Newark Elks Lodge #391 Celebrates Our Nation's Flag

Newark Elks Lodge #391 was so happy to get back to a “normal” Flag Day Ritual and program. The 90 + people, including Boy Scouts Troop 2 and American Heritage Girls Troop 0148, all witnessed the history, pageantry, and music of this solemn uplifting occasion enhanced by a Proclamation by our Newark Mayor and member Jeff Hall.

From left: Boy Scout Ethan Braunbeck; Hocking Valley Sons of the Am Revolution members Alan Gummere, Paul Irwin, Chuck Bundy; American Heritage Girl Ainsley Spurgeon; Hocking Valley SAR members Tom Hankins, Bob Hill; Vietnam Vet and Lodge member Dave Priest; and Newark High School JROTC member Cadet Major Eathin Dzierwa.

Toledo and Maumee-Bowling Green Elks Lodges Honor Flag Day

Toledo Elks Lodge #53 and Maumee-Bowling Green Elks Lodge #1850 combined forces on Saturday, June 12 to celebrate Flag Day, with a large outdoor display including 10 flags, expanding the Grand Lodge Flag Day Service to include the 49-star Flag as well.  Pictured at the podium is Dennis LaBrecque, PER, from the Toledo Lodge #53, leading in the History of the Flag.  The service included officers from both lodges, as well as a guest speaker from Honor Flight in Findlay, Ohio. 

Columbus-Grove City Elks #37 Host Charity Brunch & Fashion Show

Did someone say ‘food’, ‘fashion show’?  That is exactly what was said.

June 5, 2021 Columbus-Grove City Elks Lodge #37 hosted an awesome, well attended, ladies brunch.  A top notch meal was served to over 60 ladies.  Following meal, Easter Seals, provided a 12 minute multimedia presentation focusing on Ohio Elks Charity, Cerebral Palsy, highlighting all aspects of this disorder.

In attendance was Ashley Democko from Easter Seals.  She was presented a check in the amount of $10,000 for continuing their wonderful efforts in assisting those with Cerebral Palsy in Columbus, Ohio and beyond. These funds were made through a grant from the Ohio Elks Association Cerebral Palsy Fund. 

The highlight of the day was the notorious ‘Fashion Show’ where we had six wonderful, beautiful models.  The winner is determined by who has most money in a bucket placed in front of each contestant.  The models raised $883. In total and additional $1,257.17 was raised for Cerebral Palsy. 

Sharon Cooper, ER, Cerebral Palsy Chair on right.  Ashley Democko, Easter Seals Representative on left.

Lima Elks Deliver Cerebral Palsy Check To Local Developmental Center

Excerpt from Hometownstations.com…

…Lima Elks Lodge #54 presented a $10,000 check to the Children’s Developmental Center located inside of Lima Memorial Health System. The Children’s Developmental Center serves special needs children providing developmental pre-school services, transition services, toddler classes, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. The donation will go to help around 45 kids who are part of the center and is one way the Elks give back to the kids in the community.

Jim Plumb, exalted ruler of the Lima Elks Lodge #54 said, “It’s a good charity and like I have said we gave to in the past at least the past 10-15 years at least.”

The funds were made available by a grant issued by the Ohio Elks Association’s Cerebral Palsy Fund.

From left: James C Plumb, Exalter Ruler of Lima Lodge #54, Elisha Reineke, Director of the Children's Development Center, Suzanne Corsaro, Secretary of Lima Lodge #54

NE District Install Officers for 2021-22 District Year

The Northeast District of the Ohio Elks Association installed its officers for the 2021-2022 District year Sunday, June 6th at Ravenna Elks Lodge #1076. Congratulations to all and thank you to those who served the previous year.

From left: Chaplain-Richard Threadgill, Berea #1815; Treasurer-Maria Gregg, Lakewood #1350; District Activities Vice Chair-Wayne Gorby, Salem #305; District Activities Chair-Debra Stall, Ravenna #1076; Treasurer-Danielle Mahany, Berea #1815; Sergeant at Arms-Jeffrey Coyle, Berea #1815; Inner Guard-Sarah Whitford, Cuyahoga-Akron-Barberton #1923

Middletown Elks #257 Support Local Veteran Families

Middletown Elks Lodge #257 has been working with the Blue Star Families Dayton & Southern Ohio Chapter. We applied for and received a Freedom Grant to purchase their requested books and family board games that will be given to local military families. Prior to receiving the grant the members did a donation drive and collected several of the items Blue Star Families had requested. At our monthly Lodge meeting on June 8, 2021 we presented Geri Maples, PhD / Director of the Dayton & Southwest Ohio Chapter of Blue Star Families with all the collected and purchased items.

From left: Bret Frank, Veteran Committee Chairman & Trustee; Karen Frank, Esquire; Geri Maples, PhD / Director of Blue Star Families Dayton & Southwest Ohio Chapter; John Ramsey, PER & Trustee; Melodie Rickard, ER; Angie Whitt Sberna, Treasurer; Jim Sberna, PER & Lecturing Knight; Linda Jordan, Inner Guard; and Connie Back, Loyal Knight. Present but not in the picture are Frances Carlson, PER; and Mike Liesner, Leading Knight.

Berea & Lakewood Elks Help Cleveland Food Bank Meet The Local Needs

Members from Berea Elks Lodge #1815 along with members from Lakewood Elks Lodge #1350 volunteered at the Cleveland Food Bank sorting 18,000 pounds of food into 600 single ship packages for distribution across the region helping those in need through difficult times.

Athens Elks #973 Donates $7,000 to Local Board of Developmental Disabilities

On May 27th 2021 Athens Elks Lodge #973 donated $7,000 to the Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities.  This money was made available from the Ohio Elks Association Cerebral Palsy fund. 

From left:Kevin Davis, Superintendent; Karmen, student; Blaycee, student; Becky Martin, Director of Education/School Principal from Athens Beacon School, Rich Russell, Jim Balding and Tom Donnelly from Athens Elks Lodge 973.

Marion Elks #32 Spruce Up Elks Rest For Memorial Day

Marion Elks Spruce Up “Elks Rest” Cemetery Plot in the Marion Cemetery for Memorial Day. This Rest is one of only 69 Lodge-owned cemetery plots across the country.

Editor’s Note: History of Marion 32 “Elks Rest”

Scattered across the United States in peaceful corners of the landscape are sacred plots of ground- some small and simple, others quite grandiose- wherein rest the remains of Departed Brothers, still side-by-side in fraternal unity after their final summons to the Celestial Lodge.  Known as ELKS RESTS, these are Lodge-owned cemetery plots which exist in 69 Lodge locals (or former Lodge locals) across the country.

The move to start an ELKS REST in Marion began when Brother Newton Davis remembered the Lodge in his will in 1926 with the donation of a burial lot.  Mr. Davis’ strong commitment to the Order is still marked today in the Marion Cemetery by the huge elk statue at his gravesite.

This prompted the formation of a Burial Lot Committee, whereas Brother William L. Guthery (one of the “heaviest real estate holders in Marion County”) donated a sum of money sufficient to purchase lots 7 and 8 in Marion Cemetery (currently in the southeast corner of the Waddell section), containing 2750 square feet, for the sum of $2,750. The committee recommended any member who expressed a desire may be buried there, with his “estate required to pay into the Burial Lot Fund the sum of $400, this amount to include the price of a headstone.”

Currently the Marion 32 ELKS REST is the final resting place for eight departed members.  We hope you can visit this site in the beautiful and historic Marion Cemetery.

Pictured at Marion Elks Monument: left to right, Rex Coldwell, PER, PDDGER; Dave Feliciano, PER; Amber Lowther

Athen Elks #973 Awards $1,000 College Scholarships to Local Students

Athens Elks Lodge #973 awarded their Annual College Scholarship to graduating high school seniors.  Each of these students received $1,000 to be used in their first year of college.  The awardees were Jaden Juniper (Ohio University), TJ Vogt (Ohio University), Bryanna Cooper (Ohio University), Savanna Wilson (Freed-Hardeman University), Clayton Williams (Virginia Military Institute), Tommy Vale (Ohio University), Tanner Vale (Ohio University), and Abigail Lairson (OSU, Clemson or University of Georgia).

Ohio Elks & Local Students Host Ice Cream Social for Ohio Veterans

Bishop Hoffman Catholic School, & the Elks team up with a Service project for our Veterans at the Ohio Veterans Home.

As the school year winds down, the students and parents wanted to reach out to some of most important community members – our veterans! To coincide with the month of May and Memorial Day we contacted the veterans home in Sandusky to see how we might be able to salute and honor our veterans. A planned ice cream sundae social was held in May.

An overwhelming collection of several different flavors of yummy ice cream toppings, 16 cans whipping cream, lots of bananas, and sprinkles were donated. The home also received flavored coffee creamers, candy bars, root beer, frozen ready to bake cookies, small canvas boards for painting, and bags of potting soil.

Kindergarten youth made personal decorated crosses for the veterans, thanking them for their service.

Monetary donations given were used to purchase last minute refrigerated items. Also included were Americana decorations.

On behalf of the OVH Veterans and caregivers, a BIG Thank you goes out to BHCS students their parents, school staff, and teachers who helped make this very successful project happen.

Van Wert Elks #1197 Award Student of the Year To Local High School Graduate

Van Wert Elks Lodge #1197 have selected Hanna Young, senior at Lincolnview High School as the first place recipient of the Student of the Year for Van Wert Lodge.    Connor Haselman, senior at Vantage Career Center placed second.

Hanna was selected as the Student of the Month for November.   She graduated this spring from Lincolnview High School.

Students are nominated by their high schools to receive the Student of the Month award.  Each Student of the Month receives a monetary donation along with a certificate from the Van Wert Elks Lodge 1197 with the possibility to be named the Student of the Year.   Students are judged on the basis of multiple achievements – Volunteerism, Character, Leadership, Service, Citizenship and Scholastic.   

All of the Student of the Month winners are then judged for their performance and achievements for selection as the Student of the Year.   Hanna received a monetary donation as well as a certificate.   She will now be competing for District Student of the Year against students from 12 other lodges within the district.

This program is designed to recognize outstanding young men and women for their achievements in school and community.   The Elks wish to recognize and praise those students for their accomplishments, their activities, and their contributions to society through this program.

Pictured is Hanna with her Student of the Year certificate.

Ohio Elks Northwest District Answers The Call For Our Veterans

We received a request from the Ohio Veterans home residents and staff that care for them for items that were needed. At our Northwest District meeting held at Toledo #53 on May 16th our Elk Lodges members overwhelmingly donated all the items the Veterans asked for.

Among those were, mouthwash, hand sanitizer for individual use, underwear, Fixodent,  Polident, assorted size men’s belts, sweatshirts, assorted size wide slippers that have soles on the bottoms, sunflower bird seeds for an activity scheduled soon, pretzels, Slim Jim’s, full size candy bars, and monetary gift cards.

Jenna Karr, Defiance #147, Jackie Brady, Toledo #53,  Veterans Chairman Charles Hilyard, Toledo #53, Mary Beaston NW District Rep, State Veterans Chairman

Newark Elks Lodge #391 Awards Scholarship

Helping out our future teachers is something Newark Lodge believes in.

Senior Kelsey Wilson was awarded a $250.00 scholarship from the Newark Lodges’ charity fund. The check was presented by Exalted Ruler, Dave Underhill to Kelsey at the Central Ohio Technical Collage Awards Ceremony on Friday, May 21 2021.

Kelsey is graduating from the Public Safety and Consumer Services in the Teaching Careers Program. She plans to attend Muskingum Collage continuing her education in Early Childhood Education hoping to become a 3rd grade teacher.

We wish Kelsey luck in her endeavors.

Pictured are Exalted Ruler, Dave Underhill and Kelsey Wilson.

Ohio Elks Association and Dayton Elks #58 Making a Difference For Those with Cerebral Palsy

The Ohio Elks Association and Dayton Elks Lodge #58 presented checks to United Rehabilitation Services, Dayton Ohio's Cerebral Palsy Unit totaling $27,600. $25,000 CP grant from the Ohio Elks, along with two (2) $800 camperships and $1,000 from the Dayton Elks.

The money is to be used for therapy and physical development for URS clients.

From left: Mike Iddings, PDDGER Dayton #58, Sara Dunavent, PDDGER, Troy #833 and OEA Cerebral Palsy Fund Raising State Coordinator, Kevin Malloy, ER Dayton #58, and Dennis Grant, Executive Director, United Rehabilitation Services Dayton

Ohio Elks Helping Veterans

Ohio Elks VAVS Representation, Becky Underhill, used a $1,000 Boost Grant from the Elks National Service Commission to help the veterans at Columbus, Ohio’s Chalmers P. Wylie Care Center.

Pictured from left: Ohio Elks VAVS Rep Becky Underhill and Chalmers Wylie Care Center Volunteer Services employees Steve Schruers and Shedrick Siler.

Chalmers Wylie Care Center is an Ambulatory Care Center meaning the vets do not stay there overnight. It can be a little tricky using funds at this facility, but by looking at the hospitals “Wish List” Becky was able to find the items needed to most.

Around 100 of the veterans using the Care Center live in an assisted living facility called The Commons. A portion of the grant was used to purchase items such as Coffee, food, toiletries, and laundry soap.

Another part of the grant was used to purchase protein drinks, like Ensure, for the patients receiving treatment from the Oncology Department.

The last part of the grant was used to buy duffle bags, Walmart gift cards, and bus passes for the homeless veterans. The vets will buy underwear, clothes, and food with the gift cards and the bus passes will be used to get the vets to and from their doctors’ appointments at the Care Center.

Each department receiving the items were very thankful for the help as donations have been limited since the pandemic.

Athens Elks #973 Helps Fight Hunger in Community

Athens Elks Lodge #973 donated $2,000 to the Athens County food pantry. The money was made available through an Elks National Foundation (ENF) "Gratitude Grant". 

From left: Athens County Food Pantry director Karin Bright, Elk's members Rich Russell, Brian Mecum and Jim Balding.

Athens Elks #973 Makes Impact With Local Veterans

Athens Elks Lodge 973 made a donation of fifty (50), fifty-dollar gift cards to Veterans Services.  These Athens Local food gift cards will be given to area Veterans in need.  This was made possible by an Elks National Foundation (ENF) Freedom Grant for $2,500 that the Athens Lodge received.

From left: Local Veterans Services associate Jim Koska Jim Mansfield, Randy Gray and Jim Michael, Athens Elks Rich Russell, Ernie Perry Brian Mecum and Jim Balding.

OEA Fall Reunion - Hotel Reservations Now Available

Reservations for lodging during the upcoming Ohio Elks Association Fall Reunion can now be made. Go to https://ohioelks.com/fall-reunion for more details

Ohio Elks Association Announce State Golf Outing

The OEA is pleased to announce the 2021 OEA Golf Tournament being hosted by Marysville Lodge #1130 September 11-12, 2021. Go to https://ohioelks.com/golf for more details and register today!