The Davis Odd Fellows Lodge – a fixture in Davis since its institution in 1870 – has elected officers for 2016. The new officers assume their positions at an Installation and Awards Dinner on January 9, 2016.
Jean-Paul Montreuil has been elected Noble Grand of the Lodge. Although only 36 years of age, Montreuil comes to the Lodge after a lengthy military career. He retired honorably from the Air Force after a 17-year enlisted career. For the pasts five years, he served as the non-commissioned officer in charge of a deployable mobile communications unit, part of a global crisis response wing capable of providing communications to anywhere in the world within 24 hours of deployment. Currently, he is a student at Sacramento City College with a major in sociology. He plans to transfer to UCD next Fall. Montreuil and his wife, Heather, are both active members of the Davis Lodge. Montreuil serves as co-chair of the Odd Fellows Bingo Committee and the projectionist for the Odd Fellows Classic Film Committee, as well as co-chair of the Odd Fellows Theater Group. “It’s an honor and a pleasure to be chosen to lead this diverse group of men and women,” said Montreuil. “We do so many good things in the community, but we also know how to have fun together as a fraternal order.”
Montreuil replaces Lea Rosenberg, who serves as Noble Grand of the Lodge in 2015. “It’s wonderful to see young members step up to lead this Lodge,” said Rosenberg. “Jean-Paul will do a great job steering our 47 Lodge Committees, and the new ones we will create, into the future.”
Elected Vice Grand of the Lodge is Stewart Savage. Savage owns Abaton Consulting, a firm that specializes in websites and website development. He serves as the webmaster for the Lodge and developed the Lodge website found at www.davislodge.org. He also is chair of the Website and Communications Committee for the Lodge. Savage and his wife, Roberta, are active Odd Fellows.
Jim Smith has been elected Secretary of the Lodge. Smith is Editor of the Daily Democrat newspaper based in Woodland. He and his wife, Penny, are both active members of the Davis Odd Fellows Lodge.
Elected Treasurer of the Lodge is Janis Rosenberg. Rosenberg is co-chair of the Lodge’s Picnic Day Float Committee, and is a member of the Bingo Committee and as chair of the Running with the Turkeys Committee. Her parents, Lea and Dave Rosenberg, are long-time active members of the Lodge.
Rounding out the slate of elected officers is Duff Devine, who serves as Financial Secretary of the Lodge. Devine was re-elected to his position. He is the owner of Devine Insurance Solutions, an insurance brokerage.
The three elected Trustees of the Lodge are Bob Bockwinkel, Dave Reed, and Dave Rosenberg.
The Davis Odd Fellows Lodge was instituted in 1870, and in those days was known as the “Yolo Lodge” because 1870 predated the establishment of the City of Davis. Currently, the Lodge has 238 members, and 16 applicants for membership. It is one of the fastest growing Lodges in the United States and is one of the five largest Lodges in North America. The Lodge has engaged in numerous activities to benefit the community and the world including A Taste of Davis, Breakfast with Santa, Breakfast with the Bunny, the World’s Greatest Bicycle Parade, Neighbors for Nepal, Hope for Haiti, monthly Second Sunday Bingo benefiting community, monthly musical venues on the first Thursday called “Thursday Live!”, the New Year’s Eve Party, and many others. The current Lodge Hall was built and opened in 1955, and is often used for community events.