Author: Larry Bouchard

SPRINGFIELD ELKS PRESENT DICITONARIES TO UNION STREET THIRD GRADERS

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  Annually, the Springfield Elks Lodge #1560 donates dictionaries to all third graders at Union Street School.  This year they gave out 89 dictionaries to the students to keep for their own use, at school or at home.  The Elk’s Lodges across this country have been doing this for several years.  For the past ten years Springfield Elks Lodge has given out more than 1200 dictionaries to third grade students in the Springfield School system.   The graduates of the Class 2015 were the first recipients of the Springfield Elks annual donation of dictionaries.
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Third grade students at Union Street School show their newly presented dictionaries. 
In the back is Exalted Ruler Vicki Siliski enjoying the students excitement at receiving them from her. 

SPRINGFIELD ELKS LODGE #1560 – EAGLE SCOUT PRESENTATION DURING FALL COURT of HONOR

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  Springfield Elks Lodge Exalted Ruler Vicki Siliski attended the local Boy Scout Troop 252 “Fall Court of Honor” awards night September 19th at the Congregational Church in Springfield.
    The night started with a pot luck dinner put on by the parents of the Scout Troop followed  by the “Court of Honor ceremony”.   Many of the Scouts received badges that they had earned during the past year.  The awards arranged from hiking mountains, swimming a mile, woodworking, first aid etc.   Also, parents who were instrumental in making  Troop 252 a success were recognized.
    The Elks part in attending the festive evening was to award one of Troop 252’s newest Eagle Scout,  Andrew Scott Czwakiel the son of the Scoutmaster Bruce and mother Lisa Czwakiel of Plain Hill Rd., in Springfield, Vt.   Andrew has been actively involved with Troop 252 for six years and has held leadership positions as Scribe, Quartermaster and Senior Patrol Leader.  Andrew’s Eagle Scout project was taking down and rebuilding the tennis practice wall at Riverside Middle School next to the tennis courts. This project had an estimated cost of $2200.00 with 32 scouts and leaders putting in 234 hoursof their time.  Andrew used his last few months as a scout to mentor fellow scout leaders in the Patrol Leader’s Council as they held hikes up Mt. Mansfield and Mt. Katahdin during the summer and are planning a trip to Yellowstone National Park next summer.
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L to r; Springfield Elks Lodge 1560 Exalted Ruler Vicki Siliski is shown presenting Troop 252’s newest Eagle Scout Andrew Scott Szwakiel  an Elks plaque with American Flag and his parents Lisa and Bruce Czwakiel during the troops “Fall Court of Honor” ceremony Sept. 19th at the Springfield Congregational Church,

1ST Annual Veterans and Active Military Appreciation Event hosted by the St. Albans Elks lodge and the 14TH Star Brewery

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(These comments were posted on the St. Albans Elks Lodge #1566 Facebook page by Stacey Trudo, Veterans affairs for the lodge)

Thank you to all of the veterans and active military personnel and theirs families who took time out of their day to come to ours and 14th Star Brewery’s 1st Annual Appreciation Event! We can not thank you all enough for all of your sacrifices and service to our country! It was such a great event! We hope to see you all and more next year! Thank you so much to all of our food and prize sponsors! We couldn’t have done it without you! Thank you to all of our Elks’s and 14th Star volunteers! We could not have done it without you!

 

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Just some of the Veterans / Active members in attendance

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Brian Brady (Army Guard), Sandra Bracey (St. Albans Lodge ER), Gary Rice (Army – Vietnam) and Stacey Trudo (Lodge Veterans Affairs)

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Elroy with Marcus and Madison Gagner

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Andrea Gagner (CEO 14th Star), Valerie Pollotta (Josh Pollotta Fund), Jill Trombley (14th Star),

Sandra Bracey (Lodge #1566 ER) and Stacey Trudo (Veterans Affairs – Lodge #1566)

Barre Elks Lodge #1535 Gratitude Grant photos

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Some photos from our participation in the Dictionary Project thanks to funds received from an ENF Gratitude grant. Members visited Barre City Elementary & Middle School, Barre Town Middle & Elementary School, Williamstown Elementary School, Waits River Valley School, St. Monica-St. Michael School and Websterville Baptist School. Over four hundred students received either a dictionary or thesaurus. The reference books are a gift for each student to keep and use throughout their school careers.

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BARRE ELKS LODGE FRATERNAL NEWS – VETERANS

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Members of Barre Elks Lodge presented eleven Veteran residents of Rowan Court Nursing Home with paintings from their Painting for Patriots event held in the spring.  Over forty guests painted an original painting created by Sue Brassard of A Taste of Art.  Some guests chose to donate their paintings to Veteran residents of area nursing homes. Others purchased their paintings with proceeds benefiting the Veterans programs at Barre Elks Lodge.  If you know of a Veteran who would enjoy an original painting, please call Exalted Ruler Kristin Calcagni at 522-7675.
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Back Row L to R:  Exalted Ruler Kristin Calcagni, Elks member Karen Bingham, Loyal Knight Maureen Lawson, Leading Knight Donna Bartolucci.  Front Row L to R:  Rowan Court Veteran residents Fred, Mitzi and John.
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From L to R:  Leading Knight Donna Bartolucci, Exalted Ruler Kristin Calcagni, member Karen Bingham, Veteran resident David and Loyal Knight Maureen Lawson.
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041.jpg:  From L to R:  Leading Knight Donna Bartolucci, member Karen Bingham and Loyal Knight Maureen Lawson pose with Veteran resident Leon.

Barre Elks Lodge 50/50 Raffle

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Members of Barre Elks Lodge were recently invited to sell 50/50 raffle tickets at a Vermont Mountaineers home game at Montpelier Recreation Field.  $300 was raised for Vermont State Major Project, Silver Towers Camp for People with Disabilities, thanks to the generous winner donating their winnings back to Silver Towers.  Silver Towers is the chief charitable project of the Vermont Elks Association, which has owned and operated Silver Towers since 1958.  Silver Towers is a camp like no other, an overnight retreat for those with mental and physical challenges, ages 6 – 75.  It is among the first of its kind in the United States, and still remains one of the very few.  Silver Towers has a high ratio of counselors to campers to accommodate the special needs of the campers.
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Theresa Paine with Skip (the Mountaineers Mascot)
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L to R:  Karen Bingham, Loyal Knight Maureen Lawson and Leading Knight Donna Bartolucci

FRATERNAL ELKS NEWS – BARRE ELKS LODGE

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Members of Barre Elks Lodge, VFW Post 790, American Legion Post 10, Barre Tones, Boy Scout Troop 714 and Ladies Auxillary of VFW Post 790 and American Legion Post 10 participated in our annual Flag Day ceremony at the Park in Barre.
The Barre Tones, an all female a Capella singing group performed the “Star Spangled Banner”, “The Grand Old Flag” and “God Bless America”.
Boy Scout Troop 714 performed the Flag Folding.
 
The winners of Barre Elks Lodge Flag Day coloring contest were announced and honored at the conclusion of the ceremony.
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Members of the Barre Tones sing “God Bless America”
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Members of Boy Scout Troop 714 participate in the flag folding.  From L to R:  Alex Pouliot, Zach Bullock, Alex Fleury, and Jesse Wild.
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Members of Barre Elks Lodge.  From L to R standing:  Robert Campo, Doris Fournier, Stacy Holden, Barb Watters, Beth McTear,
Kim Baker, Donna Bartolucci, Linda Pinardi, Betty Cutler, Chip Paine.  Seated from L to R:  Kristin Calcagni, Maureen Lawson, Sandra Calcagni
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From L to R:  Exalted Ruler Kristin Calcagni, Boy Scout Alex Pouliot and Zach Bullock, Loyal Knight Maureen Lawson.

SPRINGFIELD ELKS LODGE 1560 HOLD ANNUAL FLAG DAY CEREMONY

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    Each year on the second Sunday in June all Elks Lodges throughout the country hold their annual Flag Day ceremony.   Springfield Elks Lodge held there’s on June 12, at the Lodge banquet hall.  They invited local Cub, Boys and Girl scout troops to join in with a presentation of the history of our flags from the 1700’s to our present day flag.  As the history of our flags is presented scouts bring in each flag of that time period and place it in a pedestal.
    This years ceremony also consisted of the presentation of one boy scout receiving his Eagle Scout honor from the Elks.   Andrew Scott Czwakiel son of Bruce and Lisa Czwakiel, was presented with an Elks plaque for his hard work.  He earned his Eagle Scout rank on Dec. 16, 2015.  He has since earned his Bronze and Gold palms.  Andrew’s been actively involved in Troop 252 for six years and has held leadership positions as Scribe, Quartermaster and Senior Patrol Leader.  Andrew’s Eagle Scout project was taking down and rebuilding the tennis practice wall at Riverside Middle School next to the tennis courts.  This project had and estimated cost of $2500 with 32 scouts and leaders putting in 234 hours of their time.  Andrew is using his last few months as a scout to mentor fellow scout leaders in the Patrol Leader’s Council as they plan hikes up Mt. Mansfield and Mt. Katahdin this summer and plan a trip to Yellowstone for next summer.   Andrew’s father Bruce was also his Scoutmaster of Troop 252.
    Exalted Ruler Vicki Siliski and her ritual team of Jim Morse, Karen Whitney, Kathi Williams, Andy Cook and Jacky Goodrich presented the Elks portion of the Flag Day Ceremony.
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 Springfield Elks Lodge #1560 Exalted Ruler Vicki Siliski is shown presenting
Andrew Scott Czwakiel with his Elks Eagle Scout plaque.