On Sunday, October 13, 2024, at 3:00 PM, Exalted Ruler Mark Guilmett and his officers of the Rochester Elks Lodge #1393 initiated 33 new members into the Order, bringing the Rochester membership to over 1,000.

The ceremony also marked the District Deputy Visitation of Matthew Sanborn, a Past Exalted Ruler of the Rochester Elks and the current District Deputy Grand Exalted Ruler for the South District of New Hampshire. Mr. Sanborn was accompanied by his suite of officers, including Don Chesnel, Esquire to the District Deputy; Jerry Skidds, Auditor to the District Deputy; and Scott Welch, Safety Inspector to the District Deputy.

Following the ceremony, all attendees were treated to a roast pork dinner. The Rochester Lodge is one of 13 in the state of New Hampshire, where statewide membership is approximately 8,500, and over 800,000 nationally. The Elks are a private organization engaged in numerous volunteer activities, including youth programs, scholarship initiatives, veterans’ services, community affairs, drug awareness programs, and philanthropy through grant funding provided by the Elks National Foundation.

For more information about the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, please visit www.elks.org.