Mission Viejo / Saddleback Valley Elks Lodge No. 2444 (“Elks Lodge”) conducted their annual tribute to members for years of service at a recent Tuesday night meeting. This year’s event, which was well attended by Elks members and guests, recognized years of tenure from one to sixty years.
Exalted Ruler (“ER”) Rick Moscoso welcomed members and guests and presided over the meeting. Lodge Secretary Norm Jones acted as master of ceremonies and awarded 186 service pins. Secretary Jones said of the event, “Pins are awarded for five-year service increments. We affectionately call it ‘Old Timers Night’ and it is always a fun-filled get-together for the recipients and attendees. There is always lots of storytelling from the older members about the early history of our Lodge.”
Twenty-five-year pins were awarded to Carla Joe Banning, Andrew Dumont, and PER Charles T. Hart. 30-Year pins went to Franklin Simmons and George Cleaver. 35-year service pins went to Thomas Banning lll, Edward Guthrie, Harry Hammer, Allan Richardson, and Richard Selway. Although not present at the meeting but recognized for forty-year Elk’s memberships were: PERs Donald Beal & Thomas Schreck, and members Dennis Miller, and Robert Wondrash. 45-year awards were made to Walter Fernandez, Ronald Putney, Donald Sweetland, and PER John Shannon. There was a standing ovation when memberships spanning 60 years for Don Lundholm, and PER Donald Robinson were announced.
ER Moscoso said of the event, “I think it is great when we honor our old-timers. They are the people who built and made the Elks the charity organization it is today.” Secretary Jones commented, “This year’s event had the highest percentage of eligible 5-year members that attended and received 5-year pins. The Lodge has initiated record numbers of new members in the past 5 years and has become the most active, benevolent, and social Fraternal Organization in the Saddleback Valley.”
The Mission Viejo-Saddleback Valley Elks Lodge #2444 is celebrating over 50 years of service to Saddleback Valley Communities. It is one of 8 lodges in the Orange Coast District of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE) whose headquarters is in Chicago, Illinois. The BPOE is a charitable organization with a 152-year history of giving. “Elks Care Elks Share”. For information regarding Elks programs or Elks membership, call 949 830-3557
By Andy Costello
Five-year recipients in attendance
Photo Credit: Mission Viejo-Saddleback Valley Elks Lodge #2444
