The Albert Lea Does Drove No. 70 will host the 89th annual state Does convention Friday and Saturday at the American Legion Leo Carey Post 56.

Does Supreme President Pat Kloberdanz will be in attendance, along with the state president and other Does organizations from all over Minnesota.

“It’s an honor to have our national president here with us to come and meet the Does,” said local Does President Cindi Van Reese. “It’s a great opportunity. We have a fun time.”

Does are the women equivalent of the Elks but exist independently.

The convention starts Friday with an opening ceremony at 7:30 p.m.

The public is invited to attend the ceremony and to stay afterward to meet Kloberdanz.

Van Reese said the ceremony will be patriotic.

On Saturday will be other events for the members, along with a banquet later that night.

Kloberdanz, who was installed as the 89th supreme president of the Does on June 25, will be arriving Thursday.

As national president, she hopes to spread the theme of the “Miracle of Friendship,” as she believes friendship is the backbone of the Does organization.

The mission statement of the national Does organization states the group seeks to exemplify the principles of patriotism, charity, loyalty and love.

Though they do exist independently from the Elks, they do so “with the desire to work in harmony with them and to keep uppermost in mind the idealism of Elkdom,” according to the national Does Web site.

For questions about the weekend events, people can contact Van Reese at 373-0553.