Exalted Ruler’s Report – August 2022

The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government.”
-Patrick Henry

Aloha Kākou,

The first week of July, Exalted Rulers from the 1800 Elks Lodges across the nation, including Hawaii the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Panama, attend the Grand Lodge Convention. This year it was held in downtown Atlanta, GA, home of the MLK Jr. National Park and Museum, the Georgia Aquarium and some great food. It is at this annual meeting where proposals are made to change Grand Lodge Statutes. These changes affect all Local Lodges. Among the motions that passed was a change to the criteria for eligibility for Life membership. The current criteria for life membership requires a member to be 65 years old and to have paid annual dues for not less than 30 years preceding application. As of August 4th, the age requirement will be dropped. Thereafter any member who has paid the required annual dues for 30 years is eligible to apply for life membership.

Another motion that was passed adds the Secretary and the Treasurer as members of the Board. Our Board of Directors and our House Committee will now consist of eleven members. We will post the full wording of all of the revised Statutes at our August 8th Lodge meeting.

Mark your calendar. Member Appreciation Day/Opportunity Drawing will be August 20th. Many of our committees will have “booths” at the Lodge to highlight their activities. There will be games and prizes for Keiki, canoe rides for all, and winning Opportunity Drawing numbers for the $100 – $1,000 prizes will be pulled throughout the day.

There will also be a SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY to win a two night staycation at the Aston Waikiki Hotel valued at over $600. Donated funds raised from this drawing will go to support our Elks National Foundation (ENF). Tickets will be available at our Government Relations and Veterans Services Booths.

Lodge pins are a staple of Elks culture. I was given several hundred of them by fellow Elks at the Grand Lodge Convention. Some Lodge members collect them and many visiting Elks buy them to remember and celebrate their visit to Hawaii and to the Honolulu Elks Lodge. Our Lodge pin is a way members communicate pride in the Honolulu Lodge and its commitment to Elks core values. We always emphasize the fact that the members are the decision makers for all important Lodge matters. It is time to reorder pins for the Lodge and we would like the membership to participate in the design and selection of a new Lodge pin.

We are asking members to submit ideas for our new lodge pin. The member whose pin is ultimately selected will receive a certificate for dinner for four at our Club. The pin shape may be rectangular, square, a circle, an oval or a free form shape with a maximum dimension of 1.25 inches. It should convey a sense of place, i.e. Honolulu or Oahu, and highlight Elks core values. A clear idea or simple sketch will suffice. A professional artist will make the final rendition. More details will be forthcoming on eblasts and flyers at the front desk. Below are some examples of Lodge pins from other Elks Lodges.

E Hana Kākou
Let’s work together
Gloria Yau, ER

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
-John Quincy Adams