Julie Nelson
Mooseheart Chair
(714) 267-5772
Jdn4801@sbcgobal.net
Hello Everyone,
Time is flying by, and it is already October. I just returned from Sparks, Nevada where I attended a very successful Annual Convention. As we end our year, Mooseheart has just begun their 2025-2026 school year. The students are all back on campus and started off on 8/13 with the annual Ice Cream Social sponsored by Mooseheart Chapter 3001. The kids really enjoy this event because they get to reconnect with all their fellow students and catch up on their summer activities. Two students were privileged to attend the Yosemite Youth Conservation Camp. Eleventh grader Krista Pointek was newly chosen to attend and spent an entire month on site. Jeannie Briceno, who spent a month there last year, was invited back by the camp leaders to serve as a youth leader. Jeannie spent the entire summer at the camp and returned to Mooseheart just in time for the start of school.
Summer at Mooseheart also offered a unique opportunity for the kids to interact with selected zoo animals. Illinois Senator Karina Villa, partnered with Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo, to offer an on-site experience for students. Various animals were brought to campus by the zoo’s mobile unit. This allowed the students to touch the animals as they learned all kinds of interesting facts about each species.
There were lots of work crews on the grounds throughout the summer as a new remodeling project started. Many of the family teacher’s quarters are being remodeled. Students and teachers in those homes were relocated to closed homes as the work is being done. They are looking forward to moving back into their homes when the work is completed.
Prior to school starting, two local businesses held Back to School drives asking the community for school supplies for the kids at Mooseheart. The events were well attended and turned out to be a great success. Mooseheart was very grateful to receive all the supplies needed to ensure all the students were well equipped to start the new school year.
Additionally, Adidas donated a new pair of shoes to each high school student. Mooseheart admissions successfully replaced all 13 graduating seniors before school started on 8/14. By the end of September, we will have 92 students at Mooseheart. It is expected that by Thanksgiving we will be back to 100 students.
Which brings me to some exciting news. For the first time in 4 or 5 years, we, the CNMA, have a new student on campus. Her name is Carlee Harwell; she is from California and sponsored by the Stockdale Lodge. She is a 9th grader and according to Mooseheart she is doing very well. She has made a very smooth transition to campus life and is very happy to be there. After visiting Mooseheart, her mother was so impressed, she decided to enroll Carlee’s younger sister, Veronica Bynum. Carlee was very excited to have her sister on campus with her.
Mooseheart is proud to announce they have a new website. I checked it out and it has much improved. You can easily check out all the current events and activities happening on campus. The site will be updated regularly so you can find out all the information you need to keep your Lodges and Chapters posted on what’s happening in real time. Plus, lots of photos of the students and the campus. Please check it out www.mooseheart.org.
I hope you all enjoyed your summer. I am personally looking forward to some cooler weather! Thanks for all you do for Mooseheart.
Paul Harvey Article
Guidelines For The Mooseheart Sunshine Program
The minimum a lodge or chapter needs to do for their Sunshine child is to send a birthday card/gift as well as a Christmas card/gift, but there is no real limit – and most lodges and chapters go far above those basics. We prefer that you send a tangible gift, chosen for them, rather than a gift card. Gift cards are very difficult to regulate, and we prefer a check for the student’s savings account if you choose not to provide a tangible gift.
What we want to do is build a passion within your lodge or chapter to connect with the life of this child. The whole point of sponsoring a child is to let them know that there are Moose members who care about them and support them. Whatever you choose to do and whatever your resources allow, do it with the knowledge that you’re giving hope and encouragement to a child! Feel free to contact us if you need anything!
Please send mail to:
Sunshine Department
Attn: “child name”
115 James J Davis Drive
Mooseheart, IL 60539
Come and Visit Our Campus - Take the Tour
GABRIEL IS ON THE COVER OF THE MOOSE MAGAZINE!!
During Christmas Break Autumn and Gabriel visited the Reseda Lodge and got a few gifts from Santa
California Nevada Moose Association sponsored student Autumn Campbell is inducted into the National Honor Society! Congratulations Autumn, you make us Moose proud!
Surley You Know Some Child That Could Benefit From Mooseheart!
“At each convention and Mid-year, I have given a report that we are not doing our job getting children from CA/NV. It seem the members are listening but nothing changes. They are filling Mooseheart with children from Chicago and Illinois – thank goodness. But we should change that and send more children from our two states. We are working our way down to NONE from here. We have only 2 left at Mooseheart.
Fraternally,
Blackie Veach
MOOSEHEART “It’s All About The Kids!”
