Maine Elks Association
Public Relations Committee Newsbriefs -05/28/09


Maine Elks Association Newsbriefs


Grand Lodge "Golden Mike" Awards Announced
From William Hopkins, Grand Lodge Public Relations Committee-Area 1


The Grand Lodge Public Relations Committee recently announced this year's recipients of their coveted "Golden Mike" Awards. This award honors the top State Public Relations Directors in each of the Elk regions across the country. The winners are as follow:

One of these Elks will be named as the recipient of the William "Bill" Hansch Award for Public Relations Leadership and "Elksellence" at the Grand Lodge Convention in Portland, Oregon.


Lapsation: Start Early and Follow Up
by G. Stephen Clarke, GL Committee Member

Last year nonpayment of dues accounted for nearly two-thirds of the 99,000-plus Members dropped from Lodge rolls. Based on this statistic it is suggested that to Grow the Order, each Lodge must reduce lapsation to 2 percent or less.

Reducing lapsation is a continuous process.

It begins at orientation. The orientation team must make sure new Members:

Follow the orientation session with an impressive initiation that demonstrates the Officers are proud to be Elks as shown by the quality of their performance and the manner in which they conducted the meeting.
Providing both new and current Lodge Members with opportunities for service is the Lodges’ best retention tool. Doing so:

Don’t forget to say "thank you" for the gifts of time and talent. Recognition at a Lodge meeting or social event reinforces that the Member is wanted, needed and appreciated. While recognition does not have to be elaborate or expensive, it must be genuine.

Just as the Lodge must start early to build pride in membership and a sense of belonging, it must start early to save a Member who becomes delinquent. Don’t wait until the Member is about to be dropped from the rolls. Communicate regularly during the first couple of months of delinquency and monthly thereafter. Personal contact is always best. It lets the Member know he or she is important.

For assistance with implementing +1 Program activities to retain Members, contact a Member of your State Association or Grand Lodge Membership Team.

A proud Elk remains an Elk.



Current-Year Lodge Per-Capita Donations
Lodge year through: 05/13/2009

(Per-capita based on 4/1/2008 membership totals.)

Rank

Lodge

Members

Total Donations

Per-Capita

1.

Rumford, ME, # 862

353

$942.00

$ 2.669

2.

Brunswick, ME, #2043

420

$530.00

$ 1.262

3.

Sanford, ME, #1470

920

$1,003.38

$ 1.091

4.

Skowhegan-Madison, ME, #2531

741

$725.00

$ 0.978

5.

Bath, ME, # 934

642

$410.00

$ 0.639

6.

Rockland, ME, #1008

750

$478.00

$ 0.637

7.

Sebasticook Valley, ME, #2713

392

$135.00

$ 0.344

8.

Biddeford-Saco, ME, #1597

541

$120.00

$ 0.222

9.

York, ME, #2788

243

$50.00

$ 0.206

10.

Bangor, ME, # 244

848

$99.69

$ 0.118

11.

Farmington, ME, #2430

333

$25.00

$ 0.075

12.

Augusta, ME, # 964

1142

$85.00

$ 0.074

13.

Presque Isle, ME, #1954

339

$20.00

$ 0.059

14.

Lewiston, ME, # 371

420

$23.00

$ 0.055

15.

Houlton, ME, # 835

505

$20.00

$ 0.040

16.

Portland, ME, # 188

910

$0.00

$ 0.000

17.

Waterville, ME, # 905

975

$0.00

$ 0.000

18.

Old Town, ME, #1287

382

$0.00

$ 0.000

19.

Gardiner, ME, #1293

197

$0.00

$ 0.000

20.

Millinocket, ME, #1521

672

$0.00

$ 0.000

21.

Wells, ME, #2738

131

$0.00

$ 0.000

22.

Greater Ellsworth, ME, #2743

316

$0.00

$ 0.000

 


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