exalted ruler's MESSAGE
Paul Slater, PER
Howdy!
Hard to believe that this will be my last article as the ER for our lodge. I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to represent our lodge and gain a deeper appreciation for it. In particular, the hard-working volunteers we are blessed with and the amazing charitable work our lodge does. If you are looking for a way to make a true impact for our veterans, children, and community, there is no better place than our Elks lodge. Please consider joining your fellow members at an event and experiencing exactly what being an Elk is all about!
As I mentioned last month, our ritual team competed in the district contest, and we came in first place for the South District and will be competing at the AZ State convention in May. In addition, Kim McIlonie placed second in the 11 O’Clock toast competition and will represent our lodge at the state convention as well. Congrats Kim!!
In last month’s article, I stated that the bingo rules would change and that 10% of the proceeds would be donated to the new building fund. WELL….. I need to retract this, as this would change our bingo and require a state license to have this game as a fundraiser. So, no 10% collection will be part of Bingo. However, the lodge always welcomes any generous donations to our Future Home Fund.
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).
We will be having a town hall-style meeting for the new building project on March 31 at 5:30pm at Vistoso Funeral Home, located at 2285 E Rancho Vistoso Blvd, Oro Valley, AZ 85755.
We will be sharing updates, plans, and timing, as well as an opportunity for member feedback and questions.
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
Can you believe the Elk year is already coming to an end? What an amazing year it has been! It has truly been an honor to serve as your Esteemed Leading Knight. I especially loved serving as the Officer of Charity, because giving back is what this Order is all about. And our Lodge is full of incredible people who step up again and again for our community and our programs. I wish I could thank every single one of you by name—but I know I’d miss someone! Just know that your dedication, time, and heart mean so much to me and to our Lodge.
A big thank-you to everyone who participated in the Iron Elk contest! We had eight fantastic chefs: Jean Milne, Marie Starjnski, Betty Cook, Kim McIlonie, Jan Trudeau, Lisa Hensley, Cindy Liles, and Doug Harpold. What a great event! Let’s also give a huge shout-out to Lisa Chavez and Cindy Weiss for putting together a wonderful Have-A-Heart Dinner. This fundraiser supported AEMP, the Youth Camp in the White Mountains, and the Steele Children’s Research Center in Tucson. Because of efforts like yours, we’re able to support these incredible causes.
We also have some exciting events coming up this month! The annual Clothe-a-Child Easter event is right around the corner. If you’d like to be an escort for a child, be sure to sign up at the Lodge. It’s always one of the most heartwarming days of the year—and of course, the Easter Bunny is always a big hit! And don’t forget—Officer Installation will be held on Sunday, March 29 at 11:00 a.m. Come out and help us welcome our new officers and celebrate together. Lunch will be served following the installation!
Thank you all for making this such a memorable year. I’m proud to be part of such a caring and dedicated Lodge. Let’s finish the year strong!
Fraternally,
Kim McIlonie
SECRETARY’S CORNER
Mimi Wittenborn - Secretary
From the Secretary’s Desk:
The dues statements are out and thank you to those of you who are getting them in early. It’s a bit crazy in the office this time of year so please have patience if your card takes a few days to get to you. Also please do not throw the yellow key card away until March 31. I have had a few people wonder why they can’t get in with their new card before April 1. We will change the door locks then. We still have too many delinquent members so if that is you, please get your dues in or let me know that you wish not to be a member any longer. Thank you. Wishing all of you a happy St. Patrick’s Day!! Lodge know what we are doing in our community. Thanks.
Something to think about:
“Happiness grows at our own firesides and is not to be picked in strangers’ gardens.
Douglas William Jerrold
LODGE STATS YEAR-TO-DATE
Membership to Date ...............623
Candidates: ....................................16
Delinquents ...................................31
Life Members ................................47
Average Age ...............................70.5
**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
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you all.
I hope your February was terrific and filled with love on Valentine’s Day, and all days. As we move into March and my final month of being the PERA President, I want to thank all of the PER’s and the PERL.’s for all of the hard work that has gone into making our association and it’s events a great success once again!
Queen of Hearts is starting to grow again and everyone’s participation in our Friday drawings and management of the game is what helps us to continue to do good for our lodge and community! Many of you may not know, but the Queen of Hearts recently made a $1000 donation from our funds to help pay down our mortgage. Aside from that our funds also go to help support all of our other committees. The PERA supports them by paying for the food for their events, buying tee signs on outings, helping to purchase food for the food bank, donations for Clothe A Child, etc…. Our funds are also used to cover Lodge repairs and equipment upgrades when things come up that are not included in the lodge budget. Queen of Hearts has been instrumental in so many facets in the lodge, and we couldn’t do it without the support of all of our members! I thank you all for the support you give us in our quest to be a great asset to the lodge and our community!
Douglas Harpold, PER
ENF Report - Ron Starjnski, PER
Hello Everyone!
March is here, and that means the end of the fiscal year is near! Over the past year, the ElksNational Foundation has been blown away by your commitment to helping Elks build stronger communities. Thanks to passionate donors and dedicated volunteers, the Community Investments Program gave Elks the resources needed to address the unique needs of their communities; the Elks Hoop Shoot unleashed gritty, hard-working kids; the scholarships programs helped the next generation of changemakers attend college; and so much more. While the end of the fiscal year provides an opportunity to look back on what your generosity has helped accomplish, it also serves as a reminder of all that can still be done in the final weeks before the March 31 donation deadline.
Our Lodge has reached the National President’s per-member-giving goal before March 31, we are eligible for a $3,000 Gratitude Grant next year—and there are four bonuses our Lodge can earn that bring the grant’s total to $5,000! Additionally, if you are a donor who has given for the past four consecutive fiscal years or more but has not yet given in 2025-26, you may be at risk of losing your place in the ENF Loyalty Club! On top of the exclusive pins and Membership Card stickers that ENF Loyalty Club members earn, members are also making meaningful differences in the communities where Elks live and work, year after year. All donations must be received by March 31 to count toward the 2025-26 fiscal year. To ensure that your donation makes it to the ENF office on time, consider giving online. It is safe, secure, and the easiest way to donate. No matter how you chose to support the ENF this year, thank you for helping build stronger communities. Our Lodge, Catalina Mountain Lodge # 2815, is currently 3rd in the state for Per-Member Donations @ $29.53 and we are 86 th out of 1,809 lodges in the nation. Great job everyone. Donate today and let’s try for first place in the state by the end of the year.
I will see you at the lodge.
Ron Starjnski PER, ENF Chairman
