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GER James M. McQuillan Acceptance Speech
(Editors note: after introductions, thank yous and
acknowledgements)
Now, let us take a brief look at the future. What does the year to come
and the years to follow hold in store for the Order of Elks? For many
years, our Fraternity has provided service to others less fortunate than
ourselves. We have shown by our actions and good deeds that really and
truly "ELKS CARE--ELKS SHARE."
However, we cannot and must not rest on our past laurels. We cannot assume
that the future of our Order and of our communities will be a continuation of
the past. More than ever, our communities and, in particular, the youth of
our nation, need a strong and viable Order of Elks. There is no other
organization which can or will fill the huge void which would be created by the
decline of our Fraternity.
"ELKS--WORKING TODAY FOR A BETTER TOMORROW" is our theme for the
coming year. If we rededicate ourselves to the principles of our
Order and work even harder than we have in the past, we will ensure a better
future for our Order and a better tomorrow for our communities. That is
our hope and our prayer as we embark on the activities of this year.
Our first and foremost goal must be to stop the decline in membership which we
have been experiencing for too many years. This decline has reduced our
membership by almost one-third, a loss of over 500,000 members. We have
experienced another loss this past year of over 21,313 members. We must,
we simply must stop this hemorrhaging of the lifeblood of our Order. I am
asking, no I am begging, each Officer of each Lodge to bring in at least one new
member this year. Surely this is an attainable goal. We all know at
least one person who would be a good addition to our membership. This
alone would produce over 25,000 new members and we would have a positive gain in
membership and not a loss for the first time in over twenty years. The
example set by our Lodge Officers will be an inspiration to our other members to
do their part by asking someone to join our Order. Will you help us attain
this goal? I can't hear you. Will you help us attain a positive gain
in membership this year? Thank you.
Quality leadership is the key to the success of an organization. Our second goal
this year is to promote and encourage each of our Lodges to have a full
complement of elected and appointed Officers, none of whom are Past Exalted
Rulers. YES, you heard me -- none of whom are Past Exalted Rulers.
An unattainable goal some may say. But it can be done by dedication, hard
work and effort by current Lodge Officers and the Past Exalted Rulers of the
Lodge. It is likely that our membership problems are at least partially
the result of not having Officers who begin their service as Tiler and progress,
year after year, through the Chairs. There simply is no substitute for the
knowledge and experience gained by normal progression through the Lodge Chairs.
A leadership team equipped with the tools of knowledge and experience will make
our programs a reality in the community and will help to involve and retain
existing members.
Family involvement and participation in the programs of our Lodges is more
important than ever. All Lodges cannot offer golf courses or swimming
pools. Each Lodge can and should offer family activities as part of its
regular program. This will give members and their families "together
time" to better utilize the continually shrinking hours families have in
our fast-moving society.
Our Order has been actively involved in our communities for well over a
century. That is a long time. The programs we implement have touched
the lives of many. For that we are justly proud. Our Hoop Shoot Program
involves over three million participants each year. According to the
statistics, we will have served over one hundred million boys and girls
during the thirty plus years of the Program. Adding the parents,
grandparents, and friends of the shooters would double or triple the number of
people we have touched by just this one program.
Think for a moment of all the young students who have benefited from our
scholarship and grant programs. Many of these beneficiaries of our
generosity would not have been able to pursue their educational goals without
our assistance. During our convention we will be privileged to hear from
the two most recent first place winners of our "Most Valuable Student"
Scholarship Program. I know the messages we hear from them will bring many
a tear to our eyes and make us proud that we live by our motto, "ELKS CARE
-- ELKS SHARE."
Consider for a moment the great struggle our nation is in against evil and
terrorism. It is difficult if not impossible for we Americans to
understand what possesses a person to give up his or her own life in a suicide
bombing that has as one of its purposes the destruction of innocent human
beings. Our servicemen and women are risking their lives on a daily basis
in the Middle East. We should keep them in our thoughts and prayers.
The "Army of Hope" Program should be implemented in each Lodge.
We can provide a great service to the families of those who are away from home
on active duty by just being there for them. By providing a shoulder to
cry on or a helping hand when there is a need. In this way we will be
fulfilling our pledge of many years, that "So long as there are veterans,
the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks will never forget them."
Think also about the youth of our country who are exposed at a tender age to
those who would profit from the sale and distribution of illegal drugs.
Our Order has stood tall in providing educational materials warning of the
dangers of the use of drugs. We must continue our efforts to reach as many
of our young people as possible with information that will assist them in making
the right decisions when it comes to the use of drugs.
Many of our programs are possible because of the financial assistance provided
by the "Great Heart of Elkdom," the Elks National Foundation. From the
seed money of $100,000.00 contributed in 1928 and the continuing generosity of
our Members, this charitable arm of our Order was able to provide over
$14,000,000.00 this past year for the various programs supported by the
Foundation. We have established a contribution goal of $3.85 per Member
for the coming year. I am confident your continued dedication and
generosity will achieve that goal and more.
I have touched on only a few of the things we as Elks do for others. Things we
do without any thought of compensation or reward. Things that many times
go unnoticed by most. Yet we continue in our efforts to help those less
fortunate than ourselves. I am might proud to be an Elk and I know you are
too.
As Karen and I begin our travels, we look forward to visiting your states, your
Lodges and your communities and being able to see first-hand and hear about the
good things you are doing in your communities. We also look forward to
renewing existing friendships and making many new friends in this great extended
family of ours--the Order of Elks.
Thank you again for you support and for electing me to be the leader for one
year of the Best People On Earth. God Bless each of you, God Bless America
and God Bless the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the United States
of America.