Organizations

The American Legion was established in 1922, as a national organization of veterans of all wars to serve God, country, and their communities, to ensure the freedoms that were fought for do not get taken away.

The American Legion conducts Memorial Day and Veterans Day observances each year. It sponsors Boys and Girls State, Boys and Girls County, Legion baseball, high school programs, and scholarships.

The Legion in Howard Lake conducts charitable gambling to raise funds to assist veterans in a variety of ways.

The Legion also provides military funeral honors for deceased veterans. The Legion sells flags, and collects old flags for proper disposal.

The local post meets the second Thursday of each month at 7 p.m.

Current officers are Legion Commander and Chairman of the Board Ed Johnson, Vice President Gary Schmidt, adjutant Josh Harincar, treasurer PJ Luhman, membership coordinator Duane Hass, and gambling manager Russ Gausman. Board members are: Dave Thompson, David

Neiman, David Thompson, PJ Luhman, Josh Harincar, Bruce Dahl, Doug Frykholm, and Russ Gausman.

There are about 120 members. Membership dues are $37 a year. You must be an honorably discharged member of the Armed Forces, who served more than 90 days during a specific period, to become a member.

The American Legion Auxiliary was organized in 1922, to promote patriotism. There are about 51 members who meet the third Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. at the Howard Lake American Legion Hall.

The auxiliary’s annual events include Poppy Day, Memorial Day and Veterans Day observances, volunteering at the VA Hospital in St. Cloud by doing monthly tray favors and collecting paperback books, volunteering to help veterans at Good Samaritan in Howard Lake, sending care packages to local Armed Forces enlisted personnel, and sponsoring a college scholarship.

Officers are Jean Schmidt, president 320-543-2904; Deb Workman, treasurer, 763-843-6572; and Birdie Johnson, secretary.

Membership dues are $30. To join, call Deb Workman or Jean Schmidt. Members may be a wife, mother, daughter, sister, granddaughter, or great-granddaughter of a member of the American Legion.

The Sons of the American Legion was created in 1932, as an organization within the American Legion. Members include boys and men of all ages whose parents or grandparents served in the US Armed Forces and are eligible to belong to the American Legion. The organization assists the American Legion with their programs, promotes American traditions and values, improves the quality of life for the nation’s children, and teaches the fundamentals of good citizenship.

The Howard Lake Sons of the American Legion Squadron 145 was chartered in 2000, and currently has 31 members. Meetings take place the second Thursday of each month after the Legion meeting, about 8 p.m., at the Howard Lake American Legion hall. Kirk Jensen is the commander, Todd Anderson is the adjutant/secretary, and Russ Gausman is the treasurer.

Dues are $20 per year, or $10 for members under the age of 18 and those who belong to the American Legion. For more information, call 320-543-2554.

The Good Samaritan Society Auxiliary was organized in 1972. The auxiliary meets twice a year at the Good Samaritan Society-Howard Lake Care Center. It supports the center’s mission to share God’s love in word and deed by providing shelter and supportive services to older persons and others in need, believing that “in Christ’s love, everyone is someone.”

The main fundraiser of the group is the root beer float stand at Good Neighbor Days each year. Money raised at fundraisers support various needs of the residents. Throughout the years, the Auxiliary has purchased a large-screen television, a beautiful gazebo, and remodeled a room to use as a beauty shop. Most recently, money raised by the Auxiliary was used for a new AED machine, front door with automatic openers for the building, and a beautiful handmade wooden altar for the chapel. They continue to raise money for the facility bus, including a back-up camera and repairs.

New members are always welcome. If you are interested in joining, call Good Samaritan Society-Howard Lake at 320-543-4403, email Taylor Duesterhoeft at tnordin@good-sam.com, or write 413 13th Ave., Howard Lake, MN 55349.

The Howard Lake Lions Club was chartered in 1978. As part of Lions International, the Howard Lake Lions are dedicated to service projects in the community, across the US, and around the world.

The club currently has 34 members, and meets at the Lions Hall at 625 8th St., the first and third Thursdays of each month at 7 p.m.

The club is devoted to drug awareness, diabetes awareness, conservation of hearing and sight, citizenship, education, environment, youth recreation, health, and international and social services. The Lions host a youth center Saturday nights at its meeting hall. The meeting hall has a pool table, Foosball table, air hockey, video games, and other fun games and projects. All youth are encouraged to attend. The Lions have pizzas and pop, and other snacks. A nominal fee is asked to help defray some of the expenses.

Some of the Howard Lake Lions Club’s accomplishments include Silent Santa, Easter egg hunt, high school scholarships, donations to various local youth sports organizations, youth groups, needy families in the community, and several contributions to other charitable causes.

Current officers are Gary Hagemann, president; Craig Brose, 1st vice president; Jeff Wick, 2nd vice president; Darren McAlpine, 3rd vice president; Terry Thorson, secretary; and Karen Hill, treasurer.

Membership dues are $60 per year. Members are required to be involved in at least four Lions functions per year. Attending meetings and/or participating in various Lions functions will meet these requirements.

To join, contact a Lions Club member, or visit the Lions website at www.hllions.org.

The Howard Lake Senior Citizens Club has been dedicated to providing seniors with a sociable and friendly place to meet since 1969. The group, which includes about 13 members, meets every Friday in the Howard Lake Community Center.

Officers are Myron Lahr, president and Joyce Heuer, treasurer.

There are monthly dues of $2. New members are always welcome. Anyone who enjoys playing cards is encouraged to join. For more information, call Myron Lahr at 320-543-3068.

Collector, protector, and source of historical information about Howard Lake and most specifically, its signature, fully renovated 1904 Historic City Hall building, now known as the South Shore Event Center, located in the heart of downtown.

This adhoc group is dedicated to preserving and enhancing the Historic Howard Lake City Hall facility through fundraising and seeking donations and grants, as well as seeking to advance awareness and education of our community’s history through print and digital publications.

To book your event or for more information, contact Nick Haggenmiller, city administrator, at cityadmin@howard-lake.mn.us or 320-543-3670.

Girl Scouts encourage girls to experience new activities, develop team-building skills, explore and develop leadership skills, and be service-oriented in their community, county, and nation.

In Girl Scouts, there’s a whole world of opportunities waiting just for you. You’ll always get to think big, try new things, and unleash your inner leader in an all-girl, girl-led, and girl-friendly environment.

The Lakes & Prairies Service unit encompasses the communities of Howard Lake, Lester Prairie, Waverly, and Winsted. Troops will be formed potentially in all communities or based on school districts.

The troop is served by the Girl Scouts of Minnesota, and Wisconsin River Valley Council.

Girls meet every two to four weeks at the discretion of the troop leader, and are welcome to join any time during the year by paying the $25 registration fee, or grant money will be provided on a no-questions-asked basis to cover all fees.

You can register at any point in the year, but typically it is in the August/September time frame.

Annually, the Girl Scouts participate in a Court of Awards ceremony, cookie sale campaign, and various service unit events, as well as other area and council events. Girl Scouts is open to all girls in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Program information is available at www.girlscoutsrv.org. For local information, contact our service unit managers Heidi Joy Bursch or Kelli Pidde at

lakesprairiesgirlscouts@gmail.com or text JOIN to 74253. You can also check us out on our Facebook Page — Lakes & Prairies Girl Scouts Service Unit.

Lake Mary Homeowners Association and all other lakeshore homeowners in the state of Minnesota have been challenged with addressing the threat of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS).

Fortunately for Lake Mary, it has only been infested with one AIS weed, known as curly-leaf pondweed, and it is the association’s goal to keep it that way. Past experience in Minnesota has shown that elimination of curly-leaf pondweed from lakes is not realistic.

Therefore, Lake Mary Homeowners Association is faced with very expensive methods of control, and is teaming up with PLM Lake Management Corp. to determine the best and most cost-effective way to treat. With limited amount of funding available from the state and government levels, the group has gotten creative with different fundraising events. One-hundred percent of all money raised goes to lake improvements.

Thirty-five members of the Lake Mary Homeowners Association participated in training with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to be volunteers for the clean-in, clean-out program. The training was put to good use this summer at the sportsmen’s landing on Lake Mary.

The public and many cabin owners on the lake have been educated on how important “Clean, Drain, Dry” is to help prevent the spread of AIS. The association’s goal is to continue to educate the public on all recreational use of the lake. Experts have determined the best line of defense for

AIS is inspecting watercraft at the landings. Help do your part and remember to be “Clean In and Clean Out.”

The organization fosters an increase in lake quality in an environmentally-safe manner, and monitors Lake Mary’s water quality.

For more information, contact Joe Hartung at joe.hartung@icloud.com.

The HLWW After Prom Party organization was formed in fall 1988, to provide a safe form of entertainment for Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted High School juniors and seniors and their dates on prom night. The first after-prom party was in 1989, and the event has seen a steady increase in attendance every year since. The students enjoy an all-night party with food, fun, wonderful prizes, and entertainment. This is a volunteer group that hosts many annual fundraisers, which have included bingo during Good Neighbor Days, bake sales at the Howard Lake annual craft and art expo in November and the Business Expo in the spring, cookie sales at home basketball games and wrestling meets, and an annual fall garage sale.

Anyone interested in helping is welcome. We are currently in need of help with the committee. Meetings take place in the commons area at the HLWW High School approximately once a month.

The Lake Ann Improvement Association was originally incorporated in 1984. In 2003, it was newly incorporated and reorganized with new by-laws and board members. The objectives of the association are to protect, restore, and preserve the water quality of the lake and its watershed, thereby enhancing the watershed community. Lake Ann is located between Howard Lake and Winsted, east of Wright County Road 6. There are 74 property owners who own land surrounding the lakeshore.

In its efforts to preserve and restore the lake, the original association succeeded in establishing a public landing and stocking walleye in the lake. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Lake Ann Improvement Association alternate stocking the lake with walleye.

In 1996, the association participated in the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency-sponsored Lake Assessment Program (LAP), which refocused the association’s lake management activities. As part of the LAP study, the association has been successful at bringing septic systems around the lake into compliance. Since 1996, the association has continued to monitor precipitation records and DNR lake levels, reporting them to the state.

The association helped initiate the Wright County Lakes Monitoring Program in 1999, now in its 22nd year. It monitors water clarity, and sponsors testing for algae and phosphorous in the lake.

Annual summer meetings and other events keep the community educated about association activities and goals. Wright Soil Water Conservation District (SWCD) received a grant to complete soil testing on watershed farmland in order to test variable fertilizer application, which will reduce the mineral content of agricultural runoff. The Lake Ann Improvement Association has received additional DNR grants to control curly leaf pondweed in the lake for the last six years. Grant applications are being considered for other projects to control excess nutrients, such as phosphorous, which enters the lake from drainage ditches. The association does periodic carp seining.

The association has cooperated with farmers and the Soil Water Conservation District to install various french drains and other diversions to minimize agricultural runoff into the streams and lakes, which earned the association the Outstanding Wright County Conservation Cooperator of the Year Award from the Minnesota Association of SWCD in 2000.

The association’s board of directors meets the second Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. For more information, or to become a member, contact association president Dick Coulombe at 720-987-6169 or lakeannimp@yahoo.com. Annual membership dues are $50.

The key focus of the Howard Lake Area Chamber of Commerce is to promote a business climate in which area businesses can thrive.

The mission of the Howard Lake Area Chamber of Commerce (HLACC) is to promote a thriving community in the Howard Lake area. The chamber seeks to cultivate new opportunities to establish Howard Lake as the premier destination for businesses, customers, and families.

The chamber provides innovative solutions and resources through social networking and business development to enhance the quality of life in the Howard Lake area.

The chamber has a small business grant program to encourage business owners to join the Howard Lake community. The chamber offers up to two awards per year, up to $1,000 each.

Each fall, the chamber hosts a Harvest Festival fundraiser to support its grant program and activity in the community. At the fundraiser, the chamber also recognizes local residents for their hard work. The chamber offers three different awards: the Legacy Award, the Partnership Award, and the Dream Big Award, which recognizes new business owners in Howard Lake.

The chamber is also a sponsor of the Howard Lake Farmers Market, which takes place Thursdays, June through August, at Lions Memorial Park, just off State Hwy. 12. The market’s hours are 3 to 6 p.m. Local vendors set up booths featuring a variety of home-grown and handmade goods, such as produce, honey, homemade soaps, cold-press coffee, home-baked goods, and crafts.

The Power of Produce (POP) Club is active at the market. Originally offered through the Wright County Extension Office, and now through local donors, the POP Club focuses on encouraging kids to eat healthy. Children receive a token worth $2 at each August visit to purchase fresh vegetables. They also receive healthy eating recipe cards and educational materials to learn more about healthy foods.

Local businesses can also showcase their products and services while meeting members of the community at the Howard Lake Business Expo. The annual event is led by the chamber, and takes place in early spring at the Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted High School. In 2020, the chamber had to cancel the expo due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, the expo featured more than 55 vendor booths, and served a free pancake breakfast to several hundred attendees.

The chamber also sponsors the Good Neighbor Days royalty dinner, and provides scholarships for the Good Neighbor Days royalty each year.

To contact the Howard Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, email howardlakechamber@gmail.com, or visit its website: howardlakechamber.org.

The Howard Lake Farmers Market (HLFM) takes place each Thursday, June through August, from 3 to 6 p.m. at Lions Park, alongside beautiful Howard Lake and US Highway 12.

The market is a family-friendly event that features live music, Power of Produce (PoP) Club events, fresh produce, baked goods, and other artisan and handmade items – to create a fun and welcoming environment in support of locally grown and produced items. HLFM offers an opportunity for non-profits to get exposure and kids’ activities, including rock-painting and healthy-eating education.

4-H is an organization for youth ages kindergarten through one year post-high school. 4-H focuses on leadership, citizenship, and life skills through project-based learning, with a variety of fun activities and events throughout the year. There are 19 4-H clubs in Wright County, open to all youth, wherever they live, from all backgrounds and interests. The Wright County 4-H program is part of the University of Minnesota Extension.

If you would like to know more about 4-H, you are encouraged to visit a 4-H club meeting in your area. Club meeting times, dates, and locations may vary so contact the 4-H club leader before attending to confirm the next meeting details.

• Marysville Merrymakers 4-H Club meets the third Sunday of the month at 6 p.m. at the Howard Lake Community Center. For more information, contact Nicole Karnes at 952-500-0034.
• Woodland Woodettes 4-H Club meets the second Sunday of the month at 3 p.m. in various location in the area. For more information, contact Ryan DeMars at 763-234-8205.
• Sunrise 4-H Club meets the first Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at Victor Town Hall. For more information, contact Rachel Bender at 612-282-9246.
• Handy Dandy 4-H Club meets the third Sunday of the month at 4 p.m. at the Howard Lake Community Center. For more information, contact Joy Decker at 612-978-0296.

Whether it be shooting sports, engineering, fine arts, or other interests, Wright County 4-H has something to offer every family and youth members. For more information, contact Kelly Strei at strei016@umn.edu or 763-682-7394. Find us on Facebook or Instagram to learn more.

The Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted FFA Alumni was started in 1980, to help support the local FFA chapter and the agriculture department at HLWW High School.

The group, currently numbering about 65 members, meets the third Wednesday of each month at 8 p.m. in the high school ag room.

The group’s annual events include an auction in August, monthly meetings the third Wednesday of the month, and a picnic in July. The group has funded a variety of projects for the agricultural education department. FFA members benefit from their mentorship and from scholarships sponsored by the FFA Alumni.

Membership dues are $30 per year, $125 for Minnesota lifetime membership, or $150 for a national lifetime membership. Potential members must have a willingness to support high school agriculture.

To join, contact the officers, advisors Jim Weninger or Seena Glessing, or call the high school ag department at 320-543-4614.

The Crow River Chapter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited supports the Cokato, Howard Lake, Montrose, Waverly, and Winsted areas. The chapter hosts an annual membership banquet each spring. The Crow River Chapter currently consists of 180 members.

Since 1990, this chapter has raised more than $700,000 for conservation and wetland habitat. Eighty-two percent of DU’s expenditures are converted directly to conservation work. Some local projects that have benefited from these dollars would include Smith Lake (located two miles west of Howard Lake on Co. Rd. 5), Malardi Marsh MWA (located one mile north of Montrose on Meridian Avenue), Victor PWA (located three miles southwest of Howard Lake on Co. Rd. 5 SW), and Shakopee Lake (located eight miles west of Winsted on Platt Ave. SW).

If you are interested in finding out more about your local chapter, contact Zone Chairman Scott Schmidt at 612-875-8158, or srs4du@gmail.com. You can also check out the chapter’s Facebook page (Ducks Unlimited-Crow River Chapter) or the DU website, www.ducks.org, for more information.

Cub Scouting is a family program that provides an opportunity for boys and girls to build character and leadership skills, while also participating in exciting adventures. Adventures may include: fall camp-outs, spooky-ree, camporee, rock climbing, archery, biking, hiking, family camp, day camps, Pinewood Derby races, winter/summer parades, and many other activities.

In the pack, Scouts also learn the importance of being a good citizen and making a difference in their communities, such as participating in Memorial Day services, and the annual lakeshore cleanup around Howard Lake and Winsted Lake.

Cub Scout Pack 399 serves Howard Lake, Lester Prairie, Winsted, Waverly, and surrounding areas.

Boys and girls in kindergarten through fifth grade are eligible to join. If you are interested in joining Cub Scouts, email Pack399scouts@gmail.com. Check out the Facebook page by searching under Cub Scout Pack 399.

Scouts BSA Troop 399 and 5399 serves the greater Waverly, Howard Lake, Winsted, and Lester Prairie area.

Through its patrol meetings and troop activities, the Scouts work to develop the character, citizenship, and personal fitness of area youth.

As an active troop, they participate in spring and fall camporees, weekend campouts, kayaking and canoeing, taking part in area civic events and service projects, developing survival skills, archery, and more.

Each summer, they attend a week-long Scout camp, which provides Scouts the opportunity for such activities as sailing, archery, tower climbing, obstacle courses, and fishing.

Annually, they sell malts at the Wright County Fair, Christmas wreaths, and popcorn.

Gary Dressel (612-205-4555) is the Scoutmaster, Jon Hucker and Pete Busse are the assistant Scoutmasters for the Scouts BSA Boy Troop 399, and Mandy Busse (612-418-2223) is the Scoutmaster for Scouts BSA Girl Troop 5399. Janeen Hucker is membership coordinator (320-310-3694).

Membership is open to boys and girls who have completed the fifth grade, earned the Arrow of Light Award, or are 11 years old, but not yet 18. The Scouts usually meet two to four times a month.

The Howard Lake Sportsmen’s Club was formed more than 50 years ago, to protect and maintain the natural resources in the area. Meetings take place at the Howard Lake Legion. Dates and times of these meetings are announced in the Herald Journal.

One of the group’s most recent accomplishments was working with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Ducks Unlimited to secure Legacy Amendment funds to restore Smith Lake, a shallow lake west of Howard Lake. A fish barrier was installed to keep fish from entering Smith Lake from its outlet, and a water control structure was installed to allow the DNR to control lake levels. The lake was drained during winter 2010-11. By fall 2012, it was attracting large populations of migrating waterfowl, much as it did more than 50 years ago.

Other major accomplishments of the group include land development in the Fish and Wildlife “Victor” project, purchasing two new aluminum docks for Lions Park and the north landing, and providing materials and equipment for the Howard Lake rearing pond. Events put on by the club include the winter fishing contest, helping to run the summer fishing contest, firearm safety training, and helping to fund Deep Portage.

The Sportsmen’s Club is a sponsor for Ducks Unlimited and Pheasants Forever, as well as the NRA, and the Deer Hunters Association. In addition, the club donates to the high school trap-shooting team, the fourth grade spring fishing day, and the Cub Scouts to clean the lakeshore. The club also takes care of the carp trap on the south side of Howard Lake, and the boat landing on the north end.

Officers are Dennis Decker, president; Ken Durdahl, secretary; and Kurt Forst, treasurer.

Membership dues are $10. Contact Denny Decker at 612-703-7824, or Joe’s Sport Shop for membership information. Write to the club at PO Box 805, Howard Lake, MN 55349.

The Lake Mary VFW Auxiliary 9232, chartered in 1963, supports many veterans projects, including the annual Troops Coming Home recognition event in McLeod County, Cancer Aid & Research, McLeod Emergency Food Shelf, four veterans hospitals, and five veterans homes. Its primary fundraiser is the chili feed, which takes place in January.

Meetings take place the second Thursday of each month at 2:30 p.m. at the American Legion in Winsted.

For more information, call President Judy Pease at 619-261-4809, Secretary Mary Quast at 320-485-3831; or Treasurer Rhonda Decker at 320-485-3831.

Love in the Name of Christ (Love INC)-Heartland is a neighbor-helping-neighbor organization working in partnership with 30 local churches. We currently serve people in need in 15 towns (from Maple Plain to Dassel, and Rockford to Mayer) across five counties. We offer three main areas of impact:

First is our Gap Ministry program, a collection of church-sponsored resources to fill unmet needs such as clothing, baby products, car repairs, and others.

Our second program is a “transformational ministry” program called Fresh Start, which is a series of life skills classes such as financial literacy, goal-setting, relationship-building, parenting, and so forth.

Our third program is our thrift stores, which are open to the public and provide numerous benefits to our clients, churches and communities, as well as being a source of self-funding.

We welcome prayer support, financial support, and donation of gently-used clothing and household goods to our thrift stores. The Delano location is at 318 Railroad Avenue. The Howard Lake location is at 801 Hwy 12. For more information, visit our website at LoveIncHeartland.org; see our Facebook page, or call 763-972-6547.

The goal of the Howard Lake Watershed Alliance is to help protect, maintain, and enhance the waters of, and surrounding watershed for Howard Lake. The organization provides educational resources, activities, and tasks to achieve this goal. Information is shared through local cable television and newspaper articles, as well as meetings and newsletters.

The original lake association was deeply concerned with the water quality of Howard Lake. In early 2002, Howard Lake was accepted into a joint study venture with Wright Soil and Water Conservation District and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, which includes the watershed area, as well as the lake. As a result of this broadening venture, the group’s bylaws and incorporation were amended in 2004, and the group was renamed the Howard Lake Watershed Alliance. This action promoted the group to become more focused on total lake and watershed management.

The lake has been monitored since 2000, for trends in clarity and nutrient loading. In 2003, a program to control nuisance aquatic vegetation was initiated. Grants were received in 2007 and 2011, to determine how invasive aquatic species and itstreatment were affecting native aquatic vegetation. At present, Eurasian milfoil is being treated every other year.

The alliance’s goals are met through voluntary efforts. The alliance welcomes energetic volunteers. The board of directors meets quarterly, with an annual meeting in May. A newsletter is published two times per year. Contact Curt Forst at 320-543-3736, or cforst@embarqmail.com, for further information concerning the Howard Lake Watershed Alliance.

The Howard Lake Friends of the Library has been supporting library programs since 2004. There are about 30 members, and they work to bring public awareness to all the programs and services offered through the Howard Lake Library. Meetings take place the second Thursday of every month at 6 p.m. at the library. To join, or for more information, call the Howard Lake Library at 320-543-2020.