October 2023 Newsletter

From the Exalted Ruler

Welcome to the start of the busy season at the Lodge! When the leaves start turning, you can expect a lot of events for the rest of the year. I hope to see you up at the Lodge multiple times and help us support our wonderful events

The Cancer Dance was a lot of fun and we raised a substantial amount of money for cancer research. Thank you to everyone who came and made the evening possible. This is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year for cancer research and it wouldn’t be possible without our members.

We kick off October with the reintroduction of our Treasure Hunt game. By the time you read this newsletter, we hopefully have had a few good weeks to help build the jackpot. Make sure to stop by each week and buy your tickets! You can purchase the tickets anytime the Lodge is open.

On October 5th, we will be having an initiation. If you have proposed a new member, make sure to plan on attending Lodge that evening. Our new members appreciate having our members at the ceremony and it shows our Elks community. If you haven’t proposed a new member, you are also welcome to join.

Our last event of October is our soon-to-be world famous Elktoberfest. The big event is on October 28th, and we will be having our party out on the patio. This is our 3rd year of this event, and it raises over $1,000 for the Elks National Foundation (which in turn earns us in excess of $10,000 in grants for the next year). Come enjoy beer, brats, pretzels, and prizes. Lederhosen is optional but encouraged.

Don’t forget to join every Sunday for our Colts pitch-in (unless they aren’t playing). We have had amazing attendance and would love to keep it going. If you are interested in volunteering as the bartender (permit required), the signup sheet is posted at the Lodge.

Mike Hacker
Exalted Ruler

From the Club Operations Manager

Hello!

Another fall season has officially arrived which means the holidays are right around the corner! The next newsletter you receive will formally kick off the rush to the end of the year so please take a moment to note the following dates and add them to your fall/early winter calendars:

The lodge will host a Halloween/ENF fundraiser party on Saturday, October 28. The proceeds will directly benefit the Elks National Foundation (ENF).

Saturday, November 11, is our annual Veterans dance/fundraiser. Reservation sheets are now available and with limited seating capacity, it is important to make sure you have a seat reserved as soon as possible. We have a great band, Comic Situation, scheduled so put on your dancing shoes and do not miss this!

On Monday, November 20, we will serve the annual membership Thanksgiving meal at 6pm. Please see any officer or staff member to sign up. Having an accurate count for meal preparation is crucial. As always, this meal is provided free of charge but only to members of our lodge (in good standing).

If you are planning to spend Thanksgiving eve with us (and we hope that you are), please make your dinner reservations early. This is one of the busiest nights of the entire year and a reservation is the only way to ensure you have a table. We want to be prepared to serve you an awesome meal so please help us make it a great dining experience for you. Please keep in mind that tables may only be reserved for members dining with us on this night. The Doo Band will provide live music from 9pm ? 12:30am.

Last, just a reminder that the Children’s Christmas drive will be well underway by the first of November. Due to the generosity of the Elks 484 membership, many Henry County children will be provided a few gifts from their own personalized wish list as well as some basic necessities. Our local Child Protection Agency relies on us to give these kids a special holiday event that they most likely would not have otherwise. Again this year, Gary and Robin Hedrick will chair the event and I am sure they would welcome some volunteers with shopping and wrapping gifts once the donations are collected.

Hope to see you soon!

Kathy Hunt
Elks 484 Operations Manager