Americanism Message March 2010

When the going gets tough, the tough get going!  What a very important phrase for all of us! It was a phrase which originally appeared in many forms whether by Human Resources, sports, self motivation articles, in a song  and much more, but the whole message denote a strong need for an individual to not let things get you down in tough times but to get back up and hit it twice as hard. The BPOE has always been this form of Fraternity taking on challenges, making the world a better place by showing the world it can be done in a positive way.

Since the end of the Civil War, a time when our country was rebounding from a war which was on our own soil with many families and homes split up, the Elks organization started a march down a road which saw many other good and bad times. The Elks got tough and tackled these feats. They provided our young men with hospitals to help heal their wounds after WWI, and established a slogan, that as long as there are veterans, the Elks will never forget them. They have been strong in standing by that slogan.

They were strong in the Depression to provide care and support for those in need of help even though they themselves were having to battle to stay on course.

They were there when, after WWII, the men and women needed to get back into the work force but needed education for a new work place. These loans set an example for the U.S. government to establish funds to give our GI education after service.

BPOE (Best People on Earth) is still providing help through a very special fund established in the 1920’s called the Elks National Foundation. Providing scholarships, programs for our youth by sponsoring hoop shoot, soccer shoot, Boy Scouts and Girl Scout programs, fighting the most deadly cause in our country today with our drug awareness programs and lending support to state projects such as our own Elks Rehab Hospital, which in its foundation was a big help in providing care, in the 40’s, for  Polio victims In Idaho. We support our hospital through the food caravan program ,ENF, C- note program and other areas of volunteer work.

We can also help our own Lodges during these tough times by using the programs available to us. Our Lodges here in Idaho have access to a website for Idaho. We need to use this website to coordinate, as a team, the special events of each lodge. In this way, we can support each Lodge in these events without trying to compete. Let’s make each Lodge a little bit stronger by being  team players. These are tough times, but by working together, much more can be accomplished. The going has gotten tough! Lets get the tough goingI

God Bless You All! God Bless America!
Respectfully and Fraternally,
Tom Tuttle- Boise Elks 310 Americanism Chairman
Idaho State Elks Americanism Chairman