Elks National Foundation Blog

By Elks National Foundation Development Manager Kate Keating Edsey   All our boxes are packed, we’re ready to go… to the 2015 Elks National Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana! Convention is a big deal around here. As a national organization, we just don’t get to see ENF volunteers and supporters often enough. However, each July, our staff descends on a host city to meet and greet thousands of Elks. Through hosting special ENF events and representing the Foundation at the booth in the exhibit hall, we get to know our friends of the Foundation and hear what is happening in Lodges across the country. We also get to engage with eager Elks at seminars and workshops, helping Lodges with grants, fundraising and youth programs. Pretty exciting, right? The road to Indy this year—and for every Elks National Convention—is a long one. Our team starts planning for the next year as soon as we return from a Convention, while our successes and opportunities are fresh in our minds. Then, ...

By Elks National Foundation Director Jim O'Kelley   This month’s Midday with the ENF , our podcast about the Elks National Foundation, features a must-listen interview with Bryce Caswell and Sean Loosli. To refresh your memory, Bryce and Sean were the top two Most Valuable Student scholarship recipients back in 2003. Here’s a photo of the two of them at the Elks National Convention in St. Louis, along with Meghan and me and also Robin Edison, who used to work with us. Robin Edison, Sean Loosli, Bryce Caswell, Meghan Morgan and Jim O'Kelley at the 2003 Elks National Convention in St. Louis It was taken after they had blown everyone away with their speeches. They left town that day with $60,000 scholarships, both headed to Harvard. Fast forward 12 years. The two of them were with us recently for our second Leadership Weekend. Here’s what we look like now: Sean, Bryce, Meghan and Jim Sean and Bryce served on the judging panels for the interviews and were two ...