The Illinois times. (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-19??, 1951-11-30

/ Grand Commissioner Of Education
for the Independent Benevolent
and Protective Order of Elks of
the World, negro, which has
100000 members and lodges In
practically every city of the na-
ton and some in foreign countries.
It's the third highest office in the
Elks and the highest held by a
southerner.
lie did not make his acceptance
speech at the international con-
Yention last summer, but will make
Il at testimonial dinner at Elks
Rest. 4Ol Beale, at s tonight. He
will outline his plan against litter
aey then. The dinner is being Civ
en- BY the Beale street Elks and
lodges of a number of other cities
Delegations are coming from thru
out the nation. I. L. Spencer. ex-
allied ruler of the Memphis group,
Is in charge, aided by Herbert
Jones, Washington, Grand Organ
izer.
Tributes to Him
A number Of tributes will be
paid 1t. Lee by Memphians and
other speakers, with Judge Will
liam c. Hueston, former city Judge
in Cleveland and former assistant
TO the Solicitor General of the Post
Office, now a Washington lawyer.
principal speaker.
1t Lee succeeded Judge Hues-
ton as Elks Grand Commissioner
Of Education. The Education De-
partment has provided more than
$50 university and college scholar
ships to negro boys and girls. 1t
Lee plans to concentrate on stamp
ing out functional illiteracy. The
Elks will finance the campaign.
and night schools will be conduct
ed in all cities where there are
lodges. Lee will outline his plan
when he responds to the speeches
about him tonight.
Our iliterates must be led out
Of the night into the light" Lee
said. This will reduce provoca-
ton to a minimum without sacri-
ficing the essentials in our strug-
gle for progress. The number of
negroes over % who could not
cad or write we'll enough to take
care of their own affairs was ALB
per cent, according to the 1910
census.
Net of Education
Our program is to fish in the
back streets with the net OF edu-
cation for the lost men and wo-
men.
mo negro in a city where there
is. an Elks Lodge shall live and die
without knowing how to read a
verse of the Bible from whence
comes mans greatest strength, if
We have our way.
"No negro in a city where there
is an Elks lodge shall be permit
ed to live and die withaut having
been taught to read a paragraph
of the American Constitution. In
an age taught by bitter experience
es what injustices and subjugation
can. do, the fortunate negro is
bound to more scrupulous con-
Germ for the unfortunate negro
who does not know his civil lio-
critics under the Constitution.
No negro where there is an
Elks Lodge shall live and die with
out being able to write his name
and without knowing how to vote.
The voting laws in many of our
Southern states require the abil-
ty to read and interpret some
paragraph of the constitution. We
will help the functional illiterates
meet that test"
In Every Lodge
1t. Lee said the Eks will set up
school for illiterates in every
Elks Lodge. with faculty of vol
unteer teachers. Prepared lessons,
sheets and stocks shall be fur
nished at cost from the commits
sioner's office. The school term
will continue six weeks with di-
plomas given to graduates on the
night of an oratorical contest in
each city. There will be nation
al advisory board of outstanding
educators and each city will have
a local advisory board.