Let Nothing You Dismay

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“God rest you merry gentlemen let nothing you dismay…”

To rest and let nothing cause dismay or dissension, that is my wish for you this holiday season.

Of course, our efforts as members of the Elks are never-ending with activities to plan, meetings to host, events to oversee, and a lodge to run in the mix, yet, with forethought and patience these tasks can all be done calmly and effectively at a pace that allows the beauty and peace of the season to come shining through.

Before we know it, 2020 will be here and a New Year for the lodge will be upon us.

A heartfelt thanks to Paul, Ted, Cindy, Ruben, Joe, Ed, David, Travis, Ramona, Mike, Colleen, Kenny, Ryan, Sandra, Scott, Susie, Warren, Carolyn, Linda, Sharon, John, Perri, Amy, Rebecca, Pat, Paula, Michele, Dianne, Monty, Darin, Debbi, Rose Marie, Vicki, Hank, Michele, Jessica, Alexa, Dolly, Shannon, Bob, Gean, Gary, Tia, TJ, Odessa, Cynthia, Bill, and any other member of either this Lodge and others in our district who have contributed to the success of our lodge during the year!

May God bless you and bring you a wonderful New Year is my prayer!

13 Folds are Worthy Of Fidelity

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Young Marines at Hesperia Elks Lodge Folding Flag During the President's Visit to Inland DistrictDuring President Tim Jaeger and First Lady Sandy’s visit to the Inland District, the Young Marines performed the ceremony honoring the Folding of the Flag at Hesperia Elks Lodge.

It was a beautiful ceremony following the posting of the flags by our Exalted Rulers. Each of the Young Marines demonstrated a fervent desire to exhibit all the qualities worthy of the name in their actions and carriage.

As we state so often, the destiny of our order is linked to the destiny of our country and we all need to be reminded that there IS a reason for the things we do, from the meetings to the processes for membership or the records we keep and even to the number of folds in the flag which symbolized both our country and our station of Charity.

Here is the list describing each fold.

1. The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life.
2. The second fold signifies our belief in eternal life.
3. The third fold is made in honor and tribute of the veteran departing our ranks, and who gave a portion of his or her life for the defense of our country to attain peace.
4. The fourth fold exemplifies our weaker nature as citizens trusting in God; it is to Him we turn for His divine guidance.
5. The fifth fold is an acknowledgment to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, “Our Country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right, but it is still our country, right or wrong.”
6. The sixth fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
7. The seventh fold is a tribute to our armed forces, for it is through the armed forces that we protect our country and our flag against all enemies.
8. The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor our mother, for whom it flies on Mother’s Day.
9. The ninth fold is an honor to womanhood, for it has been through their faith, love, loyalty, and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great have been molded.
10. The tenth fold is a tribute to father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of our country since he or she was first-born.
11. The eleventh fold, in the eyes of Hebrew citizens, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
12. The twelfth fold, in the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost.
13. The last fold, when the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, “In God We Trust.”

Agreements and Reminders

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I have been blessed to serve in the Elks in several different lodges and most of the chair positions and while I hope to continue to find new ways to continue and grow I am still in awe of the obligation and what we promise to ourselves and each other when we join.

I, in the presence of God and this Lodge of Elks, do solemnly promise and swear that I will  never reveal any of the confidential matters of this  Order which have been, or may hereafter be, committed to my charge and keeping.

I will support the Constitution, and obey the  Statutes, rules and regulations of this Order, and the By-Laws of Mojave Lodge, No. 2059, and those of any other Lodge of which I may hereafter become a Member.

I will uphold the Constitution and laws of the  United States of America.

I will propose no one for membership in this Order whom I do not sincerely believe to be worthy thereof.

I will ballot for a worthy candidate and against an unworthy candidate when proposed by another.

I will not permit any political, sectarian or personal prejudice to influence me in the slightest degree in the exercise of my right of franchise in the Order.

I will obey any lawful summons sent me by any competent authority of the Order.

I will never apply to the courts for redress in any matter concerning the Order, without first appealing to the councils of the Order.

I will never reveal to anyone, not an Elk, the name of a Member asking or receiving aid or relief from the Order.

I will not, directly or indirectly, use my membership in this Order, nor any emblem, insignia or sign thereof, for business or commercial purposes.

I will never introduce into the Order anything of a political or sectarian character, nor in any way by my conduct bring reproach upon it.

I will always protect our Members, their good names and their families; and I will always respect and defend the purity and sanctity of their homes and firesides.

If I break this Obligation, may I wander through the world forsaken; may I be pointed out as a being bereft of decency, unfit to hold communion with true and upright Members.

And may God help me, and keep me steadfast in this my solemn and binding Obligation in the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the United States of America.. Amen

Then from the station of Fidelity, we are reminded…

I trust that you may continue to merit their approval, and become a true and faithful member among us. To accomplish this, you must at all times have in mind the solemn and binding Obligation which you have so recently assumed, and I charge you that your highest duty as an Elk is to keep it inviolate. Conscience will not permit you to expunge a paragraph, eliminate a sentence, or evade a responsibility; nor can you lay it aside when you leave the Lodge room, for it must henceforth be your constant guide and faithful monitor.

Fidelity implies strict adherence to our Obligation and faithfulness in the discharge of our duty as members of society.

At the end of the day, when we remember our agreement and focus on the good we do for the community and our fellow Elks, we make a great team and I want to say thank you. May you and yours be blessed! See you at the lodge.

Sincerely,
Kira Wagner, PER
Exalted Ruler 2019-2020 Mojave Lodge #2059

August Notes From The Exalted Ruler

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A shout out to Scott & Sandra Baker, David & Travis Behrens, and Jessica Rogers, Clifford Yates, and Ed Orchard for all of the help over the past few weeks. The toilet in the ladies bathroom is working, the cakes and meals have been wonderful and things are getting fixed! Ted and Cindy have been working diligently to make sure we stay on top of the changes and demands on the business side of things so when you see ANY of these folks – PLEASE SAY THANKS.
Thank you to the members that stepped up to become part of the Officer Corps, we still are in need of an Esquire and 1 Year Trustee but we have the following changes:

  • Lecturing Knight – Paul Wagner
  • Inner Guard – Travis Behrens
  • Tiler – John Ashcraft

We are honored to have Warren Guest as our new District Deputy Grand Exalted Ruler and I encourage all of our members and their families who live in the area to join us on August 10 for his dinner. Additionally,  any member is welcome and encouraged to attend the clinic that same afternoon. You’ll find more details on the calendar and on the website.

Members that attended the lodge meeting on 7/17 heard the report from the Grand Lodge Convention, all members may view the daily newsletters available at the lodge. We’re including the results from the proposed resolutions and you’ll note the ones that passed in bold.

Again, thank you to each and every one of you for all you do for the lodge!

 

 

BPO Elks Grand Lodge Resolution, Voting Results 2019 St Louis, MO Ballots Cast 2989

2019-01 To authorize the merger of two or more State Associations. 83% PASS

2019-02 To provide a procedure for the merger of State Associations. 81% PASS

2019-03 To require the Officers of the Lodge to perform the Ritual during the official visit of the District Deputy Grand Exalted Ruler. 39% FAIL

2019-04 To make sure that no jewels or regalia are worn outside the Lodge room except during special ceremonies. 83% PASS

2019-05 To allow Lodges to amend their By-Laws to provide for a different rate of dues for married couples residing at the same address 28% FAIL

2019-06 To add the Secretary and Treasurer to the Board of Directors. 46% FAIL

2019-07 To allow caregivers and/or drivers of disabled Members to remain in the Social Quarters during a meeting. 85% PASS

2019-08 To define a Member in Good Standing and confirm that an Elk who is suspended from Club privileges is still a Member in Good Standing 72% PASS

2019-09 To move the definition of an Unaffiliated Elk to the Definition Chapter and confirm that an Elk whose Membership is suspended in any manner is an Unaffiliated Elk 90% PASS

2019-10 To transfer the responsibilities for membership marketing from the Fraternal Committee to the Committee on Public Relations and Membership Marketing. 90% PASS

2019-11 To codify that an Executive Order issued by the Grand Exalted Ruler may suspend a Member’s social privileges in the Order. 90% PASS

2019-12 To require Lodges to meet at least twice in February, March and April and to provide an alternative method of Notice for special meetings called for the sole purpose of Initiation.

61% PASS

2019-13 To allow District Deputies to be appointed to Districts other than their home District. 47% FAIL

2019-14 To replace the requirement of an Annual Financial Report (audit, review or compilation) with a standardized on-line financial reporting system. 60% PASS

2019-15 To provide how the Board of Director positions in a for profit corporation shall be constituted.  74% PASS

Making It Work FOR Our Community – Elks Hoop Shoot In Mojave

Mojave ELks Lodge #2059 Posted on by
Jr Miss Faith Ogden-Ashcraft and Isiah Watts in their Award Winning Photo

Jr Miss Faith Ogden-Ashcraft and Isiah Watts in their Award-Winning Photo (Young Miss Priscilla Ponce not pictured due to previous engagement)

Our Hoop Shoot Chair, Alexa Rogers works for UPS so her holiday season is beyond busy. As a result, she asked that Mojave Elks hold their Hoop Shoot contest in July. Held Sunday, July 28 we had wonderful contestants and our Mojave Queens came out to help support the Hoop Shoot. Two of them, Junior Miss, Faith Ogden-Ashcraft and Young Miss, Priscilla Ponce competed winning in their age group. Along with Isiah Watts, our 3rd winner, we want to congratulate all of our winners and look forward to their continuing their basketball journey at the Inland District Contest in December.

The Elks National Hoop Shoot is a Free Throw Program for Youth Ages 8-13 and through the Hoop Shoot program, the Elks have been developing and reinforcing grit for nearly 50 years—long before researchers and experts concluded that grit is so important for our children.

Each year, the names of the six national champions are inscribed in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Two of the Frank Hise National Champions are in attendance when the inductees are honored at the Enshrinement Ceremony. The 2020 Hoop Shoot National Finals will take place on April 18, 2020, in Chicago.

You can read more as well as watch several videos on the Elks Grand Lodge Website here www.elks.org/hoopshoot0

Mojave Queens supporting the Mojave Elks Hoop Shoot

Mojave Queens supporting the Mojave Elks Hoop Shoot

Mojave Queens 2019 - 2020 Put In Hours of Community Service and Mojave Elks Lodge is Proud to be associated with them.

Mojave Queens Put The Hearts Into Their Work

A Moment Frozen In Time with Priscilla Ponce at the Mojave Hoop Shoot

A Moment Frozen In Time with Young Miss Priscilla Ponce at the Mojave Hoop Shoot

Elks Teen Drug Awareness New Resources

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In addition to lessons on Alcohol, Bullying, and Marijuana the Elks Teen Drug Awareness site is so much more than a website. It’s a comprehensive educational resource for parents, teachers, and youth.

Once you get to the site, you’ll have the opportunity to register and create lesson plans, take quizzes, play games, watch videos and so much MORE.

Starting with one of the videos from the site, here are just a few of the resources you’ll find when you look under the cover and I encourage you to take advantage of this wealth of knowledge and be proactive in the future and safety of our youth.

Blog Articles

  • Bulling: Innocent Bystander
  • Creative Ways To Say No To Alcohol
  • Types of Bullying
  • The Juul: Facts, Figures & Truth
  • Dangers of Alcohol
  • Bullying vs Conflict
  • Tobacco and Leadership

Video’s

  • ‘She wanted to use one more time’
  • Macklemore Talks Addiction at WE Day Toronto 2016
  • Facing Addiction
  • Drug Awareness Makeup Transformation
  • From Honor Student To Heroin Addict
  • Drug Addiction Experiences/Teenage Drugs Stories
  • Opioid dependence & opioid use disorder

Trivia Game Topics

  • Alcohol
  • Bullying
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Decision-Making
  • Depressants
  • Feelings
  • Gambling
  • General Info
  • Grief
  • Hallucinogens
  • Marijuana
  • Self-Esteem
  • Steroids
  • Stimulants
  • Stress
  • Success
  • Tobacco

Contests

Video – The contest is open to three age groups, Pre-high school, High School and Post Graduates. Participants may be an individual or group, the length of the video should be 2 to 5 minutes in length and on a flash drive or similar “mobile” media in readable format. Please contact your local Elks Lodge for additional information, as some areas might have additional criteria.

Essay – The contest is open to all 6th, 7th, & 8th grade students. Participants must write their essay themselves, but they may get help from teachers, parents, or friends in the form of ideas. Length: No longer than 250 words – Paper size: 8½” × 11″ – Text: Typed, computer generated text, hand written or hand printed

Poster – The contest is open to all 3rd, 4th, & 5th grade students. Poster paper: Ideally, posters should be submitted on 8½” × 11″ inch paper. However, posters submitted on paper up to 11×24 inches in size will be accepted. Please contact your local Elks Lodge for additional information, as some areas might have additional criteria.

Again, here is what you’ll see when you get to the site, so click on the image below to get started today.

Mojave Elks link to Elks Teen Drug Awareness

Mojave Elks Wins Best Website In California-Hawaii and 5-STAR Rating From Grand Lodge

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Recently released by the California-Hawaii Elks Association and the Grand Lodge — Mojave Elks #2059 Website has been awarded the National 5 Star Award, which is the highest award possible from the Grand Lodge for Website Design and Implementation.

The Fraternal Committee of the Grand Lodge awards Local Lodges who keep their Members informed and active in Grand Lodge Programs and local communities’ projects through a Local Lodge website and/or Facebook page. Our Website was judged on the Content, Layout, Design, Graphics, and telling the Elks story. It is important that our lodges get the message out about the great things Elks Do and having an updated, easy to use site, is an important step in that process.

Congratulations to all the Elks lodges who where recognized on the list and also to our very own Mojave Elks Lodge for achieving the 5 Star Award.

 

Winning The Internet: Top Elks Web Sites of 2018-2019

Results of the Grand Lodge Fraternal Committee’s 2018–2019 web site contests have been announced.

Five Star:
Kenton, OH No. 157: www.kentonelks157.com
Morgantown, WV No. 411: www.bpoelks411.org
Connellsville, PA No. 503: www.paelks.com/elks503.html
Frankfort, KY No. 530: www.frankfortelks.org
Murphysboro, IL No. 572: www.elks572.org
Annapolis, MD No. 622: www.elks622.com
Ballard, WA No. 827: www.ballardelks.org
Dalton, GA No. 1267: www.daltonelks.org
Mojave, CA No. 2059: www.mojaveelks.com
Clifton Park, NY No. 2466: www.elks.org/lodges/home.cfm?LodgeNumber=2466
Jupiter, FL No. 2469: www.jupiterelks.org
Calabash, NC No. 2679: www.calabashelks.org

Four Star
Danbury, CT No. 120: danburyelks.org
Fredericksburg, VA No. 875: elkslodge875.org
Sierra Vista, AZ No. 2065: elks.org/lodges/home.cfm?LodgeNumber=2065
Mountain Home, ID No. 2276: elks.org/lodges/home.cfm?LodgeNumber=2276
Broken Arrow, OK No. 2673: elks.org/lodges/home.cfm?LodgeNumber=2673

Three Star
South Haven, MI No. 1509: elks.org/lodges/home.cfm?LodgeNumber=1509
Hamilton, NJ No. 2262: facebook.com/hamiltonelks2262

Happy Birthday America

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Having passed through over half of 2019, I want to wish a “Happy Birthday/Happy July 4th” to my fellow Elks and Americans.

As Elks, we take a very special interest in our Nations wellbeing and a fair amount of pride in the freedoms we enjoy from sunrise to sunrise.

The past few months have been filled with plenty of activity in each area of the lodge and so many members have pitched in on the different fronts that we support. Most recently, we have had the Chili Cook-off and the Association Vice-President’s dinner and both were a success. Through your efforts, we’ve raised money for our Major Project, our Kitchen, and our Queens. And it’s because of you. Each person has their own unique strengths and together we make a good team!

Thank you to the following for their help with the Chili Cook-off and the AVP dinner as well as much of the work that has been done around the lodge: Ruben Andrade, Charlie Guest, Linda Brooks, Gary Sampley, Sandra, Scott and Breanna Baker, Clifford Yates, Bob Fusik, Homer Hansen, Ed Orchard, David and Travis Behrens, Ramona Mestas, Alexa and Jessica Rogers, Ted, Cindy and Joe Hodgkinson, Colleen Heller, Hank Parker, Warren Guest, Ryan Heller, John and Sharon Ashcraft, David Cleveland, Rebecca Watts, Amy Cook, Bob Friend, Paul Wagner, our Mojave Queens and their families as well as the families of our members who support them as they spend their time on lodge activities. In addition to our own members, I’d like to thank those who joined us for the AVP visit!! And, if I’ve left anyone out – please forgive me and let me know!

It Takes A Village

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When you look at the large scale events put on by the lodge it’s easy to see that the successful ones have a strong team of helpers involved. Our 1st Responders Dinner included a team to create the most successful one we’ve had to date.

With the support of members and family including: Robbie Pierce, Suzie Vogt, Ed Orchard, Joe Hodgkinson, Kenny Miller, Brenna Baker, Travis Behrens, Dave Behrens, Cliff Yates, Devon Trego, Linda Brooks, Paul Wagner, Karen Weil, Norma Bradford, Ted Hodgkinson, Sandra Baker, Scott Baker, Shannon Kilby, Ramona Mestas, Ryan Heller and our Queens – Maiah Watanabe, Faith Ogden-Ashcraft, and Priscilla Scott all investing time and effort, we provided dinners for 22 1st responders and an enjoyable evening for many of our members.

Then our Mother’s Day Brunch was one of the most beautiful presentations of ceremony and food we’ve had in years with the additional help (many of the above-named individuals helped again on Mother’s Day) of Jessica Rogers, Alexa Rogers, Cindy Turner, Bill Slack, Cynthia Hodgkinson, Rebecca Watts, Ruben Andrade, and Sandra Baker’s granddaughter, Alyssa.

Our lodge is stronger when we work together and we’ve seen that time and again.

When you look at the list of names, yours may not be among them at this time but you may have purchased a meal, shared the event on Facebook, or invited a friend. As a result, your participation is no less valuable because all the food prepared with no one to eat – means little. So know this, I appreciate everything each of you does to continue to help strengthen and grow our lodge as well as the community. We’ll do it all again for the Chili Cook-Off Weekend coming June 14-15.

Also, June will see a new approach to our initiation when “A special meeting for the purpose of initiation” will be held on Sunday, June 9 with a potluck and celebratory cake following to allow more members to come and support the initiation.
I look forward to seeing you around the lodge!

Sincerely,
Kira Wagner, PER
Finding The Gold In Our Members

A New Year with New Opportunities

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As much as I love the charitable work we do, I love performing and one of my favorite passages during the ritual reads:

“Our time upon the stage of action is but brief, yet in the drama each must play a part. The character is left for each to choose; a villain if we will, or person of honor, holding high above all things — high as Hope’s great throbbing star above the darkness of the dead — respect for virtue, and love of family and home and friend.”

We have a limited amount of time here to make an impact, to make a difference in our world, and it is through that respect and love that we are offered an opportunity to choose and act on those changes that what we want to create around us.

Because of your trust in me, the next year finds me serving as your Exalted Ruler for another term and I look forward to additional opportunities to move the lodge and our community forward in success and possibilities. Along with the rest of our new officers and the vision they bring to the lodge, I firmly believe we are in a position to enjoy that prosperity for years to come.

Many of you took advantage to meet our new officers during the installation dinner and you also experienced the changes with the Elk of the Year and Member Appreciation Dinner. With members like these joining our ranks “Finding the Gold in Our Members” will be a joy.

Kira Wagner ER Pin 2019-2020

Kira Wagner, PER
Exalted Ruler 2019-2020
“Finding The Gold In Our Members”