Rick LaCrosse
Contact
- Inner Guard
ER's Message
To the Kinderhook Elks Family,
Wow, the things I didn’t know about the Lodge!! There is so much that happens at the Lodge that I didn’t know about. I have been a member for 11 years, and thought I was average with the knowledge of the Lodge… NOPE!! Oh my goodness the things that happen behind the scenes that we take for granted.
When we volunteer it makes us feel good about ourselves. When we work a function, or join one of the crews for breakfast, Wednesday or Friday, we come in for a few hours and go home. Have you ever thought of what happens behind the scenes? The Food ordering, the setting up of the dinning room, the clearing of the dinning room, working on the budget, auditing the books, staying on top of the bell jar, being in charge of the house committee, scheduling, prep work for meals, taking care of the recycling, planning and executing events, visiting schools and working on the scholarships, taking care of our Veterans, working on the newsletter, coordinating an initiation not to mention the memorization's, there is something going on all the time. I guess what I am trying to say is, if you have some free time and you want to get involved with some pretty awesome people, stop on by there’s always something going on, fun to be had, friendships to be made, things to learn and experience. Want to step it up a notch, find a chairperson of something you have a passion about and ask for an internship of what they do and how they do it. It would be great if there were people cross-trained on jobs so if one person is unavailable there is always a backup, or relief to share the responsibility and work load.
Officer installation, was nerve racking, but we had a variety of help. Some regulars, some members that hadn’t been in in awhile, some that had a little free time in their schedule, either because it was their weekend off from work, or they came after work, some that came in to help after attending the event, we even had a couple from the Adventure Crew.
All were happy to help, some stayed all day, some gave what they could, no matter what you did to help out, thank you, many hands make light work. Awesome job done by all.
I have sponsored some amazing members, but I have also made the mistake of pushing people to join the Lodge when they weren’t ready. I’ve learned that I need to take more time with each potential member, bring them in a few extra times before asking them to join, being not only their sponsor but their guide thru the in’s and out’s of the Lodge. As a sponsor, could we please help get the potential members and new members involved, introduce them to other members, work a couple functions with them, enjoy a meal or two, let them ask questions, get them to a point were they are comfortable coming in without you. Its heartbreaking to see the potential that new members have, the ideas they may bring, the excitement they have when they are getting ready to be initiated just disappear into the sunset because we didn't get them involved, they never really felt comfortable or accepted, so we lose, not only them but all they could of brought to the Lodge family and experience.
Finally it’s Spring!! New life, new beginnings, a new view, please, if you have an idea, a comment, a concern, a complaint, a better way of doing something, tell someone, lets work together for the betterment of Lodge. We can do so much more working together than we can alone. I have a go to guy at the Lodge who I call my perspective changer, JD, and no not Jack Daniels. He always gives me a different way of looking at things, of showing me that my way of looking at a situation can be changed just by changing the perspective. He keeps telling me everyone does the best they can, to tackle a job, just do two feet at a time, before you realize it the job is done, without the overwhelming feeling of defeat. That is my job now, looking at the position of ER a little at time, if I look ahead at the year we have together my stress level rises, so Im going to do my best to do one day at a time, one meeting at a time, one person at a time.
Thanks for everything you do for the betterment of the Lodge and the community we serve!!!
ER Anne Leiser