NEWS

News from the Maine Elks Association

Maine Elks Association to Hold Flag Day Observance on June 14th

by | May 20, 2022

The Maine Elks Association will hold its annual Flag Day ceremony at The Augusta Lodge of Elks on June 14th at 10:00 a.m. MEA President Al Ingraham will lead the ceremony with the other state officers. To make the ceremony an impressive one, we are asking for volunteer flag bearers to carry in the ceremonial flags during the event. All Exalted Rulers, other lodge officers, and members are encouraged to attend and participate.

The uniform of the day will be white dinner jackets for State Officers, and Lodge Jackets for others participating in the event.

Volunteer flag bearers and State Officers should be at the Augusta Lodge at 9:30 a.m. to practice and review the ceremony.

If you plan to attend to volunteer as a flag bearer, please contact the event coordinator, Scott Gray, by calling his cell at 458-8982, or by e-mailing him at: dtsgray1963@gmail.com

Maine Elk Lodges Support Communities through ENF Grants

by | May 7, 2022

During the 2021-2022 Lodge Year, the Elk Lodges in Maine continued their outstanding support of their communities through Community Investment Program (CIP) Grants offered through the Elks National Foundation (ENF). The Community Investment Grant Program includes Beacon Grants, Gratitude Grants, Freedom Grants, Spotlight Grants, and Impact Grants. During this past year, 17 Elk Lodges in Maine received $130,500 in grants from the ENF for community projects that benefit our youth, our veterans, charities, and the community at large. Leading the way was the Augusta Elks Lodge #964 that applied for and received $20,000 from all five grants. In addition, the Maine Elks Association received $181,630 for programs that support our youth, our veterans, our communities, and charities such as the State’s Major Project, the Maine Children’s Cancer Program.

The Beacon Grants are $4,000 grants are for active projects that are charitable in nature. Projects that relieve the poor, distressed, or underprivileged, advance education or science (but not through scholarships), lessen the burden of government, lessen neighborhood tensions, eliminate prejudice and discrimination, and combat juvenile delinquency.

Gratitude Grants are the ENF’s way of saying thank you for meeting the Grand Exalted Ruler’s per-member goal in the prior fiscal year. That goal is currently $4.80 per member. These grants offer between $2,000 and $3,500 (through fundraising bonuses) Gratitude Grants must be used to support local, charitable activities such as hosting a community clean-up day, purchasing supplies for a homeless shelter, or organizing a school literacy fair.

Freedom Grants range from $1,000 to $3,000 for projects that serve veterans in need. The grant must focus on employment, homelessness and housing, military families, health, and educational support. Lodges can receive higher amounts by conducting a project that involves its members. For a concise description of the Freedom Grants click here.

Spotlight Grants are $2,000 grants that a pressing need facing American communities. The Spotlight Grants provide money for Lodges that want to conduct a community project, but don’t really know where to start. The ENF has established the following readymade projects for Lodges to conduct by applying for a Spotlight grant:

Impact Grants are offered to Lodges working to make a significant and meaningful difference in the community through a charitable project. These competitive grants of up to $10,000 inspire Elks to dedicate themselves to service and volunteerism.

With each Elk Lodge potentially receiving as much as $20,000 in free money from the ENF to support their communities, now is a great time to apply, as many of these grants are first come-first served. If you need ideas for conducting a Community Project to use the grant money, check out the CIP Resource page on Elks.org.

Last year, the Maine Elks Association Lodges and Members contributed a total of $113,149.45 to the Elks National Foundation and received back $1.60 for every dollar contributed. Where else can you get type of investment return, especially in today’s markets. Elks believe in supporting our youth, our veterans, our communities, and charities, and as an Elk you have the opportunity to show that Elks Care–Elks Share by making a contribution to the Elks National Foundation. There are many ways in which you can contribute, including one-time online donations, or ongoing monthly donations that can be automatically charged to your credit card, make a donation through your Lodge by contacting your local Lodge ENF Chairperson, or by mailing a donation directly to the Elks National Foundation with a completed donor card and send to: Elks National Foundation, 2750 N. Lakeview Ave, Chicago, IL 60614-2256.

If you’re not yet a member, then come join us. For more information on the Elks, visit our membership page or visit Elks.org

Elks National Foundation Announces Legacy Scholarships for Maine Students

by | May 5, 2022

The Elks National Foundation recently announced its Legacy Scholarship Winners for the State of Maine. They are as follows:

StudentSponsoring Lodge
Samantha JohnsonHoulton Lodge #835
Delaney McDonoughPortland Lodge #188
Benjamin MorganSkowhegan-Madison Lodge #2531
Emma SmithSkowhegan-Madison Lodge #2531
Faith SjobergPresque Isle #1954

The Legacy Scholarships offered by the Elks National Foundation provide High School Seniors who are a child or grandchild of a living Elk member who is in good standing with their Lodge and has been a member for at least 3 years. The student receives $1,000 per year for four years to help pay for college. Winners of the Scholarship (excluding first-year) are also required to provide one year of service to the sponsoring Elk Lodge.  Here are some of the things that the students can do to meet the service requirement:

  • Rebound at a Hoop Shoot contest.
  • Judge scholarship applications for the next class of Elks scholars.
  • Serve with one of your Lodge’s Community Investment Program grant projects.
  • Help create an online presence for your Lodge through Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
  • Volunteer at a Lodge’s regularly scheduled fundraising meals and events.
  • Just ask! Lodges will often find things to do that they would never otherwise think of or be able to do themselves.
  • Help create an online presence for your Lodge through Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
  • Design an online newsletter/email campaign for the Lodge.
  • Organize a virtual food or supply drive to support community members in need.
  • Offer to scan photos or other files to help a Lodge move online.
  • Write a press release highlighting the Lodge’s good works for the local newspaper.
  • Reach out to vulnerable members of the Lodge by calling or writing cards,

For more information on ENF Scholarships, Contact MEA State Scholarship Director Lina Michaud.

 

 

Maine Elks Donate $294,963 for Children with Cancer

by | May 3, 2022

The motto of the Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks is “Elks Care–Elks Share,” and on April 30, 2022, the Maine Elks Association lived up to that motto once again by donating $294,963 dollars to their major project; the Maine Children’s Cancer Program (MCCP). This is the second highest donation since the program began nearly 40 years ago. This brings the association’s cumulative donations to MCCP to an astounding $5,586,265 dollars.

The Maine Children’s Cancer Program (MCCP)—is a pediatric oncology program of The Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center. The program is Maine’s premier treatment center for children diagnosed with cancer and blood disorders. MCCP has three primary areas of focus:

  • Providing children with access to the best cancer treatments available
  • Participating in clinical research to improve survival rates and move closer to a cure; and
  • supporting the entire family throughout their journey with childhood cancer.

The Maine Elks have been supporting the program as their major fundraising project since 1985. To learn more about the program visit the association’s MCCP Page.

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