EXALTED RULER’S MESSAGE

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Wow my year is almost completed. I can’t believe how fast it went! First let me say, in your eyes, I’m hoping the pluses of my year outweigh the minuses of the year. 

Prior to being installed into the ER position I had to round out the total team. There are 16 positions in the column on the left side of the front page of the Bugle. There are also 33 positions listed on page two of the Bugle all are selected by the ER. When I realized, shortly before my year started, I needed to fill all these positions, lets just say it felt like a daunting task. However, when I started to talk to those already in the position the standard response was “ I love what I do and yes I will continue in the position”. 

Including the Exalted Ruler the lodge has 11 people voted into office, 6 appointed and 33 committee volunteer chairpersons. When I look to our 50 officers, appointed and volunteer personnel I need to thank all of you for the long hours of work you have spent in meetings and various projects throughout the year! 

Some of the things that happened this year are: Gloria broke a record for participants in soccer shoot; Judy put together another winning staff of employees; the Board of Directors spent a good deal of time discussing the need for expansion and took the first of three steps needed before we can make changes in the building; Jim helped with a new wifi and upgraded our web site; a new security system was installed; the lodge exterior was painted; Ron has mounted four of six new lights for building and parking lot safety; Bobby built new wood shelving in two of our storage sheds; we began using a POD for our veterans clothing drive and the staging of flags for retirement; Monty and Deb created a mobile sign we can use to communicate with members and the public; Larry installed a new septic system; we now have Bunco as a monthly event for the ladies; Harry has established a twice a month Texas Hold’em schedule and once again produced a financially rewarding golf tournament; we held our first Open House to educate the public on the ethical, moral and charitable culture of the Elks which may produce 8 to 10 new members; and lastly a big thank you to Belinda Waller for taking over the Veterans Committee for me while I was the ER, Belinda has in grand style beaten her goal of $50,000 in donations for our veterans! 

Finally, thank you to all our members who have contributed to the many charitable events the lodge supports throughout the year! Your generosity and commitment to our national organization and our local charities has been wonderful to watch! Please continue to help Catalina Mountain Elks Lodge #2815 address the needs of our community.  

My shortened year as the Esteemed Leading Knight of this amazing Lodge is in its final month. It has been an honor to finish out this position for my friend Rob Weiss when he was unable to continue. Everyone who knew him knows that when it came to being the true example of the Moto of this station, Charity, no one could fill his shoes. He was on my mind the whole time because I wanted to do my best to make a difference in people’s lives as he would have done. 

As part of my final Leading Knight article, I would like to share what my hopes are for our incoming Leading Knight, Monty Derting, as he begins his journey in what will be a most memorable station for him. 

Dear Monty: Since getting to know you so well over the past year, I know you are going to continue to be a very special person to this Lodge. I hope you know that you have touched the lives of so many members. You have welcomed each prospective member with open arms and did our Lodge proud as being the first person they meet during investigation and to help them begin their journey to becoming a member of this great organization. You have wholeheartedly stepped up to be an outstanding Officer this year and continuing on to become a great leader of the Lodge next year. My hope for you as Leading Knight is that you will absorb all the love and generosity that goes on around you at our Lodge and in our communities in the coming year. There will be no greater feeling than for you to see the many acts of Charity that happen around you and I hope you are as touched by them as I was. May you be able to take with you many heartwarming stories, memories of smiling faces, friendships that last a lifetime and may your life be the better for it. I look forward to seeing what I know will be an amazing year for you! 

Thank you to all my amazing family and friends that supported my coming back around as Leading Knight this year, I can never thank you enough! 

2019-2020 OFFICER INSTALLATION 

I would like to invite you to attend our Installation of new Officers on Saturday, March 30th at 11:30am. It is truly my honor to have such an amazing group of members taking their oaths with me to represent our Lodge for the 2019-2020 year. This event is just one of the impressive ceremonies that Elks perform so I hope that we have a great turn out. We will have several brand new Officers joining us this year and I know that they will remember this day for a very long time.  

As I begin my last Bugle message as President of the Past Exalted Rulers Association, I want to thank the rest of the PER’s for all their work in running our highly successful Queen of Hearts games. Thanks also go to all you members who show up on Friday nights to participate and support our Lodge. You know how much fun it is on game night and you also probably realize how lucrative the game is for the Lodge. Some of our Friday nights have turned in record sales for our lounge which is definitely good for the Lodge. As I write this, the Queen of Hearts pot has grown to over $14,000 thanks to a series of winners choosing low paying cards. There are still several “percentage of the pot” cards available which get bigger as the pot grows. 

Of course, one of the advantages of the Queen games is the build-up of funds available to the PERA for charitable contributions and help with Lodge maintenance. Since last August, we have used over $6800 to support a variety of projects. We’ve bought food for Impact of Southern Arizona’s food projects, action figures for the children at the Steele Children’s Center, as well as donations to the Elks Leather program, the Desert Woodcrafters and Wreaths Across America. We’ve also provided upgrades to the Lodge in terms of new Texas Hold’em tables, shelving for the storage buildings, a new Alter Cloth, a new stereo receiver for the lounge, and other needed items. You get the idea. At any rate, your support helps us support both our Lodge and many charitable organizations. Again, Thank You. You will hear more from the next PERA President.  

By now, all the membership should have their annual dues notices. If for some reason you did not get yours, please let me know and I will get another put in the mail for you as soon as my little feet can sprint to the post office. Note: I have not sprinted anywhere too fast for a long time, buy hey a girl can dream. 

Most days the office is a buzz these days with all the friendly members stopping by to pay their dues. I enjoy this time of year when I can put a face to a name. Keep on stopping by, pay your dues and pick up your card in person. Please remember: if you pay those dues early, do not discard that current card, as the new ones will not work in the door until April 1st . 

Elks National Foundation Chairman Lee Cook has reported at a recent Lodge meeting that our Lodge is at $7.50 per capita for ENF. He is encouraging any one who has not recently donated to do so (in the next month or so) if they desire. His goal is to get the per capita to $10.00, which makes the Lodge eligible for more grant money. 

At the end of every Lodge year it is always my sad duty to have to drop those members whom did not pay their dues the year before, this year is not an exception. The Following members will be dropped for non- payment on March 30, 2019. 

Victor Alvarez, Dwight Baum, Dawn Chivers, Eithne Cook, Daniel Dale, Leroy Deleeuw, Jim Dorman, Angela Durham, Fred Gali, Brendan Gallaher, Richard Garber, Jorden Grimm, Justen Grimm, Joseph Holden, Susan Howland, Mitch Kelder, Paul Lampadius, Grover Ligon, Charles Luce, Ronald Makinen, Hector Margeson, James Martens, Frank Mosss, Eden Omstead, Joseph Pate, Joseph Pheanis, Roger Plum, Garen Poe, Leonard Raab, Dennis Smith, Steve Struthard, Ann Symanski, Donal Symanski,James Tescher, Dennis Tryon, Jerry Wagner, Joseph Willis.  

If you know these members, encourage them to pay their membership dues and stay at the Lodge. Remind them of all the good works the Elks do for all the worthwhile programs the Elks stand for. ELKS CARE ELKS SHARE!! 

I hope not to have such a large list of delinquents in the next Lodge year, which starts on April 1st. If for some reason you don’t plan to pay those next years dues (and your dues are current) you still have time to take an Absolute Demit and leave under good standing. Also please keep in mind that once a member goes delinquent and does not pay those dues, the Lodge still must pay the assessment fees of $ 17.00 to Grand Lodge and $2.50 to the State, per member. 

Note: you can use that Absolute Demit to rejoin this Lodge or any other Elks Lodge at any time. To accomplish this, simply put it in writing and send your current dues card, but please do this before March 30, 2019. Any questions, please feel free to call me, I will be happy to help.  

Lodge Stats                                                                              

Active Members: 522                                           Initiated: 29  

Pending outgoing transfers: 2                         Affiliated: 11 

Delinquents: 37                                                       Reinstated: 1 

Transferred out: 1                                                  Deaths: 13 

Delinquents: 37                                                      Candidates: 15  

DEATHS 

Charles Zenith Life Member with 44 years 

Born: 11/16/1920 

Initiated: 3/23/1976     Phx # 335      Affiliated: 11/1/2007 

Passed Away: 1/22/2019 

Robert Sowers Born: 7/15/1926 

Initiated: 12/13/2012 

Passed Away: 12/13/2018