Eureka Elks Lodge #652

The Lodge has a new accountant/bookkeeper. Please extend a warm welcome to Debbie Conrad, and thank you to Trustee Bob Gish, ER Gwen Carroll, PER Dennis Hunter, and long-time member John Goff, who stepped up and volunteered to organize/handle the interview process. Debbie starts work on Monday, December 2nd. Maggie Stinson, our current bookkeeper, will continue to work with the Lodge through March 31, 2020, as she will be retiring.

The Trustees are continuing to work on alternative power solutions for the Lodge during power
outages, with materials and installation quotes being received. We will keep you updated.

Thank you to the volunteers who stepped up to decorate the Lodge for the upcoming Holiday
seasons. It is very warm and festive. I am seeing a lot of new and old faces around the Lodge who have stepped up in their volunteerism here at the Lodge, to make our Lodge what we are so well known for.

As you gather with family and friends, please take a moment to remember and include our departed
Brothers and Sisters, and those who are less fortunate.

Please have a Happy, Healthy and Safe Merry Christmas and New Year as you meet and travel.

Fraternally and Respectfully,
Kevin Christie, Chairman, Board of Trustees

A somewhat unknown fact about Humboldt County is that there are a lot of good cooks, many of whom use recipes and skills passed down through their families from a variety of countries and traditions. Many of these folks volunteer at the Eureka Elks lodge and show off their skills throughout the year at Lodge dinners and events. These culinary delights include Oktoberfest dishes, such as schnitzel, sausage, and sauerkraut with bacon in the Bavarian tradition; the Sons of Italy’s polenta and chicken feed; International Day, with dishes ranging from Greek Baklava to Irish Stew; and the pièce de résistance, Wild Game Night, where diners are introduced to dishes that were probably very familiar in Northern California in the 1850s, such as elk cutlets, venison meatloaf, bear stew, and roast duck and coot, all contributed and prepared by local hunters. Granted that some of these dishes may be unfamiliar to suburbanites, but true food lovers appreciate the authenticity and love given to traditional exquisite dishes made at the Elks Lodge.

Elk members are privileged to have access to Lodge events and all the great food and camaraderie involved, but guests are always welcome. So, if you know an Elk, don’t be too shy. Ask them to invite you to one of our special events and expect that they will graciously welcome your interest. Perhaps they’ll even invite you to show off your own cooking ability at Cook Your Own Steak night, held three Fridays a month for only $20.

Eddie Morgan, Public Relations Coordinator

Well I can’t believe it is November already! Soon we will be decorating for Christmas! Oh by the way, we are going to be decorating for Christmas at the Lodge on November 11. We will be supplying dinner for the decorators and having fun preparing the Lodge for the Christmas Season.

November brings Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving, check the calendar in the Herd Talk for the events that are planned. If you did not attend Oktoberfest you missed out on a great evening filled with fantastic food and whenever Scott Reinsmith puts on an event, it is so much fun! Thank you’s go out to Hans Gerstacker and his cooking crew and the dining room volunteers who served everyone.

We are entering our busy time of the year so I would like to remind everyone who books an event here at the lodge remember you are not only responsible for your guests but you must supply the Event Coordinator with the list of your guests and they must leave when you leave( this is true all year long also). As the booking sponsor of the event you will have a table to check your guests in at. We will be having Tilers at the door and this makes their job easier and makes it much more enjoyable for your guests as they won’t have to wait in the foyer for their host to check them in. This is NOT a new rule but an old rule that is going to be enforced as this protects your lodge. We are a private club for our members, not a public venue.

The House Committee has revised the “Cook Your Own Steak,” contract. We will no longer be booking parties larger than 48 persons on a Friday night and we will be enforcing the following existing rules: sponsoring member of parties larger than 25 will need to purchase tickets at least 24 hours ahead of time along with supplying an alphabetical list of guests, arrive before your guests and check them off the list which will free the tiler to assist other members and their guests in signing in, inform your guests this is a no hat lodge, you and your guests will be required to wait until 7PM to start cooking your steaks, you must be done with the barbecue by 8PM, the sponsor is responsible to see that the dishes are bussed and the tables are cleared by 9PM and when you leave, so must your guests. If some of your guests do not show up and the tickets that you have pre-purchased may be used at a later date but must be signed by the “Cook of the Day” or the Officer of the Day.

Remember a vote to change the time of the Lodge meeting will be taking place at the first meeting in November.

As a reminder, we are entering into our busy time of the year and we are an all volunteer lodge so if you find that you have some extra time the next few months and you would like to become involved in your lodge, let us know. You can text or call me at 707-498-3101.

Gwen Carrol, Exalted Ruler
Deeds Not Words

It has been a whirlwind the last few months for the Eureka Elks Lodge Veterans Committee. On October 3-5, 2019 our Veterans Committee volunteered at the North Coast Stand Down. Kevin Christie and a team from the Veterans Committee cooked dinner for approximately 150 Veterans and the following day cooked
lunch for approximately 380 Veterans and family. We sure do love helping our Veterans. On November 8th, 2019 Eureka Elks Lodge Veterans Committee and the Eureka VA Clinic will be hosting its 4th Annual R.E.D. Friday Veterans lunch where we celebrate our Veterans of past, present. We also celebrate the Marine Corps birthday and Veterans Day. Ceremonies will start at 11:30 am and lunch will be served from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm. Please RSVP by calling Kelly Stephens at (707) 269-7549. Please RSVP before November 5th, 2019. Each Veteran that is in attendance will receive a “Gratitude” box from Operation Gratitude. We also looking for Volunteers to help with this event. If you are interested, please contact Kevin Christie or myself. We look forward to seeing all our Veterans at this event.

Casey Stephens, US Army Retired,
Veterans’ Committee Chairman

Greetings, Members.

Our recent power outage hopefully did not catch too many members off guard. As North Coast residents, our winters are always full of flooding, power outages, and whatever Mother Nature throws at us. Hopefully, everyone fared well during this scheduled outage, and will be prepared for the winter months.

Your Lodge fared well, even though we were closed for a Wednesday night dinner. The Trustees are looking into some auxiliary power solutions for the Lodge. Holiday season is approaching, with the need for additional volunteers for kitchen, dining room and decorating. If you find yourself with some extra time and wish to join in the fun, please contact Nina in the office, or the new Event Coordinator, Jess Peters. Daylight Savings Time ends November 3rd. Remember to “fall back” an hour on your clocks.

I would personally like to thank those Members and US Coast Guard personnel who volunteered for the North Coast Veterans’ Stand Down event. It was a great success. Your Lodge Veterans’ Committee served dinner Thursday night and lunch Friday, for a estimated total of 520 meals.

Your Lodge Veterans’ Committee has united with your local Veterans Affairs office, and will be assisting the VA office with their Remembering Everyone Deployed (RED) Friday event to be held at the Elks Lodge on November 8th. Lunch will be served to all veterans. Refer to the Veterans’ Committee column in this Herd Talk for further information.

Fraternally and Respectfully,
Kevin Christie, Chairman, Board of Trustees

A somewhat unknown fact about Humboldt County is that there are a lot of good cooks, many of whom use recipes and skills passed down through their families from a variety of countries and traditions. Many of these folks volunteer at the Eureka Elks lodge and show off their skills throughout the year at Lodge dinners and events. These culinary delights include Oktoberfest dishes, such as schnitzel, sausage, and sauerkraut with bacon in the Bavarian tradition; the Sons of Italy’s polenta and chicken feed; International Day, with dishes ranging from Greek Baklava to Irish Stew; and the pièce de résistance, Game Night, where diners are introduced to dishes that were probably very familiar in Northern California in the 1850s, such as elk cutlets, venison meatloaf, bear stew, and roast duck and coot, all contributed and prepared by local hunters. Granted that some of these dishes may be unfamiliar to suburbanites, but true food lovers
appreciate the authenticity and love given to traditional exquisite dishes made at the Elks Lodge.

Elk members are privileged to have access to Lodge events and all the great food and camaraderie involved, but guests are always welcome. So, if you know an Elk, don’t be too shy. Ask them to invite you to one of our special events and expect that they will graciously welcome your interest. Perhaps they’ll even invite you to show off your own cooking ability at Cook Your Own Steak night, held three Fridays a month for only $20.

Eddie Morgan, Public Relations Coordinator

“NOVEMBER IS ELKS VETERANS REMEMBRANCE MONTH”

Chicago, IL, October 15 2019: An estimated twenty million Veterans live in our communities. Each with a different story, they all shared a common pledge: to support and defend this country. In an effort to honor and support these Veterans, Elks National President, Robert L. Duitsman has proclaimed November to be Veterans Remembrance Month.

This November, as well as every month of the year, Elks will serve thousands of Veterans across the country. Elks volunteer at more than 340 VA Medical Centers, State Veterans Homes, clinics, transitional shelters and Veterans facilities where they plan activities, buy needed supplies, host meals and offer friendship. Elks help Veterans rehabilitate and thrive by supporting adaptive sports events, and providing therapy kits and wheelchair gloves to recovering Veterans.

Most recently, Elks have pledged to help end Veteran homelessness by pledging millions of dollars to assist Veterans experiencing homelessness. Since we made this pledge just 5 years ago, we’ve helped thousands of Veterans exit or prevent homelessness. Our Elks Lodges are focal points for supporting local military members and Veterans and meeting their needs. Last year alone, the total value of Elks contributions to our nation’s Veterans was more than $50 million, and our members served hundreds of thousands Veterans.

This Veterans Remembrance Month, we urge you to join the Elks in recognition of and service to the Veterans in your community. Let us remember the words of Elk member and President John F. Kennedy who said, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.”

There are nearly 1,900 Elks Lodges across the country with a total membership of around 800,000. Elks members must be American citizens who are at least 21 years of age and must believe in God. To learn more and to join us in service, visit www.elks.org