Maine Elks Association

Maine Hosts Regional Hoop Shoot

On March 29, 2008, the Elks New England Regional Hoop Shoot contest was held at the Scarborough High School. Thirty six competitors from across New England were vying for the title of regional champion, and the opportunity to advance to the Elks National Contest, to be held in Springfield, MA on April 24-27, 2007.

The contestants began to arrive at the Wyndham Hotel in South Portland on Friday, March 28^th, and where they registered, and had the opportunity to meet their fellow competitors and their families. On Saturday morning, the contestants and their families were bussed to the Portland Elks Lodge, where they had a full breakfast before heading off to the Scarborough High School for the contest. That night, an awards banquet was held back at the hotel, where trophies were awarded for 1^st through 3^rd place. Participation medallions were also given to each of the competitors, as each was a winner just for getting to the contest.

Overall, the hoop shooters from Maine did fairly well, with Alexandra P-L, representing the Portland Elks Lodge lead them all by winning the 12-13 year old girls division. Others from Maine included Ryan P, representing the Farmington Elks Lodge finishing 2^nd in the 8-9 year old boys division; Taylor S, representing the Portland Elks Lodge finished 3^rd in the 8-9 Girls division, Benjamin L, representing the Augusta Elks Lodge finished 3^rd in the 10-11 year old boys division, Abigail P, representing the Bangor Elks Lodge finished in a tie for Second in the 10-11 year old girls division, but dropped to third after a shoot out; and Samuel G, representing the Greater Ellsworth Elks Lodge finished in 2^nd in the 12-13 year old boys division.

Below are the final results of the event.

6TH Sienna B. RI 15

Representing the Portland Elks Lodge #188, Alexandra P.-L., sank 23 out of 25 free throws in the 12- to 13-year-old Girls division, making her a true standout in the field of more than 3 million boys and girls, ages 8-13, who have participated in the contest since last fall. Now, Alexandra will travel with her parents, courtesy of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, to Springfield, Massachusetts—the birthplace of basketball—to be among the 72 top youngsters vying for the chance to claim one of six national trophies awarded at the Elks “Hoop Shoot” National Free Throw Contest, April 24-27. A great showing in the national championship will not only earn Alexandra a place in Elks “Hoop Shoot” history, but also land her name on a plaque in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Now in its 36^th year, the Elks “Hoop Shoot” Free Throw Contest has seen more than 101 million participants since its inception, making it the largest coeducational youth sports program in the nation. Funded entirely by the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Elks “Hoop Shoot” Free Throw Contest has served as a testing ground for sports legends Cleveland Cavaliers’ Trajan Langdon, WNBA 2001 Rookie of the Year Jackie Stiles of the former Portland Fire, Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Steve Alford, Olympic gold medalist and former Golden State Warriors Chris Mullin, former North Carolina State star Jennifer Howard, and former Chicago White Sox third-baseman Chris Snopek.

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is a patriotic and philanthropic fraternal organization with nearly 1-million members in more than 2,100 communities.

Churches Warned of Tax Status As Presidential Race Heats Up
From the Grand Lodge Government Relations Newsletter

Issues in the presidential race and links to candidates who support or oppose them are finding their way into sermons at churches across the country, and the Internal Revenue Service reminds congregations that their tax-exempt status could be challenged.

Scholars and attorneys say a growing number of churches are delving into issue advocacy and partisan politics, a trend dating back to the 1980s, when the religious right enlisted churches to fight abortion. Complaints to the IRS over church politicking are triggering agency probes into both liberal and conservative religious groups.

The Wall Street Journal says the repeated enthusiastic promotion of his famous parishioner, Senator Barack Obama, by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Jr., at Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ may be running afoul of Federal tax law. Trinity’s national parent disclosed that it is being investigated for a speech Obama gave to a church conference in June in which he mentioned his candidacy and health-care reform.

A Baptist church in California has acknowledged that it’s under IRS scrutiny after a complaint that the church backed Republican Mike Huckabee in his recently ended bid for the White House. The agency has sent dozens of warning letters to churches, but only twice has it revoked a church’s tax-exempt status since the law was amended in 1954.

Under the law that governs tax-exempt organizations, churches—and groups like the Elks—are allowed to support or oppose causes or ballot initiatives such as laws to ban same-sex marriage or to legalize medical marijuana. They can also hold a candidates’ night for all office-seekers in a race. But, says the IRS, such groups are “absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office.”

[Reports & Standings]

Current-Year Lodge Per-Capita Donations

Lodge year through: 03/23/2008

(Per-capita based on 4/1/2007 membership totals.)

State: ME

Rank	Lodge	Members	Total Donations	Per-Capita (1 thru 22 of 22 records)
1.	Wells, ME, #2738	131	$4,162.00	$ 31.771
2.	York, ME, #2788	259	$3,447.50	$ 13.311
3.	Rumford, ME, # 862	364	$4,494.00	$ 12.346
4.	Farmington, ME, #2430	353	$3,819.66	$ 10.821
5.	Brunswick, ME, #2043	436	$4,422.66	$ 10.144
6.	Waterville, ME, # 905	1015	$9,980.66	$ 9.833
7.	Skowhegan-Madison, ME, #2531	746	$6,110.00	$ 8.190
8.	Greater Ellsworth, ME, #2743	303	$2,250.00	$ 7.426
9.	Gardiner, ME, #1293	235	$1,708.00	$ 7.268
10.	Presque Isle, ME, #1954	335	$2,139.00	$ 6.385
11.	Bangor, ME, # 244	853	$4,790.00	$ 5.616
12.	Houlton, ME, # 835	492	$2,687.00	$ 5.461
13.	Portland, ME, # 188	971	$4,541.00	$ 4.677
14.	Bath, ME, # 934	640	$1,950.00	$ 3.047
15.	Rockland, ME, #1008	744	$2,256.00	$ 3.032
16.	Biddeford-Saco, ME, #1597	568	$1,527.09	$ 2.689
17.	Lewiston, ME, # 371	445	$1,035.00	$ 2.326
18.	Sebasticook Valley, ME, #2713	410	$779.00	$ 1.900
19.	Augusta, ME, # 964	1200	$1,612.75	$ 1.344
20.	Old Town, ME, #1287	422	$482.00	$ 1.142
21.	Sanford, ME, #1470	865	$952.00	$ 1.101
22.	Millinocket, ME, #1521	674	$500.00	$ 0.742