Elks Lodge Essay Judging Organized by Irene Romero (Green shirt), Chairperson of the Elks Lodge Americanism Contest.
Mission Viejo / Saddleback Valley Elks Lodge No. 2444 (“Elks Lodge”) announced it has received news from Tom Conlon, the current Orange Coast District Americanism Chairman also serving as California-Hawaii Elks Association (“CHEA”) Americanism Chairman, of six winners of the Elks Orange Coast District Americanism Essay Contest.
Five winners sponsored by Mission Viejo / Saddleback Valley Elks Lodge No. 2444 are:
5th/6th grade division: Lake Forest Residents respectively attending Lake Forest Elementary and Rancho Canada Elementary Schools: Sydney Harvard and Allyson Fost.
7th/8th grade division: Mission Viejo residents attending La Paz Intermediate School: Megan Cunningham, Deion Pagaduan and Allison Zundel.
The sixth member of this winning team from the 5th/6th grade division, Sarah Catania, is sponsored by Newport Harbor Elks Lodge No. 1767.
All of the foregoing youths now advance to the state competition which encompasses all nineteen districts within CHEA. One boy and one girl will be named the state winner and be invited to read their essay at the CHEA state convention being held in Fresno, California, May 18-21, 2011.
Irene Romero, Past Exalted Ruler and Chairperson of the Elks Lodge Americanism Contest, said, “Reading and judging the student Americanism essay’s is such an honor and an important reminder of what it means to be an American.” Elks Lodge Exalted Ruler Pat Martino said, “The Americanism essays reviewed by the Elks Lodge were outstanding. Judging by their content, I think the future of America will be in good hands.”
The Mission Viejo / Saddleback Elks Lodge No. 2444 celebrating forty-one (41) years of service to the Saddleback Valley communities is one of ten lodges in the Orange Coast District of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE) whose headquarters is in Chicago, Illinois. The BPOE is a charitable organization with a 143 year history of giving, “Elks Care, Elks Share.”
