Public Relations Committee
Newsbriefs -03/20/08
VOLUNTEER
ASSIGNMENTS:
1.
Drivers for
statewide Volunteer Transportation Network – Rumford,
2.
Parking Lot
Shuttle drivers at Togus (Monday & Tuesday)
3.
Veterans History Project- recording personal
histories
4.
Mealtime
companions for long term care patients – During lunch and dinner all
week
5.
Nuclear Medicine
–Office help & procedure buddies
6.
Primary Care –
Computer instruction- My HealtheVet & MOVE
Program
7.
Hospice Volunteers – Training provided
8.
NHCU – assistance with clothing/writing
letters/reading/visitation
9.
10.
Telehealth Support – Provide support in
communities to patients using home telehealth devices (
11.
Information Desk - Escort patients and
visitors throughout the facility
ONGOING
PROGRAM SUPPORT:
1.
Electric razors –
triple head type. ($49-$69 ea.)
2.
Comfort Item
Program (travel and regular size toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant,
etc.)
3.
Diabetic snacks
for clinic patients
4.
Coffee &
Newspaper funds – provides coffee/newspapers at waiting
areas/wards/clinics
5.
General Patient
Comfort Fund including Memorial Donations
6.
Adapted Sports
Equipment/Outings – Recreation Therapy
7.
National
Rehabilitation Events (Golden Age Games, Winter Sports, Wheelchair Games, and
Creative Arts )
SPECIAL
REQUESTS/PROJECTS:
1.
Unit 4 South
activity sponsorship. (approx. $50 pizza
party, $25 ice cream Social)
2.
Televisions for
patient rooms (approx. $285
ea.)
3.
Organizations to
sponsor entertainment on
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The Internal Revenue
Service has announced that under the Tax Code, donations to the Department of
Veterans Affairs’ General Post Fund for exclusively public purposes are
deductible from federal income taxes in the manner and to the extent allowable.
The announcement reflects the tax law provision, which makes those donations
deductible as “donations to the
NOT
NEEDED AT THIS TIME!
Afghans; Used
Stamps; any clothing that is stained or torn;
Jigsaw Puzzles; Playing Cards; Books (soft and Hard Cover); Magazines
Over Three Months Old; Disposable Razors; Dental Floss; Soap; After-Shave; Hand
Lotion; Writing Tablets; Pens; and Envelopes. Due to Infection Control policies we are unable to
take used walkers, canes, or crutches at this
time.
From
Bob Carr,
Breakfast with
the Easter Bunny at
Local youths and
parents enjoyed a pancake breakfast with the Easter Bunny at the York Elks
Lodge.. After breakfast the kids participated in an Easter egg hunt. The
Easter Bunny arriving in a snow storm did not interfere with the kids having a
great time. Area kids up to 10 years old were invited.
Area Students Win Americanism
Awards
The following
area students were Americanism essay winners at their respective
schools:
Heather E. with
Chairman Susla and Assistant Principal Ken
Hawkins
Julia S, with
Chairman Susla and Principal Wanda
Avery
Eliot Elementary Drug Awareness
Coloring Contest
Winners.
Lodge Drug
Awareness Chairman Bob Carr - Loukas C. - Reilly
N.
The Old Town Elks annual Project Graduation meat
raffle was held on February 23 in the bingo hall. The night was a huge success
as we managed to raise over $2000. Thanks to all that attended and to those that
bought a paddle in advance. I'd also like to thank Scott & Laurie Cates,
Dave & Brianna Bryant, Reggie and Diane Lacadie, Dave & Patty St. Peter,
Kathy Farrar, Angie Clukey and Lori Smart for all their help in making the
raffle run smoothly. I also want to thank Paul Davis Restoration for their
contribution and
Also, on Sunday, Feb 24th the annual Old Town High School Hockey
fundraising dinner was held in the Bingo Hall. This is an annual joint effort by
the Friends of Old Town Hockey and the Old Town Elks Lodge. A spaghetti and
meatball dinner was enjoyed by all in attendance. The meal was prepared by Roger
Sirois with the great assistance of Dick Coulombe, Allen Greenleaf, Tom Buchanan
and Hugh Doane. The meal was served by the hockey team members and desserts
were supplied by the family and
friends
On March 14th the Portland Elks Lodge #188
purchased and delivered 96 dictionaries for the students at the 
On March
15th Portland Elks Lodge #188 held its annual St. Patrick’s Day
Dinner and Dance along with its Citizen, Officer, and Elk of the Year awards. A
homemade corned beef dinner was served by Bob Rickett and his kitchen crew. We
served 160 people and a great time was had by all. This year’s award recipients
were:
Citizen Of The Year- Mark Mays From
Key Bank (Center)
Officer Of The Year- Sandra Richard-
Treasurer (Left)
Elk Of The Year- Jeannette Conley
(Right)
Millinocket
Elks Install Officers
Millinocket Elks Lodge #1521 held it's Installation
of Officers for the Lodge year 2008 - 2009 on Saturday, March 15th. The
Installation was conducted by officers of the Lodge and was attended by Mike
Powers, DDGER Maine North. Immediately following the Installation an excellent
meal was served during which many awards were distributed to deserving Elk
members as well as outstanding members of the community. The festivities were
attended by nearly 100 Elk members and guests.
The Maine Elks Association Weekly E-News is
back. For the past two weeks, the motherboard on my computer failed, and was in
the shop being repaired since the beginning of the month Things should be back
to normal now, and you should be receiving the weekly news of the Maine Elks
Association from this point on. My apologies for any inconvenience this may have
caused.
MEA Public Relations
Director
States Unhappy
with Requirements for New Drivers Licenses
From
the Grand Lodge Government Relations Committee
The nation’s governors are
unhappy with proposed federal standards to make driver’s licenses more secure
and they want the Federal government to pick up the costs for the so-called Real
ID.
Congress has appropriated $90
million to help states implement the Real ID law, which requires electronically
verifying the identity of an estimated 245 million drivers and reissuing secure
licenses. The law is meant to keep driver’s licenses out of the hands of
terrorists and illegal aliens.
In a unanimous resolution, the
National Governors Association asked Congress and the new president to fund the
full cost of the measure, estimated at $4 billion. The executive committee of
the National Conference of State Legislatures also has called for Congress to
repeal the new law, objecting to the costs, federal imposition on state practice
and the potential threats to individual privacy.
Last year, six states—
While the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security said it cannot compel states to follow the law, noncompliant
driver’s licenses cannot be used as identification to board commercial aircraft
or to enter federal buildings after May 11, when the act takes effect. Several
states have filed for an extension, giving them another 19 months—until January
2010—to start verifying identities of driver’s license
applicants.
ENF Gives More
Than Ever
2008-09 Appropriations and Distributions
On February 14, 2008, the
Elks National Foundation Board of Trustees approved appropriations and
distributions for the 2008-09 fiscal year totaling more than $17 million! The
ENF will distribute a record $17,061,246.00, through the following
programs:
State Elks Association Grants $
6,980,000
These grants help fund the state
Elks associations’ major charitable and philanthropic projects; The amount
granted to state Elks associations in 2008-09 will be an increase to $6.98
million from the $6.75 million granted in 2007-08.
Scholarship
Programs $ 3,640,000
The ENF provides college
scholarships each year through three distinct
programs:
• The Most Valuable Student
scholarships are open to graduating high school seniors. 500 four-year MVS
scholarships are awarded every year, ranging from $1,000 per year to $15,000 per
year.
• Legacy Awards, previously one-year
$1,000 scholarships, are available for 250 children and grandchildren of Elks.
In the 2008-09 fiscal year, Legacy Awards will increase to four-year
scholarships of $1,000 per year!
• The Emergency Educational Grant
program provides financial assistance to children of deceased or totally
disabled Elks. Awards range up to $4,000. The grant is for one year; however,
eligible students may submit up to three annual renewal
applications.
Community Investments Program $
1,370,000
The Community Investments
Program invests directly in Lodge communities to have a lasting impact where
Elks live and work. All three components of the Community Investments
Program:
Impact Grants, Gratitude Grants and
Promise Grants, will increase in the 2008-09 fiscal
year.
• Impact Grants will more than
double in 2008-09! These competitive grants, awarded for up to$1 0,000 per
Lodge, will increase to a total of $500,000, up from the $200,000 warded in
2007-08.
• Gratitude Grants, available to
Lodges that reach the Grand Exalted Ruler’s per-capita goal for contributions to
the ENF, will increase from $400 to $500 each.
• Promise Grants, available to the
first 250 Lodges that pledge to host events to build the character and
competence of local youth, will also increase from $400 to $500
each.
Elks National Veterans Service Program $
848,000
The ENF funds the work of the
Elks National Veterans Service Commission, which provides aid and comfort for
Elks Hoop Shoot Free Throw Contest $
737,514
This nationally sanctioned program encourages youth to
lead healthy and active lifestyles. It offers an opportunity for spirited
competition, fine relationships with their peers, and travel statewide,
regionally and nationally at minimal expense to parents or
schools.
Elks Drug Awareness Program $
688,750
The ENF completely funds the
Elks Drug Awareness Program, which promotes constructive and cooperative
solutions to youth substance abuse through education and
activities.
The
For more information about the
appropriations and distributions of the Elks National Foundation, visit http://www.elks.org/enf/ourgrants.cfm
. The ENF constantly strives to improve its service to donors and welcomes
feedback regarding its online resources. To share questions or comments about
the ENF website, please email enf@elks.org.
If
you have news or information of interest to the members of the Maine Elks
Association, please send your articles to Public Relations Director Wayne
Cotterly at
meapr@fairpoint.net
for inclusion in the MEA Calendar, Newsbriefs, and/or Website. Also, if you
would like to be removed from this mailing list, please send an e-mail to Public
Relations Director Wayne Cotterly at
meapr@fairpoint.net.
In addition, if you know of someone who would like to be added to this list,
please have them forward their e-mail address to the same address. All
information provided has been read and approved by the MEA State
President