Past Grand Exalted Ruler Peter T. Affatato, distinguished members of the dais, brothers, sisters and friends, I stand before you today very proud of the honor you have bestowed upon me to serve as your State President for the year 2009 - 2010. I extend my sincere gratitude to outgoing State President Jay Amodeo and all of the state officers, state program chairs and district coordinators, and all of the district and lodge officers and members for helping to make our lodges a vital force in the civic and welfare advancement of our communities in which our lodges exist. I also want to express my heartiest congratulations to all of you who were installed tonight, and I wish you the very best throughout the coming year.

As strange as it may sound, I stand before you this evening because years ago, I became stuck in a snow bank.

I had all but forgotten this story until SP Amodeo recently asked me what prompted me to join the Elks. I told him that during the 1974 Christmas season I had dropped off gifts to a family that lived on the main road just south of Whitehall.

When I attempted to back out of the driveway, I turned a little too soon and my left rear wheel became mired off the edge of the driveway. I got out of the car to look over the situation.

Just then two of my friends who were fellow members of the Skenesborough Volunteer Fire Company stopped and asked me if I needed a hand. "Yes! My car is stuck, and I need a push." As they approached me, one of them held out a sheet of paper and said, "We'll push you out as soon as you fill out this paperwork." Believe it or not, it was an application to join the ElKS. I thought they were kidding, but they weren't. I filled out the application, they pushed me out of the snow, I was initiated into the Whitehall Elks Lodge in February, 1975, and 'here I am today!'

As with so many people even now, I knew very little about the Elks at that time, but I learned quickly because my lodge involved me immediately. One of our major challenges we face today is that very few people know anything about the Elks other than the fact that there is a local building where Elks socialize. They know nothing about our programs or what we do for their communities because there is seldom any news coverage. We need to focus on public education and we can't depend on news media doing this for us.

Lodges can distribute flyers that explain our programs, or prepare lodge placemats for use during lodge breakfasts, luncheons or dinners that exemplify what we are doing for patriotism and our nation's veterans, ...for children and adults with disabilities, ...for victims of disaster, ...and how we serve the children of our communities with our many programs including Major Projects, Golf Tournaments, Soccer and Hoop Shoot, the Dictionary Project, Drug Awareness, Little League, Scouting, and many school sponsored programs.

A vast majority of citizens do not know that the Elks War Relief Commission, established July 11, 1917, provided many services to help our soldiers including construction of two base hospitals in France which cared for thousands of wounded and sick.

They also constructed the Elks Reconstruction Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, a 700 bed facility which provided care to thousands of our veterans returning home from the war. These were the first V.A. Hospitals!

For thousands of America's returning soldiers, the Elks provided the helping hand toward vocational rehabilitation through a revolving fund which made loans ..without any security whatsoever ...to more than 40,000 veterans.

These were the very first G.I. Loans!

General John J. Pershing, a member of EI Paso Elks Lodge No. 187, remarked in an address to Elks on September 9, 1919, "We have felt not only the spirit of your patriotism, but we have felt the national benefit of your efforts to carry forward the principles for which America has stood in this war." He fully understood the importance that we, as Elks, place on the Hour of Eleven in remembering our deceased members and his signing the Armistice on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month brought added significance to the Hour of Eleven.

It's a shame that many veterans, despite a successful tour in the military, return home to find their war experiences make adjustment to civilian life so difficult. On any given night, 275,000 homeless veterans are sleeping on the streets in the United States. Our veterans need us, and I am very proud of the Colonie Elks for hosting, and the numerous other lodges and districts for their support of, the State Capital Annual Veterans' Stand-Down which benefits many homeless and needy veterans.

As most of you know, I have been a strong proponent of the Dictionary Project since I first learned about it in 2003 and introduced it to my lodge, Ticonderoga #1494. This project received strong support of school teachers, students and administrators. In 2004, a sixth-grade student who learned about the Elks because of our Hoop Shoot, Americanism Essay Contest, Dictionary Project and Drug Awareness programs in her school wrote a letter to our lodge in which she described a very painful and frightening situation. She concluded her letter with a plea, "I don't know who else to turn to. Elks are special people. Please help me." We were able to help that child, as we have helped others so many times before. Less than a year later we were asked if we could assist a five-year-old girl who had leukemia. The Ticonderoga Elks decided to dedicate the total proceeds from its annual golf tournament, which normally averaged close to $1,000, to help this child. This beautiful little girl, who had lost her hair to chemotherapy, came to the lodge with her mom and dad to help serve the tournament banquet. The golfers fell in love with her and donated every cent of their winnings and much more to bring the total contribution to nearly $5,000. The girl and her parents were elated with this display of caring and sharing. A few months later, these same Elks turned out at the funeral parlor to pay their last tribute to this precious child. As Elks we do everything possible to aid those in distress and to comfort those who mourn.

And I'm sure lodges throughout the entire nation have similar stories of caring and sharing. .

With regard to our membership, the average age of our members is in the 60's, but thousands of our members are in their 70's, 80's and 90's. They joined many years ago because of the camaraderie; or because they enjoyed golfing in the Elks Golf league and golf tournaments, or bowling in the Elks Bowling league and tournaments with their colleagues. Today, however, these members are on fixed income and seldom leave their homes except to visit the doctor, or drug store, or to go to church. They no longer pay golf league dues because they can no longer play golf.

They no longer pay bowling league fees because they can no longer bowl. So why should they continue to pay Elks dues when they can no longer go to the Elks Lodge? We can help them realize the importance of staying a member in a very significant way, through the Lodge Bulletin.

As State Secretary for the past ten years I have found that the vast majority of bulletins focus primarily on activities for those members who are able to frequent the Lodge. Very few bulletins display a photo of a child, or a veteran, or a handicapped individual being assisted by our members. A photo speaks a thousand words and those members who cannot frequent the Lodge need to see the many good things their Lodge is doing.

"Pride is Contagious!" and a well-prepared lodge bulletin can help stimulate pride in being a member. Before mailing your lodge bulletin, ask yourself if anything in that publication would stimulate you to continue paying dues if you were no longer able to frequent the Lodge.

We all joined the Elks for various reasons, but once we came to know what Elkdom was all about, each of us has remained an Elk because we want to make a positive difference in the lives of others less fortunate. We can do just so much as individuals, but by working together we are able to pool our resources and accomplish so much more.

It's important that we make every member aware that in the eyes of many children and adults with disabilities, ...in the eyes of our nation's veterans, ...and in the eyes of victims of disaster, ... "Elks Are Indeed Special People." I have always believed that Elkdom is in the hearts and souls of our members, not in the wallet. This is the reason for my motto, "Elks Give from the Heart". Therefore, I ask each of you to continue to share your time, talent, ideas, and contributions no matter how large or small.

I again thank each and every one of you for your support and confidence, and I especially thank Penny for being there for me every step of the way. We are looking forward to seeing you and visiting your lodges throughout the state this coming year and continuing the goals of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

God bless you, God bless our troops and veterans, and God bless America!!!

5/16/2009