This was the flag flying over the closed Albany Eagles lodge on March 25.
For the last few months a tattered American flag was flying over the Albany building owned by the Fraternal Order of Eagles at 127 Broadalbin St. N.W. On Sunday the flag was gone, and so was the pole on which it had hung.
As I reported on March 15, the lodge, FOE Aerie 2255, had been closed for some time. And it was unclear what if anything would be done with the lodge building, a key property on Albany’s riverfront.
The lodge’ latest annual report on file at the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office, signed on Jan. 28 and filed on Feb. 24, lists one Mike Simonds as president. His address is in Bellingham, Wash.
When I reached him on the phone on March, 25, he told me he was not the president but the “receiver” of the lodge. He referred all questions to the national headquarters of the Eagles in Grove City, Ohio.
I emailed the headquarters via its website but got no response.
According to one online definition, a receiver is “a person appointed by a court, government regulator, or private entity to manage debt consolidation for a company. When a receiver is appointed, a company is said to be ‘in receivership.’ Receivership is an alternative to bankruptcy.”
The Albany Eagles lodge has been in existence for a long time. According to the secretary of state, it was incorporated on Feb. 14, 1938.
If anyone reading this knows what is happening with the lodge or its property and is willing to tell me about it, feel free to put the information in the comments below.
As for the tattered flag, it was still there Friday. On Sunday, it had finally been taken down. (hh)
The Albany Eagles building without the flag pole or flag on Sunday.
It’s a shame to see the Civic/Fraternal organizations start to fall by the wayside. Fewer people want to contribute to the community and remain in the background.