Chinook Lions' Club draws sizeable crowd for annual Old-Timers' Dinner

The Chinook Lions' Club hosted about 80 guests for their annual Old-Timers' Dinner. The annual event started several years ago when the club invited a few senior citizens to an evening dinner to share stories from the past. Eventually the club decided to invite everyone to share stories and memories. Long-time club members believe the Old-Timers' Dinner began in the early 1980's.

While guests arrived and the cooks put the finishing touches on the dinner, Larry Larson entertained with some rollicking piano renditions of old time favorites. Before dinner students with Chinook High's Speech and Drama Club presented two dramatic offerings. Chase Lenz did a solo interpretation of "Poetic Injustice," a humorous tale of a poet performing in a coffee house. Cortney Gunderson and Elizabeth Hodgson, both dressed in early 1800's-period costumes, performed a dialog from Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." Guests enjoyed and applauded the music and the dramatic presentations.

Dinner was served, a pork roast dinner and all the trimmings. Chef Doug Mitchell crowned the meal with an oatmeal cake dessert noting, "You can eat this in the evening and skip breakfast, you've already had your oatmeal." He was assisted in the kitchen by Blanche Kellam and several club members and their wives.

Table talk was about the recent snow affecting some areas, planting getting started and the welcome moisture. For some calving was done or nearly completed. And there was a lot of catching up on news from friends and table companions. Lion President Richard Cronk said he thought it was a "great turnout and a fun event." Thank you Lions Club for a great meal, entertainment and opportunity for catching up on local news.