Elk of the Year Selection Under Way
By John G. Holt, GL Committee Member 

Exalted Rulers: Now is the time, if you have not already done so, to select an anonymous committee to evaluate Members for selection as Elk of the Year. The committee recommendation should be based on loyalty, dedication and willingness to work for the Lodge. The selection should exemplify " Share - Care."
Between now and February but no later than March 31, 2010, the selection process should be completed.

The Elk of the Year Award is very popular. It is a way for the Lodge to recognize one of its own for outstanding service. A special event to honor the person selected is appropriate (dinner, etc.) and if handled properly and promoted it can become an annual event that all Members will enjoy.

Two basic rules must be followed in selecting the Elk of the Year:

• CANNOT be a Lodge Officer.
• Only ONE ELK can be chosen.

The full name of the individual (no nicknames) selected should be submitted to the Grand Secretary in writing so that an inscribed citation may be issued. Must be postmarked by March 31, 2010

Officer of the Year Award - The Exalted Ruler shall direct the Lodge's Past Exalted Rulers' Association to select the Officer of the Year. Past Exalted Rulers should keep in mind that the recipient must be a Lodge Officer, and only one Officer can be chosen.

Officer of the Year Award is a way for the Lodge to recognize a current Officer who has contributed above and beyond their normal duties. This person must have shown leadership and contributed voluntarily to services and committees. The qualification should be stringent as it would be better not to designate an Officer of the Year than to select one less than worthy of the honor.

The Officer's full name (no nicknames) and title should be submitted to the Grand Secretary in writing so that an inscribed citation may be issued. The submission must be postmarked by March 31, 2010.

Elks National Foundation Standings
As of October 17, 2009
 

Take The Elks Test Challenge
By Larry Tomberlin, GL Committee Member

No one has all of the answers; however, Elks know, or will find out, that the answers are in, "The Books." The questions in the Elks Training Test are based upon contents of current Grand Lodge Manuals, which should be on file in every Subordinate Lodge Secretary's Office: Statutes Annotated, Lodge Activities Manual, Membership Program and Planning Manual, Auditing, Accounting & Management Manual, Manual on Protocol and Ritual Manual. The Training Test is based on these manuals. The tests show from which manuals the questions are taken and where the answers can be found. Each question requires a true or false answer.

The Test, which consists of 30 questions, can be obtained from your State Association Elks Training Chairman and is to be returned to him or her upon completion. They will be reviewed and anyone who answers 25 or more correctly (5 or fewer wrong) qualifies for a passing grade and a League of Distinction Graduation Certificate. All completed tests must be submitted to your State Chairman by March 15, 2010
.
The State Associations with the greatest percentage of Lodges and Members participating in their respective groups as listed below (based on Lodge count as of April 1, 2010) will receive awards at the 2010 Grand Lodge Session in Orlando, FL.
Group I = 14 or fewer Lodges, Group II = 15-22 Lodges, Group III = 23-32 Lodges, Group IV = 33-43 Lodges, Group V = 44-74 Lodges, Group VI = 75 or more Lodges.

Please accept the challenge to become a knowledgeable Elk. Help yourself, your Lodge and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. The one thing that can never be taken away from you is knowledge.

Please direct your questions to your State Elks Training Chairman, Area Chairman, District Chairman, or Larry N. Tomberlin, G/L Lodge Activities/State Associations Committee, 8 Catalpa Lane, Peralta, NM 87042, E-mail lt30two@aol.com.

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State Training Chairman: Wayne Cotterly at meapr@fairpoint.net

Note: To date, only two Lodges have participated in the program. We are looking for 100% participation once again this year. Please make sure to schedule your training program soon, as Lodge Officers, Committeemen, and Members would benefit from the program's information.

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, the MEA Website, or future issues of this newsletter.

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