Last Saturday, March 15th, Denise and I visited the Rockland Lodge.  This marked our 20th lodge visit and completed our successful tour of all the Maine Lodges.  Upon arriving Saturday afternoon, we were greeted at the hotel by Exalted Ruler Pam and her husband, Al.  They took us to the Lodge for a tour and a visit to their lounge.  We saw their beautiful building, showcasing classic architecture, an excellent commercial kitchen, and a grand ball room with an impressive central fireplace, and we also received a fascinating lesson on the Lodge’s rich history.  Downstairs, in the lounge, we met several Lodge officers and members.
Denise and I returned to our room briefly before Pam and Al took us to a wonderful dinner at the Park Street Grille, a local restaurant.  The food was excellent.  Following dinner, we returned to the Lodge for the lodge’s awards night and a St. Patrick’s Day dance.  Pam presented her Elk of the Year, Officer of the Year, Citizen of the Year, and several other special awards, each well-deserved and a credit to the lodge and the community.  The live band, playing classic rock, country and popular dance music, did a fantastic job, and we had the opportunity to dance, catch up with old friends, and meet many warm and welcoming new members.

Denise and I celebrated our homecoming weekend in Houlton from February 28th to March 3rd.  As I’ve always maintained, Lodge 835 is exceptional, and this weekend proved it once again.  Friday night featured a trivia contest, bowling, the Queen of Hearts drawing, and a fantastic pub food menu.  Elks from around the state gathered, and everyone had a wonderful time.
On Saturday, following the pre-budget meeting, preparations commenced for the evening meal.  The kitchen crew outdid themselves, preparing a superb dinner offering prime rib cooked to order or baked haddock.  With the help of several area youth groups the meals were served quickly, and everyone seemed delighted.
After dinner, everyone moved to the Lodge room for a roast and toast in my honor.  I was thoroughly roasted, all in good fun.  My good friend Shawn Stacey even made a donation to the ENF after I put on his Red Sox pullover.  I wasn’t the only one roasted; State Chaplain and Past State President Mike Powers also received his share of good-natured ribbing.  My boating prowess was also humorously mentioned by an anonymous Facebook follower, who thankfully provided me with an emergency gas can for the boat.
The evening continued with live music from the local band Dirt Bag Jenkins and the Dust Pans, who put on a great show.  We danced the night away, followed by the 11 o’clock toast, and then retired to our comfortable beds.  The next day the state meeting concluded smoothly, allowing those who had traveled from afar to begin their journeys home on Sunday.

Next week we are off to Portland for the hoop shoot and then to Bath for the Toast and Flag contests.

Greetings, everyone.
Welcome to the county seat of Aroostook, the Shiretown. Since our last meeting Denise and I visited Millinocket for a great comedy show, been to the State Hoop shoot, the Skowhegan-Madison Lodge for a toast to ENF, and the Augusta Lodge for a wonderful variety show as well as the State Ritual contest in Waterville. As always, detailed reports on these visits can be found on maineelks.org and I encourage you to go and check them out.

During homecoming festivities at the Houlton ELks, MEA President Michael Hannigan eschews his customary Yankees attire for a stylish Red Sox pullover, thanks to an ENF donation by Shawn Stacey.

Well, I am rapidly approaching the end of my term. I have just one visit left to complete and am look forward to Rockland in a couple of weeks. Many of you exalted rulers are also winding down your year. Some of the people here however, are looking forward to taking over the reins of your Lodge. Some will even be new E.R.s and beginning next month you’ll start a journey you should never forget. I know you’ll greet Corey and Jolene with the same enthusiasm your predecessors met Denise and I. It is to you incoming E.R.s that I have some leadership advice for this morning. In late March or early April you will be placed into the role of the captain of the ship which is your Lodge. Your installer will remind you to be the able mariner steering your vessel as calmly in storm as in fair weather. I would like to share with you advice that may help you as guide your vessel. That advice is to always remember, you can’t change the wind, but you can adjust your sails to reach your destination. Use your local, state, and national resources to both find your way and achieve your ultimate goals for your Lodge. A great place to start is your contest A checklist.
Finally, some advice for not only new E.R.s but for everyone. Recently at a school workshop I heard some good advice for Elks. As we left the workshop the presenter suggested that we come up with an elevator speech to give to colleagues when we went back to our schools. An elevator speech is a brief explanation of something, short enough that you could give in on a ride in elevator but informative enough that it explains your point. I want to suggest to you come up with an elevator speech explaining what the Elks are. Inevitably, someone this year is going to ask you, so what are the Elks. If your caught of guard you may struggle to give a quick answer and you’ll likely miss some important details. Plan ahead, have your speech ready and promote this great organization. Thank you very much, and continue to show Maine in thought word and deed, that Elkdom is the heart of America.

On Saturday, February 22nd, Denise, Heather, and I visited the Augusta Elks Lodge #964. We arrived in the early afternoon and were greeted by Lisa and Tony. The Lodge had provided us with a wonderful welcome basket, filled with Maine-made treats.

At suppertime, Lisa and Tony took us to a very exquisite restaurant, where we met Claris, Roberta, Kip, Bob, and Myra. The restaurant, Otto’s on the River, is one I would highly recommend.  After supper, we went to the Lodge to see their variety show. The show was amazing; the crew had obviously put a tremendous amount of efforts into preparation for it. In addition to the preparations, enthusiasm was exuding from the stage. I even had a chance to go on stage and help one of the acts with some dancing. After the show, we talked with many people at the Lodge for a while and then returned to the hotel for a peaceful night’s sleep.  Augusta was the last Lodge in the central district that I visited this year, and I had a great time.

The next day, we went a short distance to Waterville Lodge #905 for the State team ritual contest. This year’s competitors were Sanford Lodge #1470 and Waterville #905. Both teams were very impressive. I won’t reveal the outcome, but I will share that the teams were very close. This weekend, I look forward to the homecoming celebration in Houlton and hope to see you all. My next visit will be to Rockland in mid-March. Spring is coming; take heart, the weather will improve!

On Saturday, February 1st, Denise and I visited the Skowegan-Madison Lodge. We arrived at our Madison Ave hotel mid-afternoon and were very quickly greeted by E.R. Gregory and his wife, Barbara. They presented us with a wonderful fruit tray and promised to pick us up as soon as we were ready to go to the Lodge.

After dressing for the evening, we arrived at the Lodge and were greeted by many old friends, including Claris and Roberta. After some time reminiscing, it was time to settle down for a great meal. The Lodge did a wonderful job with Bourbon steak tips, cooked to perfection, and some excellent homemade pies for dessert.

After the meal, it was time to raise funds for the Elks National Foundation (ENF). They began with their 150 Club raffle. Many winners were crowned, but the real winner was the Lodge ENF fund. Following that, donations to ENF were accepted, and a lot of money was raised. The last part was a presentation of a beautiful round cribbage board made of cherry colored wood, personalized with Denise’s and my names. Along with the board was a wonderful hardcover book about the history of the New York Yankees.

The evening ended with a wonderful band playing classic rock music. We talked and danced the night away. Eventually, it came time for the 11 o’clock toast, and the evening was over. We were driven back to the hotel and enjoyed a good night’s sleep. We are going to be going to Rockland around Valentine’s Day; keep checking here for that report.”