With the help of the Lodge #120 brothers and Chapter #738 coworkers, and other members across the state, West Virginia has contributed $1881.30 from the collection of good trash (cell phones and printer cartridges) to the Recycle for Mooseheart School Support Program.  This program helps to purchase the school supplies for the 200+ children that live at Mooseheart.  Year to date (2011-2012), we have collected $406.73. There is a blue trash can in the foyer of the lodge awaiting your donations. 
We held the SILENT AUCTION at the Mid-Year Convention in Morgantown in March and raised over $1100 for the WV Home at Mooseheart - many thanks to those who contributed to it or made purchases. One lodge and Chapter donated a country ham for the auction, but with their permission, I raffled it and made $300.00 for the WV home on it. The goal is to raise $120,000 for care of our home at Mooseheart for the year and we are about half-way there. We are only one of two states that “take care of our own” in the WV Home on the Mooseheart and are very proud to do so. We will be having two silent auctions in August at the Annual Conference in Wheeling. Any donations will be greatly appreciated. To find out other ways that you can help through the Moose Charities program, go to www.mooseintl.org and click on Moose Charities.
Thanks for everything that you do for the children at Mooseheart and the seniors at Moosehaven.

Barb Sheppard, PDGR/WV
State Chairman/WOTM Moose Charities

The other day, my sister was talking to some friends and mentioned the Moose. Their response was “...oh yea, that bar”. She quickly informed them that the Moose did indeed have a bar, and that it was one of the many benefits to its members, but that wasn’t what the Moose was all about.

I think too often this happens because we don’t share the story of Mooseheart and Moosehaven with our potential applicants, friends and family. We don’t do the orientations and rituals like we used to, so a lot of this information gets lost and forgotten.

The older crowd here remembers well the days of performing the ritual that tells why we’re here and who our efforts are really for.
Join me in reviewing the story of the Moose by going to http://www.mooseintl.org/public/Area/History.asp and reading up on our history.

I’m sure a lot of new members also don’t realize all the benefits that come with their membership. Go to http://www.mooseintl.org/public/Area/Benefits.asp and check out the many discounts offered.

Let’s be real...you don’t have to pay dues to go to a bar—and they’re happy to take your money and send you out the door. This organization serves a purpose—to support Mooseheart and Moosehaven through charitable contributions and payment of dues. We’re working hard to make sure you get the most out of your membership.

We hope you’ll continue your membership and actively participate in activities we have planned here at the lodge.

Respectfully,

Carol Beard, Editor

We’re now combining the WOTM meeting nights with the kids’ activity nights. The first and third Wednesday each month, the ball room area will be closed off from the social quarters and the craft activities and monthly meetings will be held in the ball room. This area will be NON-SMOKING. Supervised craft activities start at 6:30 PM. WOTM meetings will begin at 7:00 PM. Starting in May, we will be serving refreshments for the children and co-workers attending the meetings (hot dogs or simple sandwiches, chips and soda). Here is the schedule:

May 2-Mothers Day Crafts
May 16—various arts and crafts
June 6—Fathers Day Crafts
June 20—various arts and crafts

We hope this new change will encourage our younger members with children to come back to the lodge and participate in our meetings and family activities. Hope to see you real soon!

WOW! Have you noticed the changes going on around the lodge? A clean and Health Dept. approved kitchen...cleaned and waxed floors in the social quarters….new paint on the walls of the bathrooms...fixed plumbing? This is all thanks to the men and women of this lodge who gave of their time and wallets to make this lodge one that we can all be proud of. Thank you to ALL the volunteers.

Speaking of volunteers….we also have a crew of individuals who have been taking their turn running the money wheel and helping serve food on Tuesday nights as well as helping with raffles and special events that the lodge hosts. It takes money to keep this and any lodge running and people to help raise that money. Please consider becoming an active member by volunteering a couple of hours a month to the lodge. We really do NEED YOU!