In 1956, the original five members of the Lamplighter Orthopaedic Association had their first meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan spawned by ideas conceived by a group of friends having a beer in a bar. They were Al Swanson from Grand Rapids, Maury Castle from Detroit, MI, Fred Brown from Fort Wayne, IN, John Esslinger from Birmingham, MI and Courtney Siegel from Urbana, IL. All of these doctors had trained at the Riley Hospital Residency Program under Dr. George Garceau. Al Swanson had already obtained the original lamp. They felt that they should meet annually and have a short meeting at the Annual Academy meeting. The Annual Meeting would be hosted by one of the members who would act as president of the club for that year. From the very first it was decided that this organization would place special value on husband and wife attending so there would be a social agenda as well as a scientific program. The format would consist of a Wednesday night dinner with the host and hostess, Thursday and Friday scientific meetings, a banquet Friday night and leaving on Saturday. It was also agreed that each one should ask a new member for the next meeting suggesting a total membership of no more than twenty members.

In 1957 the meeting was at Fort Wayne, IN, with Fred Brown as host. Guests that year were: Wally Miller from the University of Miami who also trained under Dr. Garceau, Ralph Lidge of the University of Illinois in Chicago, John Q Brown from Columbus, OH, and Jim Holmblad from Schenectady, NY, who was in basic science at Northwestern University with Al Swanson. After a successful meeting in Fort Wayne it was agreed to continue the meeting on an annual basis. The By-Laws were adopted and the Group Motto was: Strong as ox and almost as smart.

In 1958 the meeting was in Chicago, IL, with Ralph Lidge as host. The membership at that time listed: Howard Schneider from Harvey, IL, Art Trott from Boston, MA, John Q. Brown from Columbus, OH, Sherman Coleman from Salt Lake City, UT, Charles Gregory from Dallas, TX, Kenneth Jones from Little Rock, AK, Robert Lamb of Salt Lake City, UT, Roy Lavine from NY, Joseph Malloy from Kingsport, TN, and John Sterne from Evansville, IN. These new members plus the nine members elected the 2 previous years brought the membership to 18. The By-Laws were printed in the program as was the Membership List. Dr. Lidge suggested that the group should consider incorporate since the purpose of the meeting was continuing education for becoming more knowledgeable orthopaedic surgeons. The name of the group at this time became The Lamplighters Orthopaedic Association and was anticipating incorporation.

In 1959 the meeting was held in Schenectady, NY, with Jim Holmblad as host. At that time residents from the Mayo Clinic for Children’s Orthopedics were at the Eastern NY Orthopedic Hospital School (Sunnyview) and one of the residents was Dennis Coughlin who was invited to give a paper. Also at that meeting Evelyn Holmblad introduced the small lamp which she said represented the wives and called them The Flames. The emphasis on attendance was strict and missing 3 meetings was considered and automatic resignation. Some members were already approaching automatic resignation and consideration of relaxing the attendance requirements was discussed but not changed.

In 1963, the incorporation of the Lamplighters Orthopaedic Association in Illinois was finalized. The meetings continued on a yearly basis with a short dinner at the Annual Academy Meeting and an Annual Meeting targeted around the 1st of May. New members continued to enjoy the Lamplighters and at this time all of the members were in academic medicine. The many conflicts with their teaching responsibility began to show in several automatic resignations. The meeting format at this time adopted a yearly project. Some of the projects mentioned include: apophyseal avulsions, congenital pseudo-arthrosis, non-unions of the humerus, and hip arthroplasties. It was decided in the ‘70’s that when the English Speaking Combined Meeting occurred there would not be an Annual US Lamplighters meeting since many members would be attending the combined meeting. In 1976 Jim Harkness acted as host in Edinburgh, Scotland. US meetings were not held in 2000 and 2004 for that purpose but has since been discontinued.

Somewhere in the 1980's, the By-Laws were changed to include more than 20 members. In 1983 membership was relaxed inviting selective non-academic orthopedists to join. Dennis Coughlin stated “I did not know for sure that I was a member until they asked me to have the meeting”. As some of the original members got older, it was felt that each could bring in someone from the same area. Around that time, Jim Holmblad brought in Gary Williams from Schenectady, Ed Simmons brought in his son, Ed Simmons from Buffalo. Alan Edmonson brought in Bill Warner from Memphis. Hugh Dickinson brought in Rich Santore from San Diego. J.Q. Brown brought in Lars Lubbers from Columbus. Tom Taber brought in Dick Haynes from Phoenix. Rod Beals brought in Ted Vigeland from Portland.

In 1991, at Bob Lindberg’s meeting in Hawaii, it became tradition that upon the loss of a deceased member of the Lamplighters a contribution would be made to the OREF in his name and the amount was added to the annual dues of each member. It was suggested that the yearly contribution be an Order of Merit amount.

In 1993, the membership attendance requirement was further amended and relaxed because of the many meeting conflicts. Also the By-Laws were amended to create 2 categories: Active and Senior Members. Active membership was set at maximum of 30 members. Senior Member category would be for former active members and their number would be unlimited. Active members would be in full-time practice and Senior members either retired or in reduced practice less than 25 hours per week. Senior members would retain full membership privileges. Also female members could be invited.

It was at the 1996 meeting in Columbus, OH, hosted by the Lubbers that the infamous lamp introduced by Al Swanson met its infamous flaming and smoking demise out of the second story of the restaurant crashing down on the entrance.  Lars will chronical the event for posterity.

In 2001 at the Decatur meeting hosted by the Sims, there were: 24 active members listed and 5 Emeritus members with 8 members on the In Memorium list. Membership goals were further amended by broadening the membership goals to reflect the paradigm shift noticed in young orthopedists.

The 2002 meeting in Missoula, MT, hosted by the Seims there were 26 members, 7 Flames and 10 In Memoruim listed. Five new member guests were present: Lovejoy, D’Ambrosia, Tipton, McMaster, and Hirsch.

At the 2003 meeting in Jacksonville hosted by the Lovejoys, the Schutchfields became new members. The post meeting trip to the Bahamas was a great success.

At the 2006, 50th Anniversary, meeting in Schenectady, NY, hosted by the Williams, it was decided that because of many last minute cancellations by the membership and the host having already purchased tickets, transportation and incurring other nonrefundable costs, there should be a $200 registration fee for each couple to cover such expenses if necessary. The By-Laws were amended to allow non-orthopedic surgeon members that had contributed greatly to the orthopaedic community to be invited to membership. The Member category of Emeritus was created to accommodate elderly members no longer able to travel. Five members were shifted: Swanson, Lidge, Simmons Sr., Edmondson and Castle. The names of Loui Baynes ‘69 and Bill Tipton ‘02 were added to In Memorium.  Lamplighter lapel pins were distributed to all Lamplighters and Flames.

The 2007 Portland meeting, hosted by the Beals and Vigelands, was well attended and the scientific program was exceptional with strong participation from members of the faculty at OHSU. New members were the Jimenezs and Larry Rosenthal who became our first non-orthopedic surgeon member nominated by Bill Sims.

In 2008, at the meeting in Buffalo, NY, hosted by the Simmons.  The advanced registration fee for the meeting was raised to $250. Discussions were also had on the form of invoicing for the costs of the meeting and a separate registration category was to be added to the invoices. Further discussion was had to encourage recruiting new members.

At the 2009 meeting in Orange County, California, hosted by the McMasters, ten new members were added: Hofammanns, Housmans, Klassens, Malerichs, Riehls, Robbs, Rosenfelds, Tongues, Stringers, and our first International members, Pepe and Paty Carrillo from Guadalajara.  Ed Simmons Sr. ‘80, Dennis Coughlin ‘71 and James Harkness ’62 were added to In Memorium. This was the only meeting in known history of the Association where the tour bus was pulled over by police for a traffic violation- we were excused. Five Flames attended: Coughlin, Beals, Lindberg, Dickinson and Tipton.

The 2010 meeting was held in Lexington, KY, hosted by the Schutchfields. New members were the Torriellos, Keanes, and Purvis. Bill Sims was moved to the Senior list. Flames attending were: Coughlin and Beals. A very informal meeting of the Lamplighters was held in Glasgow, Scotland in September, 2010 at the Combined Meeting. In attendance were the McMasters, Williams and Scutchfields who met in an old pub after the ceremonial gala opening of the meeting with the piping in and address to the Haggis at the Kelvingrove Museum.

The 2011 Santa Fe, NM, meeting hosted by the D’Ambrosias was the first resort format type of meeting having an abbreviated scientific program. New members included the Rankins and Halseys as well as Evelina Burger, our first female orthopedist, and Sandra Gordon, our first female non-orthopedist member. The membership at that time totaled 44 Lamplighter Members and 6 additional Flames. There are 16 Lamplighters listed In Memoriam. Flames attending were: Tipton and Dickinson

In 2012, the Chicago meeting was hosted by the Robbs, Gordon, Tipton and Rosenthals.  The By-Laws were amended to confirm three member categories: Active, Senior and Emeritus Members.  Active Member limit was set at 35 members. Senior Member category would be only for former Active Members and their number would be unlimited. Active Members will be in full time practice.  Senior members at age 65 years, or at least 5 years as Active bridging the 65^th birthday. Senior Members retain full member privileges. A formal organization of the running of the Association was established with a Chair: McMaster; Executive Director: Rosenthal; Historian: Sims each to serve for three years. New members added were: Keeneys, Martins and Opgrandes.  Allen Edmonson ‘73 was added to In Memorium. Flames in attendance were: Tipton, Beals, and Coughlin. The ritual of lighting the lamps at the final dinner was reinstituted after many years. There are two appropriate and safe lamps, one for the Lamplighters and one for the Flames. The location of any prior lamps is unknown.

The 2013 meeting was hosted by the Jimenezs and Klassens in Carmel by the Sea, CA. Larry Rosenthal introduced the new web site for Lamplighters. He will serve as web-master. He has established a formal registration with the IRS for the Association. While it seems there was early incorporation for the Lamplighters in Illinois,  that has lapsed and will not be pursued. New male members were: Henleys, Houkom, and Barrys. We gained three female orthopedists: Bukata, Page and Strickland raising our number to 5. Three Flames joined us for the meeting: Joyce Beals, Ruth Coughlin and Patti Lindberg. Robert Lindberg ’86 was added to In Memorium. The practice of Lamplighters telling a joke following the dinner was reinstituted successfully at this meeting.

The 2014 meeting was held at Clear point. AL, hosted by the Riehls, Hofammanns, and Sims with plenty of Southern Hospitality. Two members were admitted: Canale and Meyer.  Member John Lovejoy has been awarded the 2015 Humanitarian Award of the AAOS for his long term work in Haiti. The Lamplighters Association is doing well and participation of the membership remains high. Bill Sims, current Historian, is preceded by: Flame Nita Schneider, Tom Taber, and Ralph Lidge, and he is continuing to archive items and paper into digital format for prosperity.  It was decided that in addition to the joke telling by the Lamplighters after dinner, the Flames will restart the tradition of news about their families.

The 2016 Lamplighter meeting highlighted the natural beauty of La Jolla, CA. The Grande Colonial Hotel was the base for lodging, dining, and meeting offering views of the Pacific Ocean and easy walking around the village of La Jolla. Group events included a tour of Birch Aquarium and docent led hikes of Torrey Pines State Reserve with its striking cliffs abutting the crashing waves. For the Flames, arranged events included a self-tour of the La Jolla murals, guided tour of the Museum, of Contemporary Arts, ocean-front private yoga, and opportunity for shopping. With the myriad activities from golf to kayaking to galleries and museums, Saturday afternoon was left open for free choice. As always, the scientific program was exceptional, and we enjoyed group dining at several venues in the area.  Alexe Page hosted pre-dinner cocktails Friday night at her condo overlooking the ocean.  Excellent wine and conversation, but everyone will need to return to La Jolla for another chance to see the elusive sunset “Green Flash.”

2017 brought 56 Lamplighters and Flames to the Big Apple. Hosts Ed and Eva Toriello and Sabrina Strickland decided to highlight the richness of Brooklyn culture at this meeting which headquartered in the Brooklyn Marriott at the foot of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge. Following the welcome reception on Wednesday evening, many of the guests chose to enjoy the stunning Manhattan night skyline by strolling across the Brooklyn Bridge. While Lamplighters attended the scientific presentations on Thursday and Friday mornings, Flames were treated to a guided bus tour of Brooklyn and snapped photos of waterfowl at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. The entire group spent an afternoon at Brooklyn’s historic Green-Wood Cemetery highlighted by a group sing along at Leonard Bernstein’s grave. Other afternoons were spent visiting the 9/11 Memorial Museum in Manhattan and Teddy Roosevelt’s home at Sagamore Hill. The attendees also enjoyed an evening of dinner and finger snapping at the Kitano Jazz Club with the Harry Allen Quartet. The Business meeting was chaired by Bill McMaster who announced that members who financed the recently created Annual Meeting Fund had been repaid and the Fund was available to pay unanticipated out of pocket meeting costs. Any disbursements from the fund would be repaid by the meeting attendees at the conclusion of each meeting. The Brooklyn meeting was brought to an elegant close with a banquet and music at the opulent University Club where new members Mike and Karen Yaszemski were warmly welcomed.

The Nation’s Capital was host, for the first time, to the Lamplighters Annual Meeting,10-14 October, 2018, with an attendance of 60 Lamplighters and Flames. Meeting hosts were Tony and Frances Rankin, and Laura Tosi and David Chu. The Madison Hotel, with its famed history as hotel to Presidents was selected as headquarters, and also for its central and convenient location to downtown Washington, DC. The welcome reception was held in the Potomac Room of the hotel, with the traditional extended hours for early and late arriving members. During Scientific Sessions on Thursday and Friday’s mornings, Flames had a docent guided tour of the National Gallery of Art on Thursday, and on Friday, a shopping excursion pre-arranged for the Flames. Thursday afternoon all attendees enjoyed the Smithsonian’s newest Museum, The National Museum of African American History and Culture, for a self-guided tour. Dinner that evening was held in Georgetown at the Sequoia Restaurant, where a light rain limited sightseeing, but did not hamper cocktails and dinner. Friday evening’s dinner was held at the storied Cosmos Club, in the Warne Ballroom, highlighted by an evening of Jazz with the Marshall Keys Quartet. The Business Meeting was chaired by Bill Mc master The Library of Congress tour was a great opportunity Saturday morning for all, and particularly for many who had never been inside the famed and artistically engrossing structure. We had box lunch on our way to Mt. Vernon in the afternoon, where a surprising treat was the opportunity for the LOA to engage in Wreath Laying at the Tomb of George Washington (memorialized with a Certificate of Participation). The Washington meeting closed with a fine dinner in the Dolly Madison Ballroom of the Madison Hotel where new members, Jeff and Mary Beth Anderson, Noah and Risa Finkle, Andy and Julie Glassman, and Eli and Judy Powell were roundly welcomed by all.

Shortly before the 2019 meeting, Larry Rosenthal who had been acting as Executive Director, Treasurer and Webmaster announced his retirement. During his tenure, Larry used his expertise in association management to improve the structure and administration of the Lamplighters.

Fifty-one members of the Lamplighter Orthopaedic Association (27 lamplighters/24 flames) participated in our 2019 Annual Meeting in St. Louis, Missouri. The meeting was held at the Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel between October 16th and October 20th. Built in 1917 (originally as a Statler Hotel), the hotel had the distinction of being the first air-conditioned hotel in the United States. The hotel has undergone several renovations over the past 60 years--with the most recent one completed in 2015. The hotel’s location in the heart of St Louis made it convenient for travel to several points of interest during the course of the meeting.  

The scientific program featured presentations by Ramon Jimenez (Cultural Awareness and Communication), Laura Tosi (Feasibility and Safety of a Bisphosphonate Infusion Program in a Pediatric Orthopaedic Department), Rich Barry (The Opioid Epidemic- Controversies in Health and Public Policy), Bill Robb (Value Based Care in Total Joint Arthroplasty), and Lar Lubbers (Necrotizing Fasciitis). John Lovejoy (Haiti) and Dick Haynes (Philippines) provided insights into Orthopaedic care and education in challenging/remote environments. Non-member guest speakers included Jim Stannard (Orthopaedic Department chair, University of Missouri) who presented on Biological Joint Replacement; Anna Miller (Orthopaedic Trauma Service Chief, Washington University) on Fragility Fractures; William Schroer (Local Joint Replacement Specialist) on Patient Optimization for Joint Replacement Surgery; and Daniel Slawski (Retired Orthopaedic Surgeon) on Guardian Hills - A non-profit foundation caring for Veterans with post-traumatic stress/moral injury.    

The social program was densely packed with the St. Louis area providing much to see and experience. While Lamplighters were attending academic meetings, Flames toured the Missouri Botanical Garden (Thursday) and the Jefferson Memorial Missouri History Museum (Friday). Together, Lamplighters and Flames visited the Anheuser Busch Brewery and St. Louis Gateway Arch (Thursday); the St. Louis Cathedral Basilica and either the St. Louis Zoo or the St. Louis Art Museum (Friday); and The Fabulous Fox Theater and Grant’s Farm (Saturday).  

Dining experiences featured a blend of tastes and styles as we visited different areas of the city: Lafayette Square/Choteau Street (Vin De Set- French); The Hill (Favazza’s- Italian); Forest Park (Sugarfire Barbecue); Midtown (Pappy’s Barbecue); and Downtown (Thaxton’s Speakeasy). Dr. Bill Schroer (local Othopaedic surgeon) presented his application of chemical engineering education into a whiskey (vodka) distillation operation. The opening reception and closing dinner were held in the Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel.

At the 2019 business meeting, Bill McMaster was honored for his years of service to the Association as Chair. Bill was instrumental in recruiting new Lamplighters while also emphasizing gender and racial diversity. Attendees elected Ed Toriello as LOA Chair and James Keeney as Vice Chair. Lamplighters also selected Liz Simmons as Treasurer, the first Flame to serve as an officer of the LOA. Gin Stoneback joined the team as LOA webmaster. The revised LOA Bylaws were also approved by the members at that business meeting.

Jim and Connie Keeney hosted an “After Trip” to Central Missouri. Since the St. Louis meeting was too tightly scheduled to see everything, we made our way to Hermann Missouri after a quick stop at the Ted Drewes Frozen Custard Stand on Chippewa Avenue---a must-stop after St. Louis Cardinal Baseball games. Linda and Tom Grace, Dick Haynes, Anne and Ramon Jimenez, Scott and Bunny Scutchfield, Donna and Gary Williams joined Jim/Connie and friends from Columbia Missouri (Jo and Dan Slawski) for a day in Hermann Missouri (shops and wineries), stop at the Winston Churchill Museum in Fulton, Missouri and a visit to our new hometown of Columbia, Missouri---with tours of the Missouri Orthopaedic Institute (where Jim works) and the Old Hawthorne Country Club (where Jim and Connie live---and Jim loses a lot of golf balls). 

Jim and Connie completely enjoyed hosting all of our friends who were able to attend the St Louis Meeting, as well as those who were able to take a few extra days to be together.

In 2019, Ed Toriello formed a search committee which chose Helayne Williams as Executive Director replacing Larry Rosenthal. Helayne brought extensive administrative experience to the Lamplighters which immediately proved invaluable as the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic made it necessary to postpone the 2020 and 2021 Annual Meetings. It was only the hard work by Helayne, the Annual Meeting Committee as well as meeting hosts, Paul Collins, Sandy Gordon and David and Katie Halsey that avoided major financial losses that could have seriously damaged the Association.

In addition, Gin Stoneback and Helayne moved the LOA website to a new platform in 2020 with enhanced features.

The 2021 LOA Annual Meeting was held virtually, a first and hopefully last, for the Association on October 30th.

The Lamplighter Meeting of 2022! Finally, the Lamplighters and Flames physically met for 2022! What a great return to sharing stories, facts, and experiences in person!! Seventy of us got together at the wonderful Coeur d’Alene Resort in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where we shared educational reports and had several local trips to see the geology, climatology, and history of the region. Here is what we did!

Wednesday, August 24^th, we had an open dinner to meet at the resort, learn the location of the events, and get some rest for the days ahead.

Thursday, August 25^th, we spent the morning with lectures about the history and progress of Orthopaedics. The starting talk was about checklists in aviation and how this could be used for orthopaedic safety in the OR. We then had five more talks on a variety of issues from “Women in Medicine” and “Pre-op dehydration in THA”. These talks will be put on the Lamplighter website for you to review and see if you happened to miss them! We then followed with a lunch talk on “Local Geology” and a boat cruise with a Bird/Environmental talk by Birds of Prey leader Janie Veltkamp – including live birds! That night we had a bus ride out to “A Touch of Country” dinner that included horseshoe throwing and gun shooting with a live country band and dancing. A great workout in western activities!

Friday, August 26^th, we had a morning talk about “Income vs Outcome” by Dr. Michael Weiss followed by six lectures ranging from “Osteoporosis Prevention” to “Truth about Orthopaedics and Patient Safety”. Again, these talks will be put on the Lamplighter private website for you to review. The lunch talk was on “European Change and the Coeur d’Alene Tribe” and Coeur d’Alene history. Dinner was at “Taphouse Unchained” with “bike-rider mixed drinks” to share. Lots of hard work for that!!

Saturday, August 27^th, started with a talk by Jim Trounson about “How might an Orthopod Have A Meaningful Life After Practice” and then the Lamplighters Annual Business Meeting. Great discussion there. The afternoon was open for personal activities. Dinner was on a boat cruiser with a visit to the resort owners’ private home across the lake. Quite a place!

Sunday, August 28^th, was a breakfast together to share connections and experiences as well as preparing for Martha’s Vineyard for 2023! David Halsey gave a great report on what/where we can expect there – so sign up quickly!It was great getting together and sharing what has gone on with us over the last several years and thank you all for the effort. I would especially like to thank Sandy, Helayne, and Ed for all the heavy lifting they did to make this happen. They kept the machine oiled and moving over all these years of the “holding pattern”. See you all in Martha’s Vineyard!! - Paul Collins MD

In 2023, after rescheduling the 2021 Lamplighter’s Orthopaedic Association Annual Meeting because of the Covid-19 pandemic, sixty-one members and guests gathered once again this time on the island of Martha’s Vineyard.

Katie and David Halsey hosted the meeting at the Winnetu Oceanside Resort from Wednesday September 27^th through Sunday October 1^st, 2023.

This year's meeting was a balance of “The best of the old” and “Let's try something new”. 

In keeping with Lamplighter tradition, the social programming included a number of activities to share the unique aspects of the host’s local community and culture. Specifically, the diversity of place and people was shared with a Wampanoag tribal culture experience, African American Heritage Trail walk and “hands on” skills training shucking oysters and filleting fish following an authentic “local caught” lunch and seminar by Martha's Vineyard Fisherman's Trust leadership (all women!) at the Boathouse of the US Coast Guard Station-Menemsha.

Thanks to the skill of our academic program Co-chairs, Michael Kaplan and Sabrina Strickland, our scientific program included a great mix of clinical and non-clinical topics. Truly, the highlight of our program was the first-time inclusion of “Flames” to the speakers panel including 3 remarkable talks. 

Dr. David Chu masterfully broadened our awareness of the challenges facing our military service forces and families. 

Stacy Kaplan presented a beautifully researched and crafted talk on the Architectural Evolution of The Operating Room/Theatre.  

Anne Jimenez guided us on an intimate journey of conscious awareness and walking home together entitled “Seeing you, seeing me”. Blessed with picture perfect New England September weather for the first half of meeting, our LOA community demonstrated tolerance to change and resilience in action as we dodged the rain showers and “half a gale” winds throughout the second half of our social gathering.

Many thanks to Helayne and Al for their ever-present support and the meeting planning committee for their collective wisdom and generosity. - David and Katie Halsey

In 2023 the LOA held their annual meeting in Martha's Vineyard hosted by David and Katie Halsey.

The 2024 Lamplighters Orthopaedic Assocition's Annual meeting was held at the St. Julien Hotel and Spa in Boulder, Colorado, hosted by Jason and Gin Stoneback. Kind remarks from Ed Toriello sum up the meeting beautifully, "the Boulder meeting seamlessly wove a broad exposure to the Stoneback's community and way of life in Colorado. From Bison to Buffalo Bill, Boulder Boutique shopping to local brewery tastings, Flatiron trail hikes to an outstanding Scientific Program, your meeting touched all the bases. In short...job well done!" 

Jason and Gin hosted the Wednesday evening welcome reception at the St. Julien Hotel's Xanadu ballroom and terrace with local band, the Rene Moffatt Trio, performing laid-back, Colorado-style tunes. The following morning was filled with information and local scientific presentations given by Jason's colleagues Richard Zane, MD and Louis Catalano, MD from the University of Colorado, School of Medicine and the University of Colorado Hospital. In addition, Colorado State University Assistant Professor, Lynn Pezzanite, DVM, PhD presented a though-provoking comprative orthopaeic perspective from equine trauma surgery.

Gin hosted the social program on Thursday morning at the Museum of Boulder where Flames enjoyed a narrated presentation of the historical journey of Boulder by JP Stephens and then a self-guided tour through other areas of interest in the museum. During lunch, guest speaker Thomas G. Andrews, Author and Professor of History and Director of the Center of the American West, CU-Boulder, gave a historic presentation on 'Killing for Coal: Colorado's-and America's-Deadliest Labor War.’ The social program continued that afternoon where all enjoyed a scenic bus ride to the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave overlooking Golden, Colorado. That evening we casually strolled through downtown Boulder to enjoy dinner at Avanit F&B, a collective eatery, which offered seven culinary options inspired by European markets and food trucks. 

Friday started off with the membership's joint, lamplighter and flame scietific, session, a precedent set by the Halsey's in 2023 that Jason and Gin were honored to continue. The flames added so much to the meeting with exceptional presentations spanning the journey of college admissions, unimaginable travel adventures to the Galapagos Islands and humanitarian efforts with 'Joni and Friends'. There were many highlights during the scientific session but none as moving as the personal stories and perspectives of times spent in service to our country during Viet Nam by Don Opgrande. Even his wife Carol said that this was the first time that Don has spoken about the his time there at length with anyone, including her.

New to the annual meeitng format in 2024, the new member candidates were introduced by their sponsors at the scientific session including: Richard Barry introducing Tom and Carol Ann Barber; Jim Keeney introducing Brian and Jill Hamlin and Sandy Gordon introducing Alan and Elisabeth Reznik. Lunch and touring continued at one of Colorado's 423 breweries, Avery Brewing Company that afternoon with free time and Dine-Around-Boulder for the members Friday evening. A welcome dinner for the new member candidates was hosted by the Executive Commitee at SALT, a farm-to-table restaurant in Boulder, that evening.

A historic announcement was made at the 2024 annual meeting of the members on Saturday that the LOA was now designated as a 501(c)(3) organization and revised By-Laws to that effect were approved unanimously. Ed Toriello formed the standing 501(C)(3) Steering Committee (Bob Slater, Chair) charged to: Ensure compliance IRS reporting and regulatory requirements as necessary to maintain LOA tax exempt status and Oversee community outreach. Bob Slater proposed an LOA donation of $500 each to the Boulder Open Space Conservancy and the Joni and Friends Wheelchair Ministry in addition to a $1000 donation to OREF in memory of Sherri Haynes and Joyce Beals. All were unanimously approved by the members. New LOA officers were also nominated and unanimously approved: Treasurer-elect: Katie Halsey; Secretary: David Leibowitz; Secretary-elect: Michael Klassen.

The day contiued with special guest presentations by friend and neighbor to the Stoneback's, Bob Dineen, Founder and CEO of Great Range Premium Bison and a special video presentation: the University of Colorado's Ralphie Program Legacy of the late Johnny and his spouse, Sharon Parker. That afternoon, the members stretched their legs on guided hiking tours at Chautauqua Park where one group experienced a herd of mule deer crossing 50 yards up the trail! That evening the meeting wrapped up with a sports-themed 'Satuday Night Lights' Cocktail and Colorado Fare Reception at the Rooftop Terrance in CU's Folsom Stadium Club. Colorado-native, Jessie Miller, performed acoustically, even taking request from the attendees.