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About our DDGER

Sandy was born on Father’s Day, June 21, 1959 in San Francisco. She is the oldest of two girls, as she was born 16 minutes ahead of her twin sister, Linda. The twins grew up in Palo Alto, California where their Mom still resides in the home they were raised in starting with their junior high school years. After graduating high school, Sandy went on to study at the University of California, Berkeley and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Food Science in 1980, a week shy of her 21st birthday.After college, she went to work in retail at Emporium-Capwell where she entered the field of Human Resources. In 1987, she started working at Basic American Foods, a privately-held food manufacturing company. Sandy’s career progressed and she became professionally certified as a Benefits Professional in 1996 and a Senior Human Resources Professional in 1998. After almost 25 years, she retired as the Director of Human Resources in 2012.

It was at Basic American Foods where she met her husband Dan. They worked together for several years and became close while serving as training coordinators for the company’s quality program. Sandy and Dan married in July 1996 and live in Fairfield, California. They enjoy their neighborhood as it is filled with numerous dog lovers and have met many dogs (and their humans) while on their countless dog walks on the area’s walking paths with their now dog angels, Bailey, Sundance, and Bear. Dan has two grown sons both married to wonderful young women. Cory and Alice live in Oakland, and Andy and Rachel live in Los Angeles with their two sons, Milo and Felix.

Sandy was initiated in the Vacaville Elks Lodge #2638 in 2006. She most recently served as Lodge Secretary 2015-2018, but has also served as Treasurer, Inner Guard, Chaplain, Tiler, Loyal Knight, Leading Knight, Exalted Ruler, and Lecturing Knight. Sandy’s predecessor and successor as Secretary is her husband Dan who she is proud to say was CHEA Secretary of Year 2004-2005. Sandy has also served on many committees throughout the years, was the Newsletter Publisher for three years, and is currently the Lodge’s Grant Coordinator. Sandy caught the Ritual bug when she was the Candidate in the 2008. Since then, she has competed in 6 District Ritual contests, and was fortunate to compete with her team at CHEA Convention during her ER year. She was Elk of the Year in her Lodge for the 2006- 2007 Lodge Year, and Officer of the Year for the 2015-2016 Lodge Year. Sandy has served her District as Lodge Activities Chair 2014 – 2015, Auditor to the District Deputy Grand Exalted Ruler 2014-2015, Grant Coordinator 2015-present, and as one of the Trustees for the Defunct Vallejo Lodge. She counts her year as Association Vice President 2016-2017 representing the Northwest District as one of her best years in Elkdom. As an enthusiast of our great Rituals, she is delighted to be a Ritual Floor Judge for the last two years. Sandy is proud to be a member of the John F. Malley Society and Permanent Benefactor of the Elks National Foundation, and a Century Club member and regular donor to the CHEA Major Project. In her spare time, Sandy enjoys rooting for the San Francisco Giants, wine tasting, golf, crossword puzzles, and of course, dogs!

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July 2018 – Exalted Ruler’s Column

Summer is here, our days are longer and our Fireworks Booth is up and running. As of this writing, Terry Long and his dedicated crew including Gil, Bob Gish and Nelson Gomes were busy setting up the Booth. Ernie Nunes and I even got to use a hammer with no injuries. This got me thinking about all our volunteers and the hours they put in to run a successful lodge like Eureka Elks Lodge #652. Most are unseen but their enthusiasm and dedication deserve a huge thanks from us all. There are a lot of volunteer opportunities available in this lodge. To find out how you can help, please contact any of our lodge officers. We’re the ones wearing the badges.

You asked, and we listened! Sunday breakfasts on a monthly basis begin on Sunday, July 29 featuring Sausage Strata, home-made biscuits and gravy, hash browns and more. Breakfast will be between 8:30 am and 11:30 am. Sunday breakfasts are also scheduled for August 26th and September 30th so bring your family and enjoy the Lodge.

Thanks to your donations to the Elks National Foundation, we reached our per capita goal of $4.75 per member which means we were eligible for grants. The Freedom Grant helped defray expenses for our recent Veterans Car Show; the Gratitude Grant will help Families Against Autism Now (FANN) helping children with autism and their families; the Beacon Grant helps the Eureka VA clinic; and our Anniversary Grant provides training classes to aid veterans with PTSD to train their dogs to the level of Companion Animal. Thanks again for your generosity that make these grants possible.

Together – We’re Elks!
Dennis Hunter, Exalted Ruler

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July 2018 – Message from the Trustees

Hello Members,

Summer is in full swing, Lodge improvements are ongoing and help is always appreciated. Volunteerism is what makes our lodge-Your Lodge- stand out above all. So if you find yourself with a little extra time on your schedule, please come volunteer: kitchen prep, dining room, lawns and flower beds are only a few of the many opportunities.

School is out, children are at play, vacations and summer activities are planned. Allow extra time in travel and be safe.

Thank you Anne Poole, Nina Strang, Donna Jordan, and Terry Long for your work on the lawns and RV lot. Another Lodge “Work Day” will be scheduled in Sept./ Oct. Date to be assigned later.

Soon you will see some new child High Chairs in the dining room for your families to use.

Your Trustee Board meets the Tuesday prior to the 1st and 3rd Lodge Meetings of each month at 6:00 pm unless otherwise noted. They are open to all members to attend. Please have an enjoyable and great Summer.

Kevin Christie, Board of Trustee Chairman

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July 2018 – Redwood Roamers

May 31-June 3 Lewiston
12 RVs with 21 Roamers attended. Hor d’oeuvres were enjoyed Thursday evening with Tri-Tip BBQ and baked potatoes. Saturday evening dinner was steak at the Moose Lodge. We played washers and cribbage, with Bob Holt winning washers and Bud Slagle winning cribbage. We saw the fish hatchery at Lewiston Reservoir and view point at Trinity Dam while having lots of relaxation with marshmallows and smores in the evening.

June 14-17 Reedsport, Oregon
Once upon a time, there were seven Roamers living in the forests of Humboldt County. One day last week, they set out on an adventure to the Oregon coast. At first they expected to race up the coast reaching their destination rapidly. Unfortunately for their aspirations, Caltrans had a different idea. Winding along the country roads in the company of throngs of visitors, the intrepid adventurers crawled up the coast from flagger ahead to flagger ahead. At last, they reached Brookings just in time for a late, very late, lunch.

On the road again, the next destination was viewed with much anticipation for there were visions of jams and jellies dancing in their heads. Misty Meadows was the next stop and the first of the many shopping adventures began. At long last, the Roamers reached their desired port of call, Winchester Bay. Anchoring for the night, they gathered in a campfire
circle to tell tall tales of previous adventures.

Invigorated to begin the schedule of thrills, the intrepid adventurers gathered in a magical forest in Reedsport where they discovered eagles, alligators, cranes and bears. At first this forest was just logs, but they slowly came to life as if carved from wood. The buzzing of saws and the scent of the forest filled the air. From there, a light over yonder was discovered illuminating the ocean at night and offering tours during the day. Some of the Roamers toured the light and some shopped for the second time. To round off the day, we feasted on victuals in the beauty of the forest surrounding the lake. As the sun set, several Roamers trekked back up hill to view the rainbow wonderland of the night light as it reached the beacon 21 miles out to sea.

The next day, the adventurous crew boarded the royal mounted sand runner heading to the sandhills and tree islands. Breathtaking views, mouths full of sand and mosquitos, did not daunt the rugged Roamers, but whetted their appetite for a massive Chinese cuisine feast. Replete, the Roamers retired for another evening to share monumental myths and famous fairy tales.

The Roamers returned to the magical forests of Reedsport and were amazed to find the forest had morphed into marvelous creatures up to eight feet high. These creations were auctioned off and some of the intrepid adventurers went shopping yet again. Then, we saw rock. Lots of rocks. We bought rocks too!

The next morning, the tired but satisfied adventurers made their way back down the lonesome highway, this time with no flaggers ahead. Adventure over, but well-remembered.

The Roamers next meeting will be Tuesday, July 10th at 4:30 pm.

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Exalted Ruler’s Column – June 2018

I hope you enjoyed the Memorial Day weekend – the unofficial opening weekend of summer! We had a very successful month of May at the lodge, highlighted by the EMT/Firefighters Appreciation Dinner on May 10th and a great Mother’s Day Service and breakfast on Sunday, May 13th. Congratulations to Fatima Naylor, our 2018 Mother of the Year.

Thanks to Terry and Gil for their day-long trip around the lodge with lawn mowers. Way to keep ’em short and green, guys!

Congratulations to our ritual team for a job well done in our annual District Ritual Contest held recently in Ukiah. Ritual is considered to be the backbone of every Elks Lodge. Our team placed second, only 0.22 points behind first-place Vacaville. Five of your seven chair officers placed first or second in their respective positions.

Be sure to enjoy all the lodge activities in June that are featured in this edition of Herd Talk. I always put the calendar on our refrigerator so I don’t miss any and I encourage you to do the same. Don’t miss our Flag Day ceremony on Sunday, June 10th at 10:00 am to commemorate the adoption of the flag of the United States. “As this emblem is first in our hearts as loyal Americans, so is it close to our Altar as loyal Elks.” This is a great chance for your children to witness our country’s history.

On Sunday, June 17th, the Emblem Club will be cooking a great Father’s Day breakfast. Then, on Friday, June 22nd, come and meet our State Vice President, Randy Logan and his lovely wife, Jackie as they share the important message from our CHEA President, Robert Duitsman. More details on all these activities appear elsewhere in this Herd Talk.

As I walked across the stage May 19 to present the $20,371.25 our lodge raised during the last year for the state’s major project (Purple Pig), the state surpassed $3 million! Our slide was up for five minutes while over 1,500 people cheered! Remember, this is your lodge. Come on out and enjoy it. If you have questions or suggestions, pass them along. See you at the Lodge!

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Leading Knight’s Corner – June 2018

I would like to thank everyone who helped put on a great Cinco de Mayo! Thank you to everyone who attended. Your presence made this event successful and fun!

The State Convention in San Diego was a great event. We were exposed to some fantastic ideas that will im-prove our already great lodge. I believe you will be seeing some of these ideas being implemented in our lodge in the near future. Thank you members of Lodge 652 for affording the Exalted Ruler, Chairman of the Trustees, the secretary and myself this opportunity. Remember Sunday, June 10 will be the celebration of Flag Day in our lodge. Plan on being there! Don’t for-get Father’s Day is June 17th.

As we head into summer, I hope you will all be safe. Don’t forget this is your lodge too! Come on out and bring your friends!

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Redwood Roamers – June 2018

The Roamers held their meeting on May 2nd. The first outing took place on May the 3rd thru the 6th in Fort Bragg. We had 15 RVs with 28 Roamers attending. Everyone had a great time and we had plenty to eat: hors d’oeuvres on Thursday, tri tip BBQ Friday and pizza on Saturday. Also pancakes, eggs, ham and bacon breakfast on Saturday morning. Places we visited include: botanical gardens, Glass Beach, Pudding Creek Trestle, Point Cabrillo Lighthouse and Noyo Headland trail, shopping in Fort Bragg and Mendocino, and local nurseries. We had a peewee golf tournament on Saturday, team 2 won team title, (Corinne Stromstad, An-nie Cornwell, Rick Priolo and Bob Holt). Tom Gill won individual title. Glen Stromstad beat out Bud Slagle to win the washer tournament.

The next outings will be to Lewiston on May 31st thru June 3rd. Reed-sport, Oregon, June 15th thru 18th and Klamath RVs Park on July 3rd thru the 6th.

Dennis Hunter gave a report on club activities. Howard Ritter gave a presentation on updating the web site for the lodge and RV Park. Also, there will be a grounds and RV Park clean up on June the 3rd at 8am. Any volunteers will be greatly appreciated.

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Exalted Ruler’s Column – May 2018

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

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Message from the Secretary – May 2018

Welcome to new members who were initiated on April 18th: Daniel Arbuthnot, Juan Barreto, Roseann Buchner, Katherine Clague, Eric Clark, Kathleen Cloney-Gardiner, Jamie Cox, Antonio Donofrio, Chad Fite, Arturo Gasdik, Dan Herron, Loni Hollenbeck, Jack Kolshinski, Barry Mendenhall, Danielle Meyer, Lee Miller, Kyle Pruitt, Roberto Rodriguez, Sott Rotherham, Terry Safko,
Emily Silveira, Jaymes Silveira, James Sterling, Bill White, and Sam Williams.

Ernie Nunes, PER, Secretary

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Leading Knight’s Corner – May 2018

By the time you are reading this, Ritual Competition may be over and I hope we have brought back trophies for the lodge. We have all been working very hard to represent our lodge in the best light, win or lose!!!

I have been working on the Cinco de Mayo celebration here at our lodge and I am hoping you will join us on Saturday, May 5th. The menu is as follows: Taco Bar featuring beef & fish tacos with all the fixings along with chicken fajitas, carnitas, beef & chicken enchiladas, and chili rellenos. Did I mention all the fixings? Well, of course there will be rice, beans, salsa, and guacamole. We will be having Margaritas for $20 per pitcher. We may even be selling shots of TEQUILA by roaming bandits. I think we have been the subject of an APRIL FOOLS, it was reported in the April Herd Talk the time of the event but it starts at 5:30 for cocktails and dinner @ 6:30 and it was stated the price was $15 but in actuality it is $20 per person. Join us for a fun evening at your lodge. The proceeds will be going to Major Project.

Gwen Carroll, Leading Knight