Category: Columns

Eureka Elks Lodge Veterans Committee secured the Beacon Grant to provide several high need Veterans with local “Food for People” food boxes along with a meal box from the Eureka Elks Lodge Veterans Committee. These boxes contained several non-perishable goods such as pasta, canned tuna, macaroni and cheese, oatmeal, along with many other dry goods. The Eureka Elks Lodge Veterans Committee meal box contained a meal for a family of 4 which included pasta, pasta sauce, a fresh salad, fresh bread and dessert. These boxes were distributed via a drive thru process where Veterans pre-registered and showed up the day of the event to claim their two “Food for People” boxes and their meal box. Veterans who had restrictions (i.e. no transportation or home bound) had their boxes safely delivered by the Eureka Elks Lodge Veterans Committee members or other Veterans organizations such as a Veteran partner like the Eureka Vets Center. Veterans were also given a resource bag that had items such as the local food bank and other organizations that support our Veterans in need. Veterans who also had not yet received a flu shot could also do so with the convenience of a local VA staff and staff
nurse available onsite as well. This event serviced over forty Veterans.

Casey Stephens, US Army Retired, Veterans’ Committee Chairman

The last Roamer outing for 2020 was at Benbow/KOA Park on November 6-8. Roamers enjoyed for good food, campfires and good fellowship. The Roamers will start in person meetings on the first Wednesday of each month if CDC Guidelines have been lifted for large meetings. If not, we will still be collecting Toys for Tots. You may drop an unwrapped toy off at the Elks Lodge by December 2. Thank you! Please stay safe, wash your hands, wear your mask, and practice social distancing. Happy Trails to You!

Dale A. Stockly, Wagon Master

I like to welcome our newest members: Jim Finney, Jaden Herkert, Cheryl Johnson, Kimberly Herkert, Laraine Ryner, Jack Brow and Barbara Fields, who were initiated Wednesday, November 18th. We were holding our own financially, but the latest COVID restriction will close us down except for meal times. We need member support. Please come by for dinner on Friday, Sunday, and Wednesday nights, or order “To Go” and take it home. These meals are
helping out a lot. Naturally, social distancing and face masks are required any time you are in the Lodge. The card tables and pool tables are closed. These restrictions are necessary as long as the County is in the red tier. The Lodge will close entirely when or if we go into the purple tier.

I want to thank those who are remaining members in spite of the COVID. It’s important to remember that this COVID crisis will end sometime in the not too far off future, and maintaining an active membership is important for you and your Lodge. It looks like a vaccine will be available in the spring, which should ease the restrictions.

I am pleased to report that many of our members will be receiving their Herd Talk via email from now on. This saves the Lodge a lot of money in postal and printing expenses. It also saves two day of labor for a team of volunteers that fold and label the paper Herd Talk. Additionally, it gives the Lodge a way to let our members know what is happening on a weekly basis by giving us a method of instantly communicating calendar changes, etc. Please, give us permission to use your email address for Elk business if you haven’t already done so by completing this form, and returning it to the Lodge. Your email address will remain confidential and only be used for Elk business.

Brad Smith , PER, PDDGER, Lodge Secretary

We had a visit from the DDGER Randy Logan and his wife Jackie. He said he felt we were doing a great job trying to keep things going during the COVID-19 disaster.

The Blood Drive on September 2nd was very successful. We had 26 people donate blood. Good job everyone!

I appreciate the members that paid their dues after the last Herd Talk. I am asking again to please pay them if you can as it would help your Lodge out. We will be cooking a Prime Rib dinner on October 9th. This dinner will be $25.00. We are limited to 50% of our seating so please call early for your reservations. On Sunday, October 18th I will be cooking a Fried Chicken dinner. The cost will be $15.00. I hope to see you there.

A great big Thank You is warranted to all the volunteers who have helped to keep our Lodge open—this includes cooks, waiters, bartenders, cleaning and set up crews, and all who contribute to the Herd Talk. Thank you! Thank you!

If you would like to help in any way, call Kathy at 834-6612.

When you come to the Lodge, please use hand sanitizer. We check temperatures. You must wear face coverings and maintain social distancing. Finally stay healthy; we will get through this together. I hope to see you soon.

Kathy Payne, Exalted Ruler
“Get ’er Done and Let’s Have Fun.”

September has come and gone. We had a great visit from our DDGER Randy Logan and the Car Show fundraiser was a lot of fun. I want to thank everyone who came out and participated or helped at the event. I want to thank all the volunteers. We can’t put on all these dinners and events without your help and support. I and your lodge thank you VERY MUCH! Some of our long-time helpers are “retiring” or stepping down from volunteering, and rightfully so, as they have worked many long hard hours for our lodge. If you feel you can help the lodge in any way please sign up to be part of a fun team of volunteers that support the lodge and contribute to making #652 the amazing lodge that it is. October is E.N.F. month and we will be having our big Oktoberfest on Saturday the 24th, so come on down and enjoy the fun and food. There will be a costume contest, 50/50 raffle and prizes. Jim Kloss, our Loyal Knight, is our new E.N.F. chairman. If you want to help him or have any ideas for E.N.F. fundraising please reach out to him. 2020 has been hard on everyone with Covid-19 and all the fires, but our community is strong and resilient. Together we can get through this. The lodge is coming back strong. We have more and more people coming back for dinners and events. We are a big lodge and have plenty of room for social distancing so come out for dinner and drinks, spend a little money, or better yet volunteer and get a complimentary dinner.

Scott Reinsmith, Leading Knight, Major Projects

I am proud to announce that Troop 54 has 5 new Eagle Scouts!!! This is the highest rank that can be achieved in the Boy Scouts and has only been earned by about 4% of scouts since 1911 when scouting began. On August 31, we were able to have an Eagle Court of Honor to celebrate their awesome achievements using standard Covid precautions. Due to restrictions, we had to make this a family only event, but it was still a wonderful ceremony to recognize these exceptional young men. Our distinguished guest speaker was 4th District Supervisor, Virginia Bass. Mr Akana was able to present each of the Eagle Scouts with an American Flag procured through the office of Congressman Jared Huffman and flown over the United States Capitol.

There was a wonderful slide show narrated by Scoutmaster Frank Jager showing the progression of each of these boys transitioning to young men along their journey through Scouts. The Eagle awards were presented to the scouts by Jack Haase, Troop Committee Chairman. Our 5 new Eagle Scouts, from left to right are Cody Cook, Dimitri Stefanakis, John Rydz, Morgan Harper, and Kevin Akana.
Thomas Rydz, Scouting Chairman

The pandemic has not slowed the spirit of the Roamers. We have not been able to meet in person on the first Wednesday of each month, but communication is strong through emails and phone calls. Charlie Blunk, is headed the outing to McCloud on September 17-20; more about that in the next Herd Talk. Hopefully, the Roamers will be able to start in person meetings on the first Wednesday in November if CDC Guidelines have been lifted for large meetings.

Please stay safe, wear your mask, and practice social distancing. Happy Trails to You!
Dale A. Stockly, Wagon Master

I like to welcome our two newest members, Sebastian Morgan and James Hinrichs, who were initiated on September 16th. A lot of things have been happening in spite of the COVID closure. We are holding our own financially but need member support. Please come by for dinner on Friday and Wednesday nights, or order take home. These meals are helping our Lodge out a lot. Naturally, social distancing and face masks are required any time you come by for a visit. The card tables and pool tables are open for use as well with proper spacing.

We had our annual District Deputy Grand Exalted Ruler inspection on September 16. We did well according to all reports. He spoke at our meeting, congratulating us on a good job and for staying as open as possible during the COVID crisis. There are a lot of prospective members in a holding pattern for various reasons, mostly related to COVID. We are processing them through the system to become members as fast as we can. There are a number of delinquent members, who are just now paying their dues. There are some mistakes being made on my part as far as billing those who have paid or not billing those that should have been billed for membership. Forgive me as I am new to this job. I want to thank those who are remaining members in spite of the COVID. It’s important to remember that this COVOD crisis will end sometime in the not too far off future, and maintaining an active membership is important for you and the Lodge.

Brad Smith , PER, PDDGER, Lodge Secretary