Grand Chef de Gare John Lee’s Comments at Installation

Sous Chef de Chem de Fer Preston Olson, Nationale and Grand Officers, Voyageurs Dames and Guests:

Bill, this is your day and thank you for your guidance and support. I will keep this portion short and sweet.

It is a great honor to have been elected by you to serve on your behalf as the Grand Chef de Gare du Kansas, I hope that with the knowledge and experience that I have picked up from my mentors and my fellow voyageurs in my locale, the other locales that I have worked closely with, fellow officers of the Grand and Nationale will help lead us to a successful year in La Societe des Quarrant Hommes et Huet Cheveau.

I would like to thank everyone here for their service to this and other veterans organizations for your service reflects greatly on all veterans even though few continue to serve and continue the work that is required to maintain or achieve the benefits and entitlements earned by all veterans. Its your work on the programs of La Societe’ that makes it such a great organization to belong to.

I would like for all of you that hold appointed offices to not only be proud of what you have accomplished so far but to hang in there and continue as long as you can for it is your experience drive that keeps this well oiled machine moving. We lost some of our directeurs due to severe accidents and injury, others to health and I think one just got burned out and quit, I think that in filling those vacancies that I chose with the most qualified voyageurs and hope that I contacted you and that you selflessly accepted, to be honest I lost my list and had to re-contact many of you and sincerely hope that I didn’t overlook anyone. I still need a Sous Conducteur, Please see me if you are willing to accept the challenge or know of a good candidate. We also need a new Sous Directeur VAVS to work the Topeka VA Hospital, Ideally someone from Topeka Voiture will do this but if any of you are willing to travel or do travel there and get reimbursed as a patient yourself and are willing to commit please let me or the Grand Sous Correspondant Ernie know.

Next, I would like to visit a promenade at each Voiture Locale during my year as Grand Chef and intend to attend Promenade Nationale and Central States Promenade. I would like to challenge each of you to actively search out ways to make you locale promenades more fun, if we accomplish that, we will get the membership up to that 110% we need to grow.

Bill, you were amazing as the President of Promenade Nationale 2007 and now you you have completed a very successful year as Grand Chef de Gare du Kansas as you traveled with your lovely wife Pat. I know that I will need to call upon your experience and guidance during the upcoming 12 months and hope you will not get too aggravated by my calls for help.

Finally I want to thank my wife CJ for putting up with me as I pursue my goals and welcome her as the new 1^st Lady of La Societe’ Grand du Kansas. Grand Chef de Gare Passe Bill Christesen called for the Conducteur to escort CJ to the podium and had her put the Grand Chef's Chapeau on Johns Head)(Thanks Bill)

Thank You all and have a safe trip home.


Chefs continued remarks after Installation:

Following this, the Grand "Guarde de Gavel" once again shows his commitment to his job, he stole my gavel while I was getting my picture taken and waved it at me as he was leaving the parking lot. I am glad he agreed to again be the Guarde de Gavel, if someone else stole it I would be in trouble. Thanks Bruce Kouba for your commitment.