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Nebraska Elks to Hold State Convention
The 93rd annual state convention of the Nebraska Elks Association will be held April 29th through May 1st at the Sandhills Convention Center in North Platte.
Approximately 400 Elks and family members will attend the convention which will be lead by President Dick Metz of the Omaha Elks Lodge. Metz will preside at the Saturday and Sunday meetings and will host a Friday evening dinner for the members of his officer team, state committee chairs, Nebraska Lodge Exalted Rulers (Presidents), and national Elks dignitaries and their spouses.
During the day Friday, five of the twenty-three Nebraska Elk Lodges will be competing in the annual Elks Ritual Contest. The Ogallala Elks Lodge Ritual Team will be looking for their fifth successive state championship and the right to represent Nebraska at the national finals in Reno. The competition is only open to Elk members for viewing.
Other activities to be held Friday include meetings by the state trustees and also the state Elks Advisory Committee. They will review budget requests, nominations for state officers, and other state business.
At the Saturday morning session, the state officers and committee chairs will give their annual reports to the membership and a number of awards will be made. The state officer and Elk of the Year will be named, Veterans Service Awards will be distributed as well as Membership Awards. The Elks Lodge with the top Youth Program will be named.
On Saturday at noon, the association will hold its annual Past Exalted Rulers (PER) Scholarship Dinner and Auction. Nebraska Lodges and Elks voluntarily contribute items to be auctioned to raise money to award one-time scholarships to six Nebraska youth.
After a late afternoon reception for Terry Kramer, president-elect for the association from the Ogallala Elks Lodge, a general banquet and awards ceremony will be held. Awards will be made to the winning Ritual Team and the Ritual All-Star Team will be named. In addition the top Nebraska Lodges will be recognized and the two top winners (one boy and one girl) of the Elks National Foundation "Most Valuable Student" Scholarship Program will be introduced and they will speak briefly.
On Sunday morning the business session will continue and elections for new officers will be held. At 10 a.m. the Elks Memorial Service will be held and the meeting will be opened to the public. At the Memorial Service the Elks honor and remember their departed state presidents and Exalted Rulers.
After the Memorial Service, the newly elected officers will be installed and tributes will be paid to outgoing officers. Newly installed President Terry Kramer will adjourn the convention at approximately noontime.