Local man leads 1 million Elks
By Eliav Appelbaum eliav@theacorn.com

Richard Goldner

Richard Goldner remembers when he visited Veterans Hospital in Los Angeles on Flag Day five years ago.

"To this day, I still get choked up telling the story," said Goldner, whose local lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks provided a buffet lunch to veterans that day.

"A veteran pressed something into the palm of my hand. It was a dollar bill, neatly folded into an ittybitty square," he said. "He put it in my hand and said, 'You can put this dollar to better use than me.'"

The small but heartfelt donation motivates the Santa Rosa Valley resident to do all he can with the Elks, whether it's spending time with veterans, giving dictionaries to thirdgrade students or feeding hungry families on Christmas and Thanksgiving.

A nonprofit association with almost a million members nationwide, the Elks donates about $200 million every year to a variety of causes. Goldner, 66, is the national public relations chair for the Elks and has served a term as Exalted Ruler, or president, for the Thousand Oaks Lodge.

The Newark, N.J., native became interested because of the group's work with the Boy Scouts of America. Goldner said he soon learned the Elks, formed in 1868, work with a number of charities and other philanthropic organizations.

"The Elks are significantly different from other organizations, primarily because of the breadth of all the different programs we're involved in," Goldner said.

The organization has handed out dictionaries to third graders in public school districts for the past four years. Goldner enjoyed personally handing out 864 dictionaries to Camarillo students and hopes to run the same program in Conejo Valley Unified School District next year.

In 2006, the Elks distributed more than 120,000 dictionaries to third-graders in California, Goldner said. More than 6 million dictionaries have been given away around the country by the Elks and other groups.

The Elks has a national freethrow shooting contest for youth ages 8 to 13, with the finalists earning a trip to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. The Elks also sponsors a drug awareness education program for elementary students and organizes a national soccer competition.

Every lodge observes Flag Day on June 14, and many hand out toys or food during the holidays.

"We're so diversified in what we do," Goldner said. "It's primarily a broadbased community service organization." In his 16 years with the nonprofit, Goldner has worked in public relations at the state and regional levels. Last year, he was appointed a national chair.

"When he takes on a responsibility, he jumps into it wholeheartedly," said Greg Metzgus, the vice president of a district that represents 12 lodges from Simi Valley to Paso Robles.

Metzgus, a Newbury Park resident, is a member of the Thousand Oaks lodge with Goldner. "You can't ask for someone better to represent the Elks. He's a very good speaker, and he just has an air about him. His enthusiasm is contagious."

Goldner said he hasn't played a round of golf in five years because he's so busy with the Elks, but he doesn't mind. The New Jersey native enjoys giving back to the community.

"Maybe there's something better in the community now that might not have taken place had it not been for my involvement," he said. "It gives me some significant peace of mind that maybe I've offered a small helping hand."