Maine Elks Association

Public Relations Committee Newsbriefs -10/04/07

Maine Elks Association Newsbriefs

Sanford Elks Rededicate Lodge

From Carol Spellman, Sanford PR

On Saturday afternoon, Sept 29th, 2007, The Sanford Elks rededicated their building with a ribbon cutting and rededication ceremony following their new Lodge renovations. It was a very nice ceremony with the building of the blocks on the alter for Charity, Justice, Brotherly Love and Fidelity. The keys were given to, Frank Ricker from Building Committee Chairperson who served as Grand Exalted Ruler, Larry Young., MEA President Bruce Brunelle serving as Grand Esquire then presented the keys to the Trustee's. The Honorable Amos McCallum was present to give some history of the Sanford Lodge and talk about Sanford's accomplishments in Elkdom. Following the ceremony a dinner and dance for the evening was enjoyed by members and guests. Above, members of the Sanford Elks Lodge cut a ribbon ceremoniously opening the newly renovated Lodge.

In Memory of Michael Manning; Elks National Veterans Service Director

The Order of Elks is teaming up with the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) to assist soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.      In a new program named in memory of Elks National Veterans Service Director Michael Manning, VVA will provide donation cans to all Elks Lodges to raise funds for programs dealing with health issues for all veterans, homeless services and career counseling.

In recognition of the support to be provided by the Elks, VVA has invited Grand Exalted Ruler F. Louis Sulsberger to participate in a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on November 10-11, 2007, Veterans Day Weekend.  This is also the 25th Anniversary of the Vietnam Memorial Wall. Following a VIP breakfast honoring the Elks and other organizations, GER Sulsberger will participate in a Veterans Day Parade.  The following morning he will be invited to a private breakfast with President George W. Bush and the First Lady.

The entire program has been named the Michael Manning National Veterans Program in recognition of Mr. Manning’s dedication to our nation’s veterans during the 14-years he headed the Elks Veterans Program.  Mr. Manning died July 22, 2007.

Coastal District Soccer Shoot
From Carol Spellman, Sanford PR

On Sunday, September 30, 2007 The Sanford Elks Lodge hosted the Coastal/District soccer shoot with kids from the Rockland, Biddeford/Saco and Sanford Lodge kicking in hopes of advancing to the State Soccer Shoot in Augusta, to be held on Sunday, October 14th. Children and their families were treated to burgers, hotdogs, and ice cream sandwiches from the Sanford Chuck wagon. Grab bags with Drug Awareness goodies were also provided, as well as a visit by Elroy the Elk during the soccer shoot. MEA State President Bruce Brunelle and First Lady Lisa were on hand for scoring and passing out trophies to the winners. Tom Spellman, PER, did an excellent job of setting up both the local and district shoot for the kids. Parents were very impressed and all had a great day. MEA Youth Activities Director Chipper Widdecombe, PER and District Public Relations Chairman Dwayne Guy, PER were also on hand to greet, score and present awards. Congratulations to the boys and girls who advanced to the State Championships.

Pictured above are the Coastal District Soccer Shoot winners for 2007. Front (L-R) Quinn S., Sanford, L., Sanford, Marcus G., Sanford, and Kayla D. from Rockland. Back L-R: Samantha F., Sanford, Jennifer D., Rockland, Casey H., Rockland and Jake C. from Sanford

ENF Increases Most Valuable Student Prizes

CHICAGO, Illinois- Applications are available for students who want to contend for the title of Elks National Foundation Most Valuable Student, and for a scholarship of up to $60,000. This year, the ENF added more top awards to the MVS scholarship program. Instead of six top winners, there will be 18. The top awards will range from $8,000 over four years to $60,000 over four years. The remaining 482 runners-up will receive scholarships of $4,000 over four years.

The-ENF launched the MVS contest in 1993 when a single student received a one-time, $1,000 scholarship. In 2007, the Foundation will award a total of $2.296 million in four-year scholarships to 500 national finalists.

Any high school senior who is a citizen of the United States is eligible to apply. Applicants do not need to be related to a member of the Elks. Males and females compete separately, and are judged on scholarship, leadership and financial need.

"Thank you for setting the example when it comes to serving others and making a difference," says Cort VanOstran, the 2007 top male from Joplin, MO. "Please understand that this award is making the impossible possible, and is turning my dream of attending Harvard into reality."

Making a gift to the Foundation supports students like Cort in communities across the country. The number of applications each state is eligible to submit is based on the state's total donations to the ENF since the Foundation's establishment.

Applications are available online at www.elks.org/enf/scholars ; by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the Elks National Foundation; or by visiting a local Elks Lodge. Students must submit applications to their local Elks Lodge by January 11, 2008. The Elks National Foundation will announce the 500 national winners around May 15, 2008

To locate an Elks Lodge near you, visit www.elks.org/LocaILodges.cfm . For more information on ENF scholarship programs, visit www.elks.org/enf/scholars  or contact the ENF scholarship department at 773/755-4732 or scholarship@elks.org.

Be a Hero!

Kids from around the country got in on the fun of the Elks Drug Awareness Program Heroes Essay Contest and told us about the exciting opportunities that lie ahead of them if they stay away from drugs and alcohol.

The Grand Prize winner of the 2007 Elks Drug Awareness Program Heroes Essay contest is Vincent B. of East Brunswick, NJ. Vincent will appear in a December 2007 Marvel comic book with his favorite Marvel Super Hero, Spider-Man. Look for Vincent's comic book where ever comic books are sold!

Here’s Vincent’s winning essay.

Vincent B.
Grade 8
East Brunswick, New Jersey

“Be a Hero”

Most people feel that to be a hero, you need to save someone or do something important. But I feel a hero is a hero because they make the right choices and decisions that he or she think are the best. Not only best for them but the best for others as well. A real hero doesn’t just make a decision for himself but sets the example for others to follow.

People do make mistakes. However, someone who makes a choice that is wrong for others, and knows it, is definitely not a hero. Doing drugs and drinking alcohol are wrong choices. These substances affect you, your friends and your family. Not only are you making a wrong choice by doing drugs and drinking, but you are setting a bad example for those who look up to you and that are around you. When you set the example usually others will follow you. Whether it is style, hobbies or just life choices, most of the time someone will mimic your choices. It just means that people look up to you like a hero.

Being drug free not only sets an example for others to follow, but it will have a positive affect on you. You’ll have the physical and mental strength to do what the real heroes do. Sure you won’t be able to fly, shoot webs from your wrists or stop a train with your bare hands, but you can make something great of yourself. You can apply yourself and get a good career. Its ones own choice to decide what one wants to do. It’s your own choice, your decision. I say “make the right choice, stay away from drugs and alcohol and live a life of a hero!”

Lodges are getting a Boost with the Dictionary Project

More and more lodges are participating in the Dictionary Project, an effort to distribute dictionaries to as many of the nation’s third-graders as possible. It’s a wonderful community service project, relatively inexpensive, and a great way to get young people—and their parents—to learn about the Elks and the many programs they can participate in later on, from the Hoop Shoot to Americanism essay contests to the scholarship program. And it’s a proven way to attract favorable media attention for the Elks.

“For many children,” says Ernest Southworth of the Youth Activities Committee, “this will be the first book they have ever owned.” And its usefulness goes beyond helping with spelling, pronunciation and definitions, he adds. Students benefit from an increase in self-reliance and resourcefulness inspired by the maxim, “look it up.” Elks got involved in the Dictionary Project in 2004. Close to two million dictionaries have been distributed to date.

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