exalted ruler's MESSAGE
Paul Slater, PER
Howdy!
What another great month for our lodge! Hard to believe that December is already here.
We hosted Diane Bodwell, DDGER, for our annual visit and inspection. While we have not yet received her final report for her visit, she had nothing but positive things to say about all the great work y’all do for the lodge, vets, kids, and our community! It was an honor to host her and to get to show off Catalina Mountain.
Speaking of honor, it was my honor to preside over the annual Veterans Day ceremony. Every year, I am impressed by the Elks’ history and their service to our vets. If you haven’t been to this ceremony or any of the memorial ceremonies, do yourself a favor and plan on attending. I promise you will have a greater appreciation for the great organization you belong to. Our next memorial will be the Elks Memorial Service, where we remember our members who are no longer among us. Please consider coming on Dec. 7th for this special event.
A big thanks to Lisa Chavez and Cindy Weiss (and all of her helpers!) for the great Spaghetti Western event to support Arizona Major Projects (AEMP). Having Mick from Tombstone providing the music was a great touch to the evening. Thank you to all who came to support the work the AEMP does for Steele Children’s Research Center and the Elks Camp.
As the holidays begin, please consider helping with any of the lodge’s charitable activities this season. There is a little bit of everything, so find something that motivates you and step up to be part of the amazing work we do as Elks.
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. Preliminary drawings are available in the lounge and lodge room for the proposed new building. If you have not yet checked them out, come in and take a look, and let us know your thoughts on the new plans!
Have a blessed Christmas, 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
Ho Ho Ho Friends! Wow! Is it really December again already?? Where did this year go??
Thank you to Michael Ross and all the volunteers who helped with the Hoop Shoot & Soccer Shoot. We had 4 participants in three different age groups. One thing we learned at this event is that we MUST replace that soccer net contraption before next year’s Shoot. What a nightmare that thing was – it took seven of us over an hour and a half to put it together and it broke with every kick. We have some ideas but are open to suggestions for a replacement.
I would like to thank the Sewing It Forward group for the incredible donations the made in November to the Veteran’s Committee and the Steele Children’s Research Center. It may not always be obvious what this group does for us, but they do great things. Take some time and get to know them and hear about the things they do. Just this past month, they raffled off a beautiful motorcycle quilt during our Vet’s Game Day, which raised $695.00. Two days after that, they delivered Christmas bags and forty- eight pillowcases to the kids at the hospital and 78 NICU snakes for the preemies.
We have our annual Clothe-A-Child shopping spree coming up this weekend and thank you to all who volunteered to escort a child and/or help with lunch. I am sure the kids will be so excited to see Santa & Mrs. Claus again this year. Thank you to Leslie Huerta, who brings this event together every year, you are amazing and we are lucky to have you.
We will be having our Christmas party on December 20th with Whiskey and Bad Decisions playing. No white elephant gift exchange this year, but we will be having an Ugly Sweater Contest – the uglier, the better! Hope to see you all there.
On Christmas Eve, Steve & Alane will be serving their World-Famous Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup, you do not want to miss that!!
“Christmas is a season of kindling the fire for hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart.” ~ Washington Irving
Fraternally, Kim McIlonie Esteemed Leading Knight
SECRETARY’S CORNER
Mimi Wittenborn - Secretary
From the Secretary’s Desk:
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I also hope you were able to enjoy some of the
special events we had in November.
And now for my usual nag, we still have quite a few members that have not paid their dues. If you are one, please, please, please, please take care of this so you won’t miss out on the exciting future of your Lodge. We miss you.
We want to wish everyone a very
Merry Christmas,
Happy Holidays,
Happy New Year.
LODGE STATS YEAR-TO-DATE
Membership to Date ...............627
Candidates................................ 10
Delinquents ............................. 46
Life Members ......................... 48
Average Age ............................ 69.87
**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
Hello Everyone.
I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving. The season of eating and rejoicing is upon us, and I hope that you all have an opportunity to share some time with your families and friends during this wonderful time of year.
I think that the Holidays give a great opportunity to reflect on all of the good we have done over the past year, all of the new relationships we have built and of course all of the great relationships that have been and are still an amazing part of our lives. I think that, as Elks, the opportunities to do good unto others are available to us all on almost a daily basis. Hardly a day goes by that we are not stuffing food bags, delivering Christmas gifts to children in need, raising money for AEMP, donating to ENF, supporting our veterans, sewing and making gifts for so many in our community, as well as having great events with which we get to have a blast with our great members, as well as do good for some charities.
Being President of the PER Association has helped me to see and realize all of the great things we are involved in and that we are able to support through our hard work and maybe a little Friday night gambling. We all are truly gifts to our community. During this Holiday Season, I just want to say to all of you, “Thank you for being you, and thank you for all that you do!!!” Wishing you all a wonderful Holiday and an amazing year to come!!
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!
Hello Everyone!
Around the holidays, it’s easy to imagine being in a town like Whoville: a place where every lamppost is dressed and the Whoville band marches in their Christmasy best, where holiday cheer and whimsy are a way of life. While this town from How the Grinch Stole Christmas may be fictional, one Elks Lodge is turning its own version of Whoville into a reality. Using a Beacon Grant from the Community Investments Program worth $4,000, Westminster, Md., Lodge No. 2277 partners with a local nonprofit organization to host a Christmas giving event. The organization, Live Hope Laugh, is dedicated to making an impact on the lives of children and teenagers who live with chronic illnesses. Together, the two have hosted the event at the Westminster Lodge for 10 years. When community members enter the Lodge’s backyard at the start of the event, they immediately step into another world: a Christmas town with lights, wrapping paper, inflatables, s’mores, Santa Claus—and even the Grinch! They are also treated to a magic show, a DJ set, and plenty of delicious holiday food. But the magic of Christmas town isn’t the only way the Lodge helps spread holiday cheer. While the children keep the Grinch at bay, Lodge members sneak away to the parking lot and load every car with gift baskets. Including food and presents from each family’s individualized wish list, like sheets, bedding, socks, clothes, and school supplies, these gift baskets are the perfect way to send families home with hearts that have grown three sizes. It may not be Whoville, but with its Beacon Grant, the Westminster Lodge is spreading holiday cheer and making meaningful differences in the lives of its neighbors. Not every Lodge can create their own Christmas town, but no matter the project or the time of year, Elks are always there for their community. If you would like to make a meaningful difference in the lives of your neighbors, please volunteer to help with CIP grants. Applications close January 21; don’t delay! Our Lodge, Catalina Mountain Lodge # 2815, is currently 3rd in the state for both donations and per member, $11,824 and $20.281 respectively. 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
