The NFCA Proudly Recognizes "Fraternalists-in-Action" 

Fraternal MVPs-Week of March 5, 2007

The National Fraternal Congress of America (NFCA) is proud to recognize the following individuals as Fraternal MVPs (Most Valuable Participants) for the week of March 5, 2007. Fraternal MVPs are “Fraternalists-in-Action” who volunteer their time, energy and compassion to strengthen their communities through participation in local lodge activities and other charitable endeavors.

Rex Powers

Greater Beneficial Union of Pittsburgh (GBU)

District #510

Toledo, Ohio

Rex Powers has been a member of GBU’s District #510-Toledo, Ohio, since 1989. For more than 20 years, Rex has been delivering meals and providing fellowship to local shut-ins as a volunteer and former Board Member for Mobile Meals of Toledo. For more than 30 years, Rex also has been helping others as a volunteer in the St. Charles Hospital, Ombudsman Emergency Room Program.

Rex graduated with a B.S. degree from Toledo University and a graduate degree from Ohio State University. After his schooling, he worked as a Chemist-Bacteriologist for the City of Toledo in the Water Department. Ten years later, he took the position of Chemist Superintendent at the City of Oregon Water Department and in 1990 retired as the Oregon Commissioner of Water and Wastewater Treatment. Since his retirement, Rex has been working as a “happy volunteer.”

As the past President of the Oregonian Club, Rex was the driving force behind construction of bikeways throughout the city. Today, Rex serves Toledo on the Toledo Area Council of Governments Pedestrian and Bikeway Committee. For more than 20 years, Rex has volunteered at the German American Festival held in Oregon, Ohio. His guidance as President of the Oregon-Jerusalem Historical Society helped advance that society and organize and establish the Brandville Schoolhouse as their headquarters.

For fun Rex volunteers yearly for the Jamie Farr LPGA Classic. He and his wife, Helen, have two children and four grandchildren. If Rex is not volunteering or traveling the world, you may find him in his workshop, which according to him is his “therapy.”

Tracie Surridge

Modern Woodmen of America

Club #10594-3

West Burke, Vermont

A true fraternalist, Tracie has been a youth service club leader for 12 years. Before that, Tracie was a youth member herself.

Tracie says, “I love having the chance to work with the kids in my community and school to hopefully make a difference in their lives like my Modern Woodmen youth club leader did for me.”

Tracie leads the young members in volunteer fundraising efforts. Among the recipients of the club’s kindness are the local fire department, school library, after-school intramural sports program, a new playground and a family who lost their home in a fire.

Tracie has worked hard to organize dozens of youth and adult volunteers year after year on JOIN HANDS DAY. Through the years, her club has painted bleachers, cleared a nature trail, planted flowers, and even removed 400 pounds of trash along the roadsides.

Tracie says she “works with members to create projects within our community that will teach the kids to be responsible community members.” 

Balancing the “work” with fun is the job of any good club leader, and Tracie surely does that. Her club members love nature hikes and hosting a community-wide potluck.

Tracie’s volunteer efforts don’t end with the club. She’s an active volunteer at the school where she teaches third and fourth grades. In 2005, Tracie led the school’s Hurricane Katrina fundraising efforts. She runs an after-school “Math and Reading Fun Club” one day a week for students who can’t afford the traditional after-school program. And as a member of the Burke School and Community Association, Tracie is helping raise funds to replace a 20-year-old playground.

Most of all, Tracie is proud of her family. She says of her husband and children, “To me, my family is one of the most supportive, fun-loving and caring families that I have ever seen.”

Gerald T. Pauli

Order of the United Commercial Travelers of America

Frontier Council #727

Cheyenne, Wyoming

Gerald T. (Jerry) Pauli joined UCT’s Frontier Council #727 in 1970 with the idea that he was probably never going to be terribly active, that it was just an opportunity to go to dinners with nice people. His attitude certainly has changed during his 36 years of membership.

As Jerry became more and more active within his local council, he learned how important fraternalism is to its members and the local community. He discovered through his fraternal activities that he enjoyed reaching out and helping others, especially those less fortunate than himself. He found in fraternalism friendships that can last a lifetime.

Jerry, along with his wife, Jo Ann, have become the heart and soul of Council #727, and are literally involved with every project the council takes on. Whether it is coordinating the local safety poster contest for people with mental disabilities, selling Seeds of Hope to raise money for the UCT Charities Trust Fund, or holding an annual JOIN HANDS DAY event, Jerry is at the center of it.

Jerry also is responsible for motivating Council #727 to get involved in supporting the local Veteran's Administration Hospital and nursing home. Each year, council members bake hundreds of cookies for hospital patients and nursing home residents and each Christmas they decorate two trees. Under Jerry's guidance, the council has come to support a local homeless shelter, collecting coats and clothes to donate each year. The Pauli home also has become the center of much of Council #727's fraternal activity where most of the monthly meetings and many of the holiday gatherings take place.

Jerry has served through the line of offices of Council #727, earning his Past Counselor honors, and has functioned as the council's secretary-treasurer for 25 years. He also has served through the line of the Colorado-Wyoming Grand (regional) Council and earned his Past Grand Counselor honors. He has served on the Grand Council's executive committee for 21 years.

Through the years, Jerry has received many plaques, certificates and letters of appreciation for his fraternal activities. While he appreciates the recognition, he remains active because he values the fraternalism—and the dinners, too, of course!

Annette Unger

Order of the Sons of Hermann in the State of Texas

Vineta Lodge #15
Pleasanton, Texas

Annette is a fifth generation Hermann Sons member, and has been a member since she was just 11 days old. Her 100% Hermann Sons family includes her grandparents, parents, her own family and her brother and sister and their families. Having grown up in a Hermann Sons family, she attended Hermann Sons Youth Camp for five years and was a counselor for one year.

Annette currently is serving Vineta Lodge #15 as vice president and hospitality chairman. She previously served as inner guard. She also is involved in Jourdanton Lodge #310 where she serves as chairman of the JOIN HANDS DAY and Make A Difference Day projects and serves as president of the Jourdanton School of Dance Parents’ Club.

Outside of Hermann Sons, she is Family Council President at the Retama-Jourdanton Nursing Home, where for the last 20 months, she has volunteered five to seven times per week.

Active in her church, Annette attends St. John Lutheran Church where she has served as Sunday school superintendent, a Sunday school teacher, organist, church council member and scholarship committee chair. She helps with meals at church after funerals, has helped with vacation Bible school, organized a children’s' Easter-egg hunt and chaired the children's Christmas program for five years.

Annette helped the Charlotte Band raise $100,000 for a trip to Washington, D.C., to represent Texas in the Memorial Day Parade. She paid her own way as a sponsor and was the assistant to the band director during the trip.

Since July 2002, she has worked as an educational diagnostician for the Atascosa-McMullin Co-Op. She was a Behavior Unit teacher for two years, a stay-at-home mom for three years and band director for 13 years. She also taught general music, history, resource math, social studies and swimming. She has served a few churches as organist and was a Castle Hills Baptist Church Christmas Pageant orchestra member, daycare worker, gave private lessons to band students and continues to work with special-needs children.

Annette has two daughters. Devoted to her family, she takes her parents to doctors’ appointments and helps on the family farm. She also cared for her grandmother and great-aunt, during the last two years of their lives, which included driving them to lodge meetings.

The NFCA salutes these outstanding Fraternalists-in-Action for their dedication, kindness and generosity. They embody the heart of fraternalism through their volunteer efforts and commitment to their communities.


To view previous weeks' MVPs, click here.