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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE06/14/2020I know we are all at the breaking point, but there now seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel. All we have to do is hang on and enjoy life with our partners, [if there still is one], remembering the upstairs, downstairs rule.Just to keep you all at ease, the chapter, even though in a social distancing mode, is still a functioning organization. The executive board and the board of directors are still meeting once a month, not in person, but through the technology of zoom.We are finally entering into the first stage so we are on our way. Unfortunately, it will be a while before we get to the stage where the Elks Club will be opened and we can get back to having meetings.Memorial Day has come and gone and even though were not able to honor our fallen heroes the traditional way, we all still keep them in our hearts and thoughts. For some reason the question came up through various conversations about what do you say to commemorate the day and how do we respond when family members and friends approach us and say “Happy Memorial Day”. This is not an easy one to answer because most people relate Memorial Day to veterans and they want to show that they are appreciative of our service. So, they say have a “Happy Memorial Day”. I’m not going to tell you what to say in response to that because there is so many ways your response could offend someone that doesn’t understand what the day really stands for. What I have been doing that seems to works is I reply with “Thank you but please remember all that have died for our country”. I think what that does is give that person a pause and hopefully some thought to my response. Another way to address it is to talk to your family, especially grandchildren and friends. You can do this when you are all sitting around enjoying the day. Wait for the right opportunity and explain what the day really means. This has worked for me and most of the time their response is “I never thought about it that way, thank you”On a final note I would like all of us to take special care and be aware of what is out there on social media [Facebook, tweets and the internet]. There are a lot of things being put out there that are completely false, incorrect, or misleading, and are there just for the purpose inciting all of us. I urge all of you to think twice about sending this out to others. It does no good other than dividing us more and more. It is a time for healing, a time to put our differences aside and heal this country no matter what your allegiances are. We are all better than what’s going on out there, so, let us lead the way.Your BrotherGene
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