The Minnesota State Aerie and Auxiliary Eagles Convention of the Delegates that was to held June 18-20 in Crookston has been canceled. Meetings of the various executive boards will still be held in Crookston on those dates, but it will have significantly smaller attendance, said the Crookston Eagles Jake Fee. “The Minnesota Executive Board has voted to cancel this year’s convention which was supposed to be held in Crookston,” said Fee. “With the (COVID-19) guidelines not being to clear yet, and for the safety of our members, we decided that was the safest and smartest thing to do. Unfortunately, Crookston will not be able to host it this year. There will be a state executive board meeting that will meet on the (June) 18th as well. Hopefully, up to about 50 people coming into Crookston for a couple of days, kind of a mini-convention to conduct the business we need to do. Unfortunately, it’s just not going to work out for Crookston this year, and right now, 2021 is in Willmar and 2022 in Owatonna. So, the earliest we can probably put a bid in for another convention would be 2023.”
Fee said that Crookston intends to put another bid in and will hopefully get the convention back in 2023. The convention would’ve been much-needed business to the Crookston community, especially given the COVID-19 pandemic, as it would’ve filled nearly all of the rooms at the Crookston Inn, Cobblestone Hotel & Suites, and AmericInn explained Fee. “We would’ve pretty much filled up all three hotels,” said Fee. “That’s what broke our heart and was definitely something we took into serious consideration of the State Eagles board as well. The impact that it would’ve had on Crookston, even before COVID-19, we needed a boost with the lodging industry here in Crookston, and now with COVID-19, it would’ve been even more important. So, it’s going to be a big hit to that industry. It was going to be a good week in town, even the businesses around town, gas stations, restaurants, and everybody else who would’ve seen the impact of it. We definitely feel bad that we couldn’t make it happen, and I guess all we can do now is hope we can get it three years from now.”
