Jim Davenport, Chapter 4 service officer, was named outstanding chapter member of the year.

Skip Gjerde, adjutant, DAV Chapter 4, said each chapter in North Dakota is required to submit an annual report of its activities for consideration at the DAV Department State Convention. Based on the report, the outstanding chapter is voted on. Davenport was voted Outstanding Member of the Year based on information provided in his nomination, Gjerde said.

Voting for the awards was conducted during the 2025 N.D. Department of DAV Convention held in Jamestown in May.

In August, Lamar Kruckenberg, commander, and Joe Hall, adjutant and treasurer of the DAV Department of North Dakota, were in Minot to present the Chapter 4 award and Davenport’s award at the chapter’s annual picnic held in Oak Park.

At the Annual Disabled American Veterans Chapter 4 Picnic held Thursday, Aug. 14, at Minot’s Oak Park, Joe Hall, adjutant and treasurer of the DAV Department of North Dakota, presented Chapter 4 Commander Frank Senn, left, with a plaque recognizing Chapter 4 as North Dakota’s Outstanding DAV Chapter of the Year. This marks the fifth consecutive year the Minot Chapter has earned this prestigious honor.

“It’s a real honor to receive this award,” said Frank Senn, commander of DAV Chapter 4, who accepted the award on behalf of the chapter. ” It’s the people who do the work. It’s a whole teamwork thing and we try to present a family atmosphere.

“We try to check up on everybody to make sure they are all well,” he said.

For example, in June, two members of the chapter, Paul Engeldinger and Dean Verstraete visited veteran Ernest Hoelscher, also a Chapter 4 member, at the nursing home in LaMoure. Following their visit, Hoelscher was scheduled to return to the North Dakota Veterans Home in Lisbon.

Chapter 4 includes all branches of the military, and many members belong to the Minot American Legion and/or Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Senn said the chapter has more than 450 members, with a portion of that number as active members. He said some members live out of state and in other cities in North Dakota.

Ric Montoya, Paul Engeldinger, Wayne Couse, Dean Verstraete, from left to right, Disabled American Veterans Chapter 4 Color Guard, present the Colors at the Minot High School 60th Class Reunion Saturday, Aug. 2, at the former KC Building.

The chapter has numerous activities or takes part in many activities during the year, including holding regular DAV Coffees in the Veterans Room in the Ward County Administration Building.

The DAV Coffees are a big factor in the chapter’s overall success, according to chapter information.

“We get all kinds of speakers there,” Senn said. He said many speakers talk about veterans-related topics but they bring in other speakers as well.

He said Davenport, a former veterans service officer in McHenry County, keeps up on veterans-related topics to inform Chapter 4 members.

When an Honor Flight is coming up, Senn said, they gather those going on the flight at the DAV Coffee so the Honor Flight veterans can get to know others who will be on the flight. A send-off for veterans on the two recent Honor Flights going out of Bismarck was held in September.

Past Chapter Commanders Gjerde and the late John Lyon initiated the twice monthly DAV Coffee Socials on Sept. 16, 2016, in the Veterans Room of the Ward County Administration Building, according to chapter history. The coffee socials began as a modest gathering and steadily grew into what is now known as DAV Coffee — a welcoming place for veterans to share stories, connect and build lasting camaraderie. The invitation to the DAV Coffee then was extended to all veterans, DAV non-members, auxiliary members and their guests.

Senn said they have had up to 62 people at the DAV Coffees.

Activities of DAV Chapter 4 are often featured in The Minot Daily News, including the annual Flag Day program at Ryan Buick-GMC, donations from community partners, Quilt of Valor presentations to veterans, a calendar of area veterans’ events provided by the chapter and much more.

Volunteer hours for 2024-2025 totalled 8,438, with 284 individual volunteers, according to information on Chapter 4 activities and events for that time span.