United Nations Pilgrimage

The Odd Fellows and Rebekahs United Nations Pilgrimage for Youth Marion & Linn Counties - Area 7
My name is Trey Anderson. I have been involved in the UNP since 1984. I truly believe this is a wonderful program and encourage any students who are Sophomores or Juniors to participate! I have been a member of our local committee since then, a member of the State UNP Committee several years, and Tour Leader for 3 years. Tour Leader is our word for chaperone. The photos that you see on this page are from my last trip in 2001. There is a link at the bottom of this page to more (and larger) photos and stories of the trip. I have just retired from teaching after 32 years. Some of my friends think I am a bit crazy to volunteer to spend more time with kids. However, I know what kind of an experience kids have on this trip. I know that kids can get a tremendous educational experience in a short period of time. I also know how much fun I have being involved in the program! Would you like to tour the East Coast with a group of people your age? Or visit the United Nations and the U.S. Capital? Would you like to see a Broadway play and go to the top of the Empire State Building? Do you want to tour Niagara Falls, Gettysburg, and Philadelphia? Have you ever wondered about the view from the top of the Statue of Liberty? If so, quit thinking about it and contact an Odd Fellow or Rebekah. You could win this trip of a lifetime!
While in New York, our students stay at the Southgate Towers. It is in Manhattan, right across from Madison Square Gardens, about 4 blocks from the Empire State Building, and 15 blocks from Times Square. We can walk or ride public transportation to most locations in New York.					These kids are waiting to get into the United Nations Building on one of our tours. What are you waiting for?
The Odd Fellows and Rebekahs pay all expenses for meals, lodging, tours, and transportation. The only expenses for winners are personal expenses; such as clothes, snack food, film, and souvenirs. The Odd Fellows and Rebekahs are fraternal organizations, similar to the Elks, Eagles or Mason’s, and have sponsored this program for over 50 years.
		In New York, we like to do one public service project each year. This group helped do some raking and planting in Central Park.
The Odd Fellows and Rebekahs have been around a long time. I personally belong to a lodge in Salem which was organized 150 years ago. Each lodge or groups of lodges may or may not participate in the UNP program. This means there are many areas in Oregon and other states which do not participate. One reason to not participate is the expense. This year's trip will cost about $1,600 per student. Area 7, the area that I am involved with only covers Marion & Linn County in Oregon. To participate in our area, you must live or go to school in this area. Special note: Students at West Salem High School are included in our area!
	Niagara Falls is an awesome site. At night, they shoot fireworks over the falls.				Students wander through historic Philadelphia.
If you win the trip, there are some expectations and requirements. No smoking, alcohol or drugs are allowed on the trip. This is a fast paced trip with a lot of walking and winners will need to submit a doctor’s certificate of good health. In New York, the winners will be expected to dress nicely two days. Girls will be asked to wear dresses or a similar skirt outfit and boys will be asked to wear jackets, ties, and slacks. The winners will fly to the East Coast this summer, probably at the end of June. They will spend about ten days touring New York City and other locations such as Philadelphia, Niagara Falls, Gettysburg, and Washington, D.C. The focus of this trip is two days at the United Nations building in New York where the winners will listen to speakers from around the world.
	Washington D.C. offers so much to see. The White House (upper left) and the U.S. Capital (right) are inspiring! The Smithsonian Museums are just amazing when you see our history come alive! When we were in DC last, we stayed at a beautiful hotel which was right across from the Russian Embassy and about 1/2 mile from the Vice President's mansion (shown lower left). Our group is shown (middle left) at President Kennedy's grave.


There are four elements to this contest: The contest is open to sophomores and juniors who will be 16 or 17 years old on August 1, 2003. To compete in our area, you must live or go to school in Marion or Linn County. You must write a 750 to 1,000 word essay on this subject: "DESCRIBE THE U.N. INVOLVEMENT IN A CURRENT WORLD AFFAIR" The paper should be typed, double-spaced, and cannot be plagiarized. The paper must be returned to our Chairperson on or before Tuesday, January 7, 2003. You must give a 5 to 7 minute speech. This speech will be based on a tour that you will take on Saturday, February 8, 2003. You will meet at Chemeketa Lodge in west Salem at 11:00am. You and the other contestants will be taken on a tour, then taken back to the lodge for lunch. You will be given the remainder of the day to prepare and practice your speech. Because we want this to be "your" speech, you will be required to stay at the lodge throughout the day without friends, family, etc. Your friends and family are welcome to join you at 5:30pm for a dinner. Then, the speeches will start at 7:00pm. There are no exceptions to this portion of the contest. If you cannot be there from 11:00am until around 9:00pm February 8^th, you cannot compete in this contest.

Can you see yourself in this picture? I can! This group is ready to head out for a new adventure. All you need to do to get started is to contact our Chairperson. She will give you the essay topic and the important deadline dates. You can't win if you don't enter!
*************************** Please feel free to contact either of us for more information ***************************
Chairperson: Cindy Mastenbroek (503) 394-3514				Web designer and alternate contact person: Trey Anderson sandtrey@yahoo.com
More photos from the 2001 trip			A link to our Sovereign Grand Lodge
Our national program's website			A "flyer" that we sent out to schools