Go to Washington Elks Web page for more information Elks4vets.org
"So long as there are Veterans, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks will never forget them"The Shelton Elks Lodge is committed to Veterans. We have various events and projects that are for the Veterans in the Mason County area.
Elks are proud to be Americans and we believe in supporting our Constitution and the Rights of all Americans. Every year on Flag day we take the time to honor our Veterans and the History of the United States of America. So please Join us for a play that the Elks are proud to present Every year on the History of the United States Flag. We are currently Organizing and Planning our Third Annual Veterans Stand Down and Hiring Event. We will have a variety of resources available for the Veterans to get in contact with. Our hope in this project is to link Veterans with the services that are available in Mason County for Veterans. We will have Employers and other resources to help Veterans get back to work. We are planning on having resume writing classes and Computers to help Veterans get that dream job. On Veterans Day we take the day to Honor our Veterans, we invite all Veterans in the Mason County area to come to our Lodge and enjoy a home cooked meal by our Volunteers. Every year we invite a special guest to entertain and/or link Veterans to the resources in our community. Every month we travel to the town of Retsil (Near Port Orchard) and Volunteer our time to provide entertainment and our home baked cookies to the Veterans at the Veterans Home. Make the Connection "Make the Connection"-Shared Experiences and Support for Veterans"Make the Connection" is a website where Veterans can go to discuss their issues or experiences with other veterans throughout the world. The site is set up so that Veterans can 'make a connection' to
veterans of similar age or experience. No matter when, where, or how they served, and what they've experienced in civilian life, they may be dealing with issues that affect their well-being or get in the way of their relationships, work, or daily activities. Every day, Veterans connect with resources and support to manage the issues they may be facing and find solutions for improving their lives. Please spread the word about this program to your Members if they are veterans or they know a veteran. Encourage them to visit the Make the Connection website at: http://maketheconnection.net. You can search downloadable brochures and cards at: http://maketheconnection.net/resources Veterans Crisis Line
|
Flag Day History and the ElksFLAG DAY SERVICE
It is to be expected that an organization dedicated to patriotic service should seek to promote a proper knowledge of, and respect for, the American Flag, and all that it represents. The Order of Elks has done this in many ways. Perhaps the most effective of its prescribed activities is the Flag Day Service. Each Subordinate Lodge is required to conduct this service annually on June l4th, the anniversary of the birth of the American Flag. The idea of a Flag Day Service was first suggested to our Order by the then Grand Exalted Ruler at the 1907 Grand Lodge Session in Philadelphia. Of the dates submitted for consideration at that time, June 14 was adopted by the session and was called "Elks Flag Day." The following year, in Dallas, the Grand Lodge approved a ritual for the Flag Day ceremony. The 1911 Grand Lodge Session at Atlantic City made the observance of Flag Day mandatory for Subordinate Lodges by the adoption of Section 229 of the Statutes: "It shall be the duty of each Subordinate Lodge to hold the service known as "Flag Day Services" at the time and in the manner prescribed by the ritual of the Order. Later on - at the Grand Lodge Session in Atlantic City in 1930 - there was added to this statute an amendment, reading: "The Grand Exalted Ruler may, in exceptional cases and for good cause, grant a dispensation for a different day or to any two or more Lodges to hold such services jointly." It was not until August 3,1949 that the President of the United States signed Public Law 203, designating June 14 as Flag Day. Thus our Order was not only the first fraternal organization to celebrate Flag Day, but had made this ceremony mandatory long years before the date on which the observance became a nation-wide practice by legal decree. The ritual for the occasion is an elaborate one and it is quite generally conducted as a public ceremonial. It is designed to be informative as well as inspirational; and the colorful pageantry provided lends itself admirably to the achievement of these objectives. 2017-2018 Americanism Essay Contest topic is
|