Sign up information AND Notes from most recent conferences
Illinois Moose Mid-Year Conference - March 20-22, 2026 - Decatur Hotel & Convention Center
* Meals must be pre-ordered
* Onsite registration is available - no meals included
MORE INFO TO COME
2026 International Moose Convention - Oklahoma City, OK - June 30-July 3, 2026 - more info in Dec.
Illinois Moose Convention - August 22-24 - St. Louis -- NOTES FROM CONVENTION
2024 Mooseheart Rudolph Run brought in $264,000 - Lodges can sponsor for the 2025 Rudolph Run by October - folks can sign up for the run AT Mooseheart on 11/22/25 or do your own virtual run in your area.
Past Fiscal Year, it was noted that $7780+ was brought in by the Rocker Fund, and $6500+ was brought in by the Cradle Fund (just for Illinois).
Moosehaven Report - 315 residents, the oldest is 103.
Several 50/50s were done during sessions - total to winners $495, $545, $693, $630 - the Past Presidents also had a 50/50 and their winner received $703.
A request was made for donations to “Hear Gary Doud Sing” OR “Have Gary Doud NOT sing” - the singing donations won so Gary sang for the crowd with the backup singers being the rest of the IMA Board Members. That fundraiser collected $4,619.00,
MANY nice farewells were added to speeches by the Committee Chairs to outgoing first-female-President of the IMA, Mary Teutsch.
There were 415 in attendance according to the Final Credentials Report. Districts 2, 3, 4, and 7 had 100% participation (meaning every Lodge in the District was represented by an attendee). Nine Lodges had 10+ in attendance.
A Brief overview of the new Moose Preferred Status Levels of Recognition Program (open to all members) was given. An overview of the first level is included in this Newsletter, with a link to the full description on the Moose International website.
Loss Prevention gave a talk about some ways to help with Loss Prevention that all Lodges should be following: Watch for overpouring, control excess drinking, fix-clean-clear areas to help with slips-trips-and-falls, log things that happen in the incident report book, and keep up with those audits to prevent theft.
Heart of the Community Scholarships - there were 39 submitted for Illinois from 22 Lodges - One $5000 Scholarship was drawn, as well as ten $1000 Scholarships. Congrats to all the winners!
Donation of funds is requested for the Moosehaven Halloween Celebration - since Halloween is on a Friday this year, the kids who will stop by for candy handouts will be able to stay around for more time. Susan Luke is hoping to receive small (or large) donations from each Lodge so they can prepare a great time for the seniors and the kids who visit that day.
The Illinois pledge for the new project at Mooseheart is $200,000 to be collected over the next few year. The funds for UNITING HEARTS and EXPANDING HORIZONS is a $12,000,000 project to create renovated and new houses at Mooseheart for children or adults with intellectual or developmental issues. Three homes will be redesigned and 3 new homes built for this project, along with a water treatment plant and a revitalized track and field area for them to use.
There are currently 84 kids at Mooseheart school. There are room for more, but they need Family Teachers before they can enroll more students. The Illinois Home lost their family teachers recently so they girls from another home switched places with the girls from the Illinois Home so they would have more room for the family of the Family Teachers. There are now 9 girls in the Illinois Home at Mooseheart.
A patio expansion was done at the Illinois Home as a Lodge (don’t remember which one) donated a gazebo. Now they have tables, etc to be able to spend time outside at the house.
There is a Wish List for the Illinois Home which the IMA is working toward providing.
Mooseheart Homecoming is September 20. It will be Steak Day (not sure what that is).
If you don’t have a My Membership Record created on the Moose International website, you should do that. Keeping track of your Rewards Points is good for you to know, and logging in your Volunteer Hours is helpful to the Lodge for their awards.
The biggest change that went into effect on August 1, 2025:
Effective August 1, 2025, Moose International updated its guest policy, meaning non-members can visit a lodge a maximum of two times before they must become members to continue participating in lodge activities and using social quarters. This policy change applies to all guests over 21, including family members and spouses, who must be signed in by a member, and the member is responsible for their guest's conduct.
** Any questions, see Joe Harris, President Tuscola Lodge 729
The Quilt of Valor Ceremony is always awesome. A Valued Veteran from each district is presented with a red, white and blue quilt. Picture included in newsletter and on website.
There is a policy review going on to make a change in the schedule to have SIX District meetings per year so that Lodges who miss one meeting don’t get left out of awards.
ON TIME RENEWAL CHALLENGE is coming. Tuscola Lodge can win money by getting our members to Renew On Time! Monthly, IMA will be awarding funds to the Lodge with the highest On Time Payment for membership renewals.