NEWS
News from the Maine Elks AssociationAmericanism FY ’22 Report to the Annual Convention
31 essay’s were received at local lodges, judged and sent on to District chairs to be read and judged.
Once the top 3 were chosen they were sent to the State chairperson to be read and judged. The top 4 were chosen.
State chairperson notified lodges and those selected. Sanford, Waterville and Houlton Lodges were the only 3 lodges who received submissions for this years Americanism essay contest. Lodges also made arrangements for essay finalist to attend state meeting on May 6th.
Elizabeth Grant
MEA Americanism Chairman
President Al Ingraham’s Farewell
What a fantastic year! Have you seen page 6 of the April Elks magazine. Nice picture of Stephanie and I, with Bruce and Helen Hidley and Wayne and Kathline Cotterly. I am so proud of the Maine lodges all of which exceeded the GER’s ENF goal. The ENF goal I set at $120,000 was to be a new record. You folks smashed that by raising $141,894.47 We got back $1.467 for each dollar given. That’s $208,120 for our programs. I asked that each lodge take advantage of all the CIP Grants that they could get to help in their communities. Maine got over $166,500 for our communities, with all lodges participating.
Thank you! Congratulations to Wells Lodge 2738 for being number one in the Nation in ENF raising $27017.00 $482.45 per member.
We were able to visit all 20 lodges. The experiences were wonderful. I thank the lodges for the thoughtfulness and effort shown us. We could tell that you spent time making sure our visit was memorable, and they certainly were. We wish Sandy and Dave all the best in their upcoming year.
President Sandi’s Installation Remarks
I am so very humbled to become your MEA State President! Seems like it was yesterday that I was Second Vice President, but now it seems pretty quick! My Motto for this year is “Strengthen our Lodges and Save the Children”. When you see my pin there is a Dragonfly on it, and that signifies Strength, and the rest is for the MCCP kids.
It is hard getting people to run for office or to get members to volunteer for committees, which is needed to provide a strong support system for your Lodge. We need to have a strong Membership Committee to recruit and mentor our new members. Cathy Macarthy has volunteered to be the new Membership Chairperson this year, so welcome her to our team.
There are a few more new people on my Committees this year, It is nice to see new people getting involved!
I have always said “All you have to do is ask”! You never know when a person wants to join but does not know how or just needs that small nudge of asking to join. A few lodges are now doing a Membership drive and that seems to really help bring in a nice group of people. You do need to also have that written in your By-Laws and that is easy to do with an amendment to the By-Laws.
We need to be diligent to bring back our unaffiliated members. Do a reinstatement drive; At Waterville in October and November we do a $1 to reinstate plus prorated dues, but that also must be in your By Laws.
My goals for this year:
1. Help keep all Lodges up and growing strong.
2. Raise $120,000.00 for ENF (But I think we will do better than that!
3. Raise as much as we can for MCCP with a goal of at least $300,000
You all know my heart is with Maine Children’s Cancer so I am hoping for some strong support in fundraising for our kids.
Already, Tom Welch who owns Mainley Hand Rails has started building the MCCP pot by donating a fire pit for our Sportsmen’s Night and donating the proceeds to MCCP and then did a surprise auction of a bag of money with the proceeds to the kids. I am sure he is thinking of other things to make money for MCCP.
We have the event at the Forks coming up this summer and preparing to beat last year’s donation.
I have almost half of my State Presidents meetings scheduled and the only month I cannot do any visits is July as it is National Convention and we are traveling to see our kids, grandkids, and great grands that we have not met yet. So let me know if you have a date and we will be looking forward to a visit at your Lodge.
I would like to thank a few people:
My Husband Dave for standing by me and giving me encouragement all along the way and toasting me yesterday.
Jim Ferland for being my mentor, friend and for doing the ceremony today!
Bob and Myra Drisko who are good friends always being there for me and also for
mentoring me.
Ken Eaton who has been my spokesman from day one of my running. Every time there was a vote he was there to stand up and say nice things about me! Also, for doing my toast for me and now being my Sgt. At Arms.
Carlette Eaton who has helped me in so many ways. She made my invitations and labels to match, ordering them and picking them up when I had to work a week and a half while an employee, I work with was on vacation and I was stressing to get everything done in a time to get the invitations out! No matter what she always seemed to be there when I needed anything and now, she is my Chaplain.
Karen Grenier who ran a raffle to earn money to help me with expenses and offering to help in any way she could along with all those who helped sell tickets.
Nikole and Darrel Neadeau who made the beautiful planter and raffled it off also to help defer my costs for the toast and other costs.
Thanks to all the members at Waterville 905 who have stood behind me and helped.
Thank you Vassie for all your hard work and for helping me with all the things I needed to do and for the support you have given me.
Michael Zellen, thank you so much for coming to my Installation. I know you and Donna had another convention to go to in Massachussets, but you got someone else to do that and that means a lot to me! I thank you both for your support and I can call Donna for help if I have a question, I also appreciate you being my Gambling partner! Thank you again!
If I have missed anyone, I apologize as I know there is someone I have probably forgot.
I know it has been a long weekend and everyone is ready to go home so have a safe trip home and thank you for attending the Convention this weekend.
News from the Fratenal Committee
I would like to thank all ERs and Lodges for participating in the programs of the grand lodge this year (22-23). I want to especially congratulate Wells, Presque Isle, Houlton, and Bangor on winning the All-American Lodge contests for their divisions this year.
Just a quick reminder to new ERs flag day is fast approaching. It’s a required program and a great way to start getting ready for the flag presentation contest.
Fraternally, Mike Hanigan
Sanford Elks Honor Youth at Annual Awards Banquet
Much of the evening focused on local students. The top 50 ranked students at the Sanford High School attended and were recognized, with the top students receiving the Elks Student of the Year Award. The Lodge also presented the Elks Junior Student of the Year Award to Junior High School students. Top students were also recognized from the Sanford Regional Technical Center. The event serves as an example of what Elk Lodges do in their communities to support our nation’s youth. Below is a video of the event.
Maine Elks to Hold Annual Convention in Auburn
On May 5-7, 2023, the Maine Elks Association will be holding its State Convention at the Hilton Garden Inn in Auburn, Maine. The annual event is the culmination of the association’s year and will provide members from across the state an opportunity to share in fellowship, attend meetings, banquets, and receive awards for the work they did during the past year. is anticipated that over 200 Elk Members from the state’s 20 Elk Lodges will be in attendance. Registration packets will be available starting at 12 Noon on Friday, May 5, 2023.
On Friday, the convention will kick off with a banquet at which several awards will be presented. Lodges will be presented awards for their work in raising money for the Elks National Foundation, the Drug Awareness Program, Public Relations, Lodge Activities, All-American Lodge Contest, Veterans, and fundraising for the Maine Children’s Cancer Program. In addition, individual members will be recognized including the Outstanding Exalted Ruler’s in each district, the Officer of the Year, Spouse of the Year, and the Elk of the Year awards will be presented.
On Saturday, the Maine Elks Past Exalted Ruler’s Association will hold its annual meeting, followed by the State Trustees meeting, and State Association’s annual meeting. At the annual meeting, the election of officers will take place. In the afternoon, there will be a pre-national convention meeting for those attending the Elks National Convention which will be held in Minneapolis, MN from July 2-5, 2023. In the evening, the youth awards banquet will be held, recognizing youth in several of the Elk’s programs and contests including the Americanism Essay Contest, Elks Drug Awareness Coloring, Poster, Essay, and Video contest, Youth Activities, and six scholarship finalists for the Elks National Foundation’s Most Valuable Student Scholarships will be presented. Capping off the evening will be the association’s check presentation to the Maine Children’s Cancer Program. Last year, the association raised $298,312 to help children and their families fight cancer. The association has raised $5,589,614 as of last year, and it is anticipated that the Maine Elks may even surpass the Six Million Dollar mark within the next two years.
On Sunday, the association will hold its Memorial Service to remember departed members from each Elk Lodge in the State. Following the Memorial Service, the newly elected officers will be installed, and the event will end around noon. Information on the MEA State Convention can be found on this website here; STATE CONVENTION | Maine Elks Association
MEA Calendar Winners for April
Maine’s Most Valuable Student Scholarship Winners for 2023 Announced by ENF
The Elks National Foundation (ENF) has recently announced the State Winners for the Most Valuable Student Scholarship Program. Below are the winners for Maine in 2023. Each of these recipients will receive a four-year $1,000 scholarship for a total of $4,000 dollars to help pay for their college education.
| Nickie Deschaine | Lodge #1954, ME | $1,000.00 | 2023 |
| Marissa Dow | Lodge #835, ME | $1,000.00 | 2023 |
| Matthew Haire | Lodge #2743, ME | $1,000.00 | 2023 |
| Shawn Jiminez | Lodge #1293, ME | $1,000.00 | 2023 |
| Lauren Roussel | Lodge #188, ME | $1,000.00 | 2023 |
| Lucas Towers | Lodge #2430, ME | $1,000.00 | 2023 |
These winners will be presented an award at the MEA State Convention to be held May 5-7, 2023, at the Hilton Garden Inn in Auburn, Maine. For more information on the Elks Scholarship Program, please contact State Scholarship Director Lina Michaud.
Watch Elks National Hoop Shoot Finals Livestream
On Saturday, April 22, 72 National Finalists will vie for a National Championship of the Elks National Hoop Shoot contest at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. While Maine doesn’t have a competitor at this level this year, you can still see how the Elks Hoop Shoot works, and perhaps hold one at your Lodge for next year’s contest. There will be a livestream of the contest from two of the Elks National Foundation’s social channels on YouTube so you can sit on the sidelines from the comfort of your couch, or, you can host a watch party at your Lodge!
ENF Director Jim O’Kelley and past National Finalist Lakyn Boltz will provide live commentary and play-by-plays in a livestream of the girls contest, and past national finalist Zeb Alford and Bart Powell, son of National Director Getty Powell, will host the livestream for the boys.
Bookmark this page for the day of the contest. Follow the ENF’s Facebook page for reminders, and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and tap the bell to be notified when we post new content or go live.
Contest Schedule
Links to the livestreams on the ENF’s YouTube will be available on the day of the contest here: News (elks.org)
Elks National Foundation Year-End Roundup
The Elk Lodges of Maine really came through when it came to fundraising for the Elks National Foundation (ENF) which is also known as the Great Heart of Elkdom. This year, all 20 of Maine’s Lodges reached the Grand Exalted Ruler’s per-member goal of $4.80 by a significant margin. The State of Maine achieved a per-capita of $13.55, nearly three times the goal amount. This is $2.46 more in giving than last year. This will help bring more money into the state through grants and scholarship awards as for every $1 raised, the ENF will provide the State with $1.61 or a 61% return on the donations that have been invested by the Maine Elks members and Lodges.
Wells Elks Lodge #2738 Earns Top Spot in the Country in Per-Capita Donations
The smallest Lodge in the State of Maine is Wells Elks Lodge #2738, but they were a giant among Elk Lodges in the country, as they had the highest amount of money donated per member in the amount of $482.45. This was $153.83 more than the second place Lodge Sequin, Texas #1229. This was some great work by the Lodge and its members to raise this incredible amount of money for charity. Congratulations to the Wells Lodge and its members for showing that Elks Care–Elks Share.
Top ENF Chairs in the State of Maine
Raising a record amount of donations cannot be done without the hard working and dedicated ENF Chairmen in each Lodge. The ENF Chairs have their own contest for promoting the ENF, and for fundraising called the Chairman’s Challenge. This year, Mike Achorn of the Waterville Elks Lodge #905 earned top honors with 952 points out of a maximum of 1000 points that can be earned. This was 12th in the nation among ENF Chairmen. He was followed by Kathleen Cotterly of the Augusta Elks Lodge #964 who earned a total of 639 points.
The ENF Chairmen earn points through a number of fundraising development areas including: ENF Training, Ordering of Supplies, obtaining new donors, sustained donors, exceeding 15% membership support of the program, 2nd year donors, 3rd year donors, among other things. Information on the Chairman’s Challenge rules, and point determination can be found here: Elks National Foundation. Congratulations to all the ENF Chairmen in Maine for a successful year,and thank you for your hard work.
Maine Elk Lodges Receive $166,500 in Community Investment Grants
This past year, the Lodges of the Maine Elks Association applied for and received Community Investment Grants from the Elks National Foundation that are used to support the community as well as local charities. A total of $166,500 was received by 19 out of 20 Elk Lodges that participated in the program. The top recipient of in the Community Investment Grant Program (CIP) was the Augusta Elks Lodge #964 which received a total of $19,500 dollars from all five of the ENF grants in the program. These included the Freedom Grant, Impact Grant, Beacon Grant, Gratitude Grant, and Spotlight Grant. In addition to Augusta, a total of four other Lodges in the State received over $10,000 to give back to their community including the Lodges in Rockland, Presque Isle, Waterville, and Biddeford-Saco. Grants were used to support our veterans, youth, and partner with community organizations which serve their communities in a variety of ways. If you would like to learn more about what each Lodge has done to support their community through these grants, you can find their information here: CIP Grant History (elks.org)
Elks National Hoop Shoot Participation
The Elks National Foundation Free-Throw Contest is funded by the Elks National Foundation. This past year, a total of 16 out of 20 Elk Lodges held contests in their communities to provide youth between the ages of 8 through 13 with an opportunity to show their talent and basketball skills. A total of 258 youth participated in the program statewide with Presque Isle Lodge #1954 having the highest number of participants at thirty-five. To see your Lodge’s participation information in the program you can find out here: Hoop Shoot Participation Report (elks.org)
Maine Elks to Award Scholarships to Maine Seniors
This year, Maine will be awarding six High School Seniors with awards of $4,000 in scholarships in the Most Valuable Student Scholarship program. This amounts to a total of $24,000 to help fund college needs for deserving students. In addition, the State of Maine will also be providing District Awards in the amount of $2,000 each to six students, and one scholarship in the amount of $1,000 for each of the 20 Elk Lodge winners in the state for a total of $54,000 to students in Maine. The top six scholarship recipients will be presented awards at the Maine Elks Association State Convention in May. In addition, Maine will also be awarding four Legacy Awards to children and/or grandchildren of Maine Elks in the amount of $4,000 each or $16,000 to help fund their college education. All of these awards were made possible through donations to the Elks National Foundation. Maine Elks helping students reach their educational goals and showing that Elks Care–Elks Share.
With the Elks National Foundation doing so much for the people of Maine, we encourage you to consider giving to this worthy cause. You can make a tax-deductible contribution here: Online Giving (elks.org) or contact your Lodge’s ENF Chairman. For more information on the Elks National Foundation programs, you can check it out here: Elks National Foundation and on maineelks.org here: ENF COMMITTEE | Maine Elks Association. Let’s make 2023-2024 an even bigger year!