By Thomas Smith, Post 44 Historian
Quite a bit of fun stuff is the correct answer! Post 44 hosts an entertaining event called the “Queen of Hearts.” However, before I briefly explain this event, members and guests may also enjoy food from a chef selected menu, the cheapest drinks in town and karaoke delivered by some incredibly talented singers. If you’d like to take a crack at singing your favorite song across any genre, just let the host know and wait your turn.
While all this fun is taking place starting at 5pm, know that all along the “Queen of Hearts” is hiding on the back wall of AL Post 44. If you’re lucky enough to have your ticket drawn, you’ll be given the chance to find her amongst the remaining (unselected) 54 card deck. If you do happen to pull the Queen of Hearts, you’ll win the overall cumulative jackpot. Pulling a different card comes with its rewards too. As of this article’s publishing, the jackpot currently exceeds $7,000. If you’re one of those who like to know everything about the game, you can find the rules next to the Queen of Hearts board.
Tickets are sold during the Friday event starting at 5pm right up until the drawing at 7:30pm. A game board of 54 cards in on display with their backs turned to the room. The Queen of Hearts is the jackpot card! Our “lively” event hosts are shown in this photo and go by the names “Wrong Way” and “Pamela.” Make sure to catch the cute one that always seems to smile a little bit more.
Feeling extra lucky? During all the singing and the buildup to the “Queen” selection, these two hard charging veterans (Billy & Dean) will be cruising the floor selling $1 50/50 raffle tickets. Drawing the 50/50 ticket will take place after the Queen event. If you purchase a minimum of $10 worth of tickets, you will learn the meaning of the “Billy Stretch!” For those who feel extra lucky, enjoy playing slots in our semi-private gaming room now with 6 machines.
Ever wonder why the legion is so fond of the Queen of Hearts card?
It’s incredibly difficult to trace how the “Queen of Hearts” found its way into so many American Legions, however, the Queen herself subscribes to several legends as to why we are so enamored with her as an individual.
The story goes that Elizabeth of York was so fond of card games that – after her early death on her 37th birthday, after childbirth – the grief-stricken Henry VII ordered that her image become that of the Queen of Hearts, so that in this way she could continue in the pastime she had loved forevermore.
The Queen of Hearts is also a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 1865 book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. She is a childish, foul-tempered monarch whom Carroll himself describes as “a blind fury”, and who is quick to give death sentences at even the slightest of offenses. As you might recall, one of her most famous lines that is repeated… “Off with his/her head!” / “Off with their heads!”
There won’t be head chopping at Post 44 any time soon, but I still look forward to seeing members and guests at the awesome event!!!