Gauverband Nordamerika

Thomas Karg of D’Wageggler in Haldenwang shared the tragic news that their Vorsitzende Miriam (Benda) Reiter and her unborn son passed away on September 21st.  There is a writeup on their website 

You have until December 31, 2023, to apply for the Paul Ulrich Sr. Scholarship! All the information--guidelines and application--is at this LINK.  The Scholarship Committee is looking forward to reading this year's applications.

Volksmusik is one of the important elements that we uphold in our motto "Sitt und Tracht der Alten wollen wir erhalten."  Without music, much of our Brauchtum would be lost--dialects, region-specific customs, references to ways of life and times, dance, and so much more. Alt-Washingtonia's Michael Leggett did an interview with Gaumusikwart Rick Michels and asked him great questions about his role as Musikwart, what "echte Volksmusik" means, how it relates to Gau-NA's goals, and how the Gauverband benefits from Rick's enthusiasm for music.

Barbara's family asked that this sad news be shared with the Gauverband. 

Barbara Elizabeth Mayer, born Barbara Elizabeth Grasmugg on July 16, 1941, in Chicago, IL, passed away peacefully on August 3, 2023. She was the daughter of Frank and Barbara Grasmugg and grew up on the vibrant North side of Chicago alongside her siblings, brother Frank and sister Katherine, and under the care of her parents and grandparents.

Excitement about the Preisplatteln at the 2023 Gaufest is still high, especially among the top two Gruppenpreisplatteln winners and the top three Einzelpreisplatteln winners in each age group. Those dancers are eligible to compete at the 2024 Bayerischer Löwe. It will be held during the June 6-9 Huosigau Heimattage & Gaufest in Steinebach, with the Löwe on Saturday, June 8. The Verein hosting the events is Trachtenverein D'Donarbichler in Steinebach. Their website (link below) will be updated over the next year with more information.

Klaus Hornell of Gemütlichen Schuhplattler Anaheim gave an excellent presentation on Lederhosen at the 2023 Gaufest at the Kalahari. It was two hours long with almost 200 slides; Klaus's narration was informative and entertaining, and the time flew by. He has given his permission to post the pdf of his presentation to the Gauverband website--it is available at THIS LINK and also under Resources/Tracht from the home page.