Maine Elks Association
Public Relations Committee Newsbriefs -06/21/07
Maine Elks Association Newsbriefs
MEA Honors
American Flag at Togus VA Hospital
On June 14,
2007, the Maine Elks Association (MEA) held its annual Flag Day service at the
Togus V.A. Medical Center in Augusta. The service commemorated the
230th anniversary of the adoption of the “Stars and Stripes.” Over 50
veterans and Elk members attended the event, which was held in the hospital’s
chapel. The chapel was wired with a closed-circuit television system so that
veterans throughout the facility could watch the service from their rooms.
The ceremony was opened by Past State President James Ferland, who introduced the current State President, Bruce Brunelle of the Sanford Elks Lodge, who with fellow officers performed the introductory exercises for the event. A history of the American Flag was then presented by MEA Third Vice-President Roger Normandeau, also of Sanford. Music was provided throughout the event by organist Michael Theriault of the Waterville Elks Lodge.
During the reading of the Flag’s history, Exalted Ruler’s from several of Maine’s twenty-two Lodges displayed replicas of the flags that were being described. Flags that were presented included the Pine Tree Flag of 1775, the Snake Flag of 1776-1777, a Flag bearing the red cross of St. George and the White Cross of St. Andrew of 1775, the Grand Union Flag of 1777, the Fort McHenry Flag of 1812, the 20-star Flag of 1818, the 48-star Flag, and today’s 50-star Flag, accompanied by the POW-MIA Flag, remembering those who have served their country and were either held prisoner or are still missing in action.
Following the presentation of the Flags, a response given by Past State President Phil O’Brion of Jay. In his response, O’Brion paid tribute to the men and women who had fought to protect our nation’s Flag; from the Revolutionary War to the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, O’Brion gave recognition to the sacrifices made by so many of the hospital’s veterans throughout the years.
Following the response, an inspirational reading was given by State Treasurer Elizabeth Butler of York. Butler read portions of a stirring speech given by U.S. Senator John McCain at the Republican National Convention in 1988. McCain’s speech referenced a fellow prisoner of war, Mike Christian, who had created a makeshift American Flag, and who had sewn it to the inside of his shirt. The shirt would be hung in the cell at meal time, to which the prisoners would recite the Pledge of Allegiance. One day, the North Vietnamese had searched the cell, and found the flag sewn inside the shirt. Christian, who had created the flag was subsequently beaten severely, but upon his return to the cell, though badly injured, had begun creating a new flag. “He was not making that flag because it made Mike Christian feel better. He was making that flag because he knew how important it was for us to be able to pledge our allegiance to our flag and our country,” said McCain. To remind those in attendance of the importance of the principals for which the Flag stands.
The service concluded
with reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, and MEA 1st Vice-President
Robert Drisko of Chelsea reading a piece called “Hello, Remember Me?” an essay
depicting the Flag’s point of view toward Americanism today.
Each year,
Flag Day is celebrated to commemorate the adoption of the Stars and Stripes by
the Second Continental Congress on June 14, 1777. This observance was made
official in 1916 by President Woodrow Wilson, who declared the date as National
Flag Day. In 1949, President Harry Truman signed an Act of Congress proclaiming
that the Flag of the United States would be displayed on all government
buildings on June 14th, and asked that the American people join in
the observance of the Flag’s anniversary.
Pictured Above, Maine Elks Association State President Bruce Brunelle and other MEA officers give a tribute to the American Flag during the annual Flag Day Observance at the Togus VA Medical Center. L-R are MEA Past State President Philip O’Brion, 1st Vice-President Robert Drisko, 3rd Vice-President Roger Normandeau, and District Deputy Grand Exalted Ruler for the Northern District Ned Hodgins of the Bangor Elks Lodge.
June Raffle Calendar Winners
Calendar # Amount:
June 1, 2007- Scott Evers
614 $25.00
June 2, 2007- Bill Russell
707 $ 50.00
June 3, 2007- Philip Foster
024 $ 50.00
June 4, 2007- Gordon King
1047 $ 25.00
June 5, 2007- Michael LaFrance
1474 $ 25.00
June 6, 2007- Annette Hogan
1005 $ 25.00
June 7, 2007- Solon Hotel
1577 $ 25.00
June 8, 2007- Scott Shaffer
304 $ 25.00
June 9, 2007- Lynn Brown
340 $ 50.00
June 10, 2007- Erica Tweedie
346 $ 50.00
June 11, 2007- David Cyr
674 $ 25.00
June 12, 2007- Josh Allen
218 $ 25.00
June 13, 2007- John Dicentes
1257 $ 25.00
June 14, 2007- Erin Kelley
579 $ 25.00
June 15, 2007- Vaughn Webb
398 $ 25.00
June 16, 2007- Tanya LePage
591 $ 50.00
June 17, 2007- Richard Chabot
526 $ 50.00
June 18, 2007- Tyler Putnam
344 $ 25.00
June 19, 2007- Lorraine Maillett
1576 $ 25.00
June 20, 2007- Peter Ellis
323 $ 25.00
June 21, 2007- Kevin Higgins
1425 $ 25.00
June 22, 2007- Carl Hevey
1340 $ 25.00
June 23, 2007- Cassie Ouellette
848 $ 50.00
June 24, 2007- Joanne Davis
1817 $ 50.00
June 25, 2007- Gerald Violette
462 $ 25.00
June 26, 2007- Barbara Noyes
246 $ 25.00
June 27, 2007- Paul Adams
317 $ 25.00
June 28, 2007- Kevin Norcross
562 $ 25.00
June 29, 2007- Tanya LePage
591 $ 25.00
June 30, 2007- Betty Smith
725 $ 50.00
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