NEWS

Good morning, I would like to take this opportunity to tell you about my charity fundraiser that I will be working on this year.

Eighteen years ago, our eldest daughter Courney passed away at the age of 15.  She was a passenger in a car accident on her way home from a sophomore class meeting.  Shortly after her death, Michaela, our youngest daughter who was 10 at the time, and I started going to the Center for Grieving Children in Portland, Me. It is a peer support program that is free to the participants, so all my proceeds from my raffle will go to them.

After Michaela decided she had spent enough time there to heal, we finished going to our weekly meetings.  A year of so later I decided that I was ready to give back, I took the facilitator training class and became a facilitator at the Sanford location of the Center for Grieving Children.  I continued my volunteer work there until my work hours changed and I was no longer able to volunteer.  This organization stayed near and dear to my heart.

Two wonderful people made items for my raffle.  Mark Therien, a Sanford lodge member and special friend for many years, has made a live edge console table.  My daughter, Michaela has hand made a pottery set.  Thank you both so very much.

My pin will be available after this program.  You will notice a gerber daisy, that was Courtney’s favorite flower.  Another flower is the orchid, which is Michaela’s favorite flower, the yellow rose is in honor of my mother in law, Nellie who passed three years ago and the butterfly is in memory of my mom who passed six years ago, I love them very much. The middle of the pin is the logo for the Center for Grieving Children, I look forward to sharing my pin with you all year.

I would like to take this time to thank three special ladies who have helped me prepare for this upcoming year; Trisha Bolz, Lisa Brunelle and Denise Hannigan, I treasure your friendships.

I look forward to visiting all the lodges in the state with Corey.  It will be my pleasure to participate in the great work that you all do for this wonderful organization of Elkdom.

Thank you to the Waterville lodge for your gracious hospitality, it’s been a wonderful weekend.

Joleen
MEA First Lady

Thank you brother and sister Elks for putting your trust in me to lead the Maine Elks Association for the 2025 – 2026 fraternal year.  Thank you dignitaries, and thank you to all my family and friends in attendance.  This is a great honor to be standing here as the Maine Elks State President.  I never dreamed or thought of being in this position back when I first become a member of this great order, I just wanted to do what I could to be a small part of all the Elks do.

As most of those who have made this journey before me, you do not do this alone.  I want to introduce my officers for the upcoming year, first as State Secretary is PSP Dwayne Guy, as our state treasurer is Felecia Galin, as my state Tiler from the Sanford lodge my longtime Medway friend and Past Exalted Ruler Tony Hafford.  My Sargent at Arms is from the Sanford Lodge, lodge chef extraordinaire and Past Exalted Ruler Rob Wilkins.  And for my chaplain it was an easy selection, this young lady was All American Loyal Knight and All American Chaplain in the national ritual competitions, from the Sanford Lodge, PER Denise Labbe.  I want to thank my officers for accepting the invitation to be involved in this journey with me.

Others in this journey have to be family, because this position keeps you quite busy and I would like to embarrass my daughter and her (now) fiancé, Michaela and Devin.  Also here today is my sister Alison and (the brother in-law we get in the divorce) Shawn Leger, and not with them today is my god child Addison.

And I can not forget the man who worked is butt off at the mill so that my mother could put food on the table for all of us, yes you ate what was on the table or you went hungry.  My dad has been an Elk for nearly 60 years, he is a Mason, he is a Shriner, he was the volunteer fire chief for 20 years or more, plant protection chief in the mill and believe it or not, at 86 he is still training new recruits on driving the fire trucks and ambulances. And may be found doing a transport driving the ambulance. And yes, I know he looks younger than me…… and so does his brother.  My dad Robert DeWitt.  Thanks old man.

So I guess that is everyone I have to thank.  Oh wait, there many more to thank, but in the interest of time I will say thank you to my office coworker who couldn’t be here today, our dog Riggins.  He’s always there to let me know when it is lunch time and break time.  There, I think I’m done with that part of the speech. Check my list………, Oh yeah, there is one more person.  When you start this journey to this position, it is a 4 year commitment and more.  Time away from home and family.  I did not just put my name in back in Presque Isle in 2021, this had to be a mutual decision because, lets face it, I can’t do this alone.  I asked my wife (who I hope still loves me) if she wanted to make this journey with me.  If she had said no, you would be hearing from someone completely different today.  She did not always travel to all the state meetings while I was vice president, she left that to Tony and I to do ourselves. (How much fun was that Dwayne??).  Our road together for over forty years has not always been easy, many ups and downs, but we are still here together.  Thank you to my wife and your first lady Joleen (yes, like the song), I look forward to this next chapter of our journey together.

When I decided to make the step to become state president I knew that there would be expectations and challenges. One of the challenges for our order is that of membership.  Our members are the lifeblood of our organization, without them we have no Elks, and our communities will not receive the support that the Elks provide.  Getting new members is not always an easy task, but can be accomplished.  Getting members who are willing to be involved is a whole other task.  I challenge each lodge to be sure and have an active membership committee to recruit new members to help with all aspects of Elkdom.  Most new members are friends of members who have been to the lounge and liked it and decided to be a member. This is great, but as I say at my new member orientations, it’s okay to come to the lodge for the social aspect, but none of that happens without the work of the lodge officers and committees so please recruit people who are willing to be more than a “bar trustee.”

As your state president I will continue to promote the great work that we do with MCCP, I challenge all lodges to make this a priority with your fundraising.  We as Maine Elks should be proud of the $6 plus million dollars we have raised for MCCP, this program has changed the lives of so many kids and their families in our state.

We also must continue to support our veterans, we do great work for our veterans and we should continue to do this important work.  As your state chairman Shu is highly motivated with continuing the work of this important committee. Every lodge should have an active veterans committee and Shu is there to assist you in any help your committee needs. Remember, as long as there are veterans, the Benevolent and Protective order of Elks will never forget them.

Another great program in our order is our drug awareness program, it is critical that we get out to our schools and communities and educate our children and their families on the dangers of drugs.  Again, your lodge should have an active Drug Awareness program.  Your state chairperson Danielle Jones is there to support you with materials and other supplies.  I would like to thank Anthony Gause for all his hard work he has done with the drug awareness program over the years.  Also, lodges should be thinking of a law enforcement officer that would be a worthy candidate for the Enrique “Kiki” Camarena award, this program is supported by the Elks National Foundation.  ENF also supports our soccer shoot and hoop shoot programs.  These programs are yet another way to get out into the community.  It was great to see Maine send two kids to the national hoop shoot contest.  Jackson and Jerry represented Maine very well at the shoot, both shot 21 out of 25.  Jerry finished sixth and Jackson finished fifth.  Your state chair for hoop shoot is George Jones and he is there to support your local program.  Nikole Nadeau is the soccer shoot chair and again is there to assist you with your local lodge program.

Finally I look forward to meeting the many great Elks from around our state and visiting all your lodges.  I am also looking forward to representing the great state of Maine at the national convention in Kansas City this summer.  It will be a great honor to carry the Maine flag across the stage at the opening ceremony.

Corey DeWitt PDDGER
President Maine Elks Association 2025-26