability 1. I, ____________________________________________ acknowledge that I voluntarily request to accompany the (print your name here) Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus® for the purposes of raising funds for constructing and/or dedicating various plaques and/or monuments to major and lesser events of Western history, especially Nevada and Yuba Counties. 2. I AM AWARE THAT THE MEETINGS OF THE ANCIENT AND HONORABLE ORDER OF E CLAMPUS VITUS® SOMETIMES OCCUR IN THE WILDERNESS, AND THAT DRIVING FROM MY POINT OF DEPARTURE TO SAID MEETING (HEREINAFTER CLAMPSITE) MY PARTICIPATION IN THE VARIOUS ACTIVITIES AT SAID CLAMPSITE AND DRIVING BACK TO MY POINT OF DEPARTURE ARE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS AND HAZARDOUS ACTIVITIES. I AM VOLUNTARILY PARTICIPATING IN THESE ACTIVITIES WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE DANGER INVOLVED, AND HEREBY AGREE TO ACCEPT ANY AND ALL RISKS OF INJURY AND DEATH, AND VERIFY THIS STATEMENT BY PLACING MY INITIALS BELOW. _________________ INITIAL HERE 3. As consideration for being permitted by the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus® to participate in these activities, I hereby agree that I, my assignees, heirs, distributes, guardians, and legal representatives will not make a claim against, sue, or attach the property of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus® or any of its officers or members for injury or damage resulting from negligence or other acts, howsoever caused, and by any member, agent, or officer as a result of my participation in or travel to and from the CLAMPSITE. I hereby release the Ancient and Honorable of E Clampus Vitus® and any of its officers or members from all action, claims or demands that I, my assignees, heirs, distributes, guardians, and legal representatives now have or may have for injury or damage resulting from my above-described participation at the CLAMPSITE. _________________ INITIAL HERE KNOWING AND VOLUNTARY EXECUTION 4. I HAVE CAREFULLY READ THIS AGREEMENT AND FULLY UNDERSTAND ITS CONTENTS. I AM AWARE THAT THIS IS A RELEASE OF LIABILITY AND A CONTRACT BETWEEN MYSELF AND THE ANCIENT AND HONORABLE ORDER OF E CLAMPUS VITUS®, ITS OFFICERS AND MEMBERS AND I SIGN IT OF MY OWN FREE WILL. Executed at _____Hammon Grove_________ (City), ___California_ on the____3rd____ Day of ___May___, ___2014___ Releasor ____________________________________________________________ (Signature required) Name _______________________________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________________________ City _____________________________________ State ______ Zip ___________ Email address ______________________________________________________ PBC’s name (if any)________________________________________________ PBC must be Twenty One (21) Years or Older. (Please include this form and a completed PBC application for each PBC.) William Bull Meek – William Morris Stewart Chapter Ten Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus® P. O. Box 405 Nevada City, CA 95959 05‐2014 #158 s ❑ ❑ ❑ Check here if this is a new address I am an XNGH or NGH of Chap. __________ I am interested in becoming an Associate member of Chapter Ten. Year I joined Chapter 10 ____________________ My original sponsor was ____________________ Clampers please note: Please do not jeopardize our Charter by hazing, in any way, any of the PBCs, yours or others! Leave their Initiation to us ONLY! You will be asked to leave if you don’t comply with this simple and important request! SPONSOR AGREES TO TURN PBC OVER TO HOCO CREW ON TIME AND IN GOOD SHAPE, AND TO LEAVE ALL INITIATION ACTIVITIES IN THE HANDS OF THAT CREW. I WILL NOT ENGAGE IN ANY HARASSMENT OR INITIATION ADDONS OF ANY KIND TO MY OR ANY OTHER PBC. CLAMPER _____________________________________________