Howdy Y’All!

There are times when there is so much gratitude it’s hard to know where to start. And so it is  with our Western Music and Cowboy Poetry Event on October 4^th and 5^th. To be a success (and by all accounts it was a huge success) it takes talented entertainers and an appreciative audience.  

It also needs sponsorship.

But it takes an army of people to make it happen, not just on the day of, but in the weeks and months prior to the event. It’s the hard-working volunteers doing  a wide variety of jobs: ones with specialized skills and talent, it takes planners and we need  those who do the grunt work. It’s all of these working together to make it happen, and certainly not for financial or personal gain. It’s a group of people giving of themselves for something much bigger than themselves, making something happen that can only be achieved together.

And so it is that we can take pride in the success of our event to which each one made a contribution in his or her own way. Every war is about defending what’s important to them. In our case it’s defending the survival of the cowboy poetry genre. Every year it’s where we do our part to preserve and promote it as we showcase Western Music and Cowboy Poetry in the Medicine Hat area.

And we did it big time!

Our Major Sponsors

Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Platinum Plus Sponsor – their generous support pays for a portion of the honorariums paid to those entertainers that are deemed professional.

Drowning Ford Grazing Association, Platinum Plus Sponsor – their generous donation is symbolized by the mural that depicts the gate through which you enter the community pasture. 

Other Donors

Blaine Kunz, National Bank Financial Wealth Management – Gold

Home In Express, Silver Plus and special rates for us  and merchandise to the Silent Auction

U-Ride provided transportation to and from the event for several of of our guests free of charge.

Major Merchandise Donors:

• Josie Fitterer and Jen Zollner – Patchwork quilt
• Glen McBride – Framed photo
• Jim Koch – Wood projects
• Peavey Mart – Fountain

Entertainers

There were 14 in all. They came from west of us (Lethbridge, Coalhurst and Taber) and what  direction is it to Strathmore and Claresholm? They came from east of us (Swift Current and  Cypress Hills) and from one Spy Hill which is also in Saskatchewan, 7 1/2 hours away. He is  a MHCP member and was planning to be in our audience, and we were tickled to put him on  stage. In fact we had 5 MHCP members as entertainers, 5 people on stage are Medicine  Hatters. Thanks guys and gals for your poetry and music and for the finger-pickin’ guitar work.

We’ll Miss You Shelley

As emcee, the introduction each entertainer received show-cased Shelley Goldbeck’s true  talent; it was in rhyme that she brought each one on stage the cowboy poetry way.

She also  kept the program running on time and even though there were glitches (there always are) the  audience never knew. Her Piapot Pride Poem was well received (in Piapot it was “the talk of  the town”). Thanks very much. Shelley is looking forward to new and exciting endeavors that  don’t make it possible for her to be part of Medicine Hat Cowboy Poetry. We’re eager to hear  what’s up-and-coming for you, Shelley.

Video Production and Stage Assistants

Cheryl Dust was the videographer running back and forth keeping two cameras running and  focused. Valerie Beyer, from the Taber Cowboy Poetry, was Cheryl’s assistant on the  computer, where the photos and videos were stored. Without the remote to bring the screen  down Cheryl needed to wave at the sound man up and behind her to do so. Then Jim Koch’s  job was to run up front to the side stage and find the right button to shut off the lights so folks  could see the photos and videos on the screen. We were amiss in not giving her credit on the  photos; Cheryl’s camera lens captured each one. The videos were also initially taken by  Cheryl and she was the one who chose and cut the clips from the whole (which she sent to  the MC). There was no down time for Cheryl, so thankfully her brother, Merv, was there to  bring her nourishment. Merv and Val Chapkowski were also Cheryl’s pack-up and carry out  crew at the end of the show. Thanks so much Cheryl for all you did (and continue to do).

Army of Volunteers

You wouldn’t know that it takes an “army” to get the stage ready, and to have an event run  smoothly. First there are those that came early Saturday morning to decorate the stage:  Louise Maier and the crew that helped her. Thanks to Stacey and her staff for the curtain and  set-ups. Now that the event was running. Mike Martin and Louise Maier were the door  monitors, making sure folks come into the theatre during a break. There was a back stage  manager in the name of Noel Burles, making sure the next entertainer was ready. He also  set-up the mikes and chairs for the entertainers. Donny Musgrove’s job, making sure the  stage isn’t cluttered with unnecessary stands or chairs.

Those on the Front-Line

I think of what ‘front-line’ means in war; so many wars going on in the world. For our event it’s  the goings-on when you enter the main doors of the college. When you’re on the front line for our event, it can be too busy, maybe even exhausting and it can also be long and boring,  waiting for action (which soldiers talk about). Those are people like Carol Eisenbarth who took your money and Penella Zollner who helped her (it was all legal, the money was for your tickets.) Then were the ones that registered the entertainers, who sold memberships, our books and the entertainers’ merchandise (Pat Hauck/Bob and Nancy Paul). Gladys Garyk was in there helping here, there and wherever.

There was the Silent Auction table and all the donations that Penita Schnell and Karli Schnell set up and manned. (Jacquie Noerenberg  prepared much of this ahead of time and would have loved to be there.)

Our 50/50 volunteers  were a busy pair: thanks Harv Speers and Donna Moore and to all who bought tickets. (Harv says Donna is the better salesman.)

And for the vendor tables: Faye Fedrau’s drawings,  Louise Maier’s clay pieces, Karen-Anne’s display and Pat Barbier cards (all sold to give a  donation to the Women’s Shelter).

The gal taking action shots was Pam Zollner, she also  prepared the goodies in both the Green Rooms. Then I think of guys like Jim, Lorenz, Bob  and Donny who were ‘conscripted’ because they are a partner. Could it be that Jen’s family  members feel somewhat coerced too? Sincere thanks to all of them and to each of you  (here’s hoping I haven’t missed anyone). 

Stamps and Tickets

Folks from Medicine Hat and near around got their tickets at Hale Hearing. Jill, the  receptionist, was our ever-pleasant ‘ticket master’. Thanks Jill. Some bought their tickets at  the door and those who phoned for tickets were from further afield. In fact, the folks who  came from Lethbridge, Bow Island and Cranbrook also bought memberships. (They’re $20 in  case you’re interested in supporting our cause.) In true Western style, you got ‘branded’ with a stamp for the afternoon show. (Next year we’ll have an MH monogram brand. Not to worry  though, we won’t heat it.) Thanks to all who came to our afternoon and evening shows.

There are those who wore wrist bands and had supper with us. Darlene Knight, Josie Fitterer  and Louise Maier were on table decor set-up (tobacco tins on a slab of bark). Thanks too for  the crew of trouble-shooters.

We had honored guests joining us for supper this year: two  women that were inducted into the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame: Dee Butterfield from Trochu and Maxine Girletz from Oyen. Maxine’s son and daughter-in-law joined her at the  head table. Dee was staying with Gena LaCoste, so it was a perfect time to honor Gena for her generosity to MHCP (her art work on the cover on each of our 3 publications). Presently our project is “Women in Rodeo”, we’ve been interviewing and videoing these ladies as well  as researching the women that have been Canadian Rodeo Hall of Fame inductees. 

We also had a visit from Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede Royalty for the singing of the national anthem at the start of the evening performance. Queen Charlie Christie and Princess Charlatan Sandford.

Friday and Open Mic

There was a pair of oxen, some trees, and a whole chuckwagon to haul to the College  plusabout a dozen boxes and bins. Thanks to Jim Koch’s trailer and cars belonging to Carol  Eisenbarth and Louise Maier, the supplies to cover tables and decorate Centennial Hall  arrived. (Saturday morning it was again the Carol and Jim Moving Co.) Everyone that pitched in to set up was hungry by the time the pizza arrived just before the Open Mic.

Folks sat  around the tables and spilled into the hallway to hear the nine who performed. More folks came to listen than we had expected. Was that because it was free? Noel did his the best with the sound. It was mostly locals who entertained but one gal (Emma Rugeux) came all the way from Empress. I think you’ll be hearing more of her in the years to come, especially at  MHCP. Open Mic has been a wonderful way to discover new talent. Thanks to all who contributed.

In Memory of Chryle Bascom

On the tables at the Open Mike there were posters, old posters, ones advertising  Irvine’s 20-Mile Post. They belonged to Daryl Bascom’s wife, Chryle (who said “Take the “e”  out of the middle and put it on the end.) She collected the posters every year from the first  time Irvine had a their celebration (1986 to 2001) as well as posters from 2003, 2004, 2008  and 2021, which was Irvine’s 35^th year. Thanks Daryl for donating them to MHCP (thanks  Donna Moore for suggesting he do so). 

Interview: Windy City’s Finest on Location Feature (TWCF)

Michael Bartz and Daniel J. Perryman (Mac & Perry on the show) are doing a project  interviewing artists from Lethbridge and Medicine Hat. Cowboy Poetry is the focus of our  interview on November 1^st. I met Michael when he was in Medicine Hat visiting the C-Cans  when Heritage Days was celebrated in August. His curiosity about Cowboy Poetry prompted  him to attend our event this year. You can view some of the Telus sponsored You-tubes that  have been done in our community (and in Lethbridge).

A Treasured Childhood Tree

There was a slab of bark under the tobacco tins as decor at the chuckwagon supper at  our event. It comes from the tree where Jim Koch spent many happy childhood hours. It was  near Weyburn, SK, about a quarter mile from their yard, the only tree for miles around.

When  he was just a kid, he built a tree house in it using lumber from a neighbor’s yard hauling it with a little red wagon pulled by their one and only horse, King. He would spend hours in that tree  reading. It would seem his interest in house-building started early in life, and he proved the  quality of his workmanship even then; the tree house was still intact 30 and more years later.  The tree was still standing 6 years ago but since then is horizontal logs encased with beautiful bark that is peeling. It wasn’t a young tree even when Jim was young, so it could be said it  died of old age. Perhaps its final end came when it was struck by lightning.

Faye Fedrau is a member of MHCP. When she saw a picture of Jim’s tree, she did an  ink drawing of it as a gift to him.  

Advice From a Steer or Ox

Don't let things stand in the way of your dreams. 
You may have to go through a fence or two. 

Stand your ground no matter who twists your tail 
or prods you. 

Be outstanding in your field but know when to hoof it. 

Count your blessings. You have food, an open sky and shelter, 
What else is there? 

It's good to roll in the dust. Have fun while you do it. 

Don't be afraid to swing your tail and eat plenty of greens.
 
Be prepared to butt heads. Not everyone understands  
you're the boss of yur own life. 

Don't look like a hamburger. Someone might decide to grind you.
 
Always take a moment to lie down and breathe the air 
while chewing your thoughts. 

When nuisances land on your back, no one is going to 
flick your tail for you. 

A thought to leave you with:

Just as an army is no better than its soldiers,
So too an organization is no better than its volunteers.
(you’re all volunteers, to each my sincere thanks)

As Army General,

Take care,

Jen