Wednesday marked the start of the 100th Grand Igloo Convention of the Pioneers of Alaska in Fairbanks.
The four-day long affair, which concludes Saturday, will feature a raffle, luncheons, and the Gold Digger’s Grand Ball, but local Nome member Lew Tobin says hearing stories from the older members is the highlight of the convention.
“You know people that were here at the start of Anchorage, or when gold mining was still the only thing you did here, or fishing was the only thing, just surviving was the only thing you did here,” remarked Tobin.
Over the last ten years with the Pioneers of Alaska, Tobin has listened to many of the same people tell similar but not quite the same stories.
“So the complexities, the level of the stories changes tremendously the longer you know somebody, so you can hear the same story again, and they’ll tell you a lot more, because you’ve heard the beginning, they don’t have to explain everything, and it’s really kind of nice,” said Tobin.
According to the Pioneers’ website, the organization’s mission has been to “collect and preserve the literature and incidents of Alaska’s history and to promote the best interests of Alaska” for the past 109 years.
Through Tobin’s time as a brother of the Pioneers of Alaska, he has attended five Grand Igloo Conventions, including last year’s, which was held in Palmer. During the 2015 Grand Igloo Convention, the residency requirement to become a member of the Pioneers was changed from 30 years to 20 years.
It is unclear if any rule changes will occur during this year’s convention, but Tobin says the Nome chapter (or “igloo”) of the fraternal organization has been leading the charge towards equality for all people.
“We’re doing our best to make this as equal an organization as possible,” Tobin reiterated; “we’re opening it up every time we get a chance to make it more and more open.”
This year’s convention concludes Saturday with the 100th Grand Banquet at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks, and Tobin, alongside members from igloos all over the state, is expected to be in attendance.
