Tuesday was the first General meeting of Lodge 614's first elected Board of Director's. There was a large crowd at this meeting. Many of our members were curious to see how the new FOP administration was handling the business of the Lodge.
One of the first things they noticed is that we are working on a more professional atmosphere for the hall. Not everything will be accomplished immediately, but when you come to meetings you will begin to notice changes. We will also be upgrading the sound system and the acoustics in the hall. You will also notice an expaned menu selection for the meal.
There is no doubt that there is a new President in charge of the Lodge with a determination and focus to address the needs of the membership. For the first time in the history of our Lodge we have a fully elected Board of Directors. Since 2003 our Board was appointed by the State until The State President felt we had enough time to merge our two former Lodges together. We have a dedicated group that is all Lodge 614. We have active and retired members in a very diverse make up of our Board.
Another thing that you will notice is that we will be trying very hard to get more members to come to the meetings. We will notify people on the website and by e-mail about upcoming meetings and any important events that will be discussed, along with any guest speakers. You will also find it much easier to contact members of the Board of Directors than ever before.
The large crowd that was there was due in part to the announcements about the meeting and the 3 guest speakers we had that night.
Debbie Peden(R) and Perry Clark (D) came to the meeting to introduce themselves to us and ask for our support in their upcoming election. Debbie is a school teacher and is married to Metro Council Member James Peden (District 23). Perry has been a State Representative for a over a decade now. Being able to tell people that the FOP stands behind you is an important thing in political circles. Mrs. Peden and Mr. Clark are both running for the vacant Kentucky State Senate Seat in the 37th District. There will be a special election on February 14, 2006 to fill this seat which has been vacant for over a year now. Both candidates are strong supporters of Law Enforcement. Both candidates spoke of their passion for what they stand for and what they hope to achieve if elected. We wish the best for both of them, and feel that no matter who is ultimately elected, that they will serve the 37th District with honor and distinction and that their door will always be open to us.
Our 3rd Guest speaker was Commonwealth's Attorney Dave Stengel. Mr. Stengel asked to come and address our membership in an open forum to discuss matters of concern to our members. The Commonwealth's Attorney's Office works on a daily basis with our members and Mr. Stengel came to the meeting to answer any questions that our members wanted to ask. Brother McKenzie Mattingly was at the meeting and asked several pointed questions of Mr. Stengel. Other members raised concerns over some problems that have arisen in the past also. Mr. Stengel fielded every question. The discussions became spirited at times, but there atmosphere remained professional at all times. Many of us left the meeting feeling that the air had been cleared on several issues. We hope that more members take advantage of coming to meetings and listening to our guest speakers in the future because you can really gain a lot of insight by taking the time to talk to people and listen to what they have to say.