I became a member of this lodge over 14 years ago after buying a summer home in Brigantine. At that time, I knew only a few members and knew little about Elkdom. Lenny Kachur was my neighbor and then sponsor. The beach brought my wife Kathryn & I to Brigantine, but the friendship we found at the lodge was what moved us to make Brigantine our home. In 2006 we sold our home in
Pittsgrove Township and moved here full time. I’ll have to consult with some of the natives to see when I can apply for the repeal of my Shoobie status. We both feel extremely lucky to have landed here in Brigantine with the finest friends we have ever had.
Over the years Kathy and I have volunteered for numerous events and have enjoyed the camaraderie of friends working together to accomplish seemingly insurmountable tasks. For example, the first time I helped with bagging clams I was overwhelmed by the thousands of clams rolled out on hand trucks that needed to be rinsed, counted, bagged, tied and iced down. In no time the tasks were done with the help of old hands, young hands, big hands, small hands, experienced hands and my rookie hands – all without the lack of laughter and smiles. The experience of volunteering at these events is something that every member can should take pleasure in. There are always events and activities that anyone can help with from Fashion Shows, Golf Tournaments, cooking for Friday Night Dinners to working on the Maintenance Committee.
Our Lodge is rich in many ways. Our bay front location with magnificent views of Atlantic City, our Marina, the size of our yard and facility, and in my opinion, our most valuable resource is our membership. Everyone brings something to the table – educators, carpenters, musicians, chefs, engineers, architects, the list of talents goes on and on and, allwilling to offer their expertise for the good of the lodge and our charities. The membership is now approaching 700 members with new applications coming in all the time. It is exciting and encouraging to know that more and more people are interested in joining our community of Elks and helping us accomplish our goals.
I am proud that the membership has deemed me worthy to serve as Leading Knight and now, Exalted Ruler. I cannot count the number of members that have expressed their support and let me know that if there is anything they can do, they will be there. I serve today with an experienced group of officers and some of the most knowledgeable Past Exalted Rulers in the State that have pledged to help maintain and build our status in the community.
