Annual Summaries

MVSV Elks’ Ladies Annual Summaries for the 2025-2026 Year

Dear Elks Ladies, 

We are happy to share the annual reports from the Elks' Ladies 2025-2026 Board and Chair Positions. Our Annual Summaries keep you informed of our activities during the past year. It is only through everyone's hard work that we can reach our goals. Thank you to everyone for volunteering on all of our committees and events throughout the year. 

Officers 

President Laura Lumley:

The PRESIDENT shall preside at all business meetings of the club. The President is Chairman of the Executive Board and shall call all special meetings. The president shall sign all necessary warrants, checks and contracts. The President shall appoint all Standing Committee Chairmen and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees except the nominating committee. The President shall call on all Standing Committee Chairmen for reports at the regular meeting.

Vice President, Cookie Akkeson: 

     As Vice President, I worked closely with our President to plan and our monthly meetings and events. I led a few meetings on behalf of our President when she was unable to attend. 

     I had the privilege of planning and organizing our Annual Ladies Appreciation Dinner. I renamed the event the” Appreciation Dinner” to acknowledge the men who joined our club this past year and the spouses/partners who supported us through the year. My goal was to bring back the participation of our membership to this special event.  Our kitchen staff provided a traditional meal of ham, scalloped potatoes and green beans with cheesecake with cherry topping for dessert. Special thanks to Steve Cagnacci and Barbara Copolla for preparing such a wonderful meal enjoyed by all.

     The El Toro High School choral group provided our evening entertainment. Dave Roberts, the choral director and a member of our Lodge, was so happy to be back at the Lodge providing this tradition that was started many years ago. Tracee McRane made the cookies to pass out to the young people as they were leaving the Lodge. The concert was well received by the audience as the evening's finale! Everyone was smiling as they made their way out the door.

In closing, my wish is that the incoming board will continue with “tradition”as their motto.

Hugs,

Cookie Akesson, Vice President 2025-2026

Corresponding Secretary Jean Chapman: 

          It was my pleasure to serve as the MVELKS LADIES Correspondence Secretary 2025-2026. I enjoyed sending written correspondence to the vendors of the six events last year.

          With emails being the more prevalent form of correspondence nowadays, emails were sent out to those names presented to me.  It is always eye opening and awesome to see how many Elks and Elk's Ladies work behind the scenes to make our events happen! From set-up, servers, cooks, and clean-up committees, it definitely shows volunteerism and teamwork are alive and well in Mision Viejo. 

       Tracee McRane and her Ways & Means Committee have put their magic touch on all of the events this year.  We had 2 new events thanks to Tracee, a Tea Party and Oktoberfest! What a wonderful, fun filled year we have had!

  I would like to give a huge shout-out to Jennie Williams for all of her work in helping me become more  tech savvy on the emails and daffodil headings!

Thanks for the memories,

Jean Chapman Corresponding Secretary

Recording Secretary, Sandy Jacobs: 

Since joining the Elks' Ladies in 2004, I have served as the Recording Secretary nine years. Most of the times were two-year commitments, but a few times, they were just one year when a different position needed to be filled. That means that I have done this report nine times.

During that time, one thing has remained constant: the description of the duties as described in the By-Laws The Recording Secretary shall record the minutes of the club and Executive Board meetings and shall forward one coy to the President, one copy for the club's records and one for the Recording Secretary's book. The Recording Secretary shall keep the By-Laws and Standing Rules up to date and have charge of all papers belonging to the club. The Recording Secretary's signature shall be on file at the bank so that the Recording Secretary can sign checks in the absence of either the President or Treasurer.

Really, the only thing that has changed, is what happens after the minutes are typed. Instead of printing copies to give to the President, and reading them aloud during the meetings for approval or corrections before voting for acceptance, they are now sent to our Communications/Computer whiz Jennifer Williams who posts them on the website for members to read. The Board gets both sets of minutes; whereas, the Business Meeting minutes are available for the entire membership. The Recording Secretary asks for corrections and/or approval and a vote is taken to accept or not.

The Recording Secretary still maintains a book for all records and papers belonging to the club. The signing of checks remains the same as it has been.

In closing, I want to thank President Laura Lumley, VP Cookie Akesson, and Parliamentarian Barbara Coppola for a very good year. The Covid years got us of track a bit which led to new members stepping in to keep us going. Sometimes they didn't have the previous years with experienced leaders to guide them. Now, the three ladies who took on a tough job have gotten us back where we should be.

They weren't the only ones, but they guided us back to where we were with the traditions that made the Elks' Ladies who we are. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Sandra Jacobs,  Recording Secretary

Treasurer, Jerlene Dinnage: 

        The TREASURER shall receive all monies; the Treasurer shall keep a record of all receipts and disbursements; shall make monthly and annual reports to the club; deposit all funds in the name of the Mission Viejo Elks’ Ladies in the bank designated by the board in a timely manner. The Treasurer shall sign with the President all authorized checks and contracts. The Treasurer shall send out dues notices to the members by March 15th.

Standing Committees 

Hospitality, Carol Gray:  

           Hospitality is a position to provide the group with refreshments for each Board and Business meeting on the second Monday of the month. The members volunteer to bring treats by signing up on a yearly sign-up sheet. This sheet is passed around at meetings until all spots are filled.

Monthly, on the Sunday before the meeting they chose, I remind the people who signed up to bring their items. If someone who signed up cannot make it to the meeting, I will supply a dessert to replace it.  I also notify Communications of the volunteers each month for the Announcements. 

As Hospitality Chair, I set up a table before each meeting, including a tablecloth, napkins, plates, water, and utensils if needed.  Afterward, I clean up the table and store the materials until the next meeting.

Carol Gray, Hospitality

Membership, Michele Scaglione: 

The MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE shall consist of a Chairman and two or three members appointed by the Chairman. This Committee shall, upon receiving proof of eligibility, accept membership and present the dues to the Treasurer. The Treasurer shall issue a receipt to the new member. The Committee shall keep a record of attendance at the monthly business meeting. It will be their duty to contact all prospective members and to keep an accurate, up-to-date membership list. It shall be the duty of the committee to publish and distribute the membership list along with the Bylaws and Standing Rules, in the form of the Elks’ Ladies Membership Book, to all new and renewing members each year.

 Publicity, Sheryn Howlett: 

"A dissemination of information to attract public attention and build awareness for a person, product or organization."  Hopefully, I have done this throughout the year, covering all of our successes with the Tea Party, Oktoberfest, Snowflake Ball, Appreciation Dinner and Fashion Show as well as introducing you to many of our members.  The latter is what I hope to continue to do this year.  One of my goals which I feel I could have done better, was to get our events advertised sooner and our flyers out earlier.  This will bring more people to our events bringing in more revenue.  $15,300.00 was given to our Exalted Ruler this year by our President, Laura Lumley.  This fact is covered in the Lodge Installation of Officers for all Lodge and Ladies members to see.

Sheryn Howlett, Publicity

Sunshine, Cheryl Isaac: 

            As Sunshine Chair, I enjoyed sending the spirit of "Sunshine" within our Ladies' club.  Every month, birthday cards are sent to all members to help celebrate their special day. Also, cards and get well gift boxes are sent to members recovering from illnesses or surgeries, along with condolences to members' families who have lost loved ones.  

Please contact me throughout the year if you know of any member who could use a little extra cheer or support, and please continue donating cards.

Thank you!

Cheryl Isaac, Sunshine

"Friendship is like a ray of sunshine."

Ways and Means Co-Chairs Tracee McRane and Dana Hollenbeck:

Tracee McRane and Dana Hollenbeck co-chaired, along with the Ways and Means Committee, this past year, working to host a series of successful and enjoyable fundraising events. In addition to the Tea Party Decorating Contest, four entertaining events were held and were well attended by our members and guests.

Tea Party:

A favorite from years past, which was a first for this Ways and Means committee, was a complete success. Everyone’s creativity came out in full force and it was an entertaining day for everyone.

Blue Jeans and Boots Western Night:

This was another successful event. With good food and fun with friends, along with the Outlaw Band, provided fantastic entertainment and once again had many members dancing the night away.

Oktoberfest :

This event was another first for this year's Ways and Means committee. With the help of many of Elks' ladies, it turned out to be quite a fun event between the music, contests, and the food. A good time was had by all.

Winter Ball:

The Snowflake Gala proved to be a beautiful event. It was enjoyed by all who attended. The Gala was a wonderful start to the holiday season.

Fashion Show:

This event proved to be a very successful fundraiser. It was enjoyed by all who attended, and we were able to raise a significant amount of funds for the club. We have received extremely positive feedback from many members and guests regarding this wonderful event.

Respectfully submitted,

Tracee McRane, Ways and Means Committee​

Sergeant At Arms, Kelly Van Dyke:

          My duties were performed at the beginning of each Elks’ Ladies General meeting.  My duty was to get the flag out of the closet and put it in the stand.  I asked members to place their hands over their hearts, then to start the Pledge of Allegiance.  I put the flag and base back in the closet at the end of the meeting.

          I have not been able to attend very many meetings throughout the year and I want to thank whoever has been taking over this duty in my absence. 

Kelly Van Dyke, Sergeant At Arms   

Parliamentarian, Barbara Coppola:

     The new Elk Year started my position as Parliamentarian with coordinating the program for the Installation of Elk Ladies Officers. What an exciting way to start!!! As with all Elk Ladies events, we all supported each other as the various components of the event came together.  While putting together the event, I was able to create an Installation Program handbook.  Hopefully, this will provide a guideline for future Parliamentarians of items that need to be addressed to make this traditional event successful.  

        During the year, I advised the President of points of parliamentary law and gave similar advice to the group when requested to do so. Our bylaws state that I should sit near the President  at meetings to be convenient for consultation.  When something was done out of order, I was able to call the attention of the chair to it in an unobtrusive manner. I  attended the Executive Board and General Meetings, and was the Chairman of the  Nominating Committee for the upcoming year.  I made sure that all nominees were willing to accept their nomination, and then presented the names of the nominees to the Executive Board and again to the general meeting members for vote. 

 A big THANK YOU “to everyone who made this past year memorable! 

Barbara Coppola, Parliamentarian

Chaplain, Victoria Stokes:

        It is always sacred to have the opportunity to bless our meeting before it starts, to ask for His inspiration, wisdom, and love, and to close the meetings with gratitude for all accomplished, and keep us, our loved ones, and beloved lodge safe and healthy, until we meet again.

Victoria Johnson-Stokes,

Elks Ladies Chaplain

Communications, Jennifer Williams: 

    Dear 2025-26 MVSV Elks’ Ladies Board, Committees, and Members,

The main duty for Communications is sharing the requests of the Executive Board and Chairpeople to send emails, announcements, and information throughout the 2025-2026 year. Members were notified of special events, volunteering needs, Memorials, meetings, and functions at the Lodge. Monthly Announcements were sent with information from Officers and Committees.  Communications reached our members through emails, surveys, phone calls, and on our website. Our website has been viewed 23,318 times since its inception, so it has become an essential part of our communication. Thank you for your continued feedback to provide you with helpful tools. 

The Mission Viejo Saddleback Valley Elks' Ladies’ Website is maintained as part of Communications. Our Home page shares current information, meeting times, and a calendar for easy access. Other pages include information and photos of our Board and Committees, Meetings, Membership, Sunshine, ChitChat, Communications, Rules and ByLaws, and past Years.

Communications additionally supported each of the Elks’ Ladies’ Events. Event information was collected to provide checklists for ticketing, sales, seating, meal choices, check-ins, and event floor plans. Photos from events are posted and shared on our website. 

Digital support is also provided to Membership with the creation of spreadsheets, lists, certificates, emails, Membership Cards, Membership Booklets, certificates, and applications. 

I look forward to supporting the Elks’ Ladies again in the coming year. This year, I was a one person committee and would greatly appreciate anyone with technology skills to join me in the coming year. The more the merrier!

Looking forward to another great year,

Jennifer Williams, Communications 2025-2026

Auditor, Linda Cimmarusti 

The duties were to perform the treasury audit two times a year. In addition, contributions were made to the annual budget for the past year and for the coming new term.

Elk Liaison, handled by Laura Lumley and Barbara Coppola 

This year the liaison position was handled by current Board Members who attended every Elk Meeting.