On Nov. 23, St. Petersburg Lodge donated $420 to Dixie Hollins baseball team to thank the team members for assisting during a lodge event. According to coaches Ralph Rogers and Dave Neverline, the money will be used toward the purchase of an “L” screen and a batting cage.
On Nov. 24, St. Petersburg Lodge donated $3,645 to the non-profit Music Sweet Music Inc. (MSM). A $750 check was given to provide music therapy by a board certified music therapist to an 8-year-old boy who not only has a speech and language disability but also has other special needs. The donation will pay for two months of his music therapy. The boy started his customized music therapy program in July 2019 and his parents are very pleased with the progress he has made since he started going to MSM’s music therapy studio. MSM provides this service at zero cost to his parents. The lodge also donated 60 custom-made double-sided quilts made of fleece, 30 tote bags and over a dozen knitted slippers. This donation was valued at $2,895 and MSM will distribute the gifts to the clients they serve during the Christmas season.
Austin Hollis of Boy Scout Troop #417 sponsored by Largo Elks Lodge #2159 was awarded his Eagle Scout rank at a ceremony held at the lodge Nov. 2. His project was the construction of picnic tables for visitors to Taylor Park in Largo, Fla., who are in wheelchairs. He earned 30 merit badges even though only 21 are required for the Eagle Scout rank. He has served as senior patrol leader and just finished serving the troop as junior assistant scoutmaster. He attends St. Petersburg College and is the eighth Eagle Scout from Troop #417.
Pictured are Rob James, scoutmaster; Austin Hollis, Eagle Scout; Janet Rogers, PER, lodge liaison to the troop; and Joe Fritz, assistant scoutmaster.
On Halloween, St. Petersburg Lodge tried trunk-or-treating, a twist on the classic trick-or-treating which brings the ritual to the safety of a private and known parking lot by turning the backs of minivans, trucks and sport utility vehicles into the new front porch. From 6-8 p.m., members were loaded up with a large assortment of candies and watched kids trick-or-treat from car to car. Kids came in waves in pairs or by the dozens. Many of the neighborhood kids fully dressed in Halloween costumes attended. Lodge members socialized, had the opportunity to meet the lodge’s neighbors and showed off their creative themed trunks while seeing all the cute and scary costumes. Congratulations go to Deseray Masi, the winner of the best decorated vehicle in the inaugural event.
Pictured are Deseray Masi with Paula Cope.
St. Petersburg Lodge donated $1,000 to the St. Anthony’s Hospital 10th annual charity golf tournament held Oct. 25 at Copperhead Course at Innisbrook. The lodge was a hole-in-one sponsor. Funds raised will benefit the Susan Sheppard McGillicuddy Breast Center which offers exceptional care for women’s health needs. The tournament also supports the mammography voucher program which helps women who lack insurance or financial resources get access to what could be a lifesaving screening. Exalted Ruler, Dawn Elaine Lieber; Toni Goodrich, PDD; and Jan Durbin Giallourakis volunteered at the Elks tent handing out Elks informational materials, water, soda and crackers to the 128 tournament participants.
Pictured: Toni Goodrich, PDD; Dawn Elaine Lieber, Exalted Ruler; and Jan Durbin Giallourakis
Members of the Dixie Hollins High School Civitan Club served dinner Oct. 12 for the Ladies of Elks’ Not So Beauty Pageant event. The Civitan Club along with other DHHS clubs are raising money for their school’s golf cart to be replaced. It is used by their security guard to patrol the high school’s 65 acres. In Pinellas County, all schools now have a single point of entry and an armed security officer or school resource officer who patrols the campus. Civitan sponsor, Kim Cauler, was appreciative to receive $293 donated by the lodge audience.
St. Petersburg Lodge Exalted Ruler, Dawn Lieber, welcomes Dixie Hollins High School Civitan Club sponsor, Kim Cauler; chaperone, Chris Cauer; and club members Phoenix Eads and Alex Cauler to the lodge Oct. 12.
On Oct. 5, the younger millennials who have never heard of a Rambler or a Datsun 240-Z got to see them. A large crowd of Elks and the general public turned out for St. Petersburg Elks Lodge’s sixth annual classic car show and open house. Drivers and admirers roamed through the sea of classic and offbeat cars, quirky trucks, hot rods, customs, and classic muscle cars. Many reminisced and said they drove the roads as children or teenagers in these types of cars. Dash plaques were issued to the first 100 entries. Prizes were awarded to the car owners and trophies were awarded in various car categories including the coveted best of show. Exalted Ruler, Dawn Lieber, organized the event which was co-chaired by Sharon Literski, Lecturing Knight. Lodge volunteers set up tents, directed traffic and parking, and manned the beverage booths. Music from the 1950s was played by a DJ and the poolside grill and lodge menu tempted the attendees with American classics and more. Comunity members toured the lodge and received information about the Elks and their community projects. The event raised $855 for the Florida Elks Youth Camp and Florida Elks Children’s Therapy Services.
As a last push to meet their goal of $2,000 for Florida Elks Children’s Therapy Services (FECTS), the Tampa Ladies of Elks hosted a low country boil Sept. 13 at the lodge. With the support of the Ladies of Elks and fellow lodge members, they surpassed their goal. At the annual Florida Ladies of Elks conference in Daytona Beach, Fla., Tampa Ladies of Elks President, Jacquie LoCicero, presented a check for $2,500 for FECTS.
Tampa Elks Lodge #708 uses its Elks National Foundation Impact Grant for Club Chivalry for Successful Students, a high school club started by and sponsored by Elks. There is a new club sponsor this year – Caroline Hand. Summer is usually slow, but in August, four Elks went to the school prior to the start of the school year to help Ms. Hand inventory her supplies. The first club meeting was Sept. 16, and Ms. Hand said, “The meeting was AMAZING.” It was her first time seeing the Elks and the students interact. PERs Shelagh Gombarcik and Dee Cisneros did the heavy lifting and got the refreshments out of the walk-in cooler and into the school. Treasurer, Laura Jones, was there as the guest speaker. Helpers Carolyn Miller, Elma Kelly and Linda Peterson distributed refreshments and handled the door prizes. Also in September, there was a field trip to USF. The students toured the campus and dorms and had lunch in the Marshall Center. Forty students made the trip with three Elks among the chaperones. Tampa Elks also provided refreshments before the bus left the high school in the morning.
On Sept. 22, Seminole Lodge Exalted Ruler, Chris Hayes, and the lodge invited the Seminole Chiefs under-12 football team and cheerleaders to the lodge for a special presentation of two checks totaling $750. An additional $100 from members was raised after an amazing performance of dance and cheers.
On Sept. 8, Seminole Elks Lodge #2519 hosted a spaghetti dinner for The Movement School, a nonprofit organization that provides physical and occupational therapy free of charge in the community. All food was donated by the lodge and more than 120 dinners were sold, raising $1,657 for the school. The lodge is excited about this new partnership to show that “Elks Care and Elks Share.”
On June 27, New Port Richey Elks Lodge member Lyn Dexter held a fundraiser at a meeting of the West Coast Claims Association which consists of independent insurance adjusters and raised $275 for Elks National Foundation. Pictured are Brenda Jones, secretary of the association; Lyn Dexter, president; Marilee Mills, PER who received the donation on behalf of the lodge; and Ramon Flores, vice president.
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Louisiana State Legislature Increases New Orleans Hotel Occupancy Tax
The Legislature of the State of Louisiana has acted to increase the New Orleans Hotel Occupancy Tax from 13% to 14.75% effective April 1, 2014. This will affect our convention room rates and they will go from $128.56 to $130.52 per night.
Convention Attendees With ADA Transportation Needs Urged To Contact Grand Lodge
In order for the Grand Lodge to support the transportation needs of attendees with disabilities you are urged to contact the Grand Lodge if you require special assistance. Special coaches capable of kneeling to accommodate wheel chairs will be placed along the routes for those in need. If you require assistance please contact Tina or Jessica at the Grand Lodge as follows:
