Elks Lodge Installs New Officers and Announces Prestigious Awards

The recent weekend rain could not keep people away as they celebrated the Mission Viejo / Saddleback Valley Elks Lodge No. 2444 (“Elks Lodge”) installation of new officers. One hundred fifty (150) Elks members, families and guests attended the Sunday, March 18, 2012 afternoon event.

The new officers will be serving the Lodge for a term of one year starting April 1, 2012. They are: Exalted Ruler (Lodge president) Roger F. Yarnell, Vice Presidents: Leading Knight Jason Spence, Loyal Knight Derek Randles and Lecturing Knight Camacho Alvarez. Also installed were: Secretary Lorene Tierney, Treasurer William (Bill) Bongartz, Lodge Esquire Howard Sargent, Chaplain Christine E. Jones, Inner Guard Matthew Williams, Tiler Diana L. Wilson, Organist Andy Costello, Board of Trustees: Tom Banning, Gary Bennington, Gary K. Smith, Harold A. Allen and Steven A. Rusie. In his acceptance speech, newly elected Exalted Ruler Roger Yarnell said that his motto for the year is “BEING AN ELK IS NOT EXPENSIVE…IT’S PRICELESS”. Yarnell also pledged to maintain the spirit of cooperation and involvement the Lodge has long enjoyed with the communities of the Saddleback Valley and City of Mission Viejo.

Three of Elkdom’s highest awards were presented. The Citizen of the year award went to Gary Smith, 4th year Lodge Trustee. The Officer of the Year award was given to Lodge Esquire, Camacho Alvarez, and the Elk of the Year was awarded to Carla Joe Hannon.

In other Lodge news, seven (7) members were named to high positions in the Elks Orange Coast District. They are: Past District Deputy Norm Jones - Secretary, Past Exalted Rulers Pat Martino - Hoop Shoot Chairman, Bill James - Youth Activities Chairman, Harvey Boelts - Scholarship Chairman, Hal Mattson - Public Relations (PR) Vice Chairman. Nancy Allen was appointed Auditor to the District Deputy. California/Hawaii Elks Association PR Chairman Andy Costello was named to the PR District Chairmanship.

The Mission Viejo / Saddleback Elks Lodge No. 2444, celebrating forty-two (42) years of service to the Saddleback Valley communities, is one of ten lodges in the Orange Coast District of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE) whose headquarters is in Chicago, Illinois. The BPOE is a charitable organization with a 144 year history of giving, “Elks Care, Elks Share.”

Andy Costello, Lodge Publicity

Mission Viejo / Saddleback Valley Elks Lodge No. 2444; Phone: (949) 830-3557