It was a magical night, deep in the soft folds of the Blue Ridge mountains. Bill and Betsy's georgous home, the star-filled nite sky, son Tommy's perfectionist grilling, and the Original Orchard Grass Old Time Band combined to make this our best ever Summer Social! 
 

The party started at 1600 and the band finally said they wouldn't play past 2300. They are local to the area and specialize in old time music going back to the Scotch-Irish roots of the original immigrants to these mountains. They differ from traditional Blue Grass, but you better ask Rhonda, the band's historian, for an explanation, as it was way beyond my achieved level of music instruction. I do know, however, it was well within our level of music appreciation!  Bill Witt couldn't keep his mouth shut having to sing along with all the songs. 

And it wasn't just the music.  They had us dancing, or 'flatfootin', as they call it, and even moved us out into the backyard to make a fairy ring in the blue grass.  They played in the center while we danced around them. Pam Burgess looked about as much as one could be a blue grass fairy, while she pulled Jerry around the circle with her barefeet flashing under the long dress.  We had almost total participation after announcing the 'old folks' could stay on the porch and watch! 
 
Keith Raines announced our award of another Distinguished Society award at the just completed Leaders Conference at West Point.  The briefing slides and notes from the the Supe's and Dean's briefings are on our home page and available to all. Jack Price covered the admissions briefing which will be up soon as well. The Leaders Conference was well attended with over 200 Class Presidents and Society leaders.