Officers and members of Elks Lodges of the California-Hawaii Elks Association (“CHEA”) have begun their annual convention in Anaheim. The four-day meeting includes workshops and seminars designed to update and improve the charitable and community activities of CHEA and all member lodges in the coming year.
CHEA leaders will report on Veterans Activities, Youth Programs, Drug Awareness and Government Relations. Special guests will include the recipients of this year’s high school “Elks Scholarship” awards and grammar school “Americanism Essay” winners.
Art Echternacht, CHEA President
Outgoing CHEA President Art Echternacht of Santa Ana CA will report on the accomplishments of the past year and Richard McDonald of Pittsburg CA will be installed as the new CHEA President. Nineteen Vice Presidents representing all the CHEA Districts will also be installed. Past Elks Lodge President of the Mission Viejo / Saddleback Valley Elks Lodge No. 2444, Harvey Boelts of San Juan Capistrano, will assume the position of Orange Coast District Vice President. He will supervise the ten Elks Lodges in Orange County.
On Saturday, convention attendees will meet the new Elks Theme Child. The conclusion of the meeting is the presentation by each of the 172 Lodge Presidents of donations to the Elks Major Project benefitting handicapped children. This year’s donations are expected to approach three million dollars ($3,000,000).
The Orange Coast District is comprised of ten lodges in Orange County: Buena Park, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, La Habra, Mission Viejo / Saddleback Valley, Newport Harbor, Orange, Santa Ana and Westminster. Headquarters for CHEA is in Fresno with national headquarters for the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (“BPOE”) in Chicago. The BPOE is a charitable organization with a 145 year history of giving, “Elks Care, Elks Share.”
Hal Mattson, Elks Lodge Publicity
