The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1946-03-11
EXALTED RULER P. ]. ROSS
B.P.O. Elks Started In 1863 BY New York Actors
X
CITES ELKS 7S-YEAR RECORD

| The Children's Home in Hender-
sonville, N. c., is aided through
the North Carolina State Elks AS
ISOLATION and the tubercular hos
pital at Tucson, Arizona, through
the Arizona State Elks Assocla-
ton.
Scholarships
Besides carrying on medical
and welfare work, the lodges and
the Foundation award scholar
ships to deserving students who
otherwise could not be able to at
tend college and the Foundation
offers $4,000 in prizes to the ma
TONS high school students through
its Most Valuable Student Con-
test"
Another educational activity Of
the Foundation, which was insti-
tuted during the war, is the
Emergency Educational Fund
Established in August, 1914, at a
Grand Lodge Session by suggeS-
, ton of Past Grand Exalted Ruler
Robert S. Barrett of Alexandria,
Va, the purpose of this fund is
to assist children of Elks killed
or incapacitated during the war
Recruitment of SeabeeS was a
signal accomplishment in that the
Elksr were the only organization
called upon for assistance by the
Navy and were instrumental in
recruiting 10000 construction men
far in advance of schedule.
| At present the Elks are con-
tinuing successful drive to re-
cruit nurses for Veterans Adj
ministration Hospitals.
One of the projects scheduled
for the immediate future is tee
rebul ding of the Manila and
Guam lodges, which were COM
pletely destroyed during the Jap
occupation of the Philippines and
Guam. The War Commission has
already spent 100000 in repatri-
ating informed members of these
lodges and will render further
assistance in the reconstruction of
the buildings.
! Helping Veterans
The latest activity, brought on
through the transition from war
to peace, is the establishment Of
Veterans Rehabilitation Commit
tees in all lodges to render assist
ance and advice to veterans seek
ing employment, housing or loans
Funds, similar to the one through
which the Elks made loans To-
falling 100000 to 10000 veterans
of World War l without collat-
leral, have been set aside by in
dividual lodges for distribution
through these committees.
Wade H. Kepner "a well-knoWn
businessman of Wheeling, w. Va
is the Grand Exalted Ruler of the
Elks and, like his predecessors, is
spending his year in office visit
ing the subordinate lodges all
over the nation.
! President Truman is an Elk, &
longtime member of Kansas City
Mo-, Lodge No. 26. Franklin D
Roosevelt was an Elk. Secretary
of Agriculture Clinton P. Ander
son is a member of Albuquerque
N M, Lodge No. 461, Secretal ;
of Labor Lewis B .SchWellen-
bach belongs to Ballard, Wash.
Lodge No. 827, Attorney General
: Tom c. Clark is a member of Dial
las, Tex. Lodge No II.
Elkdom inclliles in its mem
bership 40 U. S. Senators 203 Rep
. reSentatives and the governors Of
33 states. Admiral Ernest J. King
: belongs to Lorain O.. Lodge No
1901 and General John J. Perish
ing answers to the roll cal! ir
, Ell Paso, Tex, Lodge No. 1877.
, Relief of crippled children is
a major organized activity of the
, Elk lodges throughout the cou L.
try as are the providing of the
| poor with Thanksgiving anC
Christmas baskets, providing anc
/ equipping Fairgrounds and sum.
, mer camps and scores of otha1
. benevolent acts. 1t is not to be
, wondered at that "BPOE'' is fire..
quently paraphrased as "Best
| People on Earth.