I CAN’T SAY IT ENOUGH – CALIFORNIA- HAWAII ELKS – TRULY YOU ARE THE BEST PEOPLE ON EARTH!

I don’t have the final end of the year numbers for ENF yet as money is still being processed in Chicago but as of March 19TH we have submitted enough money to be at $8.38 per capita statewide. There is still 10 days of money to post in the Chicago office.

My goal the last two years has been to increase the donation from CHEA by $1 more per member than the previous year.  During my first year as Chairman you increased your giving by a huge $.70 per capita ($47,708.23).  This year, my second year, to date you have again increased over last year by .36 or $23,417.83.  Again – there are still 10 days of posting to do and I sincerely hope some of the envelopes are from California Hawaii Elk members.  I have faith in you- I’m sure some of our envelopes are sitting on the desk for processing.

With the continuing life challenges facing so many of us, I find this generosity incredible.  It could only come from our Elk members who truly believe in our great order and what it represents.

District Chairs, Lodge Chairs and even Vice Presidents worked diligently through this year to increase understanding of – and donations to ENF.  In my next article I will be able to share with you what the return to our Association is from ENF and how the money is used for the many programs we support.

I introduced a new concept at the Mid Term Conference last year – “Elks Nurturing Families through the Elks National Foundationâ€.  We need to all remember when explaining ENF that OUR families make up OUR communities.  It could be your child that participates in the Hoop Shoot, your neighbor’s child that wrote a winning Drug Awareness Essay, your niece or nephew that qualified for a Most Valuable Student Scholarship.  We all hear about the Major Project Theme Child and the wonderful work that our Therapists do with the children that our Piggy Bank program supports. ENF helps fund these programs in our two States by returning more money to us than we donated.   I have talked to many people this year that now better understand the importance of ENF in our lives and the lives of members of our communities.

I will put an article in the next magazine with the final amounts and the return and use of the money returned to us by ENF. After that I will be working in a new position.

Gratefully and Fraternally,

Debbie Hosted
ENF Chair