Upcoming Wrecks
by ________, Northern Manager
Check back for upcoming wrecks.  To make goal you need new members.  Let's see if we can find them. 

Orange County 40 & 8 Voiture Locale 527
 by Michelle De La Cruz
Join our FUNDRAISER BBQ on July 27, 2024 to help our Child Welfare program benefiting the Orangewood Children and Family Center.  Stop by the Orange County Harley Davidson at 8677 Research Dr, Irvine, CA 92618 between 11 am and 2 pm.  It will be a fun afternoon!

August 2021 event: Left to right: Andy Rebulio, Voiture 527 Voyageur Militaire; Daniel Dumas, Nationale Commissarie Intendant; Michelle De La Cruz,  Grand Directeur Child Welfare and V 527 Chairman; Bill Cook, Voiture 527 Voyageur Militaire: Brett Robinson, Voiture 527 Voyageur Militaire; Martha Huff, Chef de Gare V 527; Joe Donovan, Grande du California Chef de Gare and  Nationale Directeur Child Welfare

 Passe Grande Chef de Gare Biography
 Joseph R. Donovan (V-1406)

     I was wrecked by the Grande Voiture du UT at the Great Western States Promenade in April 1973 at San Mateo CA.  I have served 25 years with the Grand Color Guard, 21 years with the Grand Wrecking Crew, I was Grand Drapeau 4 times, Grand Commis Voyageur 3 times, Sous Grand Correspondant for 8 years, Grand Correspondant for 15 years, Grand Conducteur, Grand Chef de Train, and elected Grand Chef de Gare at our Grand Promenade in Fresno CA July 10, 2021.  At my installation, I spoke of several memories over my years of membership in the Forty and Eight, some brought a smile and chuckle to the attendees, depicting one of our founding principles, that being to ‘HAVE FUN”

     As I begin my year 50 as a member of the greatest honor organization of American Veterans, I am proud and honored at having been elected your Grand Chef.  Like my predecessors, I was presented 2 large gavels to use during my year.  Although having seen and even stolen the gavels over the years, I never really read the inscriptions.  Well, I finally did, now that I have custody of them.  Well, well, well the wooden mallet that looks like raw wood was in scripted as being donated by Past Grand Chef Anthony Diaz from Voiture 653.  That Gavel was presented to Tony by PGC Joe Paynter from V-393.  Wow! Talk about coincidence!  PGC Tony used that Gavel in his year as Grand Chef to install me as Chef de Gare of San Mateo Voiture 393 in 1993, 21 years after becoming a member.  The other LARGE Gavel was crafted to look like (albeit much smaller) the Paul Bunion Gavel that is presented to one lucky Grand Chef at the National Promenade.  Hopefully not me!  It was presented to the Grande Voiture by PGC Dave Merridith in 2005.

     When I became a member of the Forty and Eight, California was noted among the “Big 10” of Grande Voitures nationally.  We had a membership of close to 2850 and 46 Locales.  Sadly, last year, we lost another three Locales and our membership has declined to less than 800.  It is my fervent hope and prayer that we can reverse the decline and again make this Grande Voiture an important asset of our National organization.  Our Locales do fine work within their communities.  Our mission MUST be to publicize those efforts.  That alone will entice other qualified Veterans to seek us out, inquire about us, and hopefully be invited to become involved in our great organization.  Will you help?  And let’s all HAVE FUN doing it?

GREAT WESTERN STATES PROMENADE
 April 8 – 10, 2021- Woodland, CA


A nice group representing the Grandes of AK, AZ, CA, OR, SD, WA, and WY gathered in historic Woodland CA for the Annual Great Western States Promenade hosted by San Tomas Voiture 365, Grande du California.  Sadly, Grandes du ID, MT, NM, NV, and UT were not present.  The National distinguished guest was our own Sous Chef de Chemin de Fer Frank P Campo and his wife Jodie.  We were graced with a visit from Candidate for Chef de Chemin de Fer 2022 Bill Simpson and his wife.  Present were 3 Sous Chef’s Passe, Robert Mattson CA, Dan Evers OR, and John Clapp WA in addition to Bill Simpson SC.  We had 4 National Directeurs present:  Americanism Dan Evers OR, Child Welfare Joe Donovan CA, Nurses Training Ernest Lane AZ, and POW/MIA Steve Slegers WA and 7 National Sous Directeurs!  Box Car: Dennis Matarrese CA, Jim Scott AK, Gary Klinghammer OR, Carville Star Steve Villegas CA, Child Welfare Frank Matlock WA, Membership Howard Darter CA, and Ritual Court Bradbury CA.  Each of the National Directeurs and Sous Directeurs gave presentations of their particular programs.  All encouraged Annual Reporting of activity via the Report Forms in the Petit Communique.   I think all present Grandes paid their dues, but between Recording Secretary Gary Klinghammer, President Jim Scott, and Gard de la Porte John Clapp, they all had their hands out constantly.  Many Voyageurs, due to inactivity of the 40 & 8, had forgotten the password and paid dearly.  The business session actually went smoothly and left time for a tour of Old Town Sacramento for those interested.

Grand Chef de Gare du California Mildred S Wright-Pearson welcomed all to California!

During his idle time the past two years, President Jim Scott had custom crafted a beautiful traveling case for the Great Western Display that holds the State Flags of each of the member Grandes.  The old case was splintered and dangerous to handle.  The case travels with the President.

Our host Chairman Past Grand Chef Steve Villegas from Voiture 365 kept the hospitality room buzzing with lots of refreshments.   Registration, beans & franks at the Early Bird Thurs evening, wonderful lunches Fri chicken pasta & salad and Sat great cold-cut sandwiches & chips plus desert, included with registration, kept everyone’s belly full!   Some attendees generously donated funds at the local Casino Friday evening.

SMOOTHLY RUN elections determined Andres Jaime from, AZ as next our President and the location to be Tombstone AZ April 7 – 9, 2022 for the next Great Western followed by Rapid City SD and Grande du WA.  The rotation hopefully will be coordinated at the next GW as we had many Grandes missing.   Andres was impressively installed into his office by Sous Chef de Chemin de Fer Frank P Campo.

The weekend concluded with a wonderful catered baked chicken and tri-tip banquet that was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.  Safe travels were wished to your destination.

Joseph R Donovan
Grand Correspondant du CA
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Download or View Quarterly Newsletters

Dear Voyageurs,
Hope you find the La Femmes Cabane Chatter fun and sometimes informative.
 
  Download the quarterly“Cabane Chatter” newsletter
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Mary Orval, La Correspondante Nationale - La Societe de Femme
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Here’s the most current issue of the “Voyageur Briefs” electronic newsletter. Each month this publication will provide some timely, interesting and important information for all Voyageurs.
 
  Download the quarterly“Voyageur Briefs” newsletter
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Thank you, Voiture Nationale
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The current issue of the “CalVet Newsletter”. Enjoy!
 
  Download the monthly “CalVet News”
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CalVet invites County Veteran Services Officers, representatives from government and nonprofit agencies, and others organizations that serve California veterans to submit articles for consideration by our Newsletter Editor.
To view Newsletter submission guidelines, to go:
  http://www.calvet.ca.gov/Files/News/Newsletters/NewsletterGuidelines.pdf
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Your Business Card could be shown right here!
Send an email to: daveby@pacific.net for details...
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GRANDE VOITURE du CALIFORNIA
 Joe Donovan, Grand Correspondant

WHAT DO WE DO?

     Here's a little History.  The Forty and Eights Child Welfare Program began in 1923.  Naturally, the object was to help children.  We still do this today, primarily aid to children who are suffering from Natural or man-made disasters, like floods, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc.
    Did you know that in 1930, the Forty and Eight led the Nation to inoculate every child in America against diphtheria?   We have graduated over 30,000 nurses through our Scholarship Fund.  We support the patients at Carville Medical Research Center in Louisiana and various Hansons Disease Clinics throughout the Country.  Yes, Hansons disease or Leprosy still exists in the United States.
     We have VAVS Representatives at many VA facilities and State Veteran's Homes.  Our Americanism program distributes Flags to children, and we assist the National POW Scholarship Fund annually.  We assist various Youth Sports activities with contributions.
     In California, we have 10 Locomotives the support all kinds of patriotic and community functions like parades, school gatherings, as well as Veteran activities.   They all draw smiles and cheers from those who see them.   Each of the above Charitable endeavors offers nice looking pins to support their activity.  When the leaders of your Locales ask for your support, please consider purchasing the various pins.
     Like every organization, we rely on our MEMBERS to support our endeavors through their dues.  DO YOU HAVE your Membership Card?  Contact your Correspondant!
     Visit www.cafortyandeight.org for complete information on our activities, our Officers, and our Programs.  If you have the old site (with numbers) in your browser, you will not have current information.
     Thanks for reading…  Joe Donovan, Grand Correspondant
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Passe Nationale Sous Directeur Membership Region 1
La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux
  Robert S. (Bob) Mattson  Phone # 707-644-6295 Email rsmattson@att.net

TEN  COMMANDMENTS  OF  THE  40 &  8

1. The Voyageur Militaire is the life blood of the Voiture and La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux.
2. My fellow Voyageurs and I are La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux without our active support it ceases to exist.
3. As a Voyageur Militaire, I am the representative of my Voiture Locale, Grand Voiture and Voiture Nationale, La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux. Whatever I do or say reflects directly upon myself and my fellow Voyageurs Militaire.
4. As a Voyageur Militaire, I am responsible for what my Voiture Locale, Grand Voiture and Voiture Nationale stands for. It can be no more than what my fellow Voyageurs and I, together make it.
5. As a Voyageur Militaire, I should not criticize what my fellow Voyageurs do for the Forty and Eight unless I have a better suggestion and I am prepared to do it myself.
6. As a Voyageur Militaire, I must remember that the fact that I bear the title of a Forty and Eight Voyageur is not enough. I must continue to be an active member, and to be a Forty and Eight Voyageur.
7. As a Voyageur Militaire, I should treat my fellow Voyageurs with the respect, honor, and understanding that I would like to receive from them.
8. It is not my right to be a Voyageur Militaire, it is an honor. I should respect that Honor by abiding by all Forty and Eight precepts.
9. La Societe does me an honor by calling on me. I am not doing my Voiture a favor by serving. It is both an obligation and a privilege.
10. Whatever differences my fellow Voyageurs and I may have, we are all bound together by the bonds of our loyalty to our Voiture, to La Societe, and to all American Veterans

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A Forty & Eighter is Many Things (A LOOK BACK IN TIME...)
 
    Between the manliness of serving his country, and sometime during the golden years to follow, we find a delightful fellow called a Forty et Eighter. Voyageurs come in all sizes, ages, drinking capacities, and from all walks of life. Forty et Eighters are found everywhere - on top of, hanging from, marching in, climbing, running, or presiding over and giving to others. Children love them, non-members hate them, wives tolerate them, newspapers misspell their names, nurses respect them, and heaven protects them. A Forty et Eighter is many things. He has the consumptive capabilities of a camel, the digestive qualities of a little boy, the energy of a rocket thrust, the imagination of a clown, the audacity of a pick pocket, the enthusiasm of a cheerleader, and the heart of a saint.
    A Forty et Eighter is fun with egg on his smock, camaraderie with beer in his belly, cockiness with a chapeau on his head, chivalry with a string around your legs, innocence with a buzzer on your hip, wisdom with his own version of the French language, hope with candy in his pocket, and sack of toys under his arm. He likes conventions, kids, nurses, parades, fire trucks, boxcars, swapping stories, wrecks, his best friend is always another Voyageur. He’s not much on lengthy meetings, windy speakers, neckties, complainers, non-workers, and Voyageurs who don’t pay dues on time. A few others would even claim that all he can hold in his pockets are raffle tickets, a can opener, a beer can, breath freshener, assorted crumpled up addresses, keys, billfold, credit cards, paperback joke book, cigars or cigarettes, matches, American Legion membership forms, 17 chances on a bushel of booze.
    A Forty et Eighter is quite a guy. You can knock him, tease him, torment him, flatter him, or rebuke him, but you can’t beat him in the long run. He’s an angel of mercy to the needy, but a fun loving, hell raising, flag waving little boy who runs amok among the unsuspecting. He’s a hardworking dedicated man to his community, but sometimes is a hard-to-find, unapproachable, grouchy man when the grass needs cutting and the ball game is on. He’ll break a leg playing ball with the kids and laugh it off. He’ll work from dawn til dark cooking for a Voiture project, though at home he won’t fry an egg. He’s got a gift of gab, that before you know it, you find yourself listening to his words of wisdom with awe.
    So when you meet this Voyageur, after a wreck, or Promenade, and he appears slightly worse for the wear from booze, cards, talk, lots of work, and he is grinning a little foolishly, with a pocket full of tickets that didn’t win, well right then my friend, you have met...

“Some Kind of a Man, A Forty et Eighter.”
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