Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I hope everyone survived the holiday season with a minimum of pushing and shoving at the malls, the endless traffic, and overly excited young ones just waiting for St. Nick to show up. The holidays are always an exciting time for everyone around the lodge. It is also a blessing when the holidays are finally over.

I cannot say enough how much I appreciate all the help so many have given to the lodge in the last year. As I look back at the last year, I have to say so much has changed. The change is because of lodge members like you and two fantastic boards of officers. I want to thank my board of officers for all their work this last year. The members are starting to notice there is less stress around the lodge as in years past. We are also getting more done from donations to volunteering. In the last two months, we made donations to deserving needy families around the area for Thanksgiving and Christmas, donated Tommy Moose to the Fairfax City Fire Department, made cash donations to the Fairfax - Falls Church Community Services Board, had a gift raising campaign for the Lamb Center, and volunteered for the City of Fairfax through our work with Clean Fairfax. This is just some of our hard work that has benefited the community.

We also had fun around the lodge too! Did you play poker or go bowling with other lodge members in the last two months? Did you come to the great Holiday party put on by Dan Sullivan, Tom Pavlik, and Frank Walker? They did a great job putting together the party this year. People have not stopped talking about how much they enjoyed the band. It was really nice seeing Kenyon Davis and Shack dancing with their wives at the party. The party was also one of the largest Holiday parties in recent memory.

As the New Year starts, we have more business to attend to around the lodge. Membership is still going great. But, we still need more members signed up. Our lodge has made just 55 percent of our quota for the membership year. I know we can make our quota of 68 new members this year. We all know someone who would be a good member. We need members who have a drive to help others, to help the lodge, and who know how to have fun.

We also need new blood at the committee level here at the lodge too. This is an area where we can always use more help. We need some new help in the community service and family activities committees. If you know of someone who would like to join either committee, please let me know. We have lots of members around the lodge with some fantastic ideas for both committees but have little direction and organization. If you have a community service or family activities project please let a board member know. We are always looking for new ideas.

In conclusion, the good work that the lodge does doesn't stop because the year ends. We have more to do for Mooseheart, Moosehaven, our community, and our lodge. Believe it or not, just coming in and purchasing something in the social quarters helps us do more for the lodge and the community. So, come on in and have a bite to eat or a drink today! I also want to wish each and every lodge member a very happy and prosperous New Year!

Denny Leathers
Governor
Centreville Moose Lodge #2168