Brothers and Sisters, I just wanted to take a moment to reach out to everyone. We all know these are some tough times for Police Officers and all Law Enforcement Officers. We have all gone through some trying times lately with the loss of Officers and Members of the Lodge and many who were not Members. We still active Members have been under scrutiny after several high profile in-custody deaths right here in our city but also around the country. There still seems to be a total disregard and distrust for Law Enforcement around the country and I hope we can get that pendulum to swing back sometime soon. We need to remember to stick together and have each other's backs during these trying times. We have taken on a higher calling in this profession we have chosen and I would like to thank all of the retired Members of this Lodge who served our communities and took pride in their job. We are looking for some of the younger Members to start becoming more active in the Lodge.
We are still getting the same 20 to 30 people at the monthly meetings and for all of our activities. We need new blood and need the younger and newer Members to get involved and to keep this Lodge moving forward and building upon what has already been established by this current Executive Board and all of the Board Members who have served in the past. Please reach out to Members you know that you can bring to a meeting and maybe then they will come back for more. Let's all take the imitative to get new Members into the Lodge and to bring back some Members who may have fallen off the wagon for whatever reason. We need to continue to grow the Lodge back to the numbers we saw 8 to 20 years ago and even higher.
We have had too many suicides locally and around the country regarding Law Enforcement Officers lately.. We need to look out for one another and ask if everything is okay if we notice something different. Take the time to reach out to any Law Enforcement Officer, retired or active, that needs help or is showing signs of some kind of distress or problems. We are our Brother's and Sister's Keeper, please remember that.
Please reach out to me or any Member with any issues you may have or questions you need answered. If we don't know we will find out. We continue to do good work with the Dream Factory, Special Olympics, and the Cops4 Kids event we hold every year for kids who may not have a good Christmas and for the children of all Fallen Officers from West Tennessee. We are looking into doing something for the kids at St. Jude and/or LeBonheur in the future so anyone who has some input or a contact person please let me know.
We are trying to put a Christmas Party back together starting this year. Covid and Budget Restraints have had us refrain from holding one the past few years and we need to bring it back as a time for socializing and camaraderie amongst out Members. Anyone interested in helping with this Committee let me know or reach out to Brinda Williams, our Treasurer and committee member.
Myself and the Executive Board are striving to do our best to make this Lodge one of the best in the country and to make it a must join organization for any Law Enforcement Officer in Shelby and Fayette County. We are striving to be good stewards of the Lodge's finances and resources.
I hope everyone is well and ready for Spring to arrive. Enjoy time with your families and friends and please remember to come out to the meetings (the second Monday of every month at Coletta's at Appling and Stage) to see some old friends and meet some new ones. This is the best Law Enforcement Organization around and offers a lot for its Members from the local, state, and national levels. Take advantage of what it has to offer.
If there is anything I can do for you, reach out to me and let me know.
-George Cave, President Lodge #35
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