Office of the Secretary

It is the goal of the Office of the Secretary to meet the needs of the Lodge and the Membership in a  friendly and efficient manner.

The Secretary is in the Lodge frequently for other events and meetings.  To contact the Secretary or to make a personal appointment:

Phone: 301-739-0844 (lodge),  301-790-0079 ((home) before 9pm) & 301-223-1066 (work)
Email: swishard@elks378.org

Mail:   Scott A. Wishard, PER Secretary
            Hagerstown Elks #378
            11063 Robinwood Drive
            Hagerstown, Md. 21742

December 2008 Message:

From the Desk of the Secretary,

Starting in December, I was being approached by member regarding dues for the upcoming year. As we have in the last several years, we will be sending out dues letters in mid January with the amount due for the 2009-2010 lodge year. While the local lodge dues will remain the same at $45, we do know the Grand Lodge assessment will increase by at least $3. There is also a proposal which will be voted on at the State Association meeting in January where a motion had been made to increase the State Association assessment by $2. Once the final the final assessment numbers are in I will be able to calculate the total amount due for regular and life members for the 09-10 lodge year. Please do not pay the upcoming lodge year dues until you have received your letter. Dues sent in an incorrect amount will have to be returned to you which creates a cost for the lodge and a delay in getting your membership renewed.

With regards to the life membership, our bylaws state that to attain life membership, you must have 45 years of membership in the order, 25 of which must be as a member of the Hagerstown Lodge and be at least 65 years of age. You must also personally request life membership by contacting the Secretary. Once formally requested and the member is found to be eligible, the request must be read on the lodge floor, published in the Antlers and voted on at a regular lodge meeting. If you meet the requirements as noted above and wish to be considered for life membership, please submit your request in writing or call me at 301-739-0844 x202. If writing or leaving a message, please include your name, address, phone and membership numbers. The complete process will take about 2 months. Those who may be eligible for the 09-10 lodge year may make their request at any time.

One final note. If you will be changing your address soon, please let us know as soon as possible so we can update our mailing list and lodge records.