eeting in Maine

aron Von Lodge was the head of a small country known as Lilliland near Switzerland. The time was the early 1900s.

Over the years as the Von Lodge family grew larger, some members moved away from Lilliland to seek opportunities in other parts of the world. Some moved to other parts of Europe and crossed the English Channel to settle in all parts of Great Britain and some moved to the Eastern Coast of the United States.

Every time one of the Von Lodge family moved far from Lilliland, he was immediately branded as a black sheep of the family. Those who first moved to Scotland and Wales became the first black sheep, but after some left Scotland and Wales for the United States, they were branded the new black sheep by the old black sheep who stayed in Great Britain. This was very confusing for all of the Von Lodge children because some of their cousins were first-generation black sheep. Others were second-generation black sheep and some were the sons and daughters of the second-generation, twice removed. "Enough of all this black sheep nonsense," the Baron stormed at his cabinet officers during a Lilliland legislative meeting.

He called a worldwide meeting of all of the Von Lodges to meet in Maine at the large coastal estate of his cousin, William von Lodge. The purpose of the meeting for the entire Von Lodge family was to resolve this name calling in the family and restore some rights and dignity to all of the Von Lodge family, no matter where they lived in the world. Maine was the appropriate place for the meeting because of its privacy, and besides, so many of the black sheep already lived in that area.

The meeting was held during the Maine summer and they all enjoyed themselves. It was decided that no member of the Von Lodge family would ever be called a black sheep again. The Von Lodge family was one of international stature and had worldwide respect and every family member was always to be welcomed in Lilliland.