Brother and Sister Elks
HAPPY NEW YEAR
It seems like only a month ago, we brought in 2022. As they say, “time flies when you have fun”. But with a successful 2022 now in the past, we as Elks had so much to be grateful for during this past year. Our volunteers have been very generous with their personal time making the various events that we have had successful. We saw a growing list of planned activities during this past year, with many more being discussed for 2023. Our membership has grown and will continue to grow. And with our new neighbors currently in the process of developing the property next door, our growth will continue to GREAT New Year in 2023. If you have recently been by Your Lodge, you have seen the construction on the property adjacent to us.
Construction of our new entrance will begin shortly, so when you visit Your Lodge, please drive with caution when entering or leaving the Lodge property. The first Sunday of December, we honor all our Elks members that have passed at our Annual Memorial Service. Our Memorial service is open to all member and nonmembers, and during this years ’ service, we had 125 family members, guests, and Elks members attending. After the service, the members and guests were invited to join us for a
wonderful luncheon the Does had prepared for us in the lounge area. If you have not attended The Memorial Service in the past, I invite all of you to come to Your Lodge and attend this beautiful service that honors those that have gone before us.
Other than our regularly scheduled events that are held each month, there are other events that are going to be held during the
first month of 2023. On January 22nd, we will have a “Mac and Cheese” cookoff. Our members and guests will be the judges of your culinary creation, so dust off your cookbooks, get your best Mac and Cheese recipe out, cook your dish, and bring it in to Your Lodge for the cookoff. Thanks to you, our membership in the lodge has been on the increase. We currently have 439 members with more “in the wings” ready for initiation. Our next initiation will be held on January 26, 2023. The meeting will start at 7:30 PM, so I ask you to join us in welcoming our new members. Let us show the enthusiasm and excitement that we all share when new members are brought into Our Family of Elks. If you have a friend, relative, or family member, give
them an application and sponsor them so that they too can become a member of the greatest organization in the world. Help them to become a member of The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Read Your Tatler and see what is going on in Your Lodge. As in the past, there is a member number listed somewhere in the Tatler. If it is your number, call our Lodge Secretary Ms. Ruth Antley, and you will receive a free steak night ticket. Let us start off the New Year with “enthusiasm” by being friendly, welcoming, and show OUR members and guests what being an Elk is all about. Remember that “Elk’s Care” for Our Brothers and Sisters whether a member or not. And that “Elk’ s Share” their time and resources. One way to “Share” your time is to participate in events by volunteering to help. On December 17th , we delivered 180+ “Christmas baskets” of food to
needy families. This could not have happened without the extraordinary amount of time setting it up, but also the amount of
time by our volunteers delivering these baskets around the Wilmington area. That is only a small portion of what “Elk’ s Care,
Elk’ s Share” is all about. But in the grand scheme of things, it is how we should all live each and every day.
Bob Shields
Exalted Ruler
(910)-264-5211