America is celebrating its birthday in July, and so are we! We are truly blessed to have the privilege of being born in this great country. By the good fortune of birth place, we are citizens of the greatest country in the world and enjoy liberties that are the envy of the world’s peoples. As Elks, we recognize the blessings we have as American citizens and honor those who have fought and continue to fight for our freedom. As you celebrate Independence Day, may you do so with a thankful heart and with fun-filled activities with family and friends.

Lodge 1199’s birthday celebration is going to be held on Thursday, July 15 which is our charter day. On that date in 1910, our lodge received its official charter from the Grand Lodge. We will be celebrating this BIG day with a banquet beginning at 6:30 followed by a dance. There are a limited number of tickets available for this very special event, so get yours now! We will have a delicious full dinner, fine wines, and a fun trip down memory lane. After the banquet, we will enjoy entertainment and dancing with the “50 Years of Rock and Roll Show” featuring Ricky D and the Elvis Tribute Band. This group comes to us with great credentials and will be lots of fun! The order form for tickets is in this newsletter, or you can stop in at the office to get your tickets. Please make plans to join us for this VERY special day!

You perhaps have noticed the beautiful limited edition print, “Majestic History”, in the main lobby. It was created exclusively for the 100th Anniversary of our lodge. There are only, and will only be, 200 of these prints available. It is a strictly limited edition. The prints are on sale now. Reserve a print for yourself now by using the order form in this newsletter or by downloading the form at www.bismanelks.com. Prints are selling quickly, so act fast!

June was a busy month for our lodge. Two of our biggest fundraisers were held in June: the 5th Annual Elks/Jerome’s Distributing Golf Scramble and the Annual Elks/McQuade Distributing Burger, Brat and Beer Stand. Thank you to all of the officers and members who helped with those events. Your dedication and hard work are truly appreciated. Thanks to the volunteer crew who came out on Father’s Day to help with painting and “spiffing-up” the TR Bar, with special thanks to Rick and Kathy Parkes for spearheading this effort. Our TR bar looks great! The Bismarck-Mandan Elks Lodge was also represented at the 100th Birthday Celebration of the Boy Scouts and at the Dakota Zoo Children’s Day. All of these events were able to happen because of the active participation and coordination of lodge officers and members. If you’d like to be involved in upcoming volunteer events, please contact one of the lodge officers.

Throughout the warm days of July and August, relax and take time to absorb the beauty that is our America!

Andrea Edstrom Frank
Exalted Ruler
Bismarck-Mandan Lodge #1199

It is my sad duty to announce the death of William Van Vleet, Robert Watts, Arthur Olson II. May their Virtues be written on the tablet of love and memory.

Members hospitalized Ben Klein, Bob Scott, Ed Knudson.