75th Annual Christmas Eve Driveway Report

From DGS President Van Wagner...

I am pleased to report above-average conditions for the Wagner driveway for December 24, 2011. There are two slight hazards worth mentioning. First, a small icy patch where spring water is freezing on the shale bedrock. This does not appear to be a big enough issue to warrant the creation of another Shale-Ice Committee as in 1998. The second issue is a toilet flange on a stump above the driveway. This cast iron device could potentially become unstable and land on a windshield. I have several people looking into this situation later this afternoon. Feliz!

Sled Dog Info

Our recent survey indicated a lot of interest in bringing back the Sled Dog Race for 2012. The officers are considering this.

To have a successful Sled Dog Race, we need a few things:
1. Snow
2. Sleds (sturdy toboggans work best)
3. Enough time to hold the event

If anyone can provide those items, please email us.

The one item that should not be used for the Sled Dog Race is a dog. Dogs should not be brought to the Wagner Farm. The Wagners have chickens, rabbits, and a peacock, and dogs have caused too many issues with the animals in the past. Also, we do not want to frighten the elk.

How can you have a Sled Dog Race without dogs?

Driveway Conditions Update - December 13

Every year, it seems like we have had concerns about the driveway conditions at the Wagner Farm. So this year, we are going to attempt to provide semi-regular updates of the conditions until the 2012 Elk Toss. We know that conditions can change in the next 10+ weeks, but we feel that you can use all the information that we have available.

Van Wagner, our official Danville German Society Driveway and Parking Conditions Inspector, submitted the following driveway conditions report earlier today:

"There are bodies all over the place."

Not sure what that means, but at least there is not any ice, snow, or flood damage at this time.

Survey Results

A total of 59 people completed the survey. Thanks to everyone who took the time to help us. Here are the results so far.

1. Have you ever attended the Danville German Society Elk Toss, Charity Auction, and Winter Festival?
Yes                      91.7%
No                         3.3%
Other                     5.0%

2. What do you like the most about the Elk Toss, Charity Auction, and Winter Festival?
ScrappleFest at Pappas Restaurant          0.0%
Salvation Army Shopping Trip                 0.0%
Jerseytown Tavern and Burger Eat-Off    0.0%
Events at the Wagner Farm                    52.5%
Charity Auction                                     18.6%
Tour of Danville                                      1.7%
Musical/Magical Entertainment               6.8%
Other                                                   20.3%

3. What do you like the least about the Elk Toss, Charity Auction, and Winter Festival?
ScrappleFest at Pappas Restaurant        21.6%
Salvation Army Shopping Trip                 9.8%
Jerseytown Tavern and Burger Eat-Off    7.8%
Events at the Wagner Farm                     2.0%
Charity Auction                                      0.0%
Tour of Danville                                      3.9%
Musical/Magical Entertainment                3.9%
Other (please specify)                            51.0%

4. What is your favorite competition?
Jerseytown Burger Eat-Off            1.8%
Elk Bugling                                   8.8%
Scrap Iron Toss                          22.8%
Salad Toss                                    8.8%   
Elk Toss                                      52.6%
Other (please specify)                   5.3%

5. If you were forced to name one, what is your least favorite competition?
Jerseytown Burger Eat-Off            36.4%
Elk Bugling                                    14.5%
Scrap Iron Toss                              9.1%
Salad Toss                                    18.2%
Elk Toss                                         0.0%
Other (please specify)                    21.8%

6. Several of the competitions are not contested every year. Would you like any of the following events to be brought back for 2012? (multiple answers allowed)
Chicken Race                     39.3%
Ice Roping                         32.1%
Clog Toss                          17.9%
Sled Dog Race                   44.6%
Catapult Vegetable Toss     41.1%
Other (please specify)         12.5%

7. What is your favorite stop on the world famous Tour of Danville? Note that we do not stop at all locations every year, and some locations are no longer in operation.
Pine Barn Inn                                14.5%
Old Forge Brewing Company        29.1%
BJ's Steakhouse                             5.5%
Pub II                                           18.2%
Danville Sub Shop                          0.0%
LT Evans                                       3.6%
Brews N Bytes                              0.0%
TJ Shooters                                   1.8%
Mulberry's (no longer open)           0.0%
Stingers (no longer open)               5.5%
American Legion                          12.7%
Other (please specify)                    9.1%

8. Where do you get most of your information about the Elk Toss, Charity Auction, and Winter Festival?
emails and internet invites from DGS    61.0%
DGS Blog                                           6.8%
DGS Website                                     6.8%
DGS Facebook page                          0.0%
Some guy named Joey                       13.6%
Other (please specify)                        11.9%

9. Please provide any additional comments or suggestions that you may have which could help us improve the Elk Toss, Charity Auction, and Winter Festival.
(We’ll provide more information on the responses to this question and the "other" responses for previous questions at some point in the future)

Elk Toss Survey

We wanted to get some feedback from Danville German Society members to help improve the 75th Annual Elk Toss, Charity Auction, and Winter Festival, so we created an online survey using SurveyMonkey. Please help us by completing the survey.

Click here to take the survey

Elk Bugle

Found a video of a Pennsylvania elk bugling on YouTube. Check it out.

Also, if you are planning to attend the 2012 Elk Toss (February 25, 2012), it is never too early to start collecting items to donate to the Charity Auction. 

2012 Elk Toss Date

The 75th Annual Danville German Society Elk Toss, Winter Festival, and Charity Auction has been scheduled for Saturday February 25, 2012 at the Wagner Farm near Danville.

If you have read this blog post, you should feel special as you are one of the first people to know of this exciting announcement. Please spread the word.

More information will be provided via email and also here on this blog.

2011 Elk Toss Thanks

The 75th Annual Elk Toss, Charity Auction, and Winter Festival would not have been a success without the help and generosity of so many people. Hopefully this list is complete - please email us if we forgot someone.

Many thanks goes out to...

Our guest German Societies and Chapters:
The Shikellamy German Society (in their 74th year)
The Shamokin German Society (in their 60th year)
The DGS State College Chapter
The DGS Lancaster Chapter

Aaron Jensen for collecting and counting money, Elk Toss measuring, auction assistance, and more.

Franz Klingermann for auctioneering, event organization, and other important tasks.

Michael Espinosa for auctioneering.

Karen Jensen for making the informational sign about the Elk Toss charities, collecting money, and more.

Francy Moyer for faithfully serving as our Faculty Advisor and running the Children's Elk Toss.

Lewisburg HS faculty for supplying the Children's awards.

Everyone...
...for bringing auction items and buying auction items and taking those items with them when they left
...for politely dealing with the parking situation at the Wagner Farm
...for bringing pot luck food
...for having a good time

Voelckers Beer Distributor and 16 Mile Brewery for sponsoring the event.

Joe McMonagle (formerly of Stoudt's Brewing Company) for obtaining a keg of beer from Stoudt's.

Pam Shellenberger for organizing events, collecting money, and more.

Slimfit and Van Wagner for performing at the Pub II.

Fred Iobst for performing his magic at the Pub II.

The Jerseytown Tavern for opening early for us.


And most importantly.... the Wagner family for hosting the Elk Toss, providing supplies and an outhouse, keeping an extra eye on children, etc.

Elk Toss Newspaper Article

The Daily Item published an article about the Elk Toss in today's newspaper. Check it out.

2011 Event Results

The results of the events held at the 75th Annual Elk Toss, Charity Auction, and Winter Festival are as follows:

Jerseytown Burger Eat-Off
1st: Jamie Litten, 2:22 (new record!)
2nd: Kyle Jensen, 3:22
3rd: Tait Brotman

Scrap Iron Toss
1st: Mark Williams

Elk Bugling Competition
1st: Jackie Brysacz
2nd: Franz Klingermann

Children's Elk Bugling Competition
Best Boy Elk: Ethan Weader
Best Girl Elk: Luke Wagner
Best Young Elk: Brooke Shellenberger

Salad Toss
1st: Erin and Beth May
2nd: Karl Shellenberger and Franz Klingermann

Beard Competition
1st (tie): Karl Shellenberger and Kyle Jensen

Children's Elk Toss
Longest: Ethan Weader, 37'1"
Highest: Calvin Wagner
Slidiest: Owen Crane
Female: Brooke Shellenberger
Straightest: Luke F.
Thumpiest: Ben Crane
One Handed: Luke Wagner

Elk Toss
1st: Van Wagner, 48'3"
2nd: Patrick Biondo, 47'10"
3rd: Joe McMonagle, 47'0"
4th: Franz Klingermann, 45'5"
5th: Matt "Ned Smith" Dodge, 45'2"

If you have additional information (i.e. last names) or corrections, please email us.

2011 Charity Results

The 2011 Elk Toss, Charity Auction, and Winter Festival was a success. We will be donating a total of $2,750 (highest total ever) to the following charities:

Gatehouse Shelter: $750
State College Area Food Bank: $600
Compeer Lancaster: $600
Ronald McDonald House of Danville: $600
Liberty Recycling Center: $100
SOS Children's Villages: $100 (to support a fundraising effort of a class at State College Area High School)

Final Elk Toss Reminders

Here are the final reminders and other important information for the Elk Toss. Hopefully, this post will include everything you will need to know about attending the Elk Toss.

We will attempt to stick to the schedule as closely as possible. Feel free to meet up with us at any of the locations.

Schedule Summary:
8:00 am - Pappas Restaurant
10:00 am - Jerseytown Tavern
11:30 am - Wagner Farm
7:00 pm - Tour of Danville (bar at Pine Barn Inn)
9:00 pm - Entertainment at Pub II

Be Prepared:

1. Bring items to auction and cash/checks to buy things in the auction.
2. Bring Non-Perishable Food Items to donate to the Food Bank.
3. Bring a Drinking Vessel.
4. Wear Lederhosen or a Dirndl, and/or wear warm clothes and boots since we will be outside much of the day.
5. Bring Pot-Luck Food to share at the Wagner Farm.
6. Please, do not bring your dog to the Elk Toss. The Wagners have chickens, rabbits, and a peacock, and they have had too many issues with dogs and their animals.  
7. Organize a carpool.
8. If you haven't done so already, reserve a room at the Pine Barn Inn if you want to spend the night in Danville.
9. Check out the blog post about Driveway Conditions at the Wagner Farm.
10. Prepare to have fun while supporting some great charities. See charity list.

Important Links:
2011 Elk Toss Schedule (pdf) (Note: Children's Elk Toss 3pm)
Google Map of Locations
Danville Weather
Downtown Danville Map (pdf)
DGS Website

Wagner Farm Driveway Conditions

The Wagner's driveway is expected to be icy in some areas once again this year. The rain of last night and today will help a bit, but it is expected to re-freeze tonight. Therefore, as always, please try to drive a 4WD vehicle to the Wagner Farm or carpool with someone who has a 4WD vehicle.

When driving up the driveway, please follow the advice in an email from Van that was sent before last year's event:

"My front wheel drive Saturn has been fine...but people CAN NOT STOP HALFWAY UP TO SMELL THE ROSES AND THEN TRY TO GO AGAIN. My driveway is like a marriage, you have to commit. Like a marriage, there is ice, there are ditches, it is wet is places, you'll have arguments about drinking, you have push on because at the end is a glorious mountain top with space and sunshine."

Hints: drive at a consistent speed on the hill, don't follow another vehicle too closely, let someone else drive if you have never driven on snow/ice, have fun.

Much more parking has been made available for this year, so that should not be a problem like previous years, but we still recommend carpooling as much as possible. You can leave vehicles at the Pine Barn Inn parking area while you are at the Wagner Farm.

Vintage Mandolin Information

As mentioned in a previous blog post, Van is donating a mandolin to the Charity Auction. Here's some more information about the mandolin from Van, including a photo.

"Picked up this mandolin from School House Music. All it says inside is "1941" in hand written pencil.  Friends have guessed it's either a Kay, Kay-craft, Regal, or Harmony. I've been having a good time with it!"

Wagner Farm Map

The Danville German Society Engineering Department has prepared a map to assist you to become familiar with the Wagner Farm (see below). You can also find a higher quality pdf version of the map on our website.

Elk Toss Rumors

There have been a large number of rumors circulating on the internet about the Elk Toss and the Danville German Society. We will try to set the record straight.

Claim: The Danville German Society is in its 75th Year.
Verdict: True

Claim: Justin Bieber will be attending the Elk Toss to "perform" with Rick Victor behind the Franz Klingermann Memorial Outhouse.
Verdict: False

Claim: The Danville German Society has been having issues with obtaining a permit to transport an elk from Benezette to Danville.
Verdict: Possibly True

Claim: “Idiots Guide to Elk Tossing” offers insightful techniques for both idiots and non-idiots alike.
Verdict: Not sure, as it is only printed in Uzbek

Claim: 2011 will be the best Elk Toss ever.
Verdict: Probably True, To Be Determined

Elk Toss Videos

Back in 2008, we had several Elk Toss videos posted on YouTube. As far as we can tell, these are the only videos available on the web for the Elk Toss. Maybe we'll get more videos this year.

Simon's "spectacular mishap"

Tim demonstrates proper technique

Second Place Toss

2008 Elk Toss Video (over 4 minutes of highlights)

Daz at the Pub II

Top Ten Reasons to Come to the Elk Toss - Recap

Over the past 10 weeks, we have provided a countdown list of the Top Ten Reasons to come to the Elk Toss, with another reason each week. The reasons, with links to the posts, are listed below:

10. for the food
9. Lederhosen and Dirndls
8. for the great weather
7. the Charity Auction
6. the Wagner Farm
5. for the competitions
4. the Tour of Danville and the Entertainment at the Pub II
3. for the great people who will be there
2. Franz Klingermann and the Elk Toss
1. its our 75th Year!

Top Ten Reasons to Come to The Elk Toss - No. 1

Drumroll...

The Number One reason to attend the Elk Toss is..

...more drumroll...

...its our 75th Year!

It is hard to believe that the Danville German Society has been around that long, and we hope that this year will be our best Elk Toss, Charity Auction, and Winter Festival. In particular, we hope that we can continue our charitable work and raise more money this year than ever before.

In about 2001, the Danville German Society turned the Elk Toss into a charity event. Before that, we believe that the Elk Toss was more hairy and Scandinavian in nature. As mentioned in a previous blog post, our records were lost, so we do not have much information on that period.

Since 2001, the Danville German Society has been more involved in the community, and we have donated a total of at least $12,725 to various charities including:

Danville SPCA
Bloomsburg Women's Center
Gatehouse Shelter, Danville
Priestly-Forsyth Memorial Library, Northumberland
Thomas Beaver Free Library, Danville
ClearWater Conservancy, Centre County
Montour County Summer Concert Series
Animal Resource Center of Bloomsburg
Mooresburg Bicentennial
Danville Mining and Manufacturing Museum
Heart-to-Hand Ministries, Danville
Good Samaritan Fund, Danville
Northcentral PA Conservancy
Centre Wildlife Care, Centre County
Centre County Youth Services Bureau
Central Susquehanna Opportunities
Columbia County Volunteers in Medicine
Team in Training
Montour County Rec Authority
Centre County Women's Resource Center
Milagro House, Lancaster
Daily Item Needy Family Fund
Deb's House, Lancaster
Mount Nittany Conservancy, Centre County
Centre Grounds, Centre County

So, to help us help others, please be generous again this year.

Elk, Wolves, Montanans, Oh My!

From Van (see article below)...

"How does this effect elk toss? Does this mean people seen tossing elk could also be shot? We may want to make a disclaimer in future emails that anyone tossing an elk may be shot by a Montanan. That said, many people dream of one day being shot by a Montanan. I do."


Montana: Governor Approves Killing Wolves
February 16, 2011

(AP) Gov. Brian Schweitzer says the state will defy federal protections for gray wolves and kill packs that have been hurting elk herds. Mr. Schweitzer said Tuesday that he was encouraging livestock owners north of Interstate 90 to shoot wolves that harass their animals. The governor, who is fed up with litigation that has kept the wolves on the endangered list even as their population has swelled, says game wardens will stop investigating wolf shootings in that part of the state.

More Charity Auction Information

If you have an item that you would like to donate to the Silent Auction portion of the Charity Auction, you can help us out by printing out an Auction Form, completing the form, and bringing it along with your item.

Also, we have a vintage mandolin being auctioned, and we hear that excitement is growing for that item. More about the mandolin can be found on a previous post.

Top Ten Reasons to Come to the Elk Toss - No. 2

With just over two weeks before the Elk Toss, it is time to announce the number two reason to attend the Elk Toss, and it is...

...Franz Klingermann and the Elk Toss.



Franz Klingermann, Elk Handler



For those who do not know already, Franz Klingermann is the Greatest Elk Tosser in history.

His greatness is not just measured by the length of his tosses. His greatness is measured by quantities such as the length of his Lederhosen, the height of his memorial outhouse, and the time it takes him to "handle" the elk before tossing it. Speaking of the outhouse, Franz is such an amazing elk tosser, he had a memorial outhouse (see below) named after him, and he is still alive.

Some of the other amazing things accomplished by Franz can be found on a website dedicated to him.

The Danville German Society has held the Elk Toss for 75 years, although we only have records of the event since 2001. This is the best we can do in terms of records because all records before that date were destroyed in a fiery flood or something like that.* 



Franz Klingermann Memorial Outhouse

 

*We lost records concerning the loss of the records too. Speaking of that, we are currently accepting nominations for an official DGS Recordkeeper.

Another Elk Toss Parking Tip

As always, Van wants parking to go smoothly at his property. So, he emailed the following reminder:

“Please avoid the 4 acre drilling platform and 500,000 gallon toxic fracking solution pond next to the Wagner barn when you are parking your car.”

Not sure if it is true, but we still felt it was worth noting.

Are you a First-Time Elk Tosser?

Here's a recycled and reworded post from 2010 which contains helpful hints and reminders for Elk Toss virgins and others who may have forgotten about the details of the Elk Toss...

For many people, this will be their first time attending the Elk Toss, Charity Auction, and Winter Festival. To make your experience as enjoyable as possible, we have compiled the following tips, reminders, and suggestions on what to bring with you:

1. The event benefits charities and your generosity is greatly appreciated. Please bring cash and/or checks to pay for events and the auction.
2. The charity auction is only as good as the items that you donate to the auction. We appreciate your donations but also like donations solicited from restaurants, artists, businesses, family, etc.
3. We will once again be collecting non-perishable food items to donate to the Danville-Riverside Food Bank. Please bring canned goods and other non-perishable items to donate.
4. Wear Lederhosen or a Dirndl.
5. Bring pot luck food to share at the Wagner Farm. Also, bring your own drinking vessel to cut down on the number of cups required.
6. Plan to carpool as much as possible. We will travel from Danville to Jerseytown to the Wagner Farm and then back to Danville. The only place with a lot of parking is at the Pine Barn Inn in Danville.
7. Speaking of the Pine Barn Inn, we recommend reserving a room there if you plan to stay the night in Danville. It is the only hotel within walking distance of downtown Danville.
8. Prepare for the competitions. Understand the rules. Grow a beard.

Top Ten Reasons to Come to the Elk Toss - No. 3

And now we come to the top three reasons to attend the Elk Toss, with the Number Three reason being...

...for the great people who will be there.

The following photos demonstrate why this is the Number Three reason...

Elk Toss Trophy

The 2010 Elk Toss Champion, Patrick Biondo, recently emailed us the photo below to show that the Elk Toss Trophy is safe. Patrick claims he will "struggle it from the jaws of the great beast and deliver it to Danville at tossing time." To defend his title, he will be making the long journey from Charleston, SC.

Top Ten Reasons to Come to the Elk Toss - No. 4

The Number Four reason to attend the Elk Toss...

...the Tour of Danville and Entertainment at the Pub II.

Following the events and auction at the Wagner Farm, everyone is welcome to join us for an unorganized Tour of Danville that will start at the bar at the Pine Barn Inn at about 7pm. Locations of potential stops on the tour can be found on a pdf map of downtown Danville and also on the Google Map that we created for the event.

Starting at 9pm, there will be live music at the Pub II on Mill Street starting with Van Wagner. At 10pm, Slimfit will follow Van.

If you plan on drinking adult beverages during the evening, please think twice about driving. We do not want anyone to get hurt. We recommend staying overnight at the Pine Barn Inn. It is within walking distance of downtown, and they like to see people wearing Lederhosen.

Updated Charity List

We added two more charities to the list. We will also be donating to another charity or two, but the majority of the proceeds from the 75th Annual Elk Toss, Charity Auction and Winter Festival will go to the following organizations:

Gatehouse Shelter, Danville
Ronald McDonald House, Danville
Food Bank of the State College Area
Compeer Lancaster

Preliminary Charity List

We have already selected two organizations that will receive proceeds from the 75th Annual Elk Toss, Charity Auction and Winter Festival. We plan on adding a few more charities to the list. For now, our preliminary list includes the following:

Gatehouse Shelter, Danville
Ronald McDonald House, Danville

Top Ten Reasons to Come to the Elk Toss - No. 5

The number five reason to come to the Elk Toss is...

...for the competitions.

In our 75 Years, many competitions have been held, although some are not held every year due to weather or other considerations. The competitions have included:

• Scrap Iron Toss
• Salad Toss
• Ice Roping
• Sled Dog Race
• Beard Competition
• Jerseytown Burger Eat-Off (see Reason No. 10)
• Elk Toss
• Chicken Races
• Block Shoot
• Elk Bugling

Some photos of the various events...

Scrap Iron Toss

Beard Competition

Chicken Races

Block Shoot

Salad Toss

Sled Dog Race

Elk Bugling

Top Ten Reasons to Come to the Elk Toss - No. 6

The Number Six reason to attend the Elk Toss is...

...the Wagner Farm.

The Wagners will once again host the Elk Toss, Charity Auction, and Winter Festival. This year is even more special since it is our 75th Year!

If this will be your first Elk Toss, you should know a few things about the activities that take place at the Wagner Farm.

1. You will be outside, or in a poorly insulated barn, so you should wear warm clothes and boots if there is snow on the ground.

2. There is a double-seater outhouse.

The Wagner Farm does have a few rules:

1. No Dogs Allowed. The Wagners raise rabbits, chickens, and a peacock named Kevin, and have already had several animals killed by dogs. The Wagners also do not want to clean up frozen dog feces from the yard after everyone leaves.
2. No Smoking inside the barn. Also, please do not toss cigarette butts in the yard, as the chickens will eat them, get sick, and die. Please throw your butts in a designated butt can.
3. Drive and park carefully. There could be snow and ice on the gravel driveway and grass parking area, so 4WD is usually recommended. Parking is limited, so carpooling is recommended. Also, watch out for children and the previously mentioned animals.

Make sure you thank the Wagners for hosting the event.

Post Elk Toss Entertainment

Although the details are still being finalized, it looks like we will again feature live music at the Pub II after the Elk Toss. The tentative schedule is...

Van Wagner at 9pm

Slimfit at 10pm

Top Ten Reasons to Come to the Elk Toss - No. 7

The DGS Committee for the Generation of Top Ten Lists has chosen the following as the Number 7 reason to attend the Elk Toss:

The Charity Auction

In years past, we have auctioned items such as furniture, gift certificates to restaurants and other businesses (feel free to ask the owner of your favorite restaurant/business for a donation), hand-crafted beverages, clothing, glassware, artwork, and more.

This year, we have a vintage mandolin that has been donated. Check out one of our previous blog posts for more information about the mandolin.

As always, the success of the auction depends on the quality of the items that are donated. Please try to bring items that you feel that someone would actually want to purchase. The Charity Auction provides the majority of the funds raised by the DGS. More information about the charities will come in a future post.

Top Ten Reasons to Come to the Elk Toss - No. 8

The Number 8 Reason to attend the Elk Toss is...

...for the great weather.

The DGS Weather Department, in consultation with local groundhogs, carefully selects the Elk Toss date based on long term weather forecasts to ensure the highest quality weather for your enjoyment. Take a look at our results below for the past 10 years, and try to tell us that we could have done better.

From the archives of the weather station at the Selinsgrove Airport:

2/20/10 - Low 23, High 42
2/21/09 - Low 18, High 39
2/16/08 - Low 12, High 32
2/17/07 - Low 10, High 32, light snow
2/25/06 - Low 23, High 53
2/26/05 - Low 12, High 39
2/28/04 - Low 17, High 50
2/23/03 - Low 24, High 41, rain/snow
1/26/02 - Low 21, High 55
1/20/01 - Low 23, High 33, light snow

We once again expect a beautiful day this year.

Related to the weather, getting up the driveway and parking at the Wagner Farm can be tricky if there is snow, ice, chickens, rabbits, etc. on the ground. We will provide updates on the road conditions closer to the date of the Elk Toss. Please follow our recommendations, or else...