Chairman Bill Roberts raised his gavel to bring members to their feet for the weekly opening ceremony.

Reciting “The Pledge of Allegiance” reminds everyone what a great country we live in and singing “God Bless America” reminds of our freedoms that are bought and paid for by countless others. Alyce Derwinski takes her cue, stretching her nimble fingers as she reaches out to the piano.

Alyce leads the group on a journey with song. “Blue Skies” lead us to “California Here I Come.” The group then meets up with “Dear Hearts and Gentle People” along the way to “Deep In The Heart of Texas.”

Roberts shared a quote from C.S. Lewis: “You are never too old to set a new goal and start a new dream.”

AN AERIAL VIEW of Machu Picchu.

In the midst of uncertainty, the Golden K is looking forward to a productive year. They are excited to be planning celebrations with special needs young people and other groups. As life events change these seniors will adapt and continue to pursue noble goals.

Sue Proudfit started her new year by picking the winning ticket for the 50-50 drawing. Happy Birthday was sung for Jim Benzing celebrating on Jan. 4. Many Happy Dollars reflected the wonderful celebrations with family members throughout the holiday.

Bill Roberts spoke on one of his many experiences traveling in Peru. There are people who climb the Alps, hike the Appalachian Trail or take a walk through a local park. Peru offers similar experiences all in one country.

While spending time in Peru in 1998, 2003 and 2005, Bill and family members used every opportunity to see and experience what Peru has to offer. Peru is about twice the size of Texas, with almost 10 million people living in its capital city, Lima.

The Andes Mountains stretch from north to south 50 miles from the Pacific coast. The Eastern climate is extremely dry and to the west of the mountains lies a forested high jungle and below the immense Amazon basin jungle.

The Roberts family traveled by plane over the extremely lush, forested area. They witnessed the Amazon River as well as the many other rivers large and small that wind their way to join the Amazon. When the Amazon finally reaches the ocean it expands to 150 miles wide.

Their travels led them to villages where they met tribes who live predominately off the land. They were able to learn about local culture and language dialects between villages. People were friendly and humble.

Flying was a challenge as some landing strips were grass fields. Take-offs were breathtaking as the plane needed to clear 150-foot trees to be safely airborne. A boat trip (speedboat) during high water time in one of the many rivers did not include a sighting of Tarzan.

Machu Picchu was a sacred location for the Incas until the Spanish Conquistadors arrived. In search of gold, they conquered and abused the Incas. One can arrive at Machu Picchu by train and a tourist bus, but the authentic adventure is to arrive as the Incas did — a four-day hiking trip ascends a rocky trail 8,000 feet into the Andes.

The Incas had no written language and so there are limited records of their early history. They used a stick and yarn device for measurements and records. The arriving Spaniards kept important records that tell some of the history. This temple has continues to be an important place for ceremonies during the summer solstice.

To protect the site, Peruvian officials have established guidelines and restrictions for tourists. This is an attempt to preserve the history for all to enjoy without damaging the grounds.

If one feels called to see the world from a South American viewpoint, this is the place to visit.

Golden K next meets at 10 a.m. Monday with the program commencing at 10:30 a.m. Dickinson County Sheriff Scott Rutter will be the guest speaker. All are welcome. Coffee is hot and ready, doughnuts are optional.