Christmas fun, past and present
Don’t forget the Christmas Party at Sondreson Hall! Hosts Jan and Alice Caldwell and Mark and Margaret Heaphy will have the building toasty warm by 3 p.m. on Christmas day and dinner will be served at 4 p.m. Turkey, ham, potatoes and gravy will be provided and cooked by the hosts. Everyone else should bring a side dish or dessert. I’ll bet there will be more than 50 people present.
We have not had a community Christmas party for years and I thought it might be fun to take a look at Christmas past.
In 1985 the Christmas party was hosted by John Frederick and his then-wife, Sharon Costantino. Frank Vitale was Santa and arrived in a sleigh pulled by Ron Wilhelms’ snowmobile. Every young North Forker received a pre-Christmas gift from the jolly old elf.
In 1987 the party was at the Polebridge Hostel and, again, Santa arrived. This time in a horse drawn sleigh driven by Alcine Pitcher. Cappela O’Hara wasn’t there in 1986, having moved back to Massachusetts with her parents. Still environmentalist John Frederick was pictured on red-neck Santa Tom Ladenburg’s lap asking for more wilderness.
By 1988 the Christmas Party had become a major North Fork event. Every child, 15 of them in 1988, got to sit on Santa’s lap and all received a gift. Bo Tanner became the third Santa and Warren Carmony gave horse-drawn sleigh rides until Neko, the horse, tired of the back and forth activity. Dean Christian, son of Kintla Lake seasonals Ted and Peggy Christian, was at 18 months the youngest attending for the second year in a row.
In 1989 Dave Laughlin played the part of Santa with a real beard and arrived on the Ron Wilhelm snowmobile express. The kids’ squeals and giggles of delight gave way to wide eyes and awe as Santa drew presents from his bottomless bag and called out their names.
By 1993 the Christmas Party had become a major North Fork community event. Too big to be held at the Hostel, it was moved to Sondreson Hall and became a two-day affair on the weekend before Christmas.
On Saturday between 40 and 50 people gathered at the community hall for a potluck dinner and to decorate the tree and the hall for Sunday’s big event, the arrival of Santa Claus and the Montanaires, a fabulous choral group from the Flathead Valley.
The dinner and decorating on Saturday also turned out to be the 33rd anniversary of Eunice James’ 25th birthday! Highlight was a birthday/Christmas gift to Eunice from the Vance Hill Towing Service (Ron Wilhelm family) which consisted of a six-part North Fork survival kit for folks like Eunice who, too often, end up in the ditch.
On Sunday the Montanaires capped a really great Christmas get-together complete with Santa Claus and gifts for all of the children as well as sleigh rides.
The Montanaires are a vocal group of 25 to 30 members, all of whom are also members of the 80-voice Glacier Chorale. Several are North Fork landowners and their offer of a Christmas concert was really appreciated.
Noteworthy of comment is the number of people involved. Twenty-plus Montanaires, Bud and Eunice James, who with Jon and Pat Elliot organized the event, brought the trees, started fires and checked the generator and propane systems. Frank Vitale and John Frederick contacted Santa and his horse-drawn sleigh. Steve Keeney made sure every child received a quality gift from Santa as well as the usual candy and popcorn balls made by Marietta Downes. Ed Neneman, who annually makes sure that North Forkers have a supply of good Nebraska poppin’ corn, as well as everyone else who helped decorate, brought food or just brought a big smile and a friendly greeting. Even the NFIA who provide the Community Hall – free of charge!
I know that Christmas is a Christian religious holiday. To Americans it is more, much of it commercial. However, it can and often is, even more than that. It is a time for children, for good will among all faiths or nonbelievers.
Christmas is a time for hope. Hope that we can be better than we have been. More tolerant, less bigoted, more friendly, less confrontational. Better able to enjoy the place we live and the diverse people who occupy it.
Merry, merry Christmas to everyone! I wish you all good health and happiness for 2011 and for many years to come.