September is here already and school has started. Time sure is flying by fast this year. We are now back to having 2 lodge meetings every month. For those new members who would like to attend the meetings, we meet on the second and forth Monday each month.
We have three vice president visitations this month at other lodges. Sanford's is on the 8th, Ormond Beach's is on the 22nd and then there is Daytona Beach on the 29. Please plan on attending all three visitations. Then on the 15th, we are having our first ever Soccer Shoot. PER Tom Hoop is the Soccer Shoot Chairman and is doing a fine job. However, he stills need our help so please give him a call. Since this is our first soccer shoot, I want it to be succesful so everybody will be back next year. Just remember-it is for the kids. I would also like to thank our Leading Knight Rick Phelps for building the goal posts for the soccer shoot.
On the subject of thanking people, I would like to thank all the volunteers who helped out last month for the State President's visit to our Lodge. I have heard nothing but positive comments from everyone. I would like to name everyone who had a hand in it but that would take up the whole page and I also do not want to forget to mention someone. I want you to know that I greatly appreciate each and every one of you.
For those of you that have not heard, PDDGER Phil Watercutter is now our Lodge Advisor. I want to thank him for taking on the task of being our advisor. I want to also thank our out-going advisor, PDDGER Joe Rogers for his help in guiding the lodge. It was great appreciated and I, for one, learned a lot from you.
At this time I would like to address all the proposers of our new members. Your job as a proposer does not end after the new member is initiated in our Lodge, rather it is just beginning. Since I became Exalted Ruler, we have initiated lots of members, yet I have not seen them at a meeting or at the Lodge. Where are they? It is your job as their proposer to find out. You felt they were worthy enough to become an Elk, that is why you proposed them for membership. Are they still not worthy? You must have felt like they could bring something to the Lodge otherwise why would you sign your name to their application? Since they became a member, have you invited them to a meeting? Have you gave them a call and ask them down to play bar bingo, or to stop down for sandwich night or for some of Joe's great spaghetti? They are new members, maybe they do not come down because they do not know anybody yet. Pick up that phone and invite them down to the lodge with you and introduce them to the fellow members. Show them all we have to offer. If they express interest in doing something around the lodge or want to join a committee, introduce them to the chairman of that committee. If the new member can cook, would they like to cook on Wednesday night or maybe help out a Lodge function? Find out about them, get them involved in the lodge. Do not let them slide between your fingers just because they are now members of the lodge. Stay in contact with them. Once again, getting them initiated into our Lodge is just the beginning of your job as proposer. See the job all the way to the end.
Elks Care, Elks Share
See you at the Lodge
Dean Yeager-Exalted Ruler