All posts by mooseintl
2022-2023 Moose Journalism Awards Open
The Moose Journalism Awards program seeks to encourage and motivate editors of all Moose publications towards the achievement of consistently high journalistic standards in their newsletters and, through such achievement, to enhance communication and shared information between Moose members and their Lodges, Chapters, Moose Legions, Higher Degree Councils, and Associations.
Entries are now being accepted for the 61st Annual Moose Journalism Awards, to be announced at the 2023 International Convention in Reno, NV. Participants can download entry/informational forms for both the publications and website portions of the contest at the following link(s):
– 2022-2023 Publication Entries
– 2022-2023 Website Entries
Website entries are due Feb. 24, 2023. Newsletter entries due March 3, 2023.
Questions about the contest can be directed to the Moose International Department of Communications at (630) 966-2229.
Good luck to all the participants!
Diversity Statement
The Moose Fraternity is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and connectedness. We will only be able to grow today as an organization, and provide meaningful help to others, with a diverse group of members, employees and partners that are representative of the communities and individuals which we serve.
Therefore, we do not discriminate against any member, potential member, employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.
January Message from Dan Gooch
Happy New Year! Welcome to 2023.
January has been set aside as “Moose Legion Honor Month.” This is a time to celebrate everything Moose Legion. It is a time to acknowledge those Men that have taken the “Next Step in Fraternalism,” whether they were just conferred, or have been elevated to be Fellows or Pilgrims. We all took that first step by joining the Moose Legion.
Moose Legionnaires are known for their “Get-R-Done” attitude. Never asking for recognition, just wanting to “Make it Happen.” As Past International Moose Legion President Bruce Berger always said, “They are the movers and shakers of the Moose.”
Hopefully, every Lodge acknowledges the importance of the Moose Legion, but especially in January:
- Possibly have a dinner, free if you are a Moose Legionnaire. Set the table with cloth table cover and real silverware and plates just for Moose Legionnaires.
- Hold a Special Conferral in honor of your “Moose Legionnaire of the Year.”
- Present awards that may have been earned, things like the Key Club, Medals of Honor and Elite Rings.
Other men of the lodge may ask, “What makes the Moose Legion so special?” Wherever and whatever the need, Moose Legionnaires are actively involved. This is a great opportunity to promote the Moose Legion.
There are many ways to say “Thank You” to those dedicated men of the Moose Legion.
Let’s “Make it Happen.” Why? “Because We Care.”
Dan Gooch – International Moose Legion President
2023 International Moose Convention | Reno
Home | Preliminary Schedule | Registration | Housing | Travel | Events/Things To Do
Join us in Reno for the 2023 International Moose Convention from June 20th-23rd, 2023!
The Opening Session will take place on Tuesday, June 20th and the Installation of Officers will take place on Friday, June 23rd. Auxiliary meetings, training, etc. may begin beforehand starting on June 17th.
Reno Tahoe offers an eclectic array of dining, activity and nightlife options and is a destination beyond all expectations. Moose members will love to visit the “Biggest Little City in the World,” not only for what this unique area offers, but also for the chance to reunite with friends from across the country and an opportunity to learn more about what makes the Moose so special.
Make plans to visit today! Registration and housing now open.
December Message from Dan Gooch
Our Moose Legion Conference in Jacksonville, Florida was greeted by Hurricane “Nicole.” Once the rains and winds subsided, the sun came out and we enjoyed a beautiful weekend. We had some informal presentations during the day on Friday. That was followed by a fun evening. Saturday brought us to Moosehaven for their Annual Chili Cook-Off. A visit from NASCAR Driver and Moose member Ross Chastain rounded out our day on Campus. Saturday evening, we celebrated our veterans with an Honor Guard from Jacksonville Naval Air Station presenting the Colors to open the evening. Dinner and a program followed which was highlighted with the ritual results.
Congratulations go out to the Tar Heel Moose Legion team as our new “Champions.” After they were announced, “Grumpy” proclaimed that “ALL that competed were Champions.” What about the “ritual widows and helpers?” They too are “Champions.” They act as coaches, word judges, and other tasks to help their team achieve great heights in the Ritual Program. What about the Ritual Judging Team? They are Champions for their tireless effort to see that the “Next Step in Fraternalism” is presented with enthusiasm. Hopefully you can see where I am going with this. Grumpy’s statement made me think about the other Moose Legionnaires that were in attendance. We are ALL “Champions” for what we do for this great fraternity we call the Moose. Moose Legionnaires represented their jurisdictions, listened, asked questions, shared ideas, and generated enthusiasm for our program. They took notes to take back information to their jurisdictions. A special thank you to the “Champions” of Seminole Moose Legion for being our hosts!
Let’s all continue being Champions as this calendar year comes to a close. Keep on working to promote the Moose Legion and everything we stand for so that we will finish our fiscal year in a positive position.
Enjoy your holidays! Let’s “Make it Happen.” Why? “Because We Care.”
Dan Gooch – International Moose Legion President
NASCAR Season Recap: Ross Chastain Highlights
*Information courtesy of CBS Sports / NASCAR – read the full article online
Driver of the Year: Ross Chastain
Before the season began, there was a pretty good sense of who Ross Chastain was and what he was capable of. Through years of overachieving in lesser equipment, the consensus was that Chastain was a talented driver who made his way on merit, and one that was capable of taking the better equipment he worked his way into and winning at least one Cup race with it.
But in only his second season running all 36 Cup Series races, Chastain performed at a level that even his fiercest advocates may not have expected him to. Not only did Chastain earn the first two wins of his career at Circuit of the Americas and Talladega, but he also led all drivers in top-five (15) and top-10 finishes (21), led the fourth-most laps of all drivers (692) and had the second-best average finish of all drivers (13.3).
In many of the season’s top moments or greatest conflicts, Chastain was a central character. His stand-your-ground, unapologetically aggressive style of driving harkened back to an era where rubbin’ was racin’, and it earned him just as many fans as it earned him enemies on the racetrack. And that was before he risked life and limb to make the Championship 4 and produce one of the greatest highlights in NASCAR playoff history at Martinsville.
If any single driver defined the 2022 season, it was Ross Chastain and his arrival as one of stock car racing’s best.
Team of the Year: Trackhouse Racing
For the longest time, the balance of power among NASCAR race teams has amounted to an oligarchy of powerhouse race shops that have gone almost entirely unchallenged — until now.
The vision of Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks, a former journeyman driver, has been transgressive and transformative for an industry that had stagnated and needed new ideas from new power players. But more than bringing on a celebrity co-owner in Pitbull and buying Chip Ganassi Racing’s entire NASCAR operation, Trackhouse has become a force in NASCAR through what it accomplished on the racetrack in 2022. Both of its cars finished in the top 10, with both Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez leading the rising tide of Trackhouse to the best seasons of their respective careers.
Moment of the Year: Hail Melon
There were 19 different winners in 2022, tying a NASCAR record. Every single driver who competed for the championship had at least one finish inside the top 10. But nothing any driver did mattered more than what one driver was willing to do to finish fourth.
Running 10th entering the final corner at Martinsville in October, there was seemingly nothing Ross Chastain could conceivably do to make up the points deficit to Denny Hamlin and make the Championship 4 in Phoenix. So Chastain shifted into fifth gear, put his throttle to the floorboard and tried to make something happen. Sure enough, Chastain’s car carried an extreme amount of speed as it wrapped around the wall, allowing him to pass five cars in one corner and beat Hamlin back to the start/finish line to make the Championship 4 by one point.
Chastain’s move quickly became one of the greatest highlights of NASCAR’s playoff era, one of the most iconic individual driving moments in NASCAR’s 75-year history, and perhaps offered a striking, lasting visual that will long encapsulate the season that was in 2022.
December Message from Cathy Funkey
“Over the river and through the woods” it’s time for holiday parties, dinners, gift-giving and sometimes tummy aches. As we celebrate with our families and friends let’s not forget the families at Mooseheart and Moosehaven. Why not send a Christmas card to the family teachers, school staff and hardworking Moose employees to thank them for all they do for our Fraternity. This also might be a good time to request a Sunshine Child or Grandparent. What a great way to get ready for 2023.
Our members also carry the spirit of Christmas into their communities by supplying clothing, meals and gifts for those less fortunate than we are. Please share photos of your Community Service efforts with Moose International, and the next time you open the Moose magazine, you may see your Lodge or Chapter in living color.
It’s hard to believe that we are only a few days away from a new year. It sure seems like 2022 has flown by. It’s not too soon to discuss the 2023-24 elections. After the busy holiday season ends, we celebrate our Golden Gavel recipients and suddenly it’s February and we realize the nomination process was overlooked. Hold an orientation to discuss the roles and responsibilities of the Officers and Chairmen. It may be difficult to get attendees, but it may take the fear and mystery out of those positions. It’s worth a try.
I am truly grateful for all you do for Mooseheart, Moosehaven, your communities and each other. May your holidays be filled with happiness, peace and love. And may all your dreams for the coming year be fulfilled.
In-Person Moose Training Classes
The new Basic 2-HOTT Class is now available as an in-person, instructor-led class. The new version has been shortened to a one-day class with two sections, making it more convenient for members to attend. The Basic 2-HOTT Class is intended to train administrators, assistants to administrators, Chapter treasurers and Moose Legion secretaries.
There is limited class availability across the country at this time, as instructors are just starting to schedule sessions in their areas. Please check the Moose Training web page beginning next week for the initial class schedules; however, there will be more classes available in the next few months.
If you take the class within the next few weeks, please be advised that this is a class that will be utilizing new practice scenarios, and you may be asked to notify the instructor in the class if something in the software does not work correctly. Please have patience with the instructors as the reporting could take extra time in the class.
Materials for the new Administrator School training are currently being reviewed and the new in-person sessions are anticipated to begin being scheduled in the middle of October. The shortened two-day course will feature new learner guides and scenarios.
Please go to the Moose Training Schedule to find classes in your area!
We hope to see you in a Basic 2-HOTT Class soon!
October Message from Dan Gooch
As we approach the halfway point of our fiscal year at the end of this month, we see an increase in active membership. This is great to see, but can we do better? Yes we can! While we are signing members at a fantastic rate, we need to work on our retention efforts. You may say we only need to worry about that in April. Not so – we need to think retention the day we sign someone into the Moose Legion. Every day is the day to make those calls or have personal contacts. Continue to keep that Moose Legionnaire interested and involved. Give them a reason to keep up their membership. Listen to THEIR ideas. Let them help. They say, “Never turn a volunteer down.” Put them on a committee, ask them to help with a fundraising project, anything to keep them interested. Any Moose Legionnaire can help. Get a list from your jurisdiction Secretary and start making calls. I am sure he would appreciate your help. “Let’s Make It Happen, Because We Care.”
Hope to see everyone in Jacksonville for a fun-filled weekend!
Dan Gooch – International Moose Legion President
