Tampa Elks - Exalted Ruler

I am an Elk.
I am an Elk because an Elk saw something in me that would allow me to be a good Elk.
When asked, I eagerly joined my local Lodge and embraced its greatness.
We became Elks because our organization is meaningful, powerful, and important to our country, our community, our friends and our family.
We remain Elks because we embrace our mission, our duty, and our members.
We patronize our Lodge because brotherhood and fellowship are a cornerstone of who Elks are.
Working together, we can accomplish great things.
Being an Elk is not about self. We are a group of individuals with many ideas, countless skills, and the inexhaustible desire to serve. Elks are not about what an individual can extract from membership; it is what needs to be done to support it.
We rejoice at being Elks because we take pride in the successes of the children, our veterans, and the communities we serve.
We practice being Elks by being there when needed, stepping up when asked, and volunteering our time and resources when necessary.
I cannot be a good Elk without my fellow Elks; we are a team.

Exalted Ruler - A.J. Matthews

I am not afraid to say Merry Christmas! Now, I understand that there are people out there who may not think wishing someone a Merry Christmas is a politically correct thing to do. Well, I don’t care. And I will not apologize for wishing someone good tidings during this time of year either. If you disagree with me, Baaaaaaah Humbug!

Regardless of the source you seek to find the beginning of Christmas, there is no doubt that it is indeed a Christian holiday intended to celebrate the birth of Jesus. However, the exact date is not generally known, but historians believe Jesus was born somewhere between 7 and 2 BC. According to Wikipedia, that period is based upon narratives of Jesus’ birth in the New Testament’s Canonical gospels. There are a number of theories, beliefs, and justifications for naming or designating December 25th as Christmas Day, which include: a date nine-months following the date of the conception of Jesus, the date of the Roman Winter Solstice, and the beginning the season of “Christmastide,” which is larger and lasts for twelve days. In the United States, Christmas became a federal holiday on June 26th, 1870 with an act of Congress. In fact, during our country’s first Christmas following the Revolutionary War in 1789, Congress didn’t even take a break. They just worked through the day. It wasn’t until the 1800s that Christmas became more main-stream. In the early 1800s, Christmas took on the nature of a rowdy carnival and did not become a mainstream family oriented celebration until the mid to late 1800s. But enough with the theory and the history of Christmas. All real Elks know that Christmas is about Santa Claus, presents for kids, and sharing food, drink, and good times with each other. The wide eyes of children when they are handed a gift they never expected to receive, the grateful smile of a parent who couldn’t otherwise provide for their family, and the calm hush that envelopes our community in the wee hours of Christmas morning. Let’s never forget what that feels like. Merry Christmas.

Sunday, December 4th was designated Elks Memorial Day. On this day we remembered the members who departed us during 2011. We held our Memorial Ritual in the Lodge Room followed by a meal. The families of our absent members, members, and guests attended.

The Children’s Christmas Party was on December 11th. Linda Reid once again agreed to kick-start and organize that effort.

The Adult/Family Christmas party and “Chinese Gift Exchange” will be on Saturday, December 17th, and you don’t want to miss that.

There will be a number of private parties in the Lodge hall, so if you have the giving spirit in you, why don’t you volunteer to set-up or take down following the events?

At the end of the month we will again host our New Year’s Eve Party! It looks like the A-Team of Al, Addison, Bob Snyder, and yours truly will again enter the kitchen and don our aprons to deliver a meal fit for the Best People on Earth! I will buy extra filet mignon so we won’t run out. (Last year, Bob, Addison, and I had to eat chicken.) Tickets are on sale at the bar and like last year, remain only $25. You will need a ticket to stay in the Lodge after 6:00PM, but that ticket will get you hors d’oeuvres, dinner, music by “Street Life” band, and a champagne toast at midnight followed by breakfast so you can start the New Year off just right. Last year was a sell-out. What is new this year is that Nancy Keesler has promised us a Roaring 20s theme which should go over big, REAL BIG!

Before I sign-off, I thank all of our members and all of our Veterans who attended last month’s Veterans Appreciation Ball. We raised nearly $700 for our Veterans and had a great time. For those who missed it, you missed a good one; one that many of our members believe we should host again. I am always in the mood for a party, especially when it means we can also honor and support Veterans.

And remember, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy December and Happy New Year!