SUNDRE – A non-profit group remains dedicated to organizing fundraisers in support of community initiatives as it continues a search to secure a new venue.
“We’re still looking into the different halls in town and different possibilities,” said Brenda Johnston, Sundre Royal Purple No. 191 lodge president and past national president.
The local chapter of the Canadian Royal Purple Society met on Thursday, Jan. 12 at a Mountain View Inn & Suites conference room.
Previously gathering at the Sundre Elks Lodge No. 338, the Sundre Royal Purple was faced with a difficult situation stemming from a challenging financial position that prompted the group to find savings.
“It was right down to rent – we couldn’t afford to stay in that hall,” said Johnston, empathizing with the Elks who are also endeavouring to find a delicate balance between covering their own expenses against rising costs.
Once upon a time, the organizations at the national level were affiliated. But in 2014, the then Royal Purple of Canada opted to secede from the Elks and went on to form a new group known as the Canadian Royal Purple Society.
“And of course national holds the charters for all of the provincial associations and the lodges across Canada,” she said.
“We had a choice: we could have turned ourselves into an Elks lodge or joined the Sundre Elks, or gone with the new Canadian Royal Purple Society, and Sundre voted to stay with the Canadian Royal Purple Society.”
But the decision to find a new venue came much more recently, and the Sundre Royal Purple’s next meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 15 will again be held at Mountain View Inn & Suits starting at 7 p.m.
“We are always looking for new members,” she said, adding numbers have been relatively steady.
“We’ve been holding our own for the last couple years and have got a couple of new members,” she said. “But we could use eight or 10 more people that want to work for the betterment of their community; mostly including children and seniors.”
In recent months, the Royal Purple have put on a couple of fundraising dances – the inaugural Disco Funk Dance as well as a Halloween dance – with hopes to host more provided there’s enough interest from the community.
“We were in the process of doing a New Year’s dance, but our ticket sales were too low for us to continue with it, and we had to cancel it at the last minute,” she said.
The organization now has its sights set on the possibility of putting on a spring shindig.
And as a community service group, general fundraising efforts will of course remain a priority, with most of the proceeds for the time being going to support the Sundre Community Van Society.
“They need to buy a new van,” she said. “So, we’ve been looking at helping them out by putting on these fundraisers.”
Additionally, she said the Royal Purple can provide catering services.
