CHICO CONVENTION - A HUGE SUCCESS!

The Elks Lodge in Chico, CA served as headquarters for the 577 attendees of the 17th annual OCTA convention. Unlike conventions held at hotels, the entire Lodge was filled with OCTAns. Practically unheard of for Chico in August, the weather was beautiful! Chico can be brutally hot, but the convention fit into a small window between heat waves and wildfires which followed the convention.

Nine Pre-convention tours were offered which started 3 to 5 days prior to the start of the convention and two Post-convention tours followed the end of the convention.

Chico State University students of the Audio-Visual Dept. provided video cameras and their expertise to photograph the speakers, vignettes, and glimpses of the live audience, the result of which was transferred to monitors along the sides. Thus, every seat had a good view. The students earned credits for this activity, and it is planned that they will produce a 2-volume set of video tapes which will be for sale when they complete editing. (See the order form elsewhere in this website.)

Frank and Mary Ann Tortorich got the convention started with their skit, "Getting Ready to Go," backdropped with authentic wagon supplies. Keynote speaker, J. S. Holliday, author of The World Rushed In, delighted the audience with facts about the trails end in California and excerpts from his new book, Rush For Riches, Gold Fever and the Making of California. Richard Silva's excellent slide show of the "Emigrant Trail Through Photography" followed.

During the morning break and through lunch, two rewarding events took place: J. S. Holliday signed his books and two U. S. Postal Agents conducted a stamp cancellation featuring the convention logo of a miner panning for gold. This is still available through September from the Chico Post Office.

A gallery of Bruff sketches, secured from The Huntington Library and provided by Dick and Ginny Davis, lined the long tree-shaded walkway to the BBQ Pavilion where the Friendship Luncheon was held. First time attendees were honored and trail location signs at each table provided conversation topics.

Though first after lunch, nobody slept through Mike Gillis' fascinating slides of the John Bidwell route, personally experienced by this Cal State History Lecturer from Chico University. Frank Tortorich followed with his interesting presentation of "the Gold Rush Trail." Last, but far from least of the Wednesday talks, was wheelwright, Don Weston, who showed his wagon wheels and explained how he makes them.

The Luck of the Draw (raffle) tables next to the ever-busy Registration desk in the lobby, were attractively decorated with the many donations. The result was the largest income ever of all the conventions! A great, well-organized job done by Bernie and Ed Scoles and their crew.

Junior Activities - something new this year - aimed toward children 9-13, was well received by those who attended, during the Wednesday session of papers.

The ever-popular Bookroom - headed up by Bev and George Hesse - comprised of one large room, a small room across the hall, and small tables in the hallway between the two, created an atmosphere conducive to browsing and purchasing.

The Awards Banquet tables were decorated with baskets filled with local California products: rice, almonds, olives, raisins, and dried tomatoes. Somebody at each table won the basket beautifully wrapped by Susan Rupp and her Food Committee. Susan was liaison to the caterer who outdid herself with quality food in abundance at every meal.

The California-Nevada area was well represented in the awards as follows: Educator of the Year Award for Elementary Schools Ed Gwartney, Madera, CA Educator of the Year for Middle Schools James Cazier, Carson City, NV Distinguished Service Awards: Hugh Bunten, Surprise, CA; Carrie Smith, Truckee, CA Gerry Gates, Alturas, CA Friends of the Trail William Thompson Family, Bieber, CA Distinguished Volunteer of the Year Mary Mueller, San Jose, CA Meritorious Achievement Bill and Shann Rupp, Jamestown, CA

Bus Tours: Six busloads went out on Thursday and Friday to the Beckwourth Trail, the Nobles Trail, and Grass Valley and the Empire Mine. Part of the scene were two golf carts busily taking the lunches from the Elks kitchen to load onto the buses. On Thursday, the Chico City Trolley Bus shuttled people from the Lodge to the Bidwell Mansion. This popular tour filled three buses.

The Italian Dinner awaited those returning from the Thursday bus tours, and the Cats n' Jammers banjo players and children's clown trainees provided entertainment during Authors' Night.

JoAnn Levy started us all thinking on Saturday morning with "The Other Forty-Niners," followed by Jim McClain's interesting "Hydraulic Mining." Jacqueline Williams gave a fascinating account of the fact that "Water Was Not Everywhere," and Greg Mac Gregor presented his before and after slides showing "The Emigrant Trail - Then and Now." After the refreshing Summer Salad Luncheon, Larry Shiflet entertained the audience with amusing Cowboy Poetry. Curtis Grant wound up the talks with "The California Gold Rush and the Future of the Republic" - after which we broke into Chapter meetings.

The Western Barbeque on Saturday night was a popular affair with entertainment by the Hawks and Eagles. Jimmy and Nancy Borsdorf displayed and played antique instruments and provided entertaining music for listening and dancing. It was a perfect ending to the convention.

MANY THANKS TO THE VOLUNTEERS WHO MADE THIS CONVENTION A TOTAL SUCCESS!