Roundup: March 14, 2018

Almansor Court – 700 S. Almansor, Alhambra, CA.
Social Hour: 5:00 PM
Dinner: 6:00 PM

Our Speaker: Jonathan Ritter, Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology, UC Riverside
His Subject: Campfire Songs Revisited: Musical Life in Indigenous Southern California

In light of more than a century of oft-wildly inaccurate depictions of Native American music in film, radio, and television, what was musical life actually like for indigenous peoples of Southern California prior to colonization? How did that change with the advent of the mission and reservation eras? What Native Southern California musical traditions have undergone a renaissance in recent decades, and what new kinds of music have taken root? In this talk, ethnomusicologist Jonathan Ritter will offer a broad overview of Native music in the region and speculate on some of the reasons it is so frequently misrepresented and misunderstood.

Jonathan Ritter is an ethnomusicologist whose research focuses on the indigenous and Afro-Hispanic musical cultures of Andean South America. He received his M.A. and Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from UCLA, and his B.A. in American Indian Studies from the University of Minnesota. At UCR, he teaches numerous courses on Native American, Latin American, and other musical traditions, and is the director of Mayupatapi, the UCR Andean Music Ensemble.

Professor Ritter’s work addresses broad questions of how musical expressions are implicated in the work of cultural memory and political activism, particularly during times of political violence. His book, We Bear Witness With Our Song: The Politics of Music and Violence in the Peruvian Andes (Oxford University Press, forthcoming) explores these themes.

Ritter’s scholarship on Andean, Afro-Ecuadorian, and Native American musics has appeared in numerous academic journals, edited collections, and encyclopedias. Ritter is the recipient of numerous grants and awards, including research funding from the California Center for the Humanities, the Fulbright Institute for International Education, and the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research

Posted by Jim Macklin, Deputy Sheriff.

 

5 Big Topics you need to know about!

The First Big Topic: Future Los Angeles Corral Events

April 11th, 2018
Michael Patris – Thaddeus Lowe and the Civil War Balloon Corps

May 9th, 2018
Celebrate E Clampus Vitus Night at the Corral! (Clampers wear your regalia!)

Abe Hoffman    The Secret Behind the Hidden Secret of Southern California

June 16th, 2018
Fandango at home of Vicki and Gary Turner

July 11th, 2018
Autry Fellow – Challenging the Veracity of Civil War Era History in California & Nevada

August 8th, 2018
Jeff Lapides – Passage to Eldorado: The First Photos on the Mojave Road by Rudolph d’Heureuse (1863)

The Second Big Topic: Increase in Dues

As discussed in earlier notices, the Trail Bosses increased annual dues to $50 starting in 2019 from $45 in the prior six years.  Since more than 80% of 2018 dues had been collected at $45 already, we deferred the increase until 2019.  Analysis showed that virtually all the dues were used up in 2017 with just the basic printing and mailing of Roundup notices and Branding Iron and Keepsake publications.

The Third Big Topic: Increase in Dinner Fees & Decrease in Dinner Choices

Also, as discussed in earlier notices, The Trail Bosses increased the Roundup fee from $35 to $40 as of this March Roundup.  Almansor Court had requested significant increases in the amounts they charge us for dinners.  At the prior rates, they were actually losing money on every plate they served.  Since the dinner rate we charge the members had not increased in seven years, a $5 increase from $35 to $40 is reasonable.  Even at the increased rates, Almansor is still charging us only normal lunch rates for dinner-time meals.  With ample, convenient and free parking, the Almansor is still more desirable than equivalent dinner operators in the area.

In addition, Almansor no longer will offer us four dinner choices but just three.  Almansor is obligated by regulation to offer a vegetarian plate.  Members who normally order chicken or fish frequently switch between the two.  So, we’ve decided to offer beef and vegetarian plus either chicken or fish.   We will offer chicken at most Roundups and fish at the other Roundups.

The Fourth Big Topic: Dinner Reservations

The choices for the March 14th Roundup are beef, chicken and vegetarian.  This month, that means Kalbi Top Sirloin topped with a Sweet & Spicy Sauce, Breaded Baked Chicken topped with Garlic & Parmesan or a Fresh Vegetable Bouquet that I’m told will surely make you feel good all the way to your toes. Dessert consists of a baked chocolate soufflé style treat called “Chocolate Royale.”  If your spouse chose not to attend in March, run this menu by her/him again.

Please choose your entrée and make out your check for $40 (Yes, that’s $40!) to “Westerners, Los Angeles Corral,” or submit your payment online as EARLY AS YOU CAN but no later than one week before the Roundup date.  Just log onto our website (www.lawesterners.org) and go to the Members Only tab.  Click on the Roundup Store option and follow the instructions.  Walk-ins can be served, but entrée choices will be limited to what is on hand.  The “late price” is now $45.00.

If you are paying by check, mail it to Ms. Therese Melbar, Registrar of Marks and Brands at 549 South Aldenville Avenue, Covina, CA 91723-2909. Late reservations or questions may be addressed to Therese via Email: tmelbar@cpp.edu or by telephone (661) 343-9373.

Please keep in mind that some of our members can no longer drive or are uncomfortable about driving on the freeways at night.  If there are such members living in your area, please get in touch to see if they would come with you to the Roundups.

The Fifth Big Topic: Participation, Publication & Recognition

We encourage all to consider participating in writing and publishing your literary efforts in the Corral’s publications!  The Corral is always looking for articles on historic subjects, reviews of books, poetry or write-ups of Corral activities for the Branding Iron.  If you would be willing to participate in some aspect of our publishing, please let the Trail Bosses know!  If you have s concept for a Keepsake or perhaps even a future Brand Book, let the Trail Bosses know.  Your contribution does not have to be a complex, highly researched formal paper but something far less formidable, like a summary of Jeanette Davis’s presentation in February on the Donner Incident (Start early. Don’t waste time. Don’t take the cutoff.) for the Branding Iron.

The Corral is now in the process of preparing our annual reporting to the Westerners International organization for the year 2017.  This includes our nominations of members and the Corral for awards presented by Westerners International.  We are all proud of the success of the Corral and its members in winning these awards – like the four Top Gun awards  Monsignor Weber, Abe Hoffmann, Gary Turner and Jerry Selmer received recently. (I stand corrected, they were actually designated Living Legends!)  If you are aware of members we should nominate for one of the WI awards, including yourself, please let Brian Dillon know soon.  Brian, who has become the Corral’s WI representative, has a reporting deadline of April 15th but will be in Ireland for much of March.

 You have successfully read the Five Big Topics, but there are additional topics not qualifying as “BIG.”

 Bronze Belt Buckles!  Two years ago, a limited number of Los Angeles Corral belt buckles were made available to our members.  They sold very quickly.  A few more will now be available to the membership once again.  These beautiful bronze buckles will be sold at the next three meetings for $25 each.  Cash or checks will be accepted.  Every member needs one.  Buy yours now!

2018 dues payment!  Our Registrar of Marks & Brands, Therese Melbar, has done an excellent job of collecting 2018 dues!  Only a few members still need to pay, and they have been contacted directly.  Thanks to all of you members for responding so promptly!

Humor!

In processing some old Branding Irons donated by the estate of a member, I had the opportunity to peruse some of them and found a bunch of truly humorous stories hidden in the pages.   One told an incident about Will Rogers in his early days as a rodeo clown in a traveling rodeo show.  A steer got loose and charged up the stairs into the audience.  Will roped and tied the steer and dragged it back down to the arena.  When the rodeo announcer asked him why he didn’t leave the steer in the audience, he responded “He doesn’t have a ticket.”  If you tire of laughing at the politicians, consider reading some old Branding Irons.

Contact Jim Macklin, Deputy Sheriff, at 1221 Greenfield Avenue, Arcadia, CA 91006-4148, at  jhmcpa@earthlink.net or (626) 446-6411 with any questions or news items.