May 2023 Newsletter

From The Exalted Ruler:

Have you paid your dues? It’s that time where we send the check to our Grand Lodge, and we need all our members to pay their dues ASAP. If you do not pay, you lose access to the Lodge, entry into any drawings (daily, weekly, monthly), ability to purchase drinks, and access to our events.

Now that we have that out of the way, I would like to thank everyone for attending the ER Ball. It was an incredible night, and it was great to see the Lodge packed again. I also want the thank Cinda McMillan and her team for making the place look great. And if you didn’t attend the Farewell Bus Trip, you missed a great time thanking Gary Purvis for his time as ER. It was a blast visiting the Franklin, Greenfield, and Rushville Lodges. You won’t want to miss this trip in the future.

Last, but not least, I want to update you on our grants for this year. We have secured $3,500 to stock our food pantry for this year and $6,000 to provide coats for students in the New Castle Community School System. The next time you see Chris Wilkey, buy him a drink for his hard work in securing these grants each year.

May is loaded with different events at the Lodge. Make sure to sign up early for each event because they will fill up.

May 6 – Derby Party hosted by Pat Williams – Come in your derby outfit and hat
May 13 – PER Ball featuring The Funkyard Dogs – Reservations required
May 29 – Memorial Day Breakfast and Parade – Bring the family
June 3 – Elks Cancer Golf Outing – Memorial Park Golf Course

This is just the start of an event-packed year at the Lodge. I look forward to seeing you all at the Lodge on a regular basis.

Mike Hacker – Exalted Ruler

From The Club Operations Manager

Hello! I am so happy announce that the wheel chair ramp is now complete and our lodge is officially handicap accessible!!

We are kicking May off in a big way. PAT WILLIAMS IS HAVING A PARTY – A Kentucky Derby Party on Saturday May 6. Pat’s Derby Party begins at 4pm and the race is scheduled for approximately 6. Dust off your old derby hats or throw one together for the “Kentucky Derby Hat Contest”. Drink Specials and Bucket Betting begin at 4pm and will continue until the start of the 149th “Greatest Two Minutes in Sports”.

The PER BALL is scheduled for Saturday May 13. Dinner will be served from 6 – 8:30pm. The Funkyard Dog Band will perform after dinner (starting at 9pm). Please make your reservations as soon as possible and don’t miss this opportunity to show the past exalted rulers that we appreciate what they have contributed to our lodge. As anyone who has sat in the lodge chairs will tell you, membership participation is what drives everything!

The officers will host the annual MEMORIAL DAY BREAKFAST on Monday, May 29 and will provide your choice of biscuits and gravy or pancakes and sausage. Breakfast will be available from 8 – 9:30am. Please feel free to watch the New Castle parade (scheduled to begin at 10am) from the front porch or our lawn.

We are truly happy that business is steady at the bingo hall and the lodge. We sincerely appreciate that so many of you love to dine at the Elks and come out for events/fundraisers. The larger crowds can sometimes tax the bartenders, servers and the kitchen staff but they strive to provide the best possible service to our members. Our kitchen is small and sometimes I am in awe of how much food the staff manages to get out the window in a period of less than 2 hours. Please join me in expressing gratitude to the lodge and bingo team for their efforts!

Have a blessed Memorial Day! Hope to see you soon

Kathy Hunt – Lodge Operations Manager