Exalted Ruler, Roger Yarnell
Citizen of the Year, Gary Smith
Officer of the Year, Camacho Alvarez
Elk of the Year, Carla Joe Hannon
Elks Lodge Installs New Officers and Announces Prestigious Awards
The recent weekend rain could not keep people away as they celebrated the Mission Viejo / Saddleback Valley Elks Lodge No. 2444 (“Elks Lodge”) installation of new officers. One hundred fifty (150) Elks members, families and guests attended the Sunday, March 18, 2012 afternoon event.
Outgoing Exalted Ruler Gloria R. LeCouvre expressed her gratitude and appreciation to the members for a very successful year. She praised her Corps of Officers and Committee workers for the numerous charitable accomplishments of the past twelve months and for having one of the largest increases of new members in recent years.
She also offered her congratulations to the incoming Corps of Officers, pledging her support and wishing them success in the coming year.
The new officers will be serving the Lodge for a term of one year starting April 1, 2012. They are: Exalted Ruler (Lodge president) Roger F. Yarnell, Vice Presidents: Leading Knight Jason Spence, Loyal Knight Derek Randles and Lecturing Knight Camacho Alvarez. Also installed were: Secretary Lorene Tierney, Treasurer William (Bill) Bongartz, Lodge Esquire Howard Sargent, Chaplain Christine E. Jones, Inner Guard Matthew Williams, Tiler Diana L. Wilson, Organist Andy Costello, Board of Trustees: Tom Banning, Gary Bennington, Gary K.
Smith, Harold A. Allen and Steven A. Rusie. In his acceptance speech, newly elected Exalted Ruler Roger Yarnell said that his motto for the year is “BEING AN ELK IS NOT EXPENSIVE.IT’S PRICELESS”. Yarnell also pledged to maintain the spirit of cooperation and involvement the Lodge has long enjoyed with the communities of the Saddleback Valley and City of Mission Viejo.
Three of Elkdom’s highest awards were presented. The Citizen of the year award went to Gary Smith, 4th year Lodge Trustee. The Officer of the Year award was given to Lodge Esquire, Camacho Alvarez, and the Elk of the Year was awarded to Carla Joe Hannon.
In other Lodge news, seven (7) members were named to high positions in the Elks Orange Coast District. They are: Past District Deputy Norm Jones – Secretary, Past Exalted Rulers Pat Martino – Hoop Shoot Chairman, Bill James – Youth Activities Chairman, Harvey Boelts – Scholarship Chairman, Hal Mattson – Public Relations (PR) Vice Chairman. Nancy Allen was appointed Auditor to the District Deputy.
California/Hawaii Elks Association PR Chairman Andy Costello was named to the PR District Chairmanship.
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(L to r): New Eagle Scouts Tyler Rolstad and Geoffrey Churchill
Boy Scout Troop 603 Scout Master Jeff Smith Presides at Court of Honor
Elks Lodge Holds Court of Honor for Two New Eagle Scouts
Mission Viejo / Saddleback Valley Elks Lodge No. 2444 (“Elks Lodge”) held a court of honor for new Eagle Scouts, Tyler Rolstad and Geoffrey Churchill, from Elks Lodge sponsored Boy Scout Troop 603.
The two newly honored Eagle Scouts have been together in scouting since the age of 6 when they started as Tiger Cubs. Eleven (11) years later they had earned a combined 56 Merit Badges. The Eagle Scout rank was conferred upon Tyler and Geoffrey by Troop 603 Scout Master, Jeff Smith. The Elks Lodge sponsored Court of Honor was attended by approximately 100 scouts, family and friends. Elks Lodge Scouting Chairman, R. Dennis Lumley, gave Both Geoffrey and Tyler heartfelt congratulations. Geoffrey will be going on to College and Tyler will be joining the United States Marine Corps.
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Photos by Dennis Lumley
Whooligans Performing at Elks St Pats Charity Event
(L to r) Irish Dancers from Aniar Academy of Laguna Niguel: Athena Manta, Katie Flores, Emma Stokes, Samantha Stokes, Clare Murphy, Francesca Linares, McKenna Walsh, Valentina Linares, Evie Masters and Alessandra Manta.
Guests Enjoying an Irish Fling
Elks Lodge St. Patrick’s Dinner/Dance Raises Over $2,000 for Charity
Mission Viejo / Saddleback Valley Elks Lodge No. 2444 (“Elks Lodge”) raised over$2,000 for charity from its sold-out St. Patrick’s Dinner/Dance. The 210 guests enjoyed an authentic Irish buffet dinner, Irish music and special Irish dancing. Elks Lodge member Ray Mallen organized the charity event. The authentic Irish buffet dinner of homemade shepherd’s pie, potato soup and Irish soda bread was prepared by Ann Mallen, also an Elks Lodge member, and Clint MacDonald.
Cookies, cake and special Irish refreshments were also enjoyed by the attendees.
Other Elk member volunteers assisting with event operations included:
Tickets: Stephanie Bongartz; Posters, Seating and Decorations, Clint Mc Donald; Kitchen Crew, Ed and Pam MacKey, Mallory and Brandon Eyeman, Gillian, Maeve, Meg and Sam O’Reilly, Tom Banning, Gary Bennington and Gary Smith; Audio/Visual and Stage Management, Derek Randles.
Musical entertainment for the evening was provided by Long Beach’s famous Irish Pub band – the Whooligans. Later in the evening, an exhibition of outstanding Irish dancing was provided by the youthful world class dancers from Aniar Academy of Laguna Niguel to which the Elks Lodge provided a donation. The dinner crowd enthusiastically greeted and enjoyed the authentic Irish music and Irish dancing.
Elks Lodge event chairman Ray Mallen said, “Tonight, all attendees claimed to be from Irish stock. They were generous in their charitable donations while also enjoying some Irish culture. The Irish music, the Irish dancing and Irish refreshments were all top shelf.”
The Mission Viejo / Saddleback Elks Lodge No. 2444, celebrating forty-two (42) years of service to the Saddleback Valley communities, is one of ten 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 144 year history of giving, “Elks Care, Elks Share.”
