exalted ruler's MESSAGE
Paul Slater, PER
Howdy!
Hard to believe that it is already February 2026! It seems to me that with each passing year, time moves faster and faster…….
February will be another busy month for your lodge with activities almost every weekend. I think the highlight of those activities will be our annual Have A Heart Ball. This annual fundraiser for AEMP is hosted by Lisa Chavez and Cindy Weiss, and their team of amazing helpers. It is guaranteed to be a lot of fun and raise money for both the Steele Children’s Research Center and the Elks Youth Camp in the White Mountains. Make sure you sign up for this in the lodge room.
By the time you read this article, the officer Ritual team will have competed in the South District Ritual competition. The team has been working hard, and our awesome coaches, Ron Starjnski, Doug Harpold, and Gloria Cisneros, have been patiently working with us to get us ready to repeat as South District Champions.
I wanted to make our bingo players aware of a slight change to our Bingo games. Starting in February, we will take 10% of the pot and donate it to the New Building fund, either for the Mortgage Burn Down or, once that is paid off, towards the actual new building. Since we are using the lodge room, I felt it was appropriate to turn this activity into a fundraising effort. You will start to see information on our fundraising projects for our new home, as we still have a lot of work to do to make this vision a reality for our lodge.
If you look in the lodge room, you will see the new Mortgage Burn down thermometer (Thanks you, Mike Orcutt, for the good looking display, and Kathy Hernandez for keeping it updated). Happy New Year, and as always, if you have questions or concerns, you can always reach out to me via email (pslates1987@gmail.com) or phone (520.268.2375)
Take care, paul
LEADING Knight Message
Kim McIlonie, Leading Knight
Charity: The Heart of What We Do
When people hear the word charity, they often think simply of giving money. But for members of the Elks, charity means far more than writing a check. It means giving of our time, our energy, and our hearts to improve the lives of others. Charity is not just something we do—it is who we are. From the very beginning, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks was built on the principles of Charity, Justice, Brotherly Love, and Fidelity. Of those four guiding virtues, Charity stands first for a reason. It reminds us that our greatest purpose is to look beyond ourselves and to lift up those in need. Every day across the country, Elks Lodges put charity into action. We support veterans who have given so much for our freedom. We help children grow through scholarships, youth activities, and community programs. Through the Elks National Foundation (ENF), we provide grants that strengthen communities and change lives. The Arizona Elks Major Projects (AEMP) program helps children with disabilities receive therapy and services that might otherwise be out of reach.
True charity is not measured by how much we give, but by the willingness to give at all. A ride to a doctor’s appointment, a care package for a veteran, a scholarship for a deserving student, or simply taking the time to help a neighbor—all are forms of charity that make a real difference. As Elks, we are part of something bigger than ourselves. Our Lodge is not just a building; it is a place where caring people come together to serve others. Every member who volunteers, donates, or participates in our programs helps keep that tradition alive. In a world that can often feel divided and uncertain, the Elks continue to be a steady source of hope and help. Charity connects us to our community and to each other. It reminds us that even small acts of kindness can create lasting change. Let us be proud of the charitable work we do—and let us continue to seek new ways to serve. After all, the greatest reward of charity is not what we give, but the difference we make.
Fraternally, Kim McIlonie Esteemed Leading Knight
SECRETARY’S CORNER
Mimi Wittenborn - Secretary
From the Secretary’s Desk:
I want to welcome Alane PER, DDGER to the office as your treasurer.
As I mentioned in last month’s article, dues statements went out in January so you
should be receiving them soon. Please make sure you get those payments in soon so
you don’t miss out on any events the Lodge will be having. Remember, April 1 your
current key card will not work.
Thanks again to my “Elves” for all your work getting the new member cards ready to go.
You’re the best!!
I also want to remind all event chairs to please fill out an event reporting form and return
it to me as soon as possible after an event. These are very important to let Grand
Lodge know what we are doing in our community. Thanks.
Something to think about:
“Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever
state I may be in, therein to be content.” Helen Keller
LODGE STATS YEAR-TO-DATE
Membership to Date ...............629
Candidates................................ 11
Delinquents ............................. 42
Life Members ......................... 48
Average Age ............................ 70.1
**As a reminder to all committee chairs, please get your activity reports into me ASAP after an event.
Past Exalted Ruler Association
Past Exalted Ruler Association - Douglas Harpold, PERA President
Hey all of you wonderful Elks! Welcome to February! I hope you all had a great January.
February has brought a little bit of change to our Queen of Hearts Game. A winner was drawn and a Prize of around $15,000 was given. Not a bad day at the Elks for our lucky winner. With the start of a new game, a new rule was added. If the board gets down to 2 cards, and you are drawn, you will now be able to choose to take half of the pot, or select your card and go for the whole amount. You must be present to have the option. Either way, it should be a good payday if 52 cards were already off of the board. This option now allows you a guarantee of a pretty good payout. With the new game, the pot is back down a bit, but you still have the chance to win about $2000.
Next time you come to the lodge, you may notice that we have a money thermometer hanging in the lodge/dining room. We are trying to pay down our mortgage to get us closer to starting our new home project. We currently have about $64,000 left to pay off. We would love to have anyone who is able to help, make a donation to help get our mortgage down to zero. Thank you to our recent Queen winner for the donation to the mortgage. Every little bit helps!
I hope you all have a terrific Valentine’s Day, and I hope to see you at the AEMP Have A Heart event!
Beginning October 1st, 2025 All Queen of Hearts tickets will be required to have your name and Phone number on them, as is required in the rules. ANY TICKET THAT DOES NOT HAVE BOTH WILL BE DISCARDED AND A NEW TICKET WILL BE DRAWN—NO EXCEPTIONS.
Douglas Harpold, PER
ENF Report - Ron Starjnski, PER
Hello Everyone!
Enlisted military personnel are often not alone in their sacrifice. Their loved one’s face challenges too, from frequent moves that disrupt routines to the long absences during deployments. Children face increased risk of anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns. Lacey, N.J., Lodge No. 2518 identified this population as one that is in particular need of the support of its community, making children from military families the focus of its Beacon Grant. The Lacey Lodge is located near Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, where more than 44,000 military personnel and their families live and work. The Lodge hosted some of the children who live on the base for a day of fishing and outdoor education at the Lighthouse Center for Natural Resource Education. The day set and met multiple goals. First, the Lodge and its partners sought to teach the fundamentals of water safety. Lacey is close to an array of lakes, rivers, bays, and the Atlantic Ocean, underscoring the importance of water safety in the area. The children also learned fishing skills, an activity that requires patience, builds confidence, and encourages outdoor exploration. Members of the Lodge were involved throughout the project, putting their fishing and boating skills to use. Elks offered instruction on casting, knot tying, and the proper use of life jackets and safety equipment.
For 2025-26, the Elks National Foundation allocated nearly $18 million to fund the Community Investments Program. For 20 years, Lodges have met local needs through CIP grants that offer Elk’s opportunities to serve their community in ways that will raise the Lodge’s profile, energize the membership, encourage former members to return to the fold, and gain the notice of people who want to be part of an organization that is doing great things. To learn more about the Community Investments Program, visit elks.org/CIP.
Our Lodge, Catalina Mountain Lodge # 2815, is currently 2rd in the state for Per-Member Donations @ $28.41, Fountain Hills is #1 with $29.00. That’s only .60 cents per member or $350, donate today and let’s try for first place by the end of the year. Thank you all and if you have any questions my email address is rstarjnski@gmail.com
I will see you at the lodge.
Ron Starjnski PER, ENF Chairman
New Building Update—Kathy Hernandez, Treasurer
As your outgoing Treasurer, I sincerely hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and that everyone is ready to embrace this New Year with enthusiasm. Just look around – the bar is buzzing and the dinner nights (both Wednesday and Friday) are filling the lodge room. You can all recognize we need more space – and if you haven’t noticed the concept design in the lodge room, please take a moment to check it out. We have sent the application for approval to Grand Lodge to continue our efforts to bring this concept to life. In the mean-time – we need to “Burn Down” the mortgage we currently have in order to fund the new building. Please watch for the thermometer visual to be displayed in the lodge room as we track our progress on the mortgage reduction. We just celebrated the Lodge’s 25th Anniversary on October 11 and honored those of our founding members that made it happen. We are now the next generation that will bring the new building to fruition. If you are able – and would like – to help our efforts in this aggressive mortgage burn down, please make any contributions to the Lodge with the message “Mortgage Burn Down”. All additional funds will go directly against the principal - $69K as of 12/9/25. Let’s start the year with a “Can Do” attitude! While not your official Treasurer, I am still involved!
Kathy Hernandez
