The 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 of this lodge rise to every occasion and make a difference in this community.

Today it is those virtues I’d like to highlight as we move into July celebrating our country’s Independence and the courage of our ancestors to come together and create this Nation which subsequently gave birth to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

As a lodge:

• We have provided more scholarships for graduating seniors than almost any other single organization here in Mojave
• We give dictionaries to the elementary school students here and that simple act can provide a sense of hope because maybe, in some small way, we show them that we believe they can rise to the greatness that already exists in them
• We support our Veterans and show our respect to them through our actions at meetings, meals and more for the sacrifices that they have made to protect our freedom
• We support our community with events like the Chili Cook-off, Rib Cook-Off, Easter Egg Hunt, Christmas for Kids, and Halloween that allow the members to come together with the community in celebration of the human spirit
• And last, but certainly not least, we care about each other like family. The trust comes easier sometimes than others, but family stands up for each other when the chips are down and the members of this lodge have shown time and again how they care for each other

Finally, last month I had mentioned a number of members that have actively and consistently supported the lodge this year. Moreover, I asked that if you knew of anyone I had missed and I’d like to add two more members to that list, Sandra and Ashley Wussick, who we can now add to our growing list of members, please take a moment to thank them along with the 20+ others you can find here…