Elks National Foundation Blog

 by Grace Roebuck, Elks Scholar Fellow  Grace at the 2016 MVS Leadership Weekend You know, when I first heard about the Elks Lodge, I just thought it was a restaurant in my town with a really bopping bingo night. Little did I know, bingo nights like those would soon be the reason I attended the college of my dreams debt-free and recently accepted a dream job, even after graduating into a pandemic-ravaged world. While I’ve enjoyed every experience I’ve had with my Elks Family, I have to say my love for the Elks really boils down to the scholars I’ve met and connected with throughout the years. In my new role as the Elks Scholar Fellow, I’m tasked with figuring out how to adapt to our new virtual world, which is sadly devoid of scholar service trips. In their place, thanks to the help of our scholars and the ENF, I’ve started to organize events for our Elks scholars to convene and have fun together. In my favorite event so far, our Spooky Scholar Halloween Party, we had s...

by Jyotsna Bitra Most Valuable Student Scholar My name is Jyotsna Bitra and I attend the University of Illinois at Chicago. I am studying Economics on the pre-medicine track. I love to play tennis, bake, write, teach, and listen to other’s stories. Growing up in Illinois and attending college in Chicago, I did not think participating in service in Chicago would be anything special. I’m used to the city and I was familiar with the area. But I was so glad to be mistaken.   Serving with my fellow scholars. The first day of the Elks Scholar Service Trip, we served at a shelter known as Breakthrough Urban Ministries. We prepared and shared a meal with those experiencing homelessness. I knew there were many individuals in this situation throughout Chicago, and I often pass many of them on the way to the grocery store or mall. But I’ve never stopped to talk to them, other than muttering a hello. At Breakthrough, I heard some of their stories and witnessed their inte...

by Samantha Johnson Most Valuable Student Scholar My name is Samantha and I am from Annawan, Illinois. I was a 2017 Top 20 Most Valuable Student Finalist and I will be starting school at Loyola University Chicago in the fall. I plan to major in Biology on a pre-health track. Sam Politano (Left) and I (Right). Recently, I had the opportunity to spend a week in Chicago with 15 of my fellow Elks scholars. When I first arrived, I was a little nervous. I had never met any of these people and I wasn't sure what it was going to be like to live with strangers for the next week.  However, they weren't strangers for long. By the time we were ready for bed that night, we had become friends who had more in common than we could've imagined. We all fit together wonderfully, and throughout the week the relationships continued to build off of the foundations that were established right away. We learned from each other's experiences and we shared our thoughts and feeli...

by Savannah Skaggs Most Valuable Student Scholar My name is Savannah and I’m from Arkansas! I was honored to receive a Most Valuable Student Scholarship in 2011. I studied Spanish, medicine, and public health during my undergraduate years. I am currently completing a Master’s degree in health policy, and I will be starting medical school this fall. When I reflect upon the Elks Scholar Service Trip to New Orleans, I am reminded of many vibrant colors and the grand memories associated with them. Green popped up throughout the week as our group helped pull weeds, replant vegetables, and build flower beds in a community garden. We sampled a variety of fresh greens and I’ve never seen so many people excitedly eat kale before! As we walked around the city, pinks and yellows made old shotgun houses shine. It was inspiring to hear about growth and restoration in a city so devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The cheery colors reflected the positive hopes the citizens had for t...

by Christine Robinson Senior Associate, Communications This past week, the ENF staff prepared for two big events—MVS Leadership Weekend and Hoop Shoot National Finals—all while closing the 2016-17 fiscal year. It’s a team effort, which begins at the local Lodge level and continues through district, state and National. We couldn’t do what we do in Chicago without every one of you. Thank you.   So, the weather. What’s that got to do with it ?  Leadership Weekend takes months of planning and hard toil.   We want to make it the best weekend ever. Of course, we couldn’t do any of this without the Elks scholars—the most important part of the best weekend ever .    And as you may know, Midwestern weather can be unpredictable. It changes at the drop of a scholarship cap. We can’t control the weather. If we could, there wouldn’t be any seasons. It would be our favorite one year-round. (For me, that’d be late summer.)  So you’re still wo...