Local Organizations

American Legion Post 597

The James Weiland Legion Post 597 was chartered in 1946 with 20 founding members. Membership currently stands at 50 members, with seven of those members having more than 50 years of service.

Membership dues are $23 per year, and membership is open to those having spent time in the service. For more information on specific regulations about membership, contact one of the officers below.

The Legion hosts a Turkey Bingo fundraiser in November each year, with funds being donated toward scholarships at Waconia High School and Watertown-Mayer High School.

The club meets on the second Friday of the month downstairs at the old city hall, located at 8655 Kennedy Memorial Drive in St. Bonifacius at 7 p.m.

Current officers include: Commander Allen Hudinsky (952) 446-1280, First Vice Commander Ray Puckett, Secretary Andy Weinzeril, Treasurer Geo Geyen, and Sergeant at Arms Larry Schuler.

American Legion Post 597 Auxiliary

The American Legion Post 597 Auxiliary was chartered in 1948 and currently has 31 members.

The Auxiliary makes donations to four area food shelves – Watertown, Mound, Waconia, and at Freshwater Church in St. Bonifacius, and has also worked with several blood drives in the area and makes other donations locally.

The club meets on the second Friday of the month upstairs at the old city hall, located at 8655 Kennedy Memorial Drive in St. Bonifacius at 7:30 p.m.

Current officers include: President Lorraine Pettis (952) 446-9621, Vice President Lois Bauer, Secretary Mary Bauer, Treasurer Sharon Vanderlinde, and membership Ann Whele.

Father Wohlfohrt Council 12029 Knights of Columbus

Founded in March, 1996, the local chapter of the Knights of Columbus thrives on staying active in the community.

Hosting several pancake breakfasts throughout the year – one in spring and one in fall, along with a Tootsie Roll drive, pop machine, and other activities allow the group to make donations to various organizations. Local recipients of donations include Choice School and the St. Bonifacius Catholic Church parish youth group among others.

The club also hosts an annual free throw contest for youth of the community, assists with the parish hog roast in September, has several social gatherings a year for members, and assists the parish with various maintenance projects.

The organization currently has 40 members, and is always looking for young, new members. New members must be a practicing Catholic male at least 18 years of age, and pay dues of $25 a year.

Meetings take place the second Thursday of the month at the St. Bonifacius School (Choice School) at 7 p.m. For more information, contact one of the officers below, or visit www.kofc.org.

Current officers include: Grand Knight Randy Froehling, Deputy Grand Knight John Oeffling, Financial Secretary Jerry Thurk, Recording Secretary Jerry Mader, Field Agent Bill Clement, Chancellor vacant as of press time, Treasurer/membership director Ralph Widmer, Warden Ken Vanderlinde Jr., Advocate Lee Vanderlinde, Lecturer Jeff Schnobrich, Inside Guard George Geyen, and Outside Guard Maynard Geyen.

Friends of the Library

The Friends of the Library is a group that meets quarterly to enhance the quality and services the St. Bonifacius Library can offer.

The organization hosts an annual book sale in August, as well as provides free books to children who participate in summer programs.

The group uses its funds to purchase books for the library, provide snacks and refreshments at various programs throughout the year, and has an open house at the library each year in October.

Founded in the late 1980s, the group prides itself upon improving the local library and making it the best that it can be. For more information, contact the officers listed below: Current President is Deb Schmidt (952) 446-9251, Vice President/Secretary is Morey Murray, and secretary is Margaret Maas.

St. Bonifacius Busy Bees

The St. Boni Busy Bees offer an opportunity to learn, share, and lead. A different topic is brought forth to the group each month. There are six groups in Carver and western Hennepin counties. For more information, contact councilor Vija Reichenberger or councilor Leone Weinzierl.

St. Bonifacius Senior Citizens Group

The St. Bonifacuis Senior Citizens Group is an organization that meets “just to get together,” according to its president Marvin Geyen.

The group, currently 42 members strong, meets the first and third Wednesdays at noon at the St. Bonifacius Catholic Church, and also is active with a fish fry once a year.

Current officers include President Marvin Geyen, and Vice President Harry Vanderlinde. For more information, call Geyen at (952) 472-6561.

St. Bonifacius Sportsmen’s Club

With a goal in mind to keep the animal population going, the St. Bonifacius Sportsmen’s Club gathers every fourth Wednesday. The 30-member group has bingo fundraisers and raffles to raise funds to build duck houses, raise pheasants, among other naturalist activities.

For more information, contact current president Dennis Zable, or vice president Randy Debner (952) 446-1110.

St. Bonifacius Lions

A service-oriented organization at heart, the St. Bonifacius Lions Club prides itself on making donations to local, state, national, and international levels.

Locally, the club is responsible for many of the ballparks in town, the city’s holiday decorations, as well as maintaining a Christmas tree lot from Thanksgiving until well into December as its main fund raiser. The club has also donated recently toward tsuanmi relief efforts, a Sept. 11 fund, the Lions leader dog program, and toward hearing assistance programs.

With just more than 40 members, the club was founded in the early 1970s to “provide services to the community and to just have fun,” said past president Dan Ebert. The club meets the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 6 p.m. at the old city hall, located at 8655 Kennedy Memorial Drive in St. Bonifacius. For more information on the organization, see any of the officers listed below.

Current officers include: President Steve Peterka, First Vice President Brian Jilek, Second Vice President Linda Froehling, Third Vice President Cheryl Peterka, Secretary Bill Linden, Treasurer Randy Froehling, and immediate past president/membership chairman Dan Ebert (952) 446-1548.

St. Bonifacius Historical Society

Established in 2003 to collect, preserve, and interpret the history of the area, the organization is independent and non-profit, and is governed by its members.

The society accepts donations of historical significance, and also needs volunteers for data entry, research, and maintaining a photography collection.

Annual membership dues are $10 per individual or family per year, $5 for persons 18 and under, $25 for non-profit groups or organizations, and $30 for a business/professional. All contributions are tax deductible.

The club meets the third Thursday of every other month in the lower level of the St. Bonifacius Library at 7:30 p.m. and also meets on select Saturdays throughout the year.

For more information, call Marilyn Maloney at (952) 938-3601, or see Tom Logelin or Kenneth Heitz.

Westonka Jaycees

The Westonka Jaycees have been going strong almost 50 years, and is planning a 50th anniversary celebration for 2006.

The Jaycees are a group of individuals between the ages of 21-40 who provide “leadership training through community service.” Membership dues are $30 a year. The group donates time and money to many charities, including more than $500,000 from its lawful gaming activities toward Missing Children Minnesota, various crime prevention funds, youth sports organizations, school districts, and local food shelves and shelters for women.

Among the many activities the club actively does includes participation in the National Football League’s Punt, Pass, and Kick skills competition, Major League baseball’s Pitch, Hit, and Run skills competition, Super Shots basketball, raising bicycle helmet awareness with local law enforcement, as well as gun safety programs.

The group has a social meeting the first Thursday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at various restaurants and bars throughout the area, and also meets the third Thursday of the month at the old city hall, located at 8655 Kennedy Memorial Drive in St. Bonifacius.

For more information, contact President Sarah Irvine at (952) 472-5781 or (972) 472-6087 or call Terrill Anderson, the organization’s past president and gambling manager, at (952) 446-8843.