Change is a Part of Everyday Life –even in the Life of our Moose Fraternity.
I recently was reading back over some articles from the Moose International Moose Leader Magazine. This is a publication that goes out to all officers and is available to read on the Moose International web site. I got the chance to re-read two articles, one by past General Governor David Chambers, and one by Past Governor Skip Collins of Kansas City Lodge #1999. Both articles talk about change and ourselves in the big picture. Below are a few things taken from these articles that we all should remember as we continue to serve this fraternity we all care about so much. Having our children here from Mooseheart should reinforce that to all of us.
In Mr. Collins article he discusses the fact of how our individual status in our lodges is irrelevant in our common cause, the children at Mooseheart and seniors at Moosehaven. If the little eyes at Mooseheart could watch us, would they be saddened or overjoyed to see us going through our paces day by day for them? Would it make them shocked to see one brother or co-worker ridicule another or would they be excited to find us doing what we each does best, hand in hand, brother to brother, brother to co-worker, co-worker to co-worker, joyous and smiling all the way?
Mr. Chambers talks about change. In a discussion covering recent General Law changes at the time he says, “As with any organization, we cannot have a law or policy allowing Lodges or members to pick and choose the laws with which they want to comply. It is unfair to require one Lodge to follow a law of the Order and allow another Lodge to ignore it. If we did so, chaos and turmoil would prevail. Many negative comments come from those that find no reason to attend meetings, and are unwilling to accept a change in the way we operate as a fraternal organization”.
“To the naysayer, change is threatening because it means that things could get worse casting a negative cloud over all we try to accomplish. To the hopeful, change is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident, change is inspiring, because the challenge exists to make things better - a positive outlook towards change. As we struggle to understand changes, we need to focus on the positive. Even if you can only pull out one good reason, remaining positive will build confidence and you will become inspired by new challenges.”
“Everything is not always going to work perfectly. This is normal when implementing new systems and new situations. Such is the nature of life, it changes regularly. To recognize that we all face change on a regular basis makes it easier to move through the difficult steps that come with change. Initially, one might be surprised over the enforcement of change. Then frustration sets in, and negativism can overtake our thinking. To move past the negative, we must make an assessment of the change to understand its purpose and make a commitment towards change. Just because we are comfortable with what we are familiar with, is not sufficient reason to negatively approach a change that is beneficial to the overall fraternity. Understanding and focusing on the positive of change will help all of us think about what a wonderful constant we have going for us: the near-century-long constant of caring for those less fortunate than ourselves”. Mr. Collins finishes by saying “We can look to the past and live in it guaranteed to be only what we are, or learn from it with the possibility of being something strong and growing. We all can reach out and make a difference. Tell your brother thank you and lend him a helping hand. Just don’t put him down. If you have nothing good to say, then say nothing at all. There are little kids that depend on what we do.”
So why this article and why now? Well, as we begin a new Moose Year, it always begins with change. New members, new officers, new committees, new ideas. We have many lodge and chapter members who give tirelessly to their lodge and chapter in the time they have. Some working men and women and some retired. Not just those on boards or committees but even that member who stops by once and a while and wants to contribute. No matter how much or how little someone gives, or how much time someone dedicates to their lodge or chapter, most everyone I believe does so because of our children and seniors at Mooseheart and Moosehaven. So we all must do our best to work together rather than work against each other. Stop the bickering, and talking about other brothers or co-workers because we may have a personal issue with them. Instead of worrying about us so much, we need to remember our children and seniors more. Because in the grand scheme of things what’s more important. That thing that didn’t go the way we would have wished, or making sure we come together to get things done so our children and seniors are taken care of.
All of us including myself should take note of what these gentlemen had to say in the previous articles they have written. Our fraternity would be that much stronger if we did more often.
Randy Tipps, Governor
June is here, kids are out of school, and we look to spend more time out with our families. We hope that time will still include many visits to your Lodge and Chapter Home. We will continue to have our regular Monday and Friday night dinners, as well as a number of activities to keep you busy over the summer. Keep an eye out for events and activities coming up at the lodge. We are fully into our Lodge Goal Process. The information we collected from you over the last month, along with a review of our previous years goals, will bring us to a new set of goals for the 2010-2011 Moose year. You should see our Goals in the July Moose Call. We are having meetings with our Committee Chairman to discuss what our members told us they would like to see, as well as to help us achieve the goals we have set for ourselves as a lodge. We will be starting back up our Ritual Team to hold enrollments once again. Our new membership committee is working on a schedule that will be out soon.
July will be our International Moose Convention taking place in Nashville, Tennessee. We should have a number of new things to report this year when we return. Please keep your eyes and ears open for information on our July Woodstock – Harvard Lodge Picnic to be held on July 18th, 2010. It should be another great time and fun for the whole family. We hope to see you often around the lodge.
Once again thanks to all those men and women who have stepped forward to serve on the Men’s or Women’s Board of Officers, as well as those who have joined committees. We should have another fun year!
Governor, Randy Tipps
I want to thank everyone for allowing me the honor of serving as your Governor another year. I wish to thank all those exiting the Board of Officers or those appointed officers that will be stepping away. Your service has been greatly appreciated by your lodge, your fellow members, and the children at Mooseheart and the seniors at Moosehaven. I personally want to thank you so very much for your service. To all the new officers, appointed officers, and committee chairman, I look forward to working together in the year to come.
Like last year, we will be going through our Lodge “Goal Process” again. The process was started on April 16th, and we will continue collecting information from our membership until May 16th. After which will we hold meetings with our new Committee Chairman, the Board of Officers, and begin to plan a year of goals, events, and activities that are requested by our members. We will review our goals from last year and work to complete those things that we did not finish, while adding new projects from this year. A list of Lodge Goals will be comprised and announced at an upcoming Membership Floor Meeting. The goals will be posted in the lodge and published in our July newsletter. Please take the time to participate in our Goal Process. Please also remember to take part in your Lodge and Chapter Membership Floor meetings, for this is where everyone gets to the voice heard. I look forward to working with everyone during the 2010 – 2011 Moose Year, and together we should be able to accomplish some great things.
Randy Tipps, Governor
It’s hard to believe that it been almost a year now since I was honored by being elected your Governor for the 2009-2010 term year. I have enjoyed being able to work with a great bunch men on our board, as well as the chance to work closely with the determined ladies of Women of the Moose. I have gotten to know many people I hadn’t had the chance to meet before, and got the chance to make some new friends. When I started the year, I had a few personal goals of trying to make your lodge as open as possible and wishing to get our members more involved in the workings and decisions of your lodge home. I also wanted to set forward a list of goals, determined with our membership’s input, with the hopes of getting more people involved. I think with the hard work of officers, committees, members and volunteers, we really got a lot of things accomplished. Thank You! Without you nothing that we’ve accomplished this year could have happened. The new Board will be reviewing the previous year’s goals, and am I sure be asking you for your input again for the next years goals. I hope everyone will take part in that process.
That being said the Lodge will be holding elections on April 15th, and the Installation of Officers for both the LOOM and the WOTM will take place on April 24th. Please take the time and effort to vote. I would also ask that you give the new Board of Officers the same support you have given me, and the current Board of Officers.
On May 8th we will be holding a special event for Courtney Davies our Sunshine Child from Mooseheart. Please make every attempt to come one out and meet this outstanding young lady along with others from Mooseheart’s Illinois home. Thank you for support and it’s been a pleasure serving as your Governor over the last year.
Governor, Randy Tipps
I would like to start by offering a note of thanks to someone in our lodge who has given much of his time and his efforts over the years to our lodge. This gentleman, though leaving Illinois for another state, is not leaving the lodge he enjoys so much and dedicated much of his time to. His move will just not allow him to be as active in our lodge as often as he once was. He has been a Governor of the lodge, is in the Fellowship Degree of Service, and has filled in many areas whenever he has been asked. I want to personally thank him for all he has done and wish him well in his new endeavors whatever they may be. We hope to see him often in the future. Good Luck John Rach!
That being said, March isn’t slowing down any. We will hold our nominating committees for our LOOM Elections this month. Now is the time to get your name in if you want to run for an office. Check out what’s involved in other articles in this Moose Call. We also will be in the planning stage for a number of upcoming events. A day of Honor for Courtney Davies our Sunshine child, Mothers Day Brunch, and many other events. We are also looking to add volunteers for events and to join committees. Why not become a bigger part of your lodge.
We will also be looking to hold some AED training and possibly some CPR Training Classes here at our lodge. Since the donation of the AED to our lodge from the Sarah Schacht Memorial Foundation at our lodge Anniversary, we are excited about getting those who want to be trained, trained as soon as possible. Watch the lodge for updates on this training.
Last but not least, the with all the stuff happening in Haiti last month, there has been a urgent need for groups like our organization to help with orphaned children from Haiti. Moose international is still working on a program to bring as many as 50 children to Mooseheart. They are just waiting State Department Clearance. I urge everyone to visit the Moose International Website to keep up on some very NEW efforts being made by your fraternity in many areas.
Fraternally Yours, Randy Tipps, Governor
As we welcome in February I hope everyone will take some time and reflect. In January we all heard the news and watched the coverage of the Earthquake in Haiti. A country already so devastated by poverty, to then lose at least 100,000 people and even more hurt or injured. The total devastation that took place and the loss of life and hardships was really unbelievable. But as we always seem to do, our country is pulling together to offer assistance to those so terribly hit by this tragedy. This enormous tragedy will require our thoughts and prayers for long time to come.
In the lodge we held a couple of events in January. Our Lodge Anniversary and our Shake off the Winter Blues Fundraiser. We were honored by having our special guest Don Ross in attendance at our Anniversary and we all enjoyed a great meal as well. The Shake off the Winter Blues Charity Dinner Dance was a great time and we should be able to report our charity efforts for this event in March.
February is now the time to start thinking about your lodge, its operations, its goals that were set forth in the beginning of the year, and how things are going. The Nominating Committee will hold it’s first of three meetings to nominate officers for the election, on March 4th. Followed by two more on March 11th, and March 18th. Why not think about becoming an officer? Information will be out in the lodge about the different positions open for election and the requirements for running for that office. Should you have any questions please feel free to contact me or another Officer, and we would be happy to explain the process for running for an office.
I would like to thank every one of our members for your support of your lodge and chapter events, supporting our Monday and Friday night dinners, and helping our lodge to stay strong in what I am aware is an extremely tough economy and tough times for many. Your lodge, our children at Mooseheart, and our seniors at Moosehaven appreciate your efforts.
Randy Tipps, Governor
2009 is over and we begin a New Year. I hope everyone got to enjoy the recent Holiday’s with your families. For those who were away from their families at the holidays, we hope you will be with them soon, and that your Holidays were a safe and happy one.
Now that the Holidays are over though, we must do our best to stay on track. If you remember back in July we put forth a list of Lodge Goals. This list was developed from input from all our members. It covered many different areas that affected our lodge. I would like everyone to take a moment and pull out that list of Lodge Goal’s. If you didn’t save them or have an old Moose call, those Goals have been posted in the lodge and on the Lodge website since we submitted them to our membership. Please take a look at them again. I think you will find that there are many areas where we have completely accomplished our goals. You will also see that we still have some things that we need to address yet. I can assure you that our board has not forgotten this list, and we are doing our best to complete the goals we set forth back in July. The LOOM will review this list of Goals at our LOOM Member Floor Meeting on January 7th, 2010 at 7:00PM. Men please make every attempt to make this meeting. You will hear about our status on these goals, and learn about the direction of our lodge as we enter the New Year. Remember this is your meeting! Don’t pass up your opportunity to have your say. We will report any update from this meeting in the February Moose Call.
The lodge has also put forth a New Membership Stimulus Package that we will carry on through April 30th, 2010. I hope all LOOM members will get behind this program, our children and seniors our depending on us.
We also have a couple of events that everyone should do their best to attend. On January 23rd, the LOOM will hold its 92nd Lodge Anniversary. This event is open to all members of the LOOM & WOTM, and your families. On January 29th, the Moose Lodge will hold its 4th “Shake off the Winter Blues” Groundhog Day Charity Dinner Dance & Bachelor Auction. This event is open to the public and proceeds will support Moose Charities and this year’s local charity, the Youth Services Bureau of McHenry County. If you have a perspective member who is interested in the Moose invite them down to either of these events. The Lodge Anniversary is a new member welcome night as well, and the Groundhog Day event is a great evening as well.
Randy Tipps, Governor
December is here and Christmas will be here before we know it. I hope all our members have a safe, happy holiday season. Our lodge will be holding a number of events this month and next, as well as our Lodge Anniversary Party in January. There will be many opportunities to enjoy your lodge home, as well as many opportunities to welcome new friends to our lodge. I hope each and every one of us will take the opportunity to bring that friend, neighbor, co-worker, or acquaintance to our lodge over the next few months. If you’re looking for a Christmas present, why not think of a Moose membership? Maybe tickets to bring someone you know to our New Years Eve Party or Groundhog Day Dinner Dance? You can also invite them down to one of our Monday or Friday night dinners during the holidays. But hopefully we will all find a way to share the good people of our lodge with your friends and family.
Also during this time please remember our Sunshine Children and Grandparent. A Christmas card or a just a letter will go a long way to brighten their day. We will also have a collection jar at the bar to accept donations for a Holiday care package to be sent to our Sunshine Children and Grandparent at the holidays. Please feel free to make a donation if you wish.
We will also be requesting volunteers for some of our upcoming Holiday events. Please remember that we try to put on many holiday events for our members but that they also take a great deal of help and planning to provide. Please notice the sign up sheets in the front foyer, and sign up to help on one of these events. We can’t do them without you! God Bless you and your families, the children at Mooseheart, and our seniors at Moosehaven.
Governor, Randy Tipps
November is here and so unfortunately is the colder weather. We’ve turned back the clocks and hopefully you’ve remembered to change the batteries in your smoke alarms as well. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s just less than two short months until Christmas! Who can believe it?
In October, we were lucky enough to have many of our Mooseheart family here at the lodge. We got a chance to visit with some of our Sunshine Children who were with us as well. On December 5th, there will be a Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at the House of God, on the Mooseheart campus. From those who have attended the event in the past, I hear it’s a great experience if you can make the trip.
The holiday’s also brings us events like the Silvermane’s Turkey Dinner, our Thanksgiving Day Tom and Jerry’s at the lodge, Kids Christmas Party, Adult Holiday Party, and New Years Eve Party. There will be many opportunities to enjoy your lodge home around the holidays.
As we begin to enjoy what is the holiday season, it is very common to look around us and notice those who maybe needing of a little extra help. It could be a Senior who is home alone, a family who one or more of their parents maybe out of work, someone down and out on their luck, or maybe even someone who’s wife, husband, son or daughter, are away from home serving in the armed forces. There are many within our community, and even in our own lodge I assume, that could use a little help around the holidays. Please take a moment, or should I say spare some time, to help those whose needs maybe greater than our own. And if I can ask you a favor, please keep in mind our children at Mooseheart and our seniors at Moosehaven. A card, a letter, or even a small gift will go a long way to help those of our Mooseheart and Moosehaven family who maybe feeling a little lonely around the holidays.
To all our members, I hope you take the time to enjoy the upcoming holiday season. Be safe, be well, and be thankful for all the people in our lives.
Fraternally yours, Randy Tipps, Governor
The fall October is here and it’s hard to believe we are just three months away from 2010. Where has the time gone? But, October is here and we have a number of things to accomplish before the end of the year, as well as many fun and exciting activities coming up and to plan. The last few months of this year will be busy as well as hopefully a lot of fun.
One area that I would like to request your help with is with our membership campaign. Now is the time to grab a few membership applications and talk to your friends, family, co-workers, whomever, about this great organization. There are many benefits of being a Moose Lodge or Chapter member, and the children we just met again last week at Mooseheart are counting on us to invite those we know to be a part of this great organization. Please carry a few applications with you and don’t be afraid to share the story of the Moose. If you don’t have any, ask an officer and we will get them for you. Now is time to “Be a part of the Solution”.
As many of you know by now, our defending circle was diminished by the loss of Brother Art Johnson, at the end of August. Art was a long time member of our lodge who recently decided to become more involved in his lodge and its activities, and ran for office in May of this year. Art was elected to the 3 year trustee position of our lodge, and was a hard working member of the board of officers. He will be missed.
That being said our lodge was forced to hold an immediate Special Election to fill Arts position on the board. Nominating Committee meetings were held on September 15th, 22nd, and 29th and will be announced at the October 1st Floor meeting. Elections will be held October 15th here in the lodge. Please watch for the election signs in the lodge with all the details. We will have more information as well at our October 1st floor meeting. You must be a current member of the LOOM, and show your Membership card to be able to vote. Thanks to everyone for all you do to make Woodstock Moose Lodge & Family Center the place it is today.
Randy Tipps, Governor
September is here and I can’t believe how much of the year has passed by already. Since we have just finished the first quarter, I would suggest that ALL MEMBERS review the goals we set forth at the beginning of the year. If you don’t have a copy there is one posted on the Moose Information Board next to the entrance into the hall. How were doing? The board members will be reviewing this information as well and be working hard to work on the areas that still need attention. August was our State Convention and many of our members and committees were nominated for awards. By the time this article comes out we hopefully will already have heard who the winners are. But remember, to be nominated you are at least in the top five of all lodges in the state. So in my book that alone is pretty outstanding! Remember September 12th is Illinois Day at Mooseheart, and the Mooseheart Football team will be here in October. Mark your calendar now for all the upcoming events in September and October, we have a bunch!
Fraternally Yours, Randy Tipps, Governor
August is here and the starting of school will be just around the corner. We have started work on some of our lodge goals, and you should have started to see some changes around the lodge. Work started in July on the new Moose Vision Board in the social quarters. This new piece of technology should allow us to keep everyone up to date on news, events, Mooseheart and Moosehaven, as well as many other unique things. We have also been working with the city and soon will complete the work on the outside sidewalks. The front stoop and ramp repair should be completed this month, and we will begin the planning stages for updating the front foyer and the Legion and Pool Room downstairs. We also will begin the sign ups for Illinois Day this month so please remember to sign up early. We will be making transportation available and seats will be limited. Check out the information in the lodge and sign up now while spaces are available. Last but not least I would like to give a special thanks to those LOOM members who have been coming out to our LOOM floor meetings over the last few months. Our attendance has grown and people are finding out that the floor meeting is the place to be. It’s a place to be in on all the new and exciting things happening in our lodge home, and your opportunity to have a say on what you want to see. Those who haven’t been to a floor meeting in a while or never have been are truly missing out.
Fraternally Yours, Randy Tipps, Governor
