November 2011 Message from the Exalted Ruler
Dear Members:
We are entering into that perpetually busy time of year! While our personal calendars begin to fill up, I hope you will take a moment to save some dates for some upcoming events at the Lodge! The Social Committee has been hard at work and I hope that you will find the time to join in, visit with friends and share in the holiday spirit at the Club! Additionally, our Community Outreach programs are also going to flex their muscles (Hoop Shoot, St. John’s Home Giving Tree, St. John’s Home Bowling, Veterans Luncheon) as well as our annual Elks Memorial Service in December, just to name a few.
Grand Rapids Elks Lodge 48 has seen many changes. Some have been painful, others joyous. But, the truth is, if we aren’t changing….we’re standing still! I’ve given a lot of thought to some of our traditions, and one of the things that keeps me up at night, is how we adapt, evolve, change! The truth is pretty simple, we ARE different than we were a few years ago - our membership numbers and our “home” within the building are two pretty big factors. Now, please don’t for one moment look at this as complaining - because it isn’t! I’m very proud of where we are and what we’ve accomplished together! But as we continue to become the Elks Lodge we intend to be, some “changes” will happen!
A case in point, is the Mistletoe Ball. This grand event was THE must attend event of the year….many of you will remember waiting in line for tickets, which sold out in a matter of minutes! Back then, we had the luxury of our own kitchen, large staff, gorgeous dining room - all the amenities to hold such a beautiful ball! The Social Committee worked very hard last year to get the ball rolling and recreate that event for our members. Frankly, those that attended were treated to a beautiful evening, but our attendance was low. I kept asking myself “why”? The Committee did everything right! I may be wrong….but maybe, just maybe, we’re trying to replicate something that we just can’t anymore. Are we just doing something “because we’ve always done it”? I am going out on a limb here and suggesting that maybe we need to be who we are, and stop trying to be what we were. What we are, is a GREAT Elks Lodge who’s members do a lot of wonderful work in our community, and who also like to have fun while we do it!
So - save the date (December 10th!) and buy your tickets for a fresh, new, fun approach to a Christmas Party…..we’ll be releasing some of the fun and details over the course of November via email blasts and flyers throughout the Lodge…..look for a new name, a new twist, a beautifully decorated party, fantastic food, dancing….all of that for sure, but we’re creating a new tradition for our Lodge to reflect where we are now: growing, fun, community centered, benevolent, caring and relevant! Let’s make this a SUCCESSFUL night with GR~8~T participation!
I’ve got a few “elves” that are in on all the planning…..you’ll notice them: they have mischievous smiles, a snowflake and a funny saying……and our goal is to make our event the party you will want to attend! We’re putting in the extra effort, and we hope you’ll join us and make December 10th a memory and a tradition! Tickets go on sale November 11th!
On a somber note, I hope you will join in on the planning of a benefit for the family of Walker Police Officer Trevor Slot, who was killed in the line of duty on October 13th. The Grand Rapids Elks Lodge 48 is in the process of planning this benefit and we encourage your participation and ask for your help as we come together to offer our support for Officer Slot’s family, as well as the Walker Police Department family. All hands on deck are needed to make this benefit a success. Contact me via email, phone or when you see me at the Lodge if you are willing to help in whatever way.
Finally, I encourage you to contact me if you have questions or concerns. I offer each of you my heartfelt wishes for a blessed Thanksgiving with those you love.
Fraternally yours,
Diane Dusendang
Exalted Ruler, Lodge 48
October 2011 Message from the Exalted Ruler
Welcome to October!
Can you believe that we’re halfway through the “Elks Year”? Time flies when you’re having fun! We’ve enjoyed a lot of new activities, and looking forward to more!
October means the State Elks Convention, and if you’ve never been, it is a great way to meet Elks from across our state. In addition, you have great opportunities to learn about Elkdom by participating in breakout sessions and the business meetings where all the committee reports are read! The convention is being held in Sault St. Marie at the Kewadin Casino and Resort. If you are interested in details, please let me know! It looks like we’ve got a great group attending from Lodge 48, and we’d enjoy having you attend with us.
October also means the Officer’s Golf Outing - a super event! Join in the fun on October 16th by contacting Sue Murtland at the Lodge Office! Further information is enclosed.
The Pumpkin Patch Children’s Party is scheduled for October 30th - 12:00 - 3:00 PM…. call in your reservation to the Lodge Office so that we can make sure to have enough treats on hand! Don’t forget the costume contest - both homemade and store bought categories! If you don’t have little ones around anymore, stop on down and watch the fun! The kids always have a great time and it is an enjoyable event for young and old! Euchre is back on Sunday’s - see inside for details!
Be sure to check the newsletter for details of lots of other events happening around the Lodge. I’m certain there is something for everyone!
A special Thank You to our members who asked someone to join the Elks! September saw us install two new members and vote in three reinstatements! We received two more applications for membership in September as well. Excellent! I urge all new members to get involved in activities by volunteering at an event. It is a GR~8~T way to meet members, make some fun memories, bond, laugh and help to get the dishes washed (kidding….well, maybe not :-) …..helping out at an event really does make this more your “home away from home” when you get to know your fellow Brother and Sister Elks! To those of you who are a little more “seasoned”….I urge you to welcome a new face by introducing yourself and helping our new members to feel right at home!
Finally - a personal thank you to all our members who have helped to feed the excitement of growth at the Lodge by coming down to our events, offering to help, submitting those membership applications, sharing your comments with me, and making a difference in your Lodge. Each person helps to make a difference that is moving our Lodge forward. We can do it…..no….let me rephrase that….we ARE doing it, thanks to YOU!
Fraternally yours,
Diane Dusendang, Exalted Ruler
September 2011 Message from the Exalted Ruler
A new beginning…..
On August 8, 2011, I received Executive Order No. 11-017 from David R. Carr, Grand Exalted Ruler, dissolving and terminating the Operating Committee and their duties as it relates to Lodge 48! I report this good news with gratitude and thanks to all of the many Officers, Trustees and Members who worked so hard to make this a reality.
I am specifically choosing to not use this moment, or this newsletter to dwell on the past, but it goes without saying that we must acknowledge our mistakes so that we do not repeat them. What we do now is what will define us as Elks. We’ve accomplished a LOT over the past several months and should be proud as a membership of the direction we are headed. I’ve been thinking about the next step and where we go from here and I keep coming back to the same thing: membership (increasing and retaining!).
By virtue of our membership as Elks, we are all a member of the Membership Committee. You became a member because someone asked you. When is the last time you asked a friend, co-worker or family member to consider becoming a member? Have you thought lately about who you know that might enjoy being a part of our wonderful organization? Will you consider picking up a membership application or two and keep them with you so that when an opportunity arises, you are ready to ask someone to become a member? Do you know of an Elk that has allowed their membership to lapse? Have you considered reaching out to them and inviting them to come back? Now is the time! We’re moving forward and have lots of momentum! This is an exciting time for our Lodge and I believe that anything is possible!
Another thought: just because we initiate a new member, we need to remember that we’re not “done”….in fact, our job as Brothers and Sisters to our new members is just beginning! Let’s all reach out and to each other (new and old) and make sure that we encourage our members to join in activities and programs! I know that personally, I can do a better job of this! How about you? With membership growth and retention we will become a more vibrant Lodge - one that is able to help our community and our Veterans in a way that will make a difference.
I truly believe that each small act of kindness travels a long journey, and we may never know the difference we make, but because of our efforts, we can be assured that we are touching someone’s life in a positive way.
Many thanks to our members who came out and participated in the past months events! The Family Picnic, the Pancake Breakfast, Dress A Dog, Knights Night, the food drive for Family Haven, Lodge Dinner, Grill Night and more! Thank you to each of our chairmen, volunteers, and especially our members who helped to make each event so much fun! Stay tuned for even MORE NEW events, coming soon to Grand Rapids Elks Lodge No. 48! YOUR participation is KEY to the success of our Lodge!
Fraternally yours,
Diane Dusendang
Exalted Ruler
August 2011 Message from the Exalted Ruler
Dear Brother and Sister Elks:
Let’s take a moment and look at “some” of what we’ve accomplished so far this year. I sometimes just rush from one thing to another….so I sat down and looked at my calendar and was amazed by how busy and productive we’ve been at Grand Rapids Lodge 48! So - here’s the highlights - and by no means does this cover everything! A lot of volunteer hours went into making this list a reality (as well as the items not written). Thank you for coming out to events, thank you for donating your time, talent and dollars and most of all, thank you for being a member of Lodge 48, home of the Best People On Earth!
·Our ENF chair, Betty Lampani, applied for the ENF Promise Grant ($1,000) and Grand Rapids Lodge 48 was proud to receive this! The funds were used to directly benefit our Veterans: Grand Rapids 48 contributed the cash prizes that were awarded to the Veterans for their annual Arts and Crafts event - something that gives them a real boost at this judged event - and the funding of root beer floats for the Veterans annual picnic. These are items we would not have been able to cover had we not received this Grant. Thank YOU for donating to ENF, so that our Lodge could exceed our Grand Exalted Ruler per cap last year! If we meet our goal this year, we can apply for $2,000! The sooner we get there, the quicker we can get funding!
·We hosted the kids from Re-Creation in June with an evening of bowling, dinner from Club48 and ice cream sundaes. We were thrilled to host them for a night of relaxation, and a chance to recharge their batteries! We were also lucky (those who happened to be enjoying the Club that night) to have them sing a song for us!
·We’ve started several new events: Dress A Dog, Knights Night and Trivia Throwdown, Pancake Breakfast, just to name a few. The social committee has several upcoming events to hopefully make you want to come down to YOUR Lodge and have some fun!
·We’ve started a fundraiser to replace our tired, worn out awning over our entrance. We want our members to be PROUD when they walk into their Lodge - many thanks to Betty Lampani for chairing this and many thanks to those that have participated in the fundraisers! I hear that we are half way to our goal!
·The Trustees and volunteers have been hard at work fixing some items around the Lodge that have needed attention! You’ll notice that the outside “window” has now been fixed up and looks terrific! No more eyesore! Additionally, the entrance doors are being scraped, primed and repainted. The social quarters have also seen cleaning and updating.
·Since April - we’ve initiated six new members and have 2 on deck for August. How about THEM apples!!! Speaking of that - when is the last time you asked someone to join the Lodge? Sometimes, that is all it takes! Grab an application and keep it handy!
·The bowling alley is getting some much needed basic repairs to make sure that we are ready to go for fall bowling leagues!
·Donations to Michigan Major Projects has remained strong! Additionally, we’ve been participating with the Gold Key Charitable Grant Fund, which is a scholarship program that helps students with special needs be able to go on to college. If you’d like to participate - just ask for a “quarter card” at the bar!
·We’ve updated our drink prices, added “box” wine at a lesser price, added fresh items such as salads and sandwiches to our menu! Stop in and check us out! Don’t forget we have Keno and Mega Millions too!
·Our website has been totally updated, contains lots of great photos, a calendar of events, contact information, etc.! Please check us out! www.grandrapidselks.org <http://www.grandrapidselks.org> Many thanks to CJ Shroll for this much needed improvement!
·We’ve hosted the Spring Northwest District meeting, attended the Spring State Convention and also hosted a Membership Summit of various District Elks.
·We’ve hosted the first ever Social Summit - where members of our Lodge came and gave great ideas for social events they’d like to see at Lodge 48!
·The Lodge Officers held a Flag Day Ritual at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans - and served cake and ice cream to these wonderful hero’s on June 14.
We are constantly working to improve our Lodge, and networking with our fellow Elks to see what they are doing that works for them, but we’d like to hear from you! If you’ve got a suggestion, let us know! It is imperative that we have social functions our members enjoy, and it is equally important that we make sure to reach out to our community and help those in need. Some great new ideas have been shared, like having an event for our local military families. If you are NOT on the email list at the Lodge, but want to receive these weekly email updates, please call the Lodge Office at 453-2452 X 210 or email office48@grandrapidselks.org <mailto:office48@grandrapidselks.org>
By the time you read this newsletter, I will have attended the Grand Lodge Session in Phoenix Arizona, as your Exalted Ruler and voted on the (more than) 60 motions to changes in our Statutes on behalf of our Lodge. I urge all members to attend the August Lodge meeting on August 9th at 7:00 PM for a report of the National Session.
I’ll be seeing you around the Lodge - and look forward to talking with you soon!
Fraternally,
Diane Dusendang
Exalted Ruler
July 2011 Exalted Ruler Message
Dear Members:
Several months ago, I asked a question on the membership forum of the Elks National website. The question was: “WHY are you an Elk?” The responses were personal, funny, inspiring - and there was a common thread; service to others.
While there is no right or wrong answer, I respectfully ask you to consider the reasons why you became an Elk. Being an Elk IS personal and I am very glad that you are a member - but I need your help. Volunteerism and participation in events at Lodge 48 is - well, not as spirited as it should be! We need to boost our participation and in turn, this will lead to a membership growth.
My personal reasons for becoming an Elk had to do with wanting to be able to attend the meetings and hopefully offer something. As many of you know, I’ve been around Lodge 48 for quite a few years and became involved in volunteering at events. When I finally decided to apply for membership, and went through my initiation, I knew I had made the right decision and wondered why I had waited so long.
For me, helping others is a huge reward. When my tank is empty and I’m running on fumes; when I have the opportunity to serve the Veterans a lunch, or cheer on the St. John’s Home kids at bowling, or any of the many wonderful things Lodge 48 is involved with - my tank gets filled up to overflowing! Another benefit for me is the opportunity to work with so many wonderful people! The volunteers here are simply the best - but we are a skeleton crew, none-the-less. We need new thoughts, fresh perspectives and many more hands to help. This will give you a chance to meet more members and it makes coming to our Lodge even more fun! I’m thankful for the many new friendships that I’ve formed and each day brings the chance to meet YOU.
I wish I could bottle up the feelings of satisfaction, happiness, fun and camaraderie that I have and share it with each one of you! It is so important that each of our members feel connected to our Lodge in the way that meets their needs, while supporting the Lodge. Grand Rapids Lodge 48 needs you. It is really as simple as that. Take the opportunity to reach out to a member you haven’t seen for a while, and make a date to visit the Lodge!
We’ve got several new activities planned, such as Knights Night (where your Leading Knight, Loyal Knight, Lecturing Knight or your Exalted Ruler will serve you a snack when you come in for a drink!)…or how about supporting your Lodge by coming down for one of our pancake breakfasts? Read through the newsletter, check out our webpage - we are working very hard to provide great options to participate, have fun….get to know your fellow Elks and all the while, support your Lodge, so we can in turn help others in our community!
I am reaching out to you - again and right now…..will you take a moment and consider how YOU can help to make a difference by committing some time and positive energy towards the success of YOUR Lodge?
Fraternally yours,
Diane Dusendang
Exalted Ruler
Grand Rapids Lodge 48
June 2011 Message from the Exalted Ruler
Members all: We've got lots of great things ON TAP (nod to Club48!)
for our members! Starting off this month, we've got our annual Officer's Golf Outing on June 5th. I can say now, even though it is in the middle of May as I write this, that this will be a great event...because it always is! See the attached flyer for details!
On April 30th, we held the 48 Social Summit. What a GREAT event - something I hope we can build on and expand! Thank you to the members that came out and shared their terrific ideas for events to be held in our Lodge - and the ideas were spectacular! The Social Committee has already scheduled the "top 4" events: Cash Bash/Vegas Night, Texas Hold'em Tournament, Pancake Breakfast and the first annual "Pulaski Day Rehersal" - watch the calendar and facebook for details! Beyond that, there were so many great ideas that the Social Committee will be integrating the rest into our calendar. Yet ANOTHER reason to come out to the Club.
Speaking of "Club" - look for more information on our new revamp of our King Pin Lounge - which is becoming...... (drum roll please!)
....Club48.....a LOT of hard work has gone into transforming food, drinks, atmosphere.....to make Club48 the place YOU want to come!
Finally - we've been lucky to initiate several new members (how lucky are we?). Now it is OUR turn to reach out and WELCOME them into our Lodge. Here's a challenge to you! When you stop in, please take a moment and say hello to someone you don't know! A simple hello!
Chances are, you'll make a new friend. And that, my friends, is what Elkdom is about. I actually am shy (believe it or not...but it is true). Elkdom has given me a gift - the safe place to walk up to someone and say hello. Please reach out and welcome our new (and old!)members, and make them proud to be a part of what we do and who we are!
Speaking of what we do - let's start thinking about what we can do in our Community this coming fall and winter. I know - summer (or spring!) isn't even here yet! But seriously, it takes time to plan. I'd really like to see our Lodge reach out in an even bigger way this year. In addition to our beloved Veterans and St. John's Home kids....can we enlarge that circle to include the families of our Military that are currently serving? Is there something YOU'D like to see us do? How about putting together some Thanksgiving baskets for some deserving families in our community? Brothers/Sisters - the opportunities to help are endless...but I need to hear from YOU what YOU'D like to see happen, and then have you help us to make that happen! So - please contact me - call me 616-723-2763 (cell), email me
exaltedruler@grandrapidselks.com or stop in the Lodge and talk to me!
I've said it before...we're turning the corner to our future. We are...but we need your help to do so. Here's how you can help. Attend a committee meeting. Attend an event. Stop into Club48. Communicate with your Lodge Officers. We'd love to have you involved.
To all our wonderful Fathers.....Happy Father's Day. Please enjoy your day of being loved.
Fraternally yours,
Diane Dusendang
Exalted Ruler
May, 2011 ER Message
Welcome to May!
First and foremost, our budget for the 2011/2012 year was presented to the Lodge floor as required by Statute, and was voted on and accepted at our April 12 regular Lodge meeting. This has been a process that has been ongoing for several months. With the sale of our building, and becoming a Tenant, the sale did ease some of our burden, but, we are still faced with many budget challenges. We are moving forward with our goal of making our Lodge a successful one - in more ways than one. We are working hard to meet the needs of our members, and to reach out to the community. As I stated at my Installation, the Officers of the Lodge are bound by DUTY to make our Lodge fiscally sound. We will continue to fine tune things, and be the best that we can be as we begin working toward our future.
On April 30th, I will have hosted the 48 Social Summit. This is a PART of what we need to do to rejuvenate this Lodge and bring in members to help build success upon success. We already have so much to be proud of! We’ll be sharing some of the ideas in future emails and newsletters.
I promised final numbers for MMP. Last year, we began our year with Michigan Major Projects as the 2nd from the BOTTOM in our District, in giving (not in receiving from MMP, mind you, we did receive a great amount of $ from MMP in our community...but as you know, if we all don't raise $, there is less to GIVE). Well, as the MMP chairman for last year, I'm pleased to report that we blew our goal OUT OF THE WATER!!! Our goal was $3,874. When I set that goal....I just hoped, then I planned, and then YOU helped to make that happen! I am proud to report that Grand Rapids Lodge 48 ended up our year SECOND in giving in our District, with a total donation of $4,852.17!!!!
The credit goes to all of the BIG GIVERS in our Lodge and the many volunteers that made this happen. I was thrilled to be your cruise director....and we all had a lot of fun doing it....and many (MANY) children and families in OUR community benefited from your participation and involvement in this program. What this shows me is that GR Lodge 48 can do ANYTHING! We rocked it! We blew perceptions out of the water! We not only MET a goal, we SURPASSED a simple goal. We can do the same thing for OUR LODGE!
So I ask you - what CAN'T we do????? If you have an idea....we want to hear it. We need the positive input of the creative and helpful members! On April 12th I was honored to Initiate 2 new members. Following the Initiation and Lodge meeting, I was pulled aside by one new member with some fabulous ideas. We also had 2 new members transfer in. We've got 1 new member to Initiate, we read the name of 1 new member on the Lodge floor and another transfer in! I hope you can see that we are turning the corner to a new and vibrant Lodge...one where everything is open, transparent, fun and moving towards a VERY bright future. We want YOU to be a part of this! It just takes one step at a time....and I invite you to be a part of this! Let’s continue to encourage one another and focus on the positive!
Happy Mother's Day to all of our Special Mom's out there -
Fraternally yours,
Diane Dusendang, Exalted Ruler
April, 2011 ER Message
Dear Brother and Sister ELks,
The installation of Officers marks the beginning of a new year for
the Grand Rapids Elks Lodge 48. Wow - we have sure been
through a lot of changes - and some of those changes have
been difficult, but, we ARE turning the corner to new opportunities.
We have a choice - dwell on the past or get moving toward our future!
I say….LET’S GO!!!!!!!!!!
I hope that you will reconfirm your commitment to the Elks as
we begin our new year and participate in the many patriotic,
civic and social events that we have planned. I think it is important
to honor and acknowledge the work of our many Volunteers, Committee Chairs, Officers, Trustees and Staff. There is an enormous amount of work that goes on behind the scenes each and every day, month after month. No one really writes about it, but it is important to acknowledge it - the daily running of our Lodge is a monumental task. With the exception of a few paid individuals, the rest is strictly a volunteer effort. There is a saying that Elks are the Best People On Earth - and frankly, I couldn’t agree more.
On that note, we’re saying a goodbye (of sorts) to some long time and dedicated Elks who have served on the Officer and Trustee rolls for several years, who stepped up and stayed on to keep Lodge 48 moving forward and the doors open. While you may not have agreed with every decision that had to be made - the fact that we are still here is because of their dedication and commitment. Chairman Bob Porter, Trustee John Lauretti, PER and Leading Knight Dave Stratton, PER and Lecturing Knight Dave Dusendang and of course, our Exalted Ruler, PER Steve Kosten. Please offer them your thanks for their service to our Lodge in extremely difficult times. Brothers, you have my respect and my thanks - more than you will ever know. I look forward to seeing you AT THE LODGE and enjoying your social time!
On April 10th, Grand Rapids Elks Lodge 48 will be hosting the NW District meeting! “Another meeting” you say? “Ugh…” Well I can assure you that our District meetings are a great way to understand the many facets of Elkdom! I attended my first meeting about a year ago and can honestly say that it was like a light bulb going off in my head! It connected SO many “dots” - and things really began to make sense! Plus you get to meet a lot of great Elks from the other area Lodges! It is a great time to hear what their Lodges are doing and planning! Lunch (donation) is at noon, meeting begins at 1:00 PM. If you are planning to attend, please call the Lodge office and let us know - we’d love to see you there!
Here’s a little challenge for you. The next time you visit Lodge 48 take a minute to look around the social quarters and check out the flyers and posters on our bulletin boards. Each one of these events, fundraisers or social activities starts with an idea. Well, here we are….new year, new ideas needed…On April 30th at 2:00 PM, Elks and their spouses are invited to the 48 Social Summit! “What’s that?” you say (eyeballs rolling)? The 48 Social Summit is an opportunity to brainstorm together and make a Social Activities Roadmap for the 2011/2012 year. This is a 2 hour (at most!) commitment. I’m not asking you to join a committee (although I’d welcome you to!). I just want to know what will bring YOU to the Lodge and participate! We need your VOTES and SUGGESTIONS! It is really as simple as that! We’ll spend about 20-30 minutes (more if needed and the creativity is flowing!) throwing ideas out on the table. Then each participant will have an opportunity to vote on the top 5 ideas. From this exercise, I have NO DOUBT that we will have some great new ideas that will encourage even MORE participation in our Lodge! It’s all about choices - and I want you to have lots of reasons to c’mon out to YOUR LODGE! Depending upon the participation…..we’re considering a steak fry to wrap up the day…..more on that later!
Here’s the key: MORE Membership participation means more revenue, which means MORE ability to help our Veterans and Children’s activities and increase our participation in community projects, which in turn offers more opportunities for our Members, which makes people want to become Members….well…you can see where this is going.
As your Exalted Ruler, I can assure you that I will make some mistakes. I hope you know that I’m certainly going to try to avoid that…but I’m human, and therefore….please understand I will have a learning curve! I’m excited about the coming year, and VERY MUCH looking forward to getting to know each of you.
We have the opportunity to determine our future. The following are reminders that I’ve posted on my desk at home. These are my personal reminders….and you may laugh, that’s ok - I’m just sharing where I’m coming from as I start this year. I hope that next March, I’ll be able to say that I did these things, and that they helped to make a difference in my Lodge which helped to make us a STRONGER Lodge. Can you imagine if we all did these things what might happen? Share your enthusiasm for Elkdom...Focus on the positive...Discourage negativity...Participate whenever possible...Respect differing opinions...Celebrate the successes of our Lodge OUTLOUD!...Make our Members feel welcome at the Lodge...Say thank you often...Rely on the Statutes and Bylaws of our Order and Lodge to guide you...Look to Our Guiding Principles: Charity, Justice, Brotherly Love and Fidelity.
It goes without saying, but it needs to be reiterated here - should you ever have a question or an issue - you are encouraged to attend the Lodge meeting and bring it up to the Lodge Floor. The Lodge meetings are held the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month at 7:00 PM.
We are turning the corner to new opportunities - and I’d sure love it if you came along for the ride!
Fraternally Yours, Diane Dusendang, Exalted Ruler
December 2011 Message from the Exalted Ruler
Dear Members:
As I write this newsletter, a small crew of volunteers just finished saying goodbye to the St. John’s Home kids who spent the afternoon bowling, eating pizza, making ice-cream sundaes, and being treated to a raffle give-away for McDonald’s Gift Cards. The music was blasting, and there were smiles all around. Having the kids here is a long standing tradition that is made possible by the generous donations that you each give when asked. While money is tight for everyone, the members of Lodge 48 continue to step up - and I thank each of you, as well as those who made anonymous donations that made today possible.
By the time you receive this newsletter, another tradition involving the kids at St. John’s will be well underway. We’ll have lighted our St. John’s Home Giving Tree, adorned with gift tags of wishes from the kids who call St. John’s their home. Consider taking a tag or two and bringing your unwrapped gifts back to the Lodge. We’ll deliver them by the middle of December, and their house-parents will carefully wrap each item and place it under their “house” tree. Once again, Lodge 48 will help to make Christmas special for these truly special kids.
Another event planned for this month is one we wish we never had to consider: The Officer Trevor Slot Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction to benefit the family of Officer Slot, a Walker Police Officer who was killed in the line of duty on October 13. It took literal moments for this idea to be born - because we continue to live what we believe: Elks Care ~ Elks Share. Donations from the community, businesses and our members will be included in an amazing silent auction throughout the day and evening on December 3. A spaghetti dinner will be served from 1:00 - 8:00 PM. All proceeds will benefit the Slot family, and we encourage you to attend the event, bringing your family, friends and neighbors. Help us to get the word out! If you’d like to help the day of the event, or have a donation, simply call the office and let us know. Volunteers are needed - please sign up at the Lodge!
On December 10th, we’re pulling out ALL the holiday stops! The White Christmas Dinner Dance is going to be a beautiful, fun Dance and tickets are on sale now through Wednesday, December 7th. The Antler room will be transformed into a magical place, the menu is down home delicious, and we’ve got great music all lined up as well as photo opportunities and our own special Santa!
We’re trying something new this Christmas for those that dislike wrapping - we’re your gals! For a donation to ENF, well wrap those pesky gifts on two separate dates: December 17th from 12:00 - 4:00 PM or December 22 from 5:00 - 7:00 PM!
As always, I encourage you to contact me if you have questions or concerns. My wish and prayers are for you all to have a blessed and peaceful Christmas..
Fraternally yours,
Diane Dusendang Exalted Ruler, Lodge 48
January 2011 Message from the Exalted Ruler
Dear Members:
Whew! What a year! 2011 was not only a FUN/BUSY year, at the Elks Lodge, we have celebrated many successes! Thank you to every member, spouse and kids who helped to make a difference in YOUR Lodge!
As I write this article and put the finishing touches on our newsletter, Christmas is just 5 days away. By the time this reaches mailboxes, most likely Christmas will have come and gone again. It goes without saying that we have much to be thankful for here at Grand Rapids Lodge 48 - but this was a standout year to me because of the wonderful members who have engaged in their Lodge and helped to make our events and our charitable works the success that they are. That, my brothers and sisters, is the BEST gift that you can give your Lodge.
I know I’ve written to you about recommitting to your Lodge, finding a way (or ways) that you can step out of your comfort zone and participate a little more than before. I’m sure that many of you saw the newscast recently about buying American. The challenge was for each family to purchase one American made gift for Christmas this year, and how that one act would impact American jobs. We’ll I’d like to apply that same theory to our involvement at the Lodge. Will you consider committing to participating in one more event or volunteer just one more time than you normally would in the next 12 months. Can you begin to imagine the impact that would make in our Lodge?
We’ve had so many firsts and here’s another: thank you to our favorite gals who came out to wrap Christmas presents to benefit ENF. At this writing, we have only had 1 afternoon of gift wrapping, but were blessed with members who just don’t “like” wrapping gifts, and took great joy in having a cold beverage, while our Christmas Elves, Betty Lampani, Beth Stribley and Marilyn Wisnewski wrapped for them. The packages were absolutely gorgeous! Donations for ENF from that one day totaled $90.00 thanks to our generous members!
Another thank you to Tom Stribley who brought in his coin counting machine so I could get caught up with the Purple Pig Banks! Thanks Tom….I’m asking Santa to bring the Lodge this terrific gift!
As we wind down the year, I would be remiss by not thanking one of the most important people in my life: my husband Dave. Thank you for the gift of time - and allowing me to give it so freely at the Lodge, for being supportive and helpful. No ER can do this job without the support of others, and I am lucky to have Dave as well as wonderful officers, members and volunteers. Thank you.
We’ve got the final tally, and the Elks and community friends raised $10,609.97 for the Slot family. Wow. Thank you to all of the many hard working, dedicated, talented and big-hearted volunteers and members who participated. You saw a need, and you filled it.
My wish and prayers are for you all to have a blessed and peaceful Christmas..
Fraternally yours,
Diane Dusendang