Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
Midland Elks Lodge # 1610
Online Bulletin Volume 70, No. 1 – May 2009
For the most up-to-date event information, please check the Midland Elks online calendar.
In This Issue
- Message from the Exalted Ruler
- Elks National Foundation
- Membership Participation
- Planning the Lodge’s Future
- A Creed for Our Leadership
- Christmas Basket Followup
- New Member Initiation
- One Line Sermons
- Upcoming Events/Activities
Message from the Exalted Ruler
I like to put things in a positive light. You can blame give credit for that to my management training. In my career, I started out as a good problem solver. Then I learned that there no problems to solve, only challenges to overcome. Later they became opportunities to excel. The latest code word for problems seems to be issues. I like "opportunities to excel" better than "issues."
I need to inform you of the "opportunity to excel" that our State Sponsor, the Honorable James C. Varenhorst has given our Lodge. Because of the reports he has reviewed about the state of our Lodge over the past few years, he has concluded that the Midland Lodge is on a downward spiral and that something drastic must be done to reverse the trend. In his letter, he identifies the ultimate consequence of not meeting that "challenge": the loss of the Lodge’s Charter.
During a recent visit from our District Deputy Grand Exalted Ruler, I asked him what usually happens after a Lodge no longer has their own private Club facilities in which to socialize and conduct other Elk activities. His reply was sobering: it’s only a matter of time before the Lodge no longer exists.
Our most important step in reversing the downward spiral into non-existence as an Elks Lodge is to make sure that we can afford to keep our own private Club facilities. That means we need to have more of our existing members make use of the Club and we need more new members who will make use of the Club. In the results of the survey that went out with the dues renewal notices, our members indicated that they would make more use of the Club if the smoking issue was address and if changes were made in the menu offering. In order to get more specific information, I am holding two town hall meetings. One is on Thursday, May 28, at 6 pm in the Lodge (which has long been a non-smoking area). The other will be on Tuesday, June 9, at 6 pm in the Lodge. If you can’t make either of those two meetings, you can still provide input by answering the questions in the article on the town hall meetings in this bulletin.
How important is your participation? It may be more important than any of us realize today. Remember the proverb of the horseshoe nail.
Fraternally,
John Cole
Exalted Ruler
BPO Elks Midland Lodge
Congratulations to Midland Elks 1610 Congratulation to the Midland Elks lodge 1610 for exceeding the Grand Exalted Ruler’s 2008-09 goal for the Elks National Foundation of $4.50 per capita. Our lodge actually has, at this point, donated $4.92. This makes us eligible for the Elks National Foundation gratitude Grant of $500.
Our lodge can actually use this money to help buy books for elementary school to help them read, to purchase supplies for a senior center, to support the local veterans, to feed a needy family, or to contribute to a local charity. If you have an idea please let me know.
Thanks for you contributions and please keep them coming in. I would like to get the per capita amount to $6.50.
Arthur Vasold
PER
How important is your participation?
I am reminded of a proverb that I learned in my younger days in elementary school. It has been around in many forms for centuries and describes how some small undesirable situation will lead to greater and greater undesirable consequences.
For want of a nail, the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe, the horse was lost.
For want of a horse, the rider was lost.
For want of a rider, the battle was lost.
For want of the battle, the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
An important thing to note is that the relationship between each link in this chain of events is only seen in hindsight. Nobody ever lamented, upon seeing his unshod horse, that the kingdom would eventually fall because of it.
In 100 years, will the Elks still be around? None of us will live that long to know for sure. Perhaps all the Elks will be in 100 years is a footnote in the history of fraternal service and social organizations. Our future claim to fame could be a paraphrasing of the ancient proverb about how small undesirable situations can lead to monumental catastrophes.
For want of an active Elk, the Club was lost.
For want of the Club, the Lodge was lost.
For want of the Lodge, the District was lost.
For want of the District, the State was lost.
For want of the State, Elkdom was lost.
And all for the want of an active Elk.
Town Hall Meetings on Smoking and Food
The survey that went out with this year’s dues renewal notices specifically asked what we could do to make you want to come to the Club more. The two top issues mentioned were smoking and menu choices. In order to get a better idea of what we can do to make changes in those 2 areas, the Lodge is holding 2 town hall meetings. The first one is on Thursday, May 28 at 6 pm in the Lodge. The Lodge part of the Elks building has always been non-smoking. So if the presence of smoke is a problem for you, you will be able to attend the town hall meetings. The second town hall meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 9, at 6 pm in the Lodge. During the town hall meetings, we want feedback on two areas: smoking and the menu.
Smoking Issue
Our choices are limited: Stay as we are and allow smoking in the bar area; go completely smoke-free; or allow some smoking, either in specific places and/or at specific times. To help the Lodge decide the best course of action to take, please be prepared to address questions like the following:
- Is it necessary for you to have a completely smoke-free facility before you are able to come to the Club?
- Would having an isolated area in the Club for smokers be acceptable? If so, where would the moist appropriate place be in the Club to have the smoking section?
- Are you willing to change your smoking habits so that more of your fellow Elks can come to the Club to dine and socialize?
- Would it be acceptable to you to have certain days and events be designated as non-smoking, but allow smoking at other times?
Menu Choices
Our options are limited only by what our members are willing to support and what we can afford. We want input on what types of food and dining experiences you are willing to spend your money on.
- How important is it to you to have a consistent weekly menu: the same menu choices are available on the same days of the week, every week.
- Would you be willing to pay extra for special meals on days like Valentines Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and other occasions throughout the year? These would probably require advance purchase of tickets and include linens on the tables and candlelight. Perhaps even a piano player.
- Would you like to see more packaged snacks available like potato chips in small bags?
- How about “health” drinks like fruit smoothies?
- In addition to, or instead of, fish on Fridays, what other menu choices would you like to see: spaghetti & meat balls, chicken, etc?
- How important is the availability of a full salad bar?
- In order to make the cost of meals more affordable to our members, would you be willing to volunteer to help cook or wait on tables?
If you can’t attend either of the two town hall meetings, we still want your input on the smoking issue and the menu. You can send your comments and thoughts by mail to the Elks Club or by email to elks1610_news@yahoo.com.
Your Officers’ Creed
The Member is the most important person in the lodge.
The Member is not an outsider – he is an owner of our lodge.
The Member is not an interruption of our programs – they are the purpose of it.
The Member does us a favor when he calls – we are not doing him a favor when we serve him.
The Member is not a cold statistic – he is a human being with feelings and emotions like our own.
The Member is not someone to argue or match wits with.
The Member is a person who brings us his wants. It is our job to fill those wants.
The Member is deserving of the most courteous and attentive treatment we can give him.
The Member is not dependent on us – we are dependent on him.
The Member is the life blood of this lodge.
Contributor: Art Vasold, PER
Editor’s note: Our apologies for not publishing these thank you notes in January as intended. The Midland Elks sincerely appreciates your continuing support for the Christmas Baskets and other programs throughout the year.
Thanks For Your Contributions
Congratulations to all our Member Elks and non-members who donated money for the 2008 Christmas baskets. Because of you, we made Christmas a little brighter for those in need.
On December 19 and 20, we delivered 132 food baskets with a retail value exceeding $10,000. We also would like to thank those who volunteered their time to package the groceries on Friday, and to those who delivered on Friday and Saturday. Without their efforts, this undertaking would not have been successful.
Food contributions were also provided by: Dean’s Dairy, Pepsi, Meceries Produce Company, Schaeffer Bread, Herren Brothers Produce and Better Made Snack Foods.
In addition, we would like to thank the Salvation Army for supplying the names of the recipients, Robbie Meyette for the use of the Sanford Food Pride facilities and employees, Dr. T.K. Johnson and Midland Eye Care for providing a catered breakfast and eye care service for an adopted family and to Catering by Rachel for the preparation of the catered breakfast. Also, thanks to Cathie and Tom Nemeth for the basket of goodies they donated for the raffle as well as member Karen Mann for her expertise in mapping the delivery locations and Boy Scout Troop 767 for their help with the deliveries.
Of course the biggest thanks goes to all our members and friends of our members who made monetary donations towards the $10,000 needed to pay for these baskets. Hopefully I did not miss anyone, and if I did, I sincerely apologize.
Thanks again for your help and I hope you had a happy holiday season.
Christmas Basket Raffle
I would like to thank Cathie & Tom Nemeth for their donation of the basket of goodies. We raised over $400 from this endeavor. This year I had the chance to see first hand the contents of this basket. Thanks again for the time and effort you put forth in creating and donating his basket.
Also, thanks to Robbie Meyette of Sanford Food Pride for donating gift certificates and Don & Linda Harbron for the large candy bar.
The winners were as follows:
- Basket of goodies: Linda Woods
- Gift Certificates to Sanford Food Pride: Wendy Linden and Jim Linden
- Large candy bar: Gary Reisig
Thanks again for you donations.
Bob Woods and Kyle Taylor
2008 Christmas Basket Chairmen
At the June 16 Lodge meeting, three new members will be initiated into our Lodge. They are:
- Steven Shelby
- Tom Seamster
- Hugh Menther
1. Prejudice is opinion without judgment.
2. A brook would lose its song it the rocks were removed.
3. Ability will take you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.
4. Every man is guilty of the good he didn’t do.
5. Luck is when opportunity knocks and we answer.
6. A friend is someone who thinks you are a good egg even though you’re slightly cracked.
7. Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but doesn’t get you anywhere.
For all the latest events, check the Midland Elks online calendar.
May 2, Saturday: Euchre, doors open at 5 pm., $7.50 per person.
May 16, Saturday: Midland Elks Lodge: 1st Annual Armed Forces Day Party. $5.00 cover charge. Doors open at 5 pm. Food (hot dogs & hamburgers) at 6 pm. Live music starts at 7 pm featuring Still Standing (returning after rave reviews at our Mardi Gras party). $100 prize for Best Patriotic Costume.
May 30, Saturday: Spring Cleaning Day. We will be cleaning the grounds, painting, general cleaning on the inside starting at 9 am. A light lunch will be provided, so your reservations are requested so we have enough food. Let us know what you are interested in doing: outside painting, yard work, or inside cleaning, so we can make sure that enough supplies and food are available. Call the Lodge at 835-2271 or John at 989.284.5266 or email at DJohnole@aol.com (please note: John will be out of town from May 10-20).
May 28, Thursday and June 9, Tuesday: Town hall meetings at 6 pm. See article for details.
June 14, Sunday: Flag Day. Fly your flag with pride. Join us for Flag Day Ceremonies. Details to come.
July 22, Wednesday: Annual Midland Elks Golf Outing. Make your plans now to attend AND encourage others to participate. This used to be one of the big fund-raisers for our Lodge. At one time, we had as many as 36 teams participate. Last year there were only 11. For want of a golf team...
Midland Elks Lodge 1610
3622 N. Saginaw Road • Midland, Michigan 48640
989-835-2271
Website:
www.elks1610.org • E-mail: EventInfo@elks1610.org