Greetings fellow Elks!  I am honored and humbled to have been elected your Exalted Ruler for 2015-2016.  Rest assured, this is a role I take seriously and something for which I have been preparing since I first became an officer in March 2010.

Helping me with that preparation has been our good friend and outgoing E.R. Terry Lincoln.  A big thanks goes out to Terry for his leadership.  His years of experience as the Zoo Director prepared him well for the varied and ongoing challenges of E.R.  (Not to mention shepherding another set of animals called “Officers”!)  I would also like to thank Di Lincoln for her own hard work and dedication to the Elks.  Together, the Lincolns represented Lodge #1199 with undeniable grace and dignity.

According to the Elks manual, the Exalted Ruler “is the President and Executive Officer of the Lodge. The E.R. is responsible for all operations, programs, social quarter activities of the Lodge and presides at each Lodge session”.  This is quite a daunting task, for sure!  But I am confident the job will be made a lot easier with a great set of Officers and Trustees!

I would like to congratulate the following people and thank them in advance for dedicating their time and talents in the upcoming year: Rich Skjonsby – Esteemed Leading Knight; Jeff Carlson – Esteemed Loyal Knight; Chad Gasser – Esteemed Lecturing Knight; Brian Peterson – Esquire; Mark Webster – Inner Guard; Mike LaLonde – Tiler; Arlan Scholl – Lodge Secretary; Daryl Aberle – Treasurer; Bob Dolajak – Organist, and Trustees Keith Ulmer, Buzz Benson, Scott Volkert, Rod Bakken, and Dennis Hensel.  Thanks also to outgoing Trustee Rick Parkes.  And finally, thanks to all of you, Lodge #1199 members, for your dedication and support of the Elks. [Read more…]

Download the latest newsletter. March 2015 Newsletter  (PDF 4MB)

It’s March and my hope is the weather will be gentle on us and allow us to enjoy some great early spring weather.  It’s amazing that my year as Exalted Ruler is almost finished…time truly does fly when you are having fun!

This past year has indeed flown by and I have enjoyed being in this position and thank you for trusting me with this high honor.  I would like to thank all of the past, current and future Officers and Trustees for their dedication given and to come.  Thanks also to the Past Exalted Rulers for their willingness to help out in so many ways.  When starting as an Officer, you are “promised” that it will only be a time commitment of “two meetings per month.”  By the time you reach the Exalted Ruler level it can be two meetings per night on some occasions, but it’s all worth it knowing that you are working on behalf of the largest Elks Lodge in the nation.  I have faith in the judgment, care and concern that the future slate of Officers and Trustees have for this institution and know that they will do their best in seeing that any issues that need improved are handled and we maintain a high level of service to our community as well as to our members.  I would also like to thank our Lodge Secretary, Arlan Scholl for his work in keeping everything going in so many ways.  The job as Lodge Secretary has many facets that most of us don’t even realize and I appreciate his efforts in seeing to it that things happen in a timely manner.  I have met on a regular basis with our General Manager, Tresha Peters, and know that she possesses a great deal of care and a concern for making a visit to our Lodge a great experience for our members and their guests.  [Read more…]

Download the latest newsletter. February 2015 Newsletter (PDF 4MB)

We just finished a busy month at your Elks Lodge with some exciting events having taken place. We experienced busy times during the New Year’s celebration, with the officers and trustees thoroughly enjoying serving many of you for free Tom and Jerrys and Bloody Marys. Lots of chili was on-hand and thousands of dollars was raised and paid-out to the military-oriented recipients at the Brother’s Keeper’s Motorcycle Club chili cookoff. I received many good comments from people who attended about the nice bunch of individuals from this club who made this event fun and friendly. We can’t wait to have them back for next year’s event! Hopefully you had a chance to partake in the Bismarck-Mandan Elks Men’s Chorus breakfast and bake sale which was recently held. This talented group of men and their leaders are well-known and respected throughout our community and beyond and it is good that we can support them in this manner. Looking forward to February, the Elks is the place to be at Super Bowl time! Be sure to stop in at the Theodore Roosevelt Bar upstairs for the big game on February 1st and enjoy free food at half time and drink specials. If your team didn’t make it you can always show up for the commercials. [Read more…]