At our lodge, we take pride in our long-standing commitment to supporting the wonderful town of Vienna! From lively events to community cleanups, and generous donations to our schools and first responders, we’re all about making a difference.
We are thrilled to announce that the Vienna Moose has snagged the highest honor for the first quarter, as recognized by Moose International, achieving a stellar score of “Superior” for our ongoing efforts! 🏆
Our Heart of the Community service program focuses on uplifting our neighbors through local volunteer services, supporting seniors and children in hospitals, aiding first responders, fostering youth sports, providing substance abuse assistance, and partnering with the Salvation Army.
Making our communities better places to live is at the heart of the Moose fraternity’s mission. Each year, our Lodges and Chapters contribute over $75 million through monetary donations, mileage driven, and hours served. From small projects to grand initiatives, whether locally or through national and international partnerships, the men and women of the Moose are always there—reliable, compassionate, and genuinely dedicated to meeting the needs of others.
Together, we’re not just a lodge; we’re the Heart of the Community! Let’s keep the momentum going and continue to shine brightly as a beacon of hope and support for everyone in Vienna!
In an era where organizations are striving to make their mark, the story of our lodge is nothing short of remarkable. We have not only defied expectations but set a standard for excellence. In this article, we will delve into our journey, shedding light on the extraordinary achievements that have made us a standout presence in our state and nationally.
The title speaks volumes about our commitment and dedication. "Thank you to all members who continue to help our lodge grow." We cannot emphasize enough the importance of each and every member's contribution. Our journey to excellence began with a monumental achievement - becoming the first lodge in our state to meet and exceed its quota.
Currently, we stand tall with 146 new members signed up, surpassing 156.99% of the annual quota. This achievement showcases our unwavering spirit and dedication to growth.
Nationally, we are making waves, securing the 82nd position. In the state of Virginia, we proudly stand in 7th place, a testament to our hard work and commitment to the community.
Our retention numbers are truly remarkable and a cause for celebration too. They reflect our dedication to maintaining strong member engagement and commitment. In discussions among our enthusiastic lodge supporters, our retention rate proudly stands at 12.17% for expired members and an impressive 10.30% for dropped members. These outstanding figures demonstrate our unwavering commitment to keeping our members actively involved and devoted. We express our heartfelt appreciation to the dedicated members of the Membership Committee, whose efforts contribute to these exceptional results.
We would be remiss not to celebrate the individuals who have played a pivotal role in our success. Chris Oskuie deserves special recognition for leading the charge in the Virginia Moose Top 25 rankings. With 14 new members signed up this year, Chris has exemplified the dedication and leadership that define our lodge.
We extend an invitation to all our sponsors to remind their new members of our 3rd New Member Social and Orientation of the year. This event promises to be an unforgettable evening of fun and music, fostering a sense of belonging and camaraderie among our members.
Date: Wednesday, December 6, 2023
Location: Vienna Moose Lodge
Event Details: Join us as we welcome new faces to our Moose family while enjoying the soulful tunes of music artist Keith Reals. The evening promises to be a memorable one, strengthening the bonds within our lodge.
Our journey has been nothing short of extraordinary, and our success story continues to inspire others. We are a lodge that prides itself on its commitment to growth, its unwavering dedication, and its ability to adapt to changing times.
We appreciate the support and enthusiasm of our members who have made our success possible. Thank you for your continuous dedication.
The Vienna Moose Lodge, the only one in the state to date, has achieved something truly remarkable. As of September 21, 2023, they've not only met but exceeded their quota for the 2023-2024 year. With immense gratitude, we celebrate the members who have made this possible.
In just over two years, Our membership has soared from 316 to an astounding 640 active members. This phenomenal growth reflects the lodge's ability to connect with the Vienna community on a profound level.
Not only have we achieved local recognition, but we have also secured the 71st spot in national rankings. In our home state, we proudly hold the 6th position, based on year-to-date applications.
Acknowledging individual contributions, members Chris Oskuie and Matt Hass have each sponsored an impressive 12 new members, earning them a well-deserved place on the Top 25 sponsor report.
Our lodge journey continues, as we recently welcomed 11 new members on October 4, 2023, demonstrating everyone's commitment to growth and community engagement.
The Vienna Moose Lodge's story is one of resilience, dedication, and unity. From their humble beginnings to their current achievements, they remind us that together, we can accomplish great things. So, let us extend our heartfelt thanks to the Vienna Moose Lodge members who have made this journey possible. Your spirit of unity and growth is an inspiration to us all. Congratulations on your incredible achievements, and may your path continue to shine brightly.
As reported in the last General Membership meeting (September 1, 2022), we have two openings for board positions here at the lodge. We have formed a Nominations Committee to fill the following positions:
I would like to thank our resigning Chaplin Scott Flesch and 2nd-year Trustee Andrew Jennison for their help in navigating a tough year. They both have served with distinction and while it is hard to accept their resignations, I do understand the stress it has put on them both. I want to personally thank them for all their hard work. I have heard from both and they say this is not the end of their help. They both are continuing to help with lodge committees and lodge events.
So, our next meeting of the Nominations Committee will be held on Thursday, September 15, 2022, at 6:00 pm. At this meeting, we will review any applications that are submitted and will set the hours for the next three meetings.
I am inviting any members that would like to help move the lodge in the right direction to apply now. For information on the duties of each officer, I am including a link to our officer’s handbook. All applicants must be either a Woman of the Moose or a Moose Legion member and if not, Officer trained they must be trained within 60 days of taking office.
As most everyone that grew up in the Vienna area as children, we all remember going Trick or Treating with friends. We had the hard plastic masks that you could not see through and the costumes that made us think we were some kind of superhero. The last couple of years with COVID it has been tough for the little Trick or Treaters.
As almost like a Superhero the lodge held a Trunk or Treat on Sunday, October 31, 2021. The festivities started at 1:00 pm. The lodge had about 50 trick-or-treaters at that time. The cars were decorated in spooky Halloween or NFL football themes. We had all sorts of costumes like a huge rainbow unicorn (Mr. Torregrossa) to multiple huge tyrannosaurus rexes, to a tiny Superwomen, Disney was well represented with so many princesses from Elsa to Sleeping Beauty and others.
The lodge was surprised by the amazing turnout. At the end of the day, we guestimate that we had over 200 kids and parents in attendance. With this kind of turnout, we already have plans for another next year. And next year we will do it even better!
I want to thank everyone involved in the Trunk or Treat from the members that dressed up in costume, the members that decorated their cars, the soup cooks, the pinata helpers, the smores makers, to the fire pit watchers, and to those just cheering everyone on. It was an amazing day for everyone. The joy on the faces of the kids, parents, and yes members were priceless. Thanks, everyone for a job well done!
When the Moose of the Year award was created as part of the Moose International awards program, it has been an honor for the lodge to give these awards out to members. The award is given each year to a member that exemplifies volunteering, signing up new members, and supporting Moose’s core values of Mooseheart and Moosehaven. It is usually given to new members but this is not a rule. This year’s recipient is very deserving of this award and his name is Steven J. Torregrossa. Steve has been a member for a number of years, but his support of the lodge has been amazing. We want to thank Steve for all his help in work done around the lodge, signing up new members, and helping with everything else around the lodge. If you get a chance please thank Steve for all his help!
This is our membership report for the Virginia Moose district 4 meeting for Saturday, October 9, 2021. We had a great turnout for this meeting. President Ben Kern, Franconia 1076 opened the meeting to a packed room. Officers in attendance included Secretary - Wayne Noel of Fredericksburg 1655, Vice President - Charles Burke of Woodbridge 583, Past President - Dennis Rossi of, Warrenton 1695, and Chaplain - Larry Mastin of Fredericksburg 1655.
There was a special election for the seat of the Chaplain between the incumbent Larry Mastin and Skip Skaggs. The first order of business was to hold the election. Larry Mastin was elected. We want to thank Skip Skaggs for his continued support of Moose’s core values.
The next Virginia Moose District 4 meeting will be at the Centreville Moose 2168 on Saturday, January 8, 2022, at 10:00 am for executive officers, and 11:00 am for general membership. Dennis Rossi has volunteered to be the new District 4 membership chairman.
Lodge reports were read from all the lodges in the district below are some of the highlights from the other lodges:
Randy Pierce gave a talk about veterans and the moose. He is a member of the Fredericksburg Moose and works to help Vets get the benefits they deserve. He asked the crowd in attendance if they knew of someone who needed help navigating the Veterans Affairs health system. He helps veterans navigate the paperwork to get the help they so desperately need. He also talked about service dogs “Paws for Vets” and “Paws for people” groups which he supports. He discussed the cost involved in the training of even one dog is huge. He asked for different lodges that want to help in this effort to contact him directly so he can find a way for you to help. Cathy Rossi discussed WOTM membership and how ladies should know that if they do not keep up their new lodge dues they will lose their hard-earned awards in the Moose. Please reach out to the women that you know to let them know to keep their honors and awards they need to keep up their Lodge dues too.
We discussed the up-and-coming Moose International Publications Awards to be held at the next Moose International Convention in Orlando Florida. The entries should be in no later for newsletters and article submission on March 4, 2022, at 4:30 pm. For website submissions, the entries should be sent in by February 24, 2022, at 4:30 pm. For each, the lodge should hold a current publications permit. Please see the Moose International website for more information.
We wanted to keep the membership up to date with our current membership drive. Wow, we have signed up 51 new members in the first five months you are doing fantastic with the recruitment of our newest members.
This year's membership quota for this 2020-2021 year is 53 new members. We are well ahead of our previous year's new member rate at this point. But this is not to say we should slow down now. So, do you know of a worthy friend, family member, or maybe someone you meet at a local restaurant or bar that might make a wonderful Moose member?
To everyone that reads this, thank you for all you do to support this lodge, Mooseheart, Moosehaven, and our community. You always make us proud to call you members/friends/family!
This vote will happen on Tuesday, February 5, 2021. To find out how to contact your representatives and ask them to VOTE NO read on!
To All Moose Members,
We have a major problem in the Virginia General Assembly. Senate Bill 1127 would harm charities who do gaming as we do in our lodge and with bingo. The bill, introduced by Senator Bryce Reeves, would do the following:
Our Lodges, Chapters, and Legions must rally to fight this bill and we need our members to help fight this. You can use the link http://www.myvavote.com/
The bill is moving forward and we need it to die. This would hurt the Lodge in serious ways and we need your help. Please call your Virginia Senator (the ones who meet in Richmond) and ask them to vote NO on SB 1127. You can also email the letter attached to them after you add their contact information and your signature or just copy and paste the language into your email. If you do not know who your Senator is, you can go to https://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/ to find out.
When you call them, use their "Capitol Phone" number as they are in those offices now and this is listed on the site when you find your Senator. Regardless of if you get a staffer or leave a message, make sure you say something. A message can be left and it still helps. Please use the following:
“Hello, I am (insert your name here) and I live at (say your address here) and I am your constituent. I oppose SB 1127 because it hurts charities and I ask you to vote NO on SB 1127.”
Your support on this important issue is greatly appreciated.
SB 1127, as introduced by Senator Bryce Reeves, would do massive damage to charitable gaming used by charitable organizations in Virginia. Some major highlights of the bill include:
Dear Moose Members,
With the passing of our beloved Governor C.M. Bunky Clark, Bruce Chappell has been appointed Governor for the remainder of his term. We look forward to Bruce carrying on the leadership left from Bunky.
As the pandemic has caused us to lose loved ones, businesses to close, and many good people to lose their sole source of income, we hope and pray your families are staying safe and healthy during this time. The lodge like many restaurants and businesses is suffering financially. The lodge continues to operate with some expenses that cannot be cut back and with a very limited income. If our lodge is going to survive, we need every member to help. We have created a safe environment with our social distancing of tables and gaming machines. We have a mandatory mask-wearing policy with individual disinfectant stations spread throughout the lodge. We are also wiping down tables, machines, and doors regularly. You might be asking how can I help our lodge? Here a suggested list of ideas. You can still assist if you are unable to attend the lodge.
Grover Gaming has continued to update the current machines with new and exciting games. Have you tried College Rivals Football? We are having some really high payouts on these and other games. We also relocated the ATM to the new social quarters too.
If you decide to make a cash donation to lodge operating expenses, please ask for a receipt. Many members give to their favorite charities, consider making one to your Moose lodge.
In closing, if our lodge is going to survive, we need your financial support. If you have ideas please let the Board of Officers know as soon as possible.
Thank You for all your support and consideration. Have a very safe and joyful holiday season.
Your Board of Officers
