Ocean City, MD 2645

Ocean City, MD Lodge News

March Message from ER Vernon Betkey

Dear Members,

With the arrival of March, we look forward to an early shift into spring. This wonderful season brings warmer weather and enjoyable days, something I believe everyone is eager to welcome. On February 10th, the Lodge paid tribute to the Past Exalted Rulers (PERs) who have served as the presiding officer of the local lodge for a term of one year or more. All lodges observe PER Night at the first meeting in February. We acknowledge their valuable service, commitment, leadership, and continued support of our organization, and we are honored to have them as members of our Lodge.

Officer nominations took place on February 10th, but unfortunately, the nasty blizzard that rolled through the area paralyzed us all for a couple days and resulted in closing the Lodge and rescheduling the Lodge Meeting and the Election of Officers.  The rescheduled Lodge meeting was moved from March 10th to March 3rd.  We have one contested position, which is for the 5-year Trustee, and that will be decided at the meeting.  Please try to attend and exercise your membership right to vote.

In addition to our regular entertainment offerings, we hosted a Super Sunday Football event, a special Valentine’s Day Dinner & Dance featuring music by Tranzfusion, and a Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras Party – “Laissez les bons temps rouler” or “let the good times roll”. The food and entertainment were of high quality, and everyone had a great time. I would like to formally acknowledge the dedicated efforts of all the volunteers and lodge staff who contributed to the success of these events. Our valuable volunteers contribute unselfishly to the Lodge to make our programs and social events a pleasurable experience for our members and guests.

When you see a volunteer working in the Lodge, please take a minute to thank them for their dedicated service. Additionally, we excelled at our community activities as we sent contestants to the State Hoop Shoot Contest, presented Most Valuable Student Contest Scholarship Awards, and recognized recipients of the Americanism Essay Contest Awards. We also initiated the 2026 Hometown Heroes Banner Program to honor veterans and active-duty military members. A special thank you to John Belzner, Al and Gretchen Meyer, and Mike Livingston for coordinating these special community activities. 

We also welcomed 20 new members to our Lodge in February, and we honored John Belzner as the Elk of the Month at the February 10th Lodge Meeting. Congratulations, John!

Please mark your calendar—our dedicated volunteers and staff are still hard at work! They’re getting ready to make sure your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations on Saturday, March 14th, and Tuesday, March 17th are packed with fun, delicious food, and lasting memories. Also this month, several lodge members will attend the MD DE DC State Elks Association Spring Conference in Severna Park from March 20–22, 2026, which will feature attendance by Grand Exalted Ruler Bryan Klatt and First Lady Susan.

Let us continue to build on our momentum and make this Spring a time of growth and generosity. You can Be the Difference! Thank you for your commitment to the lodge and to each other. I look forward to seeing you at our events, meetings, and social quarters.

- Fraternally yours,

Vernon F. Betkey, Jr.
Exalted Ruler

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