Eureka Elks Lodge #652

What a successful month we’ve had to kick off our new year at the Lodge! Both the Board of Trustees and House Committee have been working hard to make this year even more enjoyable for our members. I thank each Trustee and House Committee member for your dedication to the lodge!

This year’s Big 4 Night was a huge success with over $22,000 going into our building fund. My thanks goes out to Kathy Payne, her kitchen and serving crew for the delicious dinner – especially those raviolis and apple fritters! A heartfelt thanks also to the auction volunteers led by Jeani Vallee. Great live and silent auction items! Thanks, too, to our tilers, cashiers and volunteer bartenders who served almost 300 members and guests.

As of this writing, your chair officers are putting in some grueling practices to get ready to represent the Lodge in the Ritual Contest held in Ukiah. We’ll be com-peting against eight other lodges in the District. We’ll announce the outcome of this contest at our first meeting next month on Wednesday, May 7th. Regardless of the outcome, my thanks to all our chair officers along with coaches Sherie and Kurt Bialous and Ernie Nunes for all your hard work. We’re all coming home winners – ready to impress our new members in upcoming initiations.

We have another busy month ahead at the Lodge, starting with Cinco de Mayo on Saturday, May 5th, and I encourage you to come on out and enjoy yourselves. Highlights of our May events are featured throughout this issue of Herd Talk. Don’t forget. This is YOUR lodge. I would appreciate any suggestions you may have. Either contact me in person or drop your suggestions in the Exalted Ruler’s suggestion box in the hallway.

Remember our theme for 2018-19: "Together, We’re Elks!"
Dennis Hunter, Exalted Ruler

Planning is well under way for the next year at Eureka Elks Lodge #652! Thank you for the opportunity you have given me to lead the lodge in 2018-2019. It is a most humbling experience to become an Exalted Ruler and I promise to fulfill your trust in me to the best of my ability. The theme for this next year is: "Together, We’re Elks."It takes all of us pulling together in the same direction to make our lodge enjoyable for our members, their families and friends.

Thank you to my fellow chair officers who have stepped up to the plate to serve you: Gwen Carroll, Esteemed Leading Knight; Kathy Payne, Esteemed Loyal Knight; Scott Reinsmith, Esteemed Lecturing Knight; Jim Kloss, Lodge Es-quire; Casey Stephens, Lodge Chaplain; Eddie Morgan, Lodge Inner Guard; Dennis Doty, Lodge Tiler; and Dale Colson, Lodge Organist. Of course, my spe-cial thanks go to Ernie Nunes, Lodge Secretary; Gary Payne, Lodge Treasurer; and Nina Strang, Lodge Clerk. I’m looking forward to working with Nina, who is also the new President of the Emblems Club. Welcome to Terry Long and Bob Gish as they join Mark Householter, Marta Martinez and Kevin Christie on our Board of Trustees.

My heart-felt thanks go out to Sherie and Kurt Bialous, PERs and our Lodge Ritual Team’s coaches. With their guidance and encouragement, your Ritual Team will be competing in the District’s competition in Ukiah at the end of this month and we have a chance to bring home the gold!

We all owe a great big thank you to all our volunteers, because they are the back-bone of the Lodge. Without our volunteer bartenders, volunteer kitchen crews, servers, cashiers, ticket-takers and tilers, this Lodge could not function. When you’re at the Lodge, please take the time to thank these hard-working volunteers. Of course, you can also volunteer. We need you!

Please enjoy your Lodge. The Exalted Ruler’s suggestion box will continue to be placed in the hallway and I would appreciate any suggestions you may have to make this Lodge even better!

Finally, a very special thank you to my wife, Karen, who will be by my side as we progress through the year. Thanks again for the opportunity to serve you!

Dennis Hunter, Exalted Ruler