I've been asked to reflect on my 55 years as an Elk. When I joined Elks #1858 in 1968, we were a much smaller organization, both in numbers of members and size of our facility.

Membership was approximately 300 to 350. Since then, the Lodge has been as high as 1800 plus, back down to 400-450, and today is approximately 900 members. The building included what is today the main bar, the dance floor, the East Dining area, and the offices on the north side of the building. Interesting when you compare that to the current size of our building.

Over my years as an Elk, the one thing that has always stood out is the members. From our Charter members to our current members, without everyone's support, this Lodge would have closed 15 years ago when we were financially broke. We didn't close, and that was due to the determination of the members to survive as a Lodge. Personally, I have had the great honor of serving as an officer of our Lodge, a committeeman of the State Association (OSEA), and as an officer of the Grand Lodge.

Thank you all for being a part of my 55 years as an Elk.

Roger McCorkle, #1152