$150.00 - Luxembourg American Heritage Information Center

The committee worked like bees
to fill your expectancies.
Joe Weber holds the Chair
to this annual affair.
Bill Biegert is in command
of the refreshment stand.
Dinner served from 5 to 9
Saturday, May 4—1 repeat
suggest you come early to dine
mark your calendar for a treat.
In 1953, Brother Adam Barnig celebrated his Golden Wedding Anniversary and invited all
Section members to the celebration to be held at Deckert's Hall, on June 20, 1953.
In late 1953, Brother Otto Deckert passed away. His tavern and restaurant were put up for
sale. Negotiations were commenced by the Grand Officers and a deal was struck in which each
Section of the Brotherhood would purchase stock in a corporation to be organized for the
purpose of owning and operating what would become known as the Luxembourg Gardens, Inc.
In October, 1953, a motion was made to invest $2,500.00 in the purchase of Deckert's Hall. In
February, 1954, Fred Pesche, Sr,, a member of Section 8, spoke to the Section urging its support
in the effort to purchase Deckert's Hall. In April, 1954, the Section donated drapes and kitchen
equipment to the effort, as well as a $125,00 donation for the purchase of clothes and hat racks for
the cloak room,
On May 29,1954, the Luxembourg Gardens was opened, At the April 28,1955 meeting of
Section II, an additional $1,000,00 was invested in the Gardens, and it was agreed that the
Station would pay $10*00 for annual hall rent for th§ privilege of holding its Section meeting!
at ths Qardem
In May, 1954, the L.B.A. announced that it was putting on a membership drive and
requested all sections do their part. Section 15 created a Membership drive committee consisting
of Scotty Krier, Frank Becker, Mike Weber, Matt Dechambre and Nick May. Prizes were to be
awarded to those Section members who recruited the most new members. First prize was $25.00,
second prize was $15.00 and third prize was $10.00. These prizes were to be awarded in
December, with induction of the new members to be held at the January, 1955 meeting.
Of the thirty-eight new members who were inducted in the 1950's, twenty were initiated by
Grand President Leo Eschette, at the January, 1955 meeting. Among these new members were:
Raymond V. Krier, Clem and Luke Meier, Al Koch, William Branagan, Herbert Knutson,
Aloysius Hansen, William R. Dahm, and Lawrence F. Molitor, Sr.
In the February 3, 1955 edition of the News, there is a picture of the new members. The
caption states that Scotty Krier won the membership drive contest by obtaining 14 of the new
members and further identified Section 15 as Skokie's oldest civic and fraternal organization,
having been organized in 1905.
One would think that Section 15 would have celebrated its 50th year with a dinner or other
event. There is no indication in either the minutes or financial records that such an event took
place. The only indication that anything of significance was occurring was that 50 year member
Tony Seul, who was the twenty-second member of Section 15, the first to join after the twenty-one
charter members, was relieved of his obligation to pay dues, a practice which would not receive
formal indorsement until May, 1958.
The convention delegates for Section 15 in 1957 were Nick May, Steve Zibilski and Paul
Hermes and in 1959 were Joe Weber, Nick May and Paul Hermes.
Donations to charity continued in the 1950's. Two donations of note were a $100.00 contribution
to the Orchard School for Retarded Children and a $50.00 contribution to the victims
of Our Lady of Angels Fire in 1958.
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