Dear Odd Fellows and Pledges,
1. The Lodge Hall. The other day I was walking to our Lodge Hall at twilight – I was walking on Second Street from C Street. If you haven’t taken a close look at our Lodge Hall, please do. The mural on the side of our Hall was beautiful at twilight. I also saw our lighted three links and the IOOF letters, the flags that are flying, the awning lights, the new curtains, the warm lighting coming from the inside of our Hall, and of course, Zoltar. I remember when I first joined the Lodge in 2004 none of this existed. The building in those days was anonymous, inactive and dark. We have come a long way since then.
2. Initiation Coming Up on January 28. Let’s have a GREAT turnout for our new members on January 28. On that evening we will have a formal meeting of the Lodge and we will initiate our new members. Initiation is an important event in the Odd Fellows, so let’s honor of new members with a terrific turnout. Social hour begins at 6:15 p.m. and the meeting begins at 7 p.m. All are invited to the social hour, but only members and the new initiates may attend the formal meeting.
3. The Installation & Awards Dinner. We had a wonderful turnout for last night’s Installation and Awards Dinner – 85 members, pledges and guests saw our elected and appointed officers installed, and enjoyed the dinner, the music of Cold Shot, and the awards portion. Congratulations to Duff Devine who received the Spirit Award, to Penny Smith who received the Noble Grand’s Award, and to our Saturday Morning Breakfast Crew (Rea Nakanishi, Vic Bucher, Steve Lopez and Amy Hodam) who received the Member of the Year Award. In addition, I presented Merit Jewels to 22 of our hard-working Lodge members. A great evening all around!
4. 2015 Lodge Dues. As we enter the new year, member’s dues are now payable. You may mail your dues to Duff Devine, Financial Secretary, Davis Odd Fellows Lodge, 415 Second Street, Davis CA 95616 – or you can bring your check to the meeting on January 10 and hand your dues check to Duff. Checks should be payable to “Davis Odd Fellows Lodge”. Dues are $55 per year – a bargain.
5. Club Night at the Lodge on Thursday. Sponsored by our Good Fellowship Committee, Club Night at the Lodge is back this Thursday, January 15, from 5 to 8 p.m. No RSVP necessary. Just come and enjoy. Dinner will be available for those who want it for $7 per person (it’s “Breakfast for Dinner” night), the bar will be open, and we will have “Mystery in History” night for those who wish to play, with prizes.
6. Rebekah Lodge Crab Feed. Tickets are now on sale for the annual Davis Rebekah Lodge Crab Feed (the event is February 7 at the Lodge Hall). This has proven to be a very popular event, and tickets can go fast. You can even reserve an entire table for a group of 8. For more information on reserving a table, please contact me at learose@jps.net. Come on, Odd Fellows, let’s reserve some tables! to help the Davis Rebekah Lodge!
7. Taste of Davis Sponsorships. Our annual Taste of Davis event is scheduled this year on Thursday, April 30. This is the major social event of the year at the Lodge, attracting hundreds of members of the public to sample the wares from local area restaurants, wineries and breweries. Sponsorships are $500 or $200, BUT we have a special “offer” for Lodge members and Pledges. If you wish to be a sponsor, you may do so for $100 – just let me know. As a sponsor, you will also receive one complimentary ticket to the event. Sponsors are listed in several ads in the Enterprise, in a constantly playing slide show at the event, and in a post-event ad.
8. “Odd Hike” Coming Up Tomorrow. Dave Reed, the Chair of our “Take a Hike” Committee is thinking of doing a hike tomorrow, Monday, January 19 (it’s a holiday). If you are interested please write to Dave at dreedng@gmail.com.
9. Thursday Live! Coming up on February 5. The Music Committee brings you country folk singer and song writer Rita Hosking, as well as Bluegrass with The Notorious Shank Brothers. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the music starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Lodge. The show is always open to the public and free of charge – although donations are gratefully accepted.
10. Classic Film Festival Returns. Mark your calendars for the “sequel” of our Odd Fellows Classic Film Festival. The dates will be three successive Sundays in March: 1, 8 and 15. The Classic Film Committee and film critic Derrick Bang have chosen “classic courtroom films” as the genre this time around, and the three films are: “Adam’s Rib,” “Witness for the Prosecution,” and “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
11. Serve on a Committee. If you are not on a Lodge Committee, NOW is the time to join for 2015! We have 33 Committees and are always open to forming a new one. Let me know which committee you wish to join and I will connect you with the Chairs. You want to get active with the Lodge and in the community? This is the way to do it. We have over 30 committees in our Lodge, and many of them could use some help! Here are some of the active committees that would welcome volunteers: Bingo, Music & Concerts, Social Services, Picnic Day Float, Good Fellowship, and Breakfast with the Bunny.
Lea Rosenberg
Noble Grand