Hello! In what seems like the blink of an eye, summer is coming to an end and September is here! Things are beginning to gear up for the fall season at your Elks Lodge after the busy summer.
We had a great turnout for Elks Days at Camp Grassick on July 19. Over 573 people came to beautiful Lake Isabel to enjoy the day. Dan Mimnaugh, Camp Grassick Superintendent, does a great job of keeping the camp running and is an inspiration to the staff and campers. Thanks to Arlan Scholl and his crew of pit barbeque workers for another wonderful job of preparing the meat! Thanks also to the Officers and Trustees for their help.
The Elks Grand Lodge Convention was held in Houston, Texas, July 3-6, and it was my privilege to attend this event! I learned more about the Grand Lodge programs and the opportunities we have in regard to membership and marketing. Mr. Rick Gathen, Grand Lodge Membership Chairman, will be at our lodge October 15 for the “Kick the Door Down” membership campaign which will help us grow our membership this year. In addition to procurement of new members, we need the Lodge to concentrate on a retention program and increase reinstatements. Former members should not be forgotten; personal contact with them will often produce positive results!
The ND State Elks Convention was held July 22-24 in Fargo, ND. The Grand Exalted Ruler, Mr. Michael F. Zellen, and First Lady Donna flew into Bismarck, and I had the pleasure of giving them a tour of our Lodge. Larry Larson, the State President, provided transportation for them to Camp Grassick and on to Fargo. Mr. Zellen asked us to remember “Elks Care, Elks Share.”
September 5 is Labor Day. This national holiday, which is held the first Monday of September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It is a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
Our Trustees are seeking volunteers to help stain the outside of the building September 7-9. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated. Please call the office to sign up if you are able to help. Let’s make it a fun time!
Patriot Day is held September 11 to mark the anniversary of the terrorist attacks in the USA in 2001. Each year on this date, flags are flown at half-staff to honor and commemorate the lives that were lost. The US President also asks fellow Americans to observe a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time, the time of the first plane collision into the north tower of the World Trade Center.
Autumn begins September 22, and with it comes cooler weather and beautiful fall foliage. The season we call fall was once simply referred to as “harvest” to reflect the time when farmers gathered their crops for winter storage. The word harvest comes from the Old Norse word haust meaning “to gather or pluck.” In the early 1600s, as people started moving into cities, the word harvest fell out of use. City dwellers instead began to use “fall of the leaf” which later was shorted to “fall.” Surprisingly, it is unknown where the word Autumn comes from. It was used as far back as the 1300s and was often used by Shakespeare, but etymologists have not determined its precise origin.
Enjoy the rest of your summer and early fall!
Rich Skjonsby, Exalted Ruler
Bismarck-Mandan Lodge #1199
It is my sad Duty to announce the death of Jack Streyle, Joseph Kalberer, Eugene Anfinson, Douglas Weimer, Paul Ferderer and Nick Schirado. May their virtues be written upon the tablets of love and memory.
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