Greetings from Petaluma!

Winter is here, our weather has definitely changed, heaters are being turned on,- fireplaces are being lit. All to make ourselves comfy and cozy. And our bills get higher.

This is certainly going to be a rough time, what with the pandemic and the coming flu season. We will have had our Thanksgiving holiday by now and I hope you were able to celebrate with your loved ones.

Coming is our Christmas Holiday Season. A time when families get together with families and friends to spread some cheer. To celebrate the birth of the Christ Child. Remember that there was no room

Hello from Redding:

As I write this Shasta County is in purple tier of Covid restrictions, so we are not having our member meetings, but continue our council meetings to take care of business. We are thankful we have only had a few members who have contracted minor symptoms with the coronavirus.

Our weekly Monday bocce play has been suspended due to the weather. We will resume in the spring.

Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, the Hanford Lodge #1543 has been dark since April. We are keeping our members safe by not having indoor activities or meetings. We will resume our normal life when we feel it is safe to do so.

However in October, we had a successful drive-thru sauce sale, in keeping with all the rules of safety for ourselves and our customers. Following this event, the Hanford Lodge donated 32 quarts of freshly made spaghetti sauce to the Kings County Fire Department. The sauce was distributed to all ten fire stations so that the firemen on each shift were able to enjoy the one-of-a-kind

Okay, what month is this? They keep running together, I am being very optimistic that we will once again, shortly, be able to meet in person. As we enter into the winter months, please everyone stay well and safe. Get you flu shots, and wear that mask. It’s almost second nature for all of us to have that mask when we leave the house, and have extras in the car now. Who would have thought…

We were able to conduct a Grand Council meeting on October 10th virtually. Thank you to all the officers and members who participated. I am still planning on meeting in person for the March Grand Council meeting, fingers and toes crossed.

As lodges begin to elect officers for the new term ahead please review the letter that sent out from our Judiciary Committee. Please send any questions or comments to myself or Al.

Some lodges in various counties have been getting together, practicing social distancing and keeping the quantity of people to a minimum. I have heard some lodges are doing takeout meals for their members and communities. Some are meeting outdoors with everyone bringing their own food & drink. And there are the lodges doing the Zoom meetings / dinners.

Congratulations to the new officers and those who made the choice to resume their position of office.

This month I have some highlights of Leadership information I received from SHARE “Catholic Daughters of the America” and feel that it is good information to share with new and returning lodge Officers.

How we present ourselves, how we treat others, how we think about other people can change the way we think and behave. Consider the following small steps that will provide personal growth and success as a leader.

1. THE ONLY PERSON YOU CAN CHANGE IS YOURSELF! Fear exists only in your mind. Choose a positive sense of challenge. Dare to take on your dreams and challenges.

2. BUILD CONFIDENCE IN YOURSELF BY BEING PREPARED. Past positive successes give the confidence to keep going forward. Look to the future to see the results. Learn from differences. Ask yourself if you have