ELKS MC
THE
MOTHER CHAPTER

CRANFORD LODGE
#2006

RUSTY GERSTENMIER Chairman
Sal Ditta	Mary Beth Gerstenmier Secretary		John Vicci
Jerry Altomare	Darryl Dreher		Charlie Scanlon
Tom Sikorski	Bob Stankus		Chet Evanchick
Al Wright	Ed Lawson		Dallas Peterson
Kevin Marinarafont			Bill Walker
Jon Petzold		Bob Jani
Donna Walker		Steve

 

 

 

 

 

    I stepped out of the house on Miracle Run Sunday, much to my relief I looked up to see clear skies.

Heat? well we're all used to that by now, but sportin a fever the past few days, well I thought that this was just going to be an ugly day.

    Upon arriving at the Club a few minutes later, I saw approx. 20 bikes already parked in front. Stepping inside just made my heart "Swell and Throb".  Bartenders loading coolers, registration tables manned with anxious members getting ready to deal with the upcoming fiasco, the smell of taylor ham and cheese coming from the kitchen and oh the sweet whiff of the muffin all spread out on the back table. Merchandise being laid out ready to be sold, Ice buckets with waters being shuffled about .Members hittin me up on all sides asking what else they could do to help.

    Steppin back outside to check on the rumblin sounds of more bikes approaching, I noticed more brothers discussing the future parking situation and the best ways to deal with it. It wasn't until this moment when I thought to myself that "This Motorcycle Club is for Real". The organization and attitudes amongst the membership was that of which I've never experienced before. Yes, we've done GREAT jobs in the past, but some of which came with a cost of intense stress levels with hints of dysfunction. Teamwork was one of the first words that came to mind, that and Brotherhood.

   Once that super anxious moment of leading 397 bikes 65 miles down the road had hit my stomach like a sledge hammer smashing an egg had arrived, members came up to me and volunteered to stay behind and to make sure the Club was cleaned and secure, one less thing that I didn't need dancing around in my head during the day, I was relieved and figured it was time to hit the road.

   You've never experienced being up front, ridin down the road, with yer best friends surrounding you, looking straight ahead to open space and seeing miles and miles of yer brothers and friends in the rear view mirrors. Well let me tell you something, "It don't get any better that" The ride to New Egypt was outstanding! gone off with out a hitch, and knowing all of whom you left with had arrived safe, well that's another feeling that is hard to explain, that and the fact that a little boy in a wheel chair was sitting in the parking lot waiting for us, kinda makes all the bad things in life, Go Away.

   As the next 4 or 5 hours went sweating along, All members seemed to be in their happy places, some staying cool in the Lodge, some just draggin ass along the grounds as Bonedaddy ripped out some good tunes, anyways, all were content. The fact that our 5 Horseman pulled a rope and brought the big trophy back home where it belongs was, of course, one of the big highlights of my day.

   We climbed aboard our trusty steeds in anticipation of the ride home, I saw a lot of concern in some faces, I saw members who were just flat out beat from the heat, and then there were that few that could have just gone on all night long as well. The ride home was a piece of cake, we stayed together and kept it at an even pace, all the way monitoring the storm in which we were heading into. What was that?? We got home with out getting dumped on?? your damn right!! ALL PRESENT AND ACCOUNTED FOR! never sounded so good to my ears as it did this day.

   11 months of meetings and organizing, 1 morning of pure (but controlled) mayhem and 1 afternoon of showing the world that we, THE CRANFORD ELKS MC #2006, our families and friends are there for our Special Children.

Turning over nearly $70,000.00 to Elks Camp Moore.  Well I guess it wasn't such an ugly day after all.

 

Thank You to all who made this special day possible,

 

VEECH

National President

Elks MC   USA