AMANA COLONIES, IOWA- JOINT RALLY – APRIL, 30(Friday) – MAY 3(Mon.)

Maypole dance

Amana Rally Schedule Click here

Our Joint Rally with the Lincolnland Unit was a great success. Eleven units attended from Lincohnland and 14 from Northern. We had 3 Region and past Region officers stop by on the way back from the Region 8 rally. We toured the 7 communal colonies (villages) (on the 17 mile loop) and the factories and artisans keeping the Amana old German handcrafts alive. We consumed lots of good German food. There were some big rainstorms on Friday afternoon. Friday dinner was pulled pork.

Saturday, the weather was great for the big “Maifest” parade and Maypole dancing in Amana. Before our Bratwurst sauerkraut dinner, We had a great 1 1/2 hr.open discussion with the manager of the Amana INC, owned campground. He is a third generation member of the church, as well as an employee and a stockholder. This unique culture that still exists today and has a dual personality and goals of a corporation (who owns 25,000 acres of farmland) and a church. The corporation is run by a group of elders, who also rules the church. The “Inspirationalists” (also known as The Community of True Inspiration or the Amana Church Society) is an offshoot of the German Lutheran Church and emigrated to America in 1842 under the leadership of Christian Metz. It was a Utopian communal lifestyle, with no one in the church owning any personal property, was given up in 1932, and the Amana Society INC. was formed. After the “great change”, people worked for the church or outside the church, earned wages and received corporate dividends. People could buy houses and own personal property. However, many of the religious traditions still continue, although the required 11 church services per week have been reduced to only 6 meetings per week.

Brief history of the Amana Colonies: click here

Google scan of early history: click here

A video from the “Heritage Museum” in Amana gave us a slightly different view of the history and distinctivel customs.

To learn more about the Amanas: check this link.

Two couples visited the Herbert Hoover’s home and Presidential Library/Museum and National Historic Site.

Amana Colonies Website: click here

We had videos from the Airstream Co. about Wally’s early caravans and ads on two evenings.

The Spring Luncheon – March 27th was held at Springhill’s Old Country Buffet in Dundee. Twenty-one members attend. There was lots of catching up with what we all did over the winter and planning for the summer events till 3:00 PM. PS – Lots of food.

Blue Beret online click here

March Flier for Northern Illinois Unit : Click here

March International President’s Messageclick here

April International President’s Newsletterr click here

March 2010 Quarterly Financial statement for WBCCI in PDF format is available. E-mail Dwight for a download.

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