NEWS
News from the Maine Elks AssociationRed Ribbon Week Held This Week
Enrique (Kiki) Camarena was born on July 26, 1947, in Mexicali, Mexico. He graduated from Calexico High School in Calexico, Calif., in 1966. After graduation he joined the U.S. Marines where he served for two years. After his military service, Kiki joined the Calexico Police Department and later moved to the El Centro Police Department. In 1974, he became part of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Seven years later he was assigned to the resident office in Guadalajara. He worked out of this office for four and a half years and was close to exposing a major drug trafficking operation. On February 7, 1985 Kiki was kidnapped. That was the last time he was seen alive. He was 37 years of age.
Shortly after Kiki’s death, U.S. Congressman Duncan Hunter; his wife Lynne Hunter; Calexico High School classmate, Henry Lozano; and Calexico City Councilman and educator, David Dillon launched the Calexico High School Kiki Camarena Club in Kiki’s hometown of Calexico, Calif. On April 20, 1985, over one hundred Kiki Camarena Club members pledged to lead drug free lives.
Interest from school districts in other cities in California’s Imperial Valley afforded Henry Lozano, then-Executive Director of Imperial Valley Teen Challenge, to create Kiki Camarena Clubs in Holtville, Brawley, and El Centro, California with the support of the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks.
In 1986, Henry Lozano, as a member of the Board of Directors of Californians for Drug-Free Youth, Inc., created a statewide coalition comprised of the Elks, Lions, Rotary, California Narcotics Officers Association, California Drug Enforcement Administration and drug prevention parent groups who worked together to establish the first statewide Red Ribbon Week celebration in October.
In 1988, the National Federation of Parents for Drug-Free Youth championed the first national Red Ribbon Week campaign with Honorary Chairman President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan. That same year, congress officially established Red Ribbon Week.
Now, at the end of every October, millions of Americans dawn red ribbons in memory of Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. The Elks are proud to be a part of such an important tradition. For more information on the Maine Elks Association Drug Awareness Program, contact State Director Anthony Gause. Contact information can be found in the MEA State Directory.
Fact information about Drugs can be found here: Get Smart About Drugs
Red Ribbon Card: RedRibbonWeekCardUpdated.pdf (elks.org)
Maine Elks Hold State Soccer Shoot in Bangor
On a cool morning on Sunday, October 16th, the Maine Elks Association conducted their State championship Soccer Shoot contest at the John Bapst Practice field on Mount Hope Avenue in Bangor.
Intended to help keep our youth focused and away from undesirable activities, the Elks’ Soccer Shoot program consists of two different contests that test different level skills at different ages. Contestants are grouped by gender and age. Kids competes in groups of 7 years old and younger, eight to nine, ten to eleven and twelve to thirteen.
Hosted by the members of Bangor Elks Lodge #244, the state contest welcomed nineteen kids, ages 7 to 13, and their families from across the state. State Soccer Shoot Director Shawn Stacey coordinates the program in Maine and assembled the team to conduct this event with the help of several members of the Bangor lodge Soccer Shoot committee and the Bangor High School class of ’23. Final standings were announced, and trophies presented after the spaghetti lunch at the Elks lodge.
Maine’s 1st place boy and girl winners are:
Under 8 – Emma H (Rockland) and Jack R (Waterville),
Under 10 – Bella S (Sanford) and Drake L (Houlton)
Under 12 – Rihanna P (Sanford) and Brayden F (Rockland)
Under 14 – Lucy C (Presque Isle) and Reid R (Rockland).
The first-place shooters will advance next to the Area 1 Soccer Shoot to be held on November 5th at the Augusta Tennis Club in Augusta. At that venue, they will face the best shooters for their age and gender group from NH, VT, MA, CT, RI, and NY. Scores for the top shooters in that contest will be forwarded to the National Soccer Shoot Coordinator, with the highest scores named as National Soccer Shoot Champions. Last year, Maine had its first National Champion in the Soccer Shoot. Emily C., sponsored by the Presque Isle Elks Lodge #1954 was the top shooter in the country in the U-12 girls division. She was presented with her National Champion’s Trophy at the MEA State Convention in May.
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks inculcate the principles of Charity, Justice, Brotherly Love and Fidelity; to recognize a belief in God; to promote the welfare and enhance the happiness of its Members; to quicken the spirit of American patriotism; to cultivate good fellowship; to perpetuate itself as a fraternal organization, and to provide for its government, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the United States of America will serve the people and communities through benevolent programs, demonstrating that Elks Care and Elks Share.
The Maine Elks Association coordinates the fraternal efforts of twenty lodges ranging from York Lodge # 2788 in the Coastal District to the Presque Isle lodge # 1954 in the Northern District. To find out more about this and other programs in your area go to www.maineelks.org or www.elks.org.
Photos from the event can be found here: State Soccer Shoot | Flickr
It’s Soccer Shoot Season
Sanford lodge Soccer Shoot winners with committee Co-Chairs ER Robert Shaw and Esteemed Lecturing Knight Marise Anagnost
Elks National Foundation Scholarship Applications are now Open
| The Maine Elks Association Scholarship Committee announces that the following scholarship applications are now available from the Elks National Foundation. Three types of education funding are available:
2023 Most Valuable Student Contest: 2023 Legacy Awards Contest: 2023 Emergency Grants: *Please See Guidelines for specific details and qualifications on each of the above listed scholarships opportunities. Also, please check with your local lodge Scholarship Coordinator for other possible scholarship awards offered through the Lodges. Additional information on the Elks Scholarship Programs and Emergency Education Grants can be found here on Elks.org: ENF Scholarship Programs (elks.org). We value our youth and support them in pursuing their Educational Endeavors! For questions or more information on the Scholarship Programs, contact State Scholarship Committee Director Lina Michaud at slaale@hotmail.com. |