Our website, mojaveelks.com received a citation from California-Hawaii Elks Association (chea-elks.org) for having the best website out of all 168 CHEA lodges. Thanks to our members for providing timely and relevant information to the site.
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Great Ruler of the universe, all-seeing and benign, Look down upon and bless our work, and be all glory Thine; May Charity as taught us here be ever borne in mind, The Golden Rule our motto true, for days of Auld Lang Syne. BPOE opening ode sung to the tune of Auld Lang Syne Whether it is a […]
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On November 11, 2018, Mojave Elks Lodge celebrated our Veteran’s with a BBQ / Potluck, which as attended by Veteran’s and our Mojave Queens. We take a moment to say Thank You to our members who have served our country. Below is a list of our current members who have served in the Armed Forces. Please […]
Continue readingJohn F Kennedy, a notable member of our order, is often quoted as saying “ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country”. While we often use this quote when we’re trying to rally support for an event or a cause, however, Former President Kennedy finished his […]
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In its entirety our mission statement reads: “To inculcate the principles of Charity, Justice, Brotherly Love and Fidelity; to recognize a belief in God; to promote the welfare and enhance the happiness of its Members; to quicken the spirit of American patriotism; to cultivate good fellowship; to perpetuate itself as a fraternal organization, and to […]
Continue readingThe faults of our members we write upon the sand, their virtues upon the tablets of love and memory… Forgetting faults is not always an easy task and sometimes the sand tends to solidify for a time before it is blown away to become dust in the wind, but fortunately, I have seen the members […]
Continue readingTime waits for no one and it is flying by here at the lodge! It is so easy to find fault these days with what was done wrong, what wasn’t done, what should have be done differently… you get the idea. We all have our ideas of “how” something “should” be and too often, we […]
Continue readingApril saw the lodge off and running full steam with many new officers and committee chairs. Life is like that – we never know how things may change and the beauty of this group is that we adapt. You’ll notice we have a new Kitchen Manager and I’m SO excited that Sandra Baker has accepted […]
Continue readingWith every change comes opportunity… As your new Exalted Ruler, I look forward to building on the foundation laid by past administrations as well as making the most of our time together during the next 12 months! Additionally, I appreciate the fact that we have several PER’s still actively involved in the lodge – their […]
Continue readingThe last weekend saw over 1000 members of the California Hawaii Elks Association (one segment of the larger Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks) gather in Palm Springs at the Westin to reconnect, educate, and celebrate the accomplishments of the past year.
The fact that this is a volunteer organization that continues to support communities by working with such groups as the youth, our veterans, scouting and so much more is just the starting point of why I actively support the BPOE.
Then there are the friendships that are created, some instantaneous, some cultivated over time. In my 10 (short) years there are those that, when we meet at the lodge or a convention, it’s like “old home week” with stories, smiles and laughter. In the last year we moved and our membership is now at Mojave Lodge and again, we have connected with wonderful individuals. They care and work hard to create a place of camaraderie for the folks who provide a service through their membership in this organization.
It’s that “service” element that keeps me inspired and here is just one of the stories from convention.
As you may or may not know, one of the programs that the Elks provide is the “Major Project”. In the various states, the focus may be slightly different but ultimately, it is about helping to create a better world for everyone. Here in our association our Major Project provides therapeutic resources for children that may not be able to receive help and in some cases, were determined beyond help. But the latter is a story for another day.
Today we celebrate the joy of Aya. Aya is our 2017-18 theme child and a delight to be around. But it wasn’t too long ago that the story was different. At 3 ½ Aya was speaking below a 1 year old level due to a condition known as Apraxia. Today at 5 ½, with the help of her speech therapy through the CHEA Major Project, “she is now an independent, sociable, verbal, outgoing, happy and confident girl”. To play a part in that change, no matter how small, is success. Our future lies in the hands of the youth and to be a part of an organization that continues to make such a profound difference in not only a single life but also all the lives they touch is beyond words.
It is with deep gratitude that I echo the appreciation shared by our Exalted Ruler Warren Guest during the Major Project parade, we want to thank PER Todd Smith for his efforts over the last year to help our lodge raise funds to contribute to the well-being of children throughout our association.