exalted ruler's MESSAGE
Kim McIlonie
Well, it’s finally the holiday season, which means the next two months are going to fly by! I’m freshly back from the Mid-Year AEA Convention, and I always leave these events feeling pumped up with the spirit of Elkdom. It’s wonderful to hear about all the amazing things we do as Elks in our individual lodges, districts, and throughout the state.
During the convention alone, we raised $276,487 for AEMP, presented the Steele Children’s Research Center with a $250,000 check, and heard from its new director, Dr. Lisa Chamberlain, who expressed tremendous gratitude for the Elks’ partnership. Without the generosity and donations of our members, they couldn’t accomplish all the incredible things they are doing in pediatric research.
We should all be proud of the difference we make! We brought home two awards for the 2025–2026 year! We earned first place in the South District for the highest membership growth, at 4.3%, and first place for the most Welcome Home Kits completed in our district. Congratulations Catalina Mountain Lodge members!!
MEMBERSHIP, MEMBERSHIP, MEMBERSHIP! We need members! We want to bring our delinquent members back into the fold while continuing to recruit new members. Please tell your friends about the Elks and all the wonderful things we do for our veterans, youth, and communities. Invite them to join you for an event—dinner, bingo, darts, football, or even just to enjoy a nice beverage and some great company.
We have a lot going on this month, starting with our Winner Winner Chicken Dinner event. Be sure to sign up at the Lodge! Larry makes the best darned chicken, and this event is always a lot of fun. The following Saturday, November 14, we’ll celebrate a tremendous milestone with our Mortgage Burning Ceremony! We’ll be honored to host Arizona State President Frank Buso and his lovely wife, Angela, along with Arizona Special Deputy Jerry Grimes and his wife, Linda. Paying off our mortgage is an incredible accomplishment and a testament to the hard work, dedication, and commitment of our Lodge and its members I am so looking forward to celebrating this special occasion with all of you!
Fraternally,
Kim McIlonie, Exalted Ruler
LEADING Knight Message
Lisa Hensley
October was a busy and fun month at Catalina Mountain Elks Lodge #2815! We enjoyed plenty of opportunities to gather with friends, share good meals, and support the causes that mean so much to our Lodge. T
hank you to everyone who joined us and helped make it such an enjoyable month.Our Clothe a Child ’70s Party was a wonderful way to kick things off! We had a great time enjoying a little nostalgia, sharing laughs, and spending an evening together for a worthwhile cause. Events like this brought out the fun and generosity of our members while reminding us of the difference we can make together. A special thank-you to Leslie Huerta and Cindy Lefaive for a wonderful, fun evening! We appreciate the time, thought, and effort you put into making it special. Thank you also to all the volunteers who helped along the way and to everyone who came out to support Clothe a Child.
The fun continued throughout October with Bingo, Bunco, Trivia, Texas Hold’em, and Game Night. Darts on the patio and Sunday football gave us more chances to enjoy some friendly competition and catch up with friends. Our sandwich nights, tacos, and ribs dinner brought us together around the table, and Music Bingo added another evening of entertainment. Halloween Trunk or Treat rounded out the month with some festive fun. Our veterans group once again did a great job with the Veterans Games. Their events are always thoughtfully planned and enjoyable, and this one was no exception! We appreciate their dedication and the effort they put into bringing everyone together. A big thank-you to all the volunteers who helped make the event possible and to everyone who participated. Your time and support were an important part of its success.
We also had a wonderful time at the October convention. It was informative, as always, and gave us the opportunity to hear what other Lodges were doing, exchange ideas, and learn from one another. It was nice to catch up with familiar faces and meet new people who shared our dedication to Elkdom. Hearing about the activities and charitable efforts of other Lodges gave us plenty to think about and ideas to bring home. We left with a renewed appreciation for the work Elks did throughout our communities and the friendships that connected us.
Looking back on the month, we had so many people to thank. All of the volunteers all played a part in making our Lodge activities possible. Whether you helped prepare a meal, set up, cleaned up afterward, or came out to support an event, your contribution was appreciated. October’s activities reflected the time and care our members give to our Lodge.
Looking ahead to November, please join us on November 11 for our free Veterans Day breakfast from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Flags will go up at 7 a.m. and come down at 5 p.m. We look forward to gathering to honor our veterans and thank them for their service. Please make plans to join us for breakfast and take part in this meaningful day.
With Thanksgiving approaching, I am thankful for the friendships, kindness, and generosity within our Lodge. As Leading Knight, I look forward to continuing our work together in the spirit of Charity and finding more ways to help those in our community.
Please check the November calendar for upcoming activities and join us whenever you can. Wishing you and your families a wonderful Thanksgiving. I look forward to seeing you around the Lodge!
Fraternally,
Lisa Hensley, Leading Knight
SECRETARY’S CORNER
Mimi Wittenborn - Secretary
From the Secretary’s Desk:
First, I want to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!! It doesn’t seem possible that 2026 is almost over… WOW I know every month (almost) I “nag” the committee chairs for their event reporting forms but I’m not sure I have explained way we need them. Any time anyone of us volunteers our time we should report it. This is calculated at Grand Lodge and lets us keep our nonprofit status with the government. Each event needs to submit one, not every person there, with numbers attending, hours spent, miles traveled and of course dollars donated. Planning meetings also count. If you have any questions about filling out the form or if something qualifies, please give me a call. Thank you to those who are great at getting the reports to me.
Our current numbers are as follows:
Elks; 1295
Helpers: 338
Hours: 3052
Helper hours: 628
Miles: 16,246
Helper miles; 4834
Non Cash donations: $105,857
Cash donations: $11,874
Mimi Wittenborn, Secretary
Lodge Stats Year to Date
Membership to Date ............... 624
Candidates: ...................................5
Delinquents ............................... .52
Life Members .......................... 47
Average Age........................... 70.5
Past Exalted Ruler Association
Past Exalted Ruler Association - Paul Slater, PERA President
Howdy! What a great monsoon season we had and it was brought some fall like weather, which is nice!! The Queen continues to elude us on Friday’s! Nice to see the jackpot grow that will make someone VERY happy when they find the Queen of Hearts!
We have finalized the details for our Mortgage Burn Down Party. This is such an amazing accomplishment that would not have been possible without the support of every one of you, our amazing members! There is a flyer and sign up sheet in the lounge. Don’t wait until the last moment there is limited seating and it is a first come first serve. With payment of course ($35.00/person). We are planning special recognition of our Charter members as well as hosting the current AZ Elks State President Frank Busso and his lovely lady, Angela during the event.
The PER association financially supported a couple of worthy chartable works with Clothe a Child and Adapt a family. We continue to support our community in many ways, so don’t be shy about telling your friends about the great work you do with the Elks. A friendly reminder that you must have a valid membership card (paid your dues) and PLEASE make sure that your name is legible, and there is a phone number on each ticket. I did notice that my first time selling, there were a few tickets with just a name. If a ticket without a number is picked, it will be discarded, and another “properly filled out” ticket will be selected.
For the last decade, donations to Friends of Pima Animal Care Center have fueled innovative animal lifesaving programs, providing care and hope for countless animals and pet-loving families. This local nonprofit organization has helped more than 75,000 families with veterinary care, behavioral support, supplies, and pet-friendly guidance. A huge thank you to everyone that contributed to our PACC Donation Event. Kathleen, Pam, Debra, John, and Jimmy did an amazing job in coordinating our inaugural event. The generosity was overwhelming. The team raised $1260 in cash that bought Debra’s handmade animal jewelry, the bake goods that everyone made (Marie, you outdid yourself again!), and of course the fun Wheel of Fortune. In addition to the cash there was at least $2-3000 of supplies donated. All of this will be brought directly to PACC to support that good work that they do here in Pima County
ENF Report - Ron Starjnski, PER
Hello everyone,
Hello everyone, So long as there are veterans, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks will never forget them. With Community Investments Program grants, Elks Lodges uphold this solemn pledge by meeting the needs of local veterans. Since 2017, Asheville, N.C., Lodge No. 608 has partnered with the Veterans Restoration Quarters (VRQ), a housing facility for local veterans run by the Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry.
The Asheville Lodge has used nearly all its CIP grants to support the VRQ over those years by providing meals and essential supplies such as clothing and hygiene items. However, in 2024, disaster struck. Hurricane Helene ravaged the southeastern United States, causing more than $59 billion dollars of damage and destroying more than 70,000 homes in North Carolina alone, according to the North Carolina Housing Coalition. The storm completely flooded the VRQ, forcing all 250 veterans and staff members to be evacuated by the National Guard and moved to a motel across the street.
This temporary solution became permanent when the Ministry purchased the building, with the hopes of turning it into a new veteran housing facility. The Asheville Lodge received a Spotlight Grant from the CIP to help make these plans a reality. Determined to outfit the former motel with a library and computer room, the Asheville Elks quickly got to work.
They were very hands-on in the process—several Lodge members with experience as carpenters and building contractors volunteered their time to get the job done. For more information visit elks.org/cip, and apply for a Beacon, Gratitude or Spotlight Grant to make it a reality. Applications close January 20, 2027. Currently we are #8 in the state for donations with $4,980 and $8.19 Per-Member contributions.
Thank you all and if you have any questions my email address is starjnski@gmail.com I will see you at the lodge.
Ron Starjinski PER, ENF chair
