(L to R) Seated; Dave Boardman, Naomi Bickford, Elks Lodge Exalted Ruler Roger Yarnell, Cleo Martinez and Chris Gonzales; Standing; Dan Mulhern, Nicolas Green, Otto Gierstorfer and Steve Giannini.
Nine Saddleback Valley residents were welcomed into the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks at a recent meeting of the Mission Viejo / Saddleback Valley Elks Lodge No. 2444 (“Elks Lodge”). The nine new members were the second group to be initiated by the new officers of the Elks Lodge whose term began on April 1, 2012. In statements made at the proceedings, the initiates thanked their sponsors and pledged to participate in the Elks Lodge’s charitable endeavors. One of the many programs supported by the Elks Lodge is the California-Hawaii Elks Association’s (“CHEA”) Handicapped Children’s Fund (Major Project). The members of the Elks Lodge donated $16,000 to that fund at the recent CHEA state convention held in San Diego and were given an award for their outstanding charitable activities. The Elks Lodge membership now stands at seven hundred fifty-five (755). For information regarding Elks Lodge Charities, call (949) 830-3557.
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.”
