During this season of giving and thanking, we wanted to express our appreciation to you for being part of the Moose community in 2018.
As this year comes to a close, I would like to reflect on the past year. We have endured many tough issues that have tested our lodge’s metal. We are glad to finally turn the page on our former lodge administrator that has been jailed and is repaying the lodge for past transgressions. While this first part of this message is partly negative, we have so much to be positive about at this year-end.
As we move forward, we are working hard around the lodge to improve our lodge’s infrastructure. This last month you may have noticed the first phase of media improvements to the main hall like the two new 70-inch TV’s. This is to help us in gaining and acquiring new business rentals. We even managed to rent the main hall three times since December 1st.
Continuing with the infrastructure improvements, we have also installed a new commercial dishwasher with the help of our generous benefactor Newmarket Gaming. They greatly helped in the cost of the project. It should be noted that Newmarket also helped in our hugely successful Birthday / Christmas party too. Thank you, Newmarket Gaming, for helping us with our projects!
We also want to mention that we are in the third phase of our acquiring a Wine License through the state of Virginia. The lodge has jumped through many hurdles to get this approved including weeks of announcements in the Washington Post, new employee training, and resending duplicate documents many times. There should be nothing more the lodge needs to do before we have our new license in the coming year!
Now onto our community donations and volunteering, to update everyone this holiday season, we have donated to the Shepherd's Center that supports and enriches the lives of older adults, enabling them to live independently, with lives of purpose and dignity. We also made a donation to the Optimist Club of Vienna that helps students who are attending James Madison High School, George Marshall High School, Oakton High School, as well as local scout troops, sports teams, and youth groups too! And finally, we will be holding our jacket and blanket drive through the end of January 2019. We have already dropped off three box loads of jackets and blankets to the non-profit “Committee for Helping Others” in Vienna.
As the Christmas holiday is upon us, I would like to personally thank all the members that have helped in so many ways. I want to thank my amazing board of officers Carl Thomas, Joe Glass, Dan Sullivan, John Sabo, Jaime Connelly, Greg Kunstbeck, Bruce Chappell, Gerry Piddington for their continued support. To Matt Steel for joining our team as our newest bartender, to Gwen Smith for her unending work to feed the troops and guests with her amazing culinary skills, to Sharron for helping us to keep our books straight, to Bunky Clark for filling in where needed, thanks! If I missed thanking someone, thanks to every one of our lodge. You make working here a pleasure.
As we continue our efforts in 2019, we are expanding with even more events. We have a great New Year’s Eve party for the 31st. If you want to come, we have tickets available in the Social Quarters and online. We are hosting a new Cornhole league on Tuesday nights here at the lodge in January. This will bring in a whole new group of new members to our lodge. We hope you will all join us and invite your friends for some fun games. These games will coincide with a new membership drive too. Stay tuned for the amazing details in January! Oh, and don’t forget about the NFL playoff games starting in January too! Gwen is planning on themed food for each playoff game!
In closing, while we have had some tough points in the past year, we are on a better footing as a lodge than we were a year ago. And, I equate it to the positive work and energy from so many members like you. As we celebrate our 60th birthday as a lodge, I invite you all to rededicate yourself as a Moose member and find your own way to help in any way you choose. If there is something you want to help out with, just say so. Please join a committee to make our lodge and community better. Here is to an even better 2019! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!