Volume 233, Issue 219 Brainerd Elks Lodge #615 February, 2016

Every Wednesday

All Day

50 cents off every drink

Super Bowl Party

Sunday, February 7

Football Buffet -

$5 per person

Games & Prizes

Club Opens at 3 pm

Game Starts at 5:30 pm

To All Brainerd Elk Lodge 615 Members

Brainerd Elks Lodge was chosen to be the beneficiary of the Prairie Bay "Second Thursday Happy

Hour…for a Cause ", hosted by the Brainerd Elks, along with Prairie Bay, Cash Wise Liquors and

The Iron Waffle, at Prairie Bay, February 11, 2016, from 5 to 7 pm. A tax-deductible $15.00

donation is made at the door, or a check can be made out and left at the Elks Lodge. All Elk members

are invited, along with the public. Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy a variety of light hors

d'oeuvres and wine-tasting, while supporting our youth and veteran programs, as well as all our Elk

community activities.

Remember, it's burger night on Thursday, and. after the Prairie Bay fundraiser come to the Lodge and

enjoy more fellowship. Herman has said he will extend the hours to cook burgers till 8 pm. This

event will be a great way to support our Elks Lodge, and, introduce prospective members to “Who are

the Elks” and “What Elks Do". RSVP to Prairie Bay at 218-824-6444 or Bill Bailey at

218-829-9306. Also, remember that you do not have to go to Prairie Bay to donate - you can donate

the $15.00 (or more), at the Lodge.

This late afternoon and early evening event should be a lot of fun. It will help raise money for

the various Elk activities, and, will help boost our membership numbers. Plan to attend and enjoy

yourself with a prospective member!

Thank you,

Jim Runberg, PER

President of the Past Exalted Rulers

Happy New Year everybody. I hope your resolutions were able to be kept. As I write

this article my bride and I are preparing for an adventure to the 50th state. We can’t

wait to leave the cold and snow even if it only for a week.

Our lodge is planning on a couple of activities in February. The first is a wine and

cheese fund raising event which will be held at Prairie Bay in Baxter on Thursday

February 11th. The second is a new member meet and greet scheduled for our club on

Monday February 29th. Please plan on attending the Prairie Bay event as all proceeds

are returned to the lodge. Also please invite a friend, relative or co-worker to the new member

event. The PER organization is acting as your membership/lapsation committee.

To paraphrase from our Grand Exalted Ruler “this New Year, why not resolve to be more active in your

Lodge and increase your efforts on behalf of the Lodge and Elkdom? Why not resolve to bring in at least

one new Member before this Lodge year which is 3/31/16? Elks make a tremendous difference in the

lives of our Members and the people we serve and you can be a part of that difference by sharing the

pride that comes with active membership and volunteer service.”

Once again THANK YOU to all the volunteers who prepare and serve all the wonderful meals that we all

enjoy. Thank you to the social committee for organizing all the fun activities this past month.

One final note. No one has stepped forward yet to chair the Soccer Shoot. We are now down to less than

4 months until this youth activity should occur. Remember Elks are about YOUTH AND

VETERANS. PLEASE, someone volunteer to chair this activity.

See you at the Club. Fraternally yours, Bill

Student of the Month

Mikayla Delight Jackson

Brainerd High School

Mikayla Delight Jackson, Brainerd High School Senior is Brainerd Elks Student of the Month for

February 2016. She intends to attend Concordia College/MSUM and pursue a music/music education

degree.

Mikayla is a student who works hard in school. She challenges herself with her coursework and

perseveres despite the overwhelming challenge that school can sometime be. She loves music and

sharing with others is a great joy, remarks counselor Christina Kavanaugh. Mikayla stunned everyone

last year at the talent show when she sang and played her guitar. Then she volunteered to welcome

9th and 10th graders back to school by playing for them during their lunch periods on her day off of

school. She truly shares her gift with those around her and is always a mentor and role model to

others, Kavanaugh shares.

Music is her forte. Band and choir since 9th grade, symphonic band, concert chorale, A Capella choir,

wind symphony and early bird windfall. She has served as percussion section leader and is A Capella

alto representative. But music isn’t everything. Mikayla loves to write poetry lyrics and placed third

in the ISD 181 writing contest. To top it off she was the junior varsity softball manager in 9th grade.

Student of the Month

Hanna Joe Kennedy

Lake Region Christian School

Hanna Joe Kennedy, Lake Region Christian School Senior is Brainerd Elks Student of the Month for February 2016.

Future schooling plans include Bio-Medical Engineering /Music with an emphasis on the STEM program (Robotics) at

an undetermined college.

Hanna’s academic pursuit is her strength. She will not back down from a challenge or walk away when things get

tough. Her work ethic will help her be successful in life, reports school counselor Steve Ogren.

Outside of the classroom, Hanna is involved in many things from music to sports. Her time spent at LRCS has been

enjoyable and beneficial for all, comments Ogren.

Fine arts play an important part in Hanna’s life. She has received “superior” ratings on piano and receives lessons from

Sue Kavanaugh; participating annually in leadership camp; three years of drama/plays and earned a scholarship to the

International Music Camp in North Dakota. Additionally, trophies in other piano competitions, two years of master

classes in piano and a writing award runner-up in 11th grade. Hanna has worked on the school yearbook for three years.

Secretary’s Report If you, or someone you know, would like to advertise your business in the

Elkorama let me know. The rate is $10.00/month. It must be paid for the year

($120.00).

Please contact me at 218-820-1689 or email sddehen@aol.com.

When recruiting new members remember only the local portion of the dues is

prorated. They must still pay all of the other fees. Dues are prorated 4 times/year:

April - June $90.50

July - September $75.00

October - December $60.00

January - March $45.00

The application fee is $25.00 in addition to the dues. Dues must be paid before

initiation.

Fraternally submitted,

Shannon Dehen Secretary

Go Minnesota go!

Minnesota has added 325 new/reinstatements to date putting you at 41% of your growth

goal of 797. We made some good progress over the past two weeks. You now

have 66 candidates waiting to be initiated and the potential to be at 48%. Also a nice im-

provement with recruitment! Keep it going!!

Please keep promoting Recruitment-Reinstatement's- Scheduling Initiations. Our

three keys to growth. Minnesota is at 6.3% delinquency. Again, good improvement in

two weeks! The national average is 8.1%.

Right on track towards the goal 5% delinquency (or less) by the end of March. We are

picking up some momentum as you can see. A membership gain is not out of reach in

Minnesota. Between adding new members/reinstatement's and collecting dues payments

from the 505 still not paid...any combination above 375 could put you in with the

plus membership states. Keep fighting...we are in this.

Go Minnesota go!

Together

Elks

Add

Members

Thanks,

Rick Gathen

Grand Lodge Membership and Public Relations Manager

The District Elks

Hoop Shoot was

Saturday, January

16th. Look for the

story and pictures

in the upcoming

Elkorama!

375 Edgewood Drive N.

Baxter, MN

Phone: (218) 828-4601

417 8th Ave. NE

Brainerd, MN

Phone: (218) 828-1816

The Elkorama is published monthly by the Brainerd

Elks Lodge #615. 215 South 6th Street, Brainerd,

MN 56401 It is mailed to members, widows and

widowers of members.

The deadline for anyone wishing to place an

article in the March issue of the Elkorama

will be February 15. Please email them to

vanuyns@charter.net or leave articles at the

lodge. Thank you.

02 Fruth, Gary

04 Blacktin, James

05 Mogensen, Nathanial

14 Johnson, Arnold

17 Ehrich, Fred

17 Lyscio, Richard

19 Swenson, Dale

24 Pelphrey, Matthew

25 Heglie, Rodney

26 Marchand, Jeff

26 Ployhar, Roy

MVS Winner Shares Service Trip Experience

Gabriella Haire, Brainerd Elks Lodge 615’s recipient of an Elks

National Foundation most valuable student scholarship was a

recent dinner guest at the local lodge. Gabby shared her Winter

2016 Elks Scholar Service Trip experience to Oakland, CA.

She was one of 19 Elks scholars from across the country

to serve the hungry and homelessness with Community

Collaborations International. Her trip connected with other

scholars from across the country for a week with their Elks

family. Gabby is a student at the University of Minnesota

pursuing a degree in biomedical engineering.

Thank You

Dear Elks Lodge, Thank you for the dictionary. I like what you do

for us. I like it very much Thank you. Love Theodore M, in Arlene

Weistroffer’s Third Grade, Rippleside Elementary, Aitkin.

Dear Elk Club. Thank you so much for the dictionaries. I found a

hole buntch of stuff in them. They are so fun to have in my desk well

not so fun because we don’t use them often, only when we need them

for work. I still haven’t figerd out how to read that longest word in

the dictionarie! It is realy realy hard to read! You’re awesome,

You’re the best, Lawson Downer, McGregor Elementary School,

Third Grade.

Dear Elks, Thank you for the Dictionary. I will have it for a long

time and I’v never had a Dictionary before. I’ll bring it every where I

go. It is realy useful. Thank you so much, Claire Geyen, McGregor

Elementary School, Third Grade. (All Dictionary Thank You letters

are available for viewing at the Lodge.)

Thank you Elks members and spouses and widows for cooking and

serving Tuesday dinners, Thursday burgers, Sunday Breakfast, Polish

Wednesday, Friday special and to those who worked the Lutefisk

dinner. Our PERs have been dedicated to increasing membership

plus the committee volunteers for Drug Awareness, Hoop Shoot,

Scholarships, Americanism Essays and Dictionary Project deliveries.

You all know who you are!!! Your dedicated time is important to

Elkdom. Kudus to all Patron support as well.

Dear Brainerd Elks, Thank you so much for the $50 donation to our

Crosby-Ironton Grad Blast 2016. The generous donations from our

community make this event successful each year. Our goal is provid-

ing a safe, entertaining night for our graduates. Many thanks, J

Moore, Crosby-Ironton Grad Blast 2016 Committee

Dick, From the Brainerd Sports Boosters wishing you a Merry

Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you for your support in

2015 with our annual golf tournament and helping provide athletic

opportunities to youth in the Brainerd Lakes area. Golf Chair Eric

Davidge

Officers of Brainerd Lodge #615

———– 2015-2016 ———–

Exalted Ruler………….Bill Bailey, PER

Leading Knight………..James Runberg, PER

Loyal Knight…………..Dan Graven, PER

Lecturing Knight……...William Kronstedt

Secretary…………….…Shannon Dehen

Treasurer……………....James Dehen, PER Esquire……………Herman Wisneski, PER Chaplain…………….…James Van Duyn

Tiler…………………… Mark Wheeler TRUSTEES

Non-Profit

Organization

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

Permit No. 135

BPOE Lodge, No. 615 P.O. Box 322

Brainerd, MN 56401

218-829-2643

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Editor…………Brad Busho

Website: www.BrainerdElks.org

Email: jjdehen@yahoo.com

1st Year Trustee………...Bruce Mogensen

2nd Year Trustee………. Scott Longanecker

3rd Year Trustee………. Paul McQuaid

4th Year Trustee………..Dave Smith

5th Year Trustee………..Jack Antolak

LODGE/CLUB HOURS:

Daily 3:00-9:00

Saturday 12:00-8:00

S U N M O N T U E W E D T H U F R I S A T

1 5:30 Trustees;

6:30 Lodge meeting

2 5:30-7:00

Family Dinner Night.

Entrée: Country Style

Ribs by Billy Bongs

3 All Day Happy

Hour 50 cents off all

drinks; 4:00 Member-

ship/PER Committee

(open to everyone)

4 5:30-7:00

Burger night

5 5:30-7:00

Biscuits & Gravy

6

7

8:00-12:00

Breakfast at the Elks;

3:00-Super Bowl Party

8 9 5:30-7:00

Family Dinner Night.

Entrée: Walleye by

Herman Wisneski

10 All Day Happy

Hour 50 cents off all

drinks; 11:00-1:00

Polish Sausage

11 4:00-6:00

PRAIRIE BAY

2ND THURSDAY;

5:00-8:00 Burger night

12 5:00 Veterans

visit St Cloud

13

14 8:00-12:00

Breakfast at the Eagles

15 5:30 Trustees;

6:30 Lodge meeting

16 5:30-7:00

Family Dinner Night.

Entrée: Hamburger

Stroganoff by Social

Committee

17 All Day Happy

Hour 50 cents

off all drinks

18 5:30-7:00

Burger night

19 20 State Hoop Shoot

@ Hutchinson

21 8:00-12:00

Breakfast at the VFW

22 23 5:30-7:00

Family Dinner Night.

Entrée: TBA

24 All Day Happy

Hour 50 cents

off all drinks

25 26 27

28 8:00-12:00

Breakfast at

the Legion

29 4:00-8:00

OPEN HOUSE