Sean C. Morgan
Jim Heimbuck passed the gavel Saturday evening to Randy Claasen, the new exalted ruler at the Sweet Home Elks Lodge.
“I enjoyed it, but I could not have done it without all the volunteers in the lodge,” Heimbuck said. “It’s been a privilege and an honor to serve as exalted ruler this past year. I wish Randy luck. I know he’s going to do a good job.”
Claasen stressed unity and teamwork, as the lodge builds on the club’s recent successes, to members in a dinner speech.
He related the story of a championship Little League team he coached in Alaska and a boy who was the unlikeliest of heroes. League rules required every member of the team to play ball.
Claasen had a large team, some 18 players, as his team sought its fourth championship. The boy, Matthew Cook, had come to him before the season started the year before and told Claasen he wanted to join the team, but he knew he was “too fat.”
“I said, ‘Yeah, of course you can, but your parents have got to be involved, you’ve got to be involved,’” Claasen said. “‘Keep your grades up. Don’t miss practice.’”
In two years, the boy never got a hit and never caught a fly ball, he said. This was on a team, Thoren Bay, that sent six athletes a year to the all-stars team of 12. Claasen always mixed the skill levels, improving play and bringing community to the team and its parents.
Heimbuck presents the Elk of the Year award to Roger Conner.
Then the classic sports situation occurred, he said. It was the bottom of the last inning. There were two out and two on. The next at bat was for the game.
The boy looked scared to death, Claasen said. He asked Cook if he was all right.
“He says, ‘Coach, do I have to bat?’” Claasen said. “I said, ‘Of course you have to bat. The game is on the line. It’s tied up.’”
If Matthew didn’t go to bat, it would be an automatic out, he said. He had to bat. Claasen told the boy not to be nervous.
“Every girl in here is going to love you if you get a hit,” he said he told the boy. “If you don’t get a hit, I will.”
Cook was nearly hit by the first pitch, Claasen said. The second pitch, he knocked a shot to right field to win the game.
He had never had a hit before and didn’t realize he needed to run to first base, Claasen said. While the opponent was trying to get the ball in, everyone was shouting for him to run. He made it to first and sealed the championship game.
It was the unity of the team and community that made it work, Claasen said. The other ball players helped teach him and supported him, and he contributed to his team, ultimately in the biggest way possible.
It’s just like that with organizations, like the Elks, he said. There are always little problems, but the members need to remember to stay unified.
“We’re volunteers for people who need our help, for veterans,” Claasen said. “My message to you, be the Matthew Cook. Just get in here and work and work. We’re not going to give up.”
Claasen has lived in the Sweet Home area since 1964, he said. He moved to Crawfordsville from the Bay Area and attended Crawfordsville School through eighth grade, then graduated from Sweet Home High School in 1972.
Upon arrival, he immediately started playing Little League baseball on a team sponsored by the Sweet Home Elks Lodge for Coach Doreen Eagy, who was present at the dinner.
He moved to Alaska in 1987 to Thorne Bay, a logging and fishing community, where he coached Little League baseball. He returned to the Sweet Home area about 10 years ago to take care of his mother, Sue Claasen of Crawfordsville. He is a shipping clerk with Georgia Pacific in Philomath.
“When I came back, I remembered all of our junior and senior proms in high school were up here,” Claasen said of the Elks Club. “And I played in bands over the years.”
Something was going on at the Elks Lodge soon after he came back, and Stan Hughes invited him, Claasen said. He became a member around 2003.
He started attending activities at the lodge and learned more and more about the Elks. Eventually, he was selected to be an officer. After a hiatus of a couple of years, he returned and became leading knight.
The Sweet Home Elks have seen some success in recent years. At one point, the lodge was planning to sell its building and move into a smaller one. Since then, it has improved financially and grown.
Claasen’s goal is to continue drawing new members to help out with the Elks’ charitable causes.
“For so long, it was a men’s club, and they didn’t gloat on the things they did,” Claasen said, but the lodge’s work is the most important part of what it does. Its charities should be part of its image, and that’s what this lodge has been doing.
Sweet Home has become recognized for what it’s accomplished in recent years, Claasen said. It’s involved in the community, a part of the Food Pak program, providing school supplies and shoes to children and much more.
In other business, Heimbuck presented awards for the past year.
Roger Conner was Elk of the Year.
Ron Sharrah and Dennis Bechtel received the Exalted Rulers Excellence in Membership Award.
Bob Walker received an Elks watch for recruiting 11 new members.
Mike Hall, the owner of The Point Restaurant, received the Citizen of the Year award.
Officer of the Year was Sharrah.
A pig roast, with donations from The Point Restaurant, the Oregon Jamboree and White’s Electronics, raised more than $1,500 for the Food Pak program, Claasen said. The lodge presented the check Saturday night.
“I want to keep the ball rolling,” he said. “I’m not reinventing the wheel.”
It just requires the lodge to remain cohesive, he said, unity for all of its events. And the lodge can use everyone.
“There’s always something you can do,” Claasen said, referring back to Matthew, the baseball player. “He contributed all the time. He didn’t know it till he won the game.”
The lodge is full of people with positive attitudes, he said. “It’s a great organization, the endless hours people put in. I’ve got great respect for them, and I hope I can earn their respect.”
Anyone interested in further information about the Elks Lodge may call (541) 367-3559.