Bylaw Changes to be Read and Voted on
As in the past, we will be open every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night from 4:00 – 9:00 pm throughout February. The Board of Trustees will meet at 5:30 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Thursday while the Officers will meet on the same nights at 6:30. In order to adjust to our new environment and satisfy the rules set up by the Grand Lodge, it has become necessary for us to amend some of our bylaws. The proposed amendment changes will be handed out in writing and read before the members present at the scheduled Lodge meeting held on February 10, 2005. The proposed changes will then be laid over until the regular meeting held on February 24, 2005. At the latter regularly scheduled meeting the changes will be voted on by all members present.

Renewal of Dues
Toward the end of February, renewal of dues notices for the 2005-2006 year will be mailed out. We cannot afford another heavy loss in membership so I hope that all 402 current members will stay with the Lodge and Club by renewing their dues. Fortunately, it is the payment of these dues that has kept the Lodge and Club going. Furthermore, it has allowed us to continue to help the kids and veterans in our district with the Hoop Shoot, the Angel Tree Program, Scholarships, the Essay Contest, and the One Star Banner Program along with many other programs that help this community. I can’t explain why 190 members, many of whom were members for 15 or more years with some of them being Past Exalted Rulers, Trustees and Officers, have decided not to keep up their membership. I do know this. When the Elks came into existence, it was not meant to be an organization whose primary purpose was to serve food and alcohol. In fact, according to the history records on file, our Club did not even have a liquor license until the late 1960s and we did not serve food until after World War II.

Essay Contest
This year, for the first time that I can remember, the Lodge participated in the Elks National Essay Contest. There were sixty-one students in our district that submitted essays on “What Old Glory Means to Me”. I wish to thank Dr. Mary Ryder and Ms. Naomi Poppen, from S.D.S.U., for grading these essays and picking the winners. In the 5th and 6th grade category, the winners are Paul Jacobson, Brookings Central Elementary School, first place, Derek Adee, Volga Christian School, second place and Hans Tvedt, Volga Christian School, third place. In the 7th and 8th grade division, the winners were Lindsay Full, Canby, Minnesota, first place, Weston Adkins, Volga Christian School, second place and Alex Greenway, Canby, Minnesota, third place. The essay for these six individuals will be forwarded to the Chairman of the Grand Lodge Americanism Committee for competition at the national level.

Volunteering
Please think about volunteering to be on the Board of Trustees, to be an Officer or to serve on one of our 16 different committees. Being on the Board or an Officer takes between 1 and 2 hours a month. Many of the committees require between 2 to 10 hours per year. For example, the hoop shoot coordinator spends about 9 hours a year while the youth activities coordinator spends about 4 hours per year. I do know this; we don’t have a chance of making things work out in the future if you fail to volunteer and continue to depend on the ER and a few other people to do most of the work. Help me out as the ER by stepping up and calling me to let me know that you are willing to help out the Club and the Lodge. Do it now because elections take place at the second Lodge meeting in February. By the way, this is a good time to thank Ron Deutsch for picking up the alcohol, opening the bar and serving as a bartender at the club after I had my surgery in January. Ron you will never know how much I appreciate your assistance.

Meals on Membership Nights:
Hy-Vee will continue to cater the meals on a first come first serve basis every Thursday night from 6:00 – 8:00 pm.

Here are the meals for the month of February:

Home Page, Newsletter and e-mail addresses:
Our e-mail address is Elks1490@mchsi.com Send me a message saying that you want the newsletter by e-mail and help the Lodge save some money. Wendy has finished the home page but we cannot use it until the members vote to spend the funds needed to set up the home page and to keep it going, which will be much cheaper than sending out bulk mail. Thank you Wendy. Once the home page is up and running the monthly newsletter will be posted on the home page along with all other pertinent information concerning the Lodge and the Club. Any member that has access to the Internet will then be able to read all the posted information. The snowbirds need to send me their winter address.
Jerry Bergum, ER