The local Elks Lodge 1599 brought home five awards from the Minnesota Elks Convention in Eveleth last Friday and Saturday, including the state “Elk of the Year” award.
Local Elk LeRoy Belanger won Minnesota “Elk of the Year,” marking the first time that an International Falls member has held the title.
“I was speechless, and most people couldn’t believe that I was speechless” Belanger said. “It took a lot of time and a lot of miles. This is one of the biggest awards you can get.”
Belanger has held many titles through his 35 years with the Elks, including exalted ruler for the local lodge and district deputy grand exalted ruler, a national leadership position.
Belanger is the state “hoop shoot” committee chair. This year, in particular, he said was important for him because he not only won state Elk of the Year, but a Minnesota player won the Getty Powell Award for winning the national “hoop shoot.”
But, he said, among his biggest achievements as an Elk for which he was honored at the state convention was single-handedly running the local lodge in the early 1980s as exalted ruler when the rest of the officers unexpectedly quit.
He said that he is also very involved with the youth camp, the bowling league, and the annual Flag Day celebrations.
Belanger said that he is always keen to do what he can with the Elks.
“If people say, ‘Can you help?’ I’ll be there,” Belanger said.
Local Elk lodge secretary Cathy Engelking called the award “awesome,” and said that Belanger has been active with the Elks for many years.
The local lodge also took first place statewide for youth activities, second place for net membership percentage increase, honorable mention for the “Penny-a-Day” drive, and second place for the veterans remembrances.
Engelking said that some of the youth activities that the group participates in includes youth camp, Little League baseball sponsorships, high school prom and scholarships.
“There’s hardly a youth activity we don’t touch on in this town,” she said.
The group had a net gain of 26 members this year, bringing their current membership to 570 people. This increase percentage was the second highest in the state.
The group also won honorable mention for their efforts in the “Penny-a-Day” drive. Engelking said that the group went above the state goal of raising $3.65 per member, averaging $4.54 in the local lodge. These funds went to help sponsor state projects.
The local lodge also received the second place award for veterans remembrances. Engelking said that the lodge hosts a veterans breakfast on Nov. 11 and members sponsor dinners with proceeds benefiting veterans organizations. A committee from veterans groups decides the winner of this award.
The local lodge had a dozen delegates attend the state convention and awards ceremony.
