The Latest from Lodge 572...
ENF Shooting Match March 21
We will be holding a shooting match on March 21st at Carbon Lake to help meet our ENF fundraising goal. Registration will start at 12:00; competition will start at 1:00 pm. There will be a meat wheel and other raffles as per our normal shooting matches. Only field guns are allowed (no pucker guns or scopes - maximum .670 choke). Please think about coming out and helping our Lodge meet our obligation to the ENF. For more information, contact Rick Ehlers at 618-534-1689 or Steve Schemonia at 618-713-8458.
March Newsletter Now Available
The newsletter & calendar for March are now available. To view/print them, please use the links in the menu on the left.
Reminder from Lodge Secretary About Dues
April 1st is the official beginning to a new Lodge year. Those who fail to pay their 2020 - 2021 dues by March 31, 2021 will regretfully be dropped from our rolls and no longer able to visit the Lodge or Club Room (even as the guest of a paid-up member) or participate in any Lodge events or activities.
Dues statements for 2021-2022 will be arriving soon. Please note that there has been NO INCREASE in dues. So, if you are at the Lodge, or want to go ahead & send in your dues payment (P. O. Box 787, to attention Lodge Secretry) they are: Regular Members $70.25, Life Members $33.25. (We do accept dues payments via Credit/Debit Card, in the Club Room. Do be aware that a small Credit Card fee will be added to your billing, if you choose this option). And, as last year, if you want to send in a little extra, it will stay at home - going to our Building Maintenance Fund (Last year, very supportive members contributed over $3,900.00 to this fund with their dues payment). Note: If you pay just before/during the time when notices are sent — there might well be a crossing in the mail, so we apologize, in advance. Once notices are sent out, it is “Crunch Time” for the Secretary’s Office — so, you might not receive your new cards before Key Card Reader is changed on April 1. (You might need to use door buzzer for a few days.) Also, please recall that during the month of April, members will have a “Pass” on not being on the CLMS Delinquent List, on the 1st day of month, as is required all other months to be eligible for any Raffles or Drawings, held during that particular month. With some 650 members, we are a large Lodge, so we ask your patience/cooperation in getting member/spouse key cards out to you. Thanks in advance, everyone!
Lodge 572 Recognized For Community Service
Murphysboro Elks Lodge #572 is pleased to accept the Daughters of the American Revolution Community Service Award, for excellence in service to the community, in the year 2020. In an accompanying letter, the final paragraph summarizes: "The Jesse Gordon Chapter is very impressed by the community service activities of the Elks Lodge #572 of Murphysboro Illinois and is honored to award the Lodge with the DAR Community Service Award for outstanding community service. Thank you for your service to America."
Lodge 572 Uses Grants To Help Our Community
Take a look at how we are a strong support element in the communities served by Lodge #572. By meeting our National Foundation (ENF) per capita goals this past year, we qualified for $12,500 in Grants, as follows:
Completed or in Progress:
Freedom Grant ($2,500) During this pandemic time, assisting Veterans and families of active Service Members, for basic living needs; housing; hygiene supplies; food; and Backpacks filled with basic-need items, for Homeless Vets.
Spotlight Grant ($2,000) To the Warming Center, in Carbondale, to house and assist the homeless & those affected by Covid-19.
IEA State President's Grant ($1,500) $1,000 to supply Christmas Gift Boxes to Veterans living in facilities in Randolph County; and $500 to the Snowflake Square Program (administered by Murphysboro Hometown Christmas and Murphysboro Schools, to assist with Christmas Gifts for children of needy families).
IEA Veterans' Grant ($1,000) $500 to assist with purchase of new, flat-screen T.V.s at the Anna Veterans' Home; $500 to the Haven, Veterans' Day Center on Crab Orchard Lake.
Gratitude ($2,000) To be distributed between the Jackson County Humane Shelter and St. Francis Animal Shelter to help ease pressures resulting from the pandemic; $500 to Operation Rebound, in Carbondale, for their Outreach Program, which assists low income / homeless High School-age, alternative-education students with personal hygiene items, snacks, some clothing items, books, etc.; $500 to to the local Family Outreach Program, administered by the Catholic Church, which assists needy and homeless in our area with hygiene items and diapers.
Just Approved and/or Now Beginning:
Beacon ($3,500) $1,750 to the Murphysboro Food Pantry; $1,750 to "SPIN," in Murphysboro, to assist those in need with clothes and a wide variety of basic family items. Veterans will receive special attention.
Members all, of Elks Lodge #572 - yes, it has been a difficult and challenging year, due to Covid-19. Yes, we have had contests (example - Hoop Shoot) cancelled. Yes, our restaurant and Club Room operation has been greatly affected by mitigation guidelines. Yet, through all of this, you, as a supportive Elk, can look at what we are continuing to do, as a local Elk's Lodge. We believe you can be proud of what we are continuing to accomplish. Elks Care - Elks Share!!
Monday Nights Volunteers
The Monday night volunteer teams project has been going well. Members form groups to volunteer to cook dinner, serve food, and bartend. We currently have several teams taking turns in this endeavor. If you would like to participate in an existing team, you can contact the following team leaders: Jim Ferguson/Jerry Willet, Richard Martin/Darcie Hastings, Kathy Guetersloh/Selena McBride, or Steve Schemonia/Christian Rose. If you would like to create your own team that you think can outperform any of the teams listed above, do not hesitate to reach out to any of the current team leaders and express your interest. We hope to see many of our members enjoying their Monday nights with some friendly culinary competition and a chance to win a little extra money for a dollar!
Elks National Foundation 2020-2021 Scholarship Information
Emergency Educational Grants
Provides undergraduate college financial assistance to children of
deceased or totally disabled Elks in the form of renewable, one-year
grants of up to $5,000. (This grant is for educational assistance only
and is not intended to cover the entire cost of a college education.)
Eligibility: attend an accredited U.S. college or university as a
full-time (12 semester hours) undergraduate student; demonstrate
financial need; be unmarried & under the age of 24 during the academic
year for which assistance is desired. Applications available by request
between May 1 and November 2 of the academic year for which assistance
is desired. To request an application, contact the ENF Scholarship
Office at 773/755-4732 Additional information about these Grants can be
found at enf.elks.org/EEG
Finally, you can contact the following Lodge Scholarship Committee persons: Merle Evans (618-303-1693 or merle_evans@elks572.org) or Don Siefert (618-201-4184 or donnansief@aol.com)