After a two-year absence, the Orange Elks Lodge?s Youth Appreciation Night came back.
The program honors the youth of our community by showcasing the many programs we have for our young people. All our guests were treated to a dinner prepared and served by our volunteer cooks.
Our Master of Ceremonies, Paul Pelasky welcomed our award winners, their parents, our guests, and lodge members. Paul gave a brief description of all the youth activities our lodge holds during the year.
Kathy Tavoularis, Orange City Council Member, presented a Youth Week Proclamation to our lodge.
Our Boy and Girl Scout Troop 1475 presented the American flag and lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Our Boy Scout troop #1475 has produced nineteen Eagle Scouts since 2006.
Our guest speaker and lodge member was the Orange Police Chief Dan Adams. Dans comments included: make good decisions, be kind, smile, be friendly every day, follow the rules, and you can make a difference in what you do.
We had to adapt our Third Grade Dictionary Program due to the Covid pandemic. Last year we had to deliver the dictionaries to the schools and were unable to hand them directly to the students. The dictionary becomes the students very own to carry with them as they advance through their school years. In fifteen years, we have delivered over thirty-two thousand dictionaries to every third graders in the city of Orange. This year we delivered 2,184 dictionaries to 27 schools. Dictionaries were given to the Hotel Kids and O.C. Academy.
Presenting the awards were Miss City of Orange Victoria Johnson and Elroy T. Elk. Elroy is the face of our Orange Lodge and our Drug Awareness mascot.
Elroy, Marilyn, and Victoria
Hoop Shoot Chairmen, Tim Reissmueller, the winners received a Hoop Shoot certificate.
L-R Tim, Malana Pelasky, Elroy, Jaden Dixon and Victoria
Drug Awareness Chairman, Mike Cash presented the winners of the Poster, Essay Contest and Video Contest. This year the theme was ?The Best Me is Drug Free?.
Our Essay winner was Logan Vaughn.
Our Poster winner was Macie Brooks
The Video Contest winners in junior high where from Cerro Villa MS.
El Modena won the high school division.
Chris Michaelis, Americanism Chairman, stated this year the essay theme was ?What does it mean to love your country?. This helps promote Americanism and each of our winners received a $50 Scholarship and a Certificate of Appreciation.
Division 1 winners (5th grade)
Anderson Jeng, Ozzi Kendler Chris and Brooklyn
Division 2 winners (6th grade)
Kaylee Cuevas, Luke Hough & Ryan Petz
Scholarship Chairman Lynda Einstein presented six of our Scholarship Winners. Each one received a $500 check and had their bio read. This included their extracurricular activities, community service, work experience, GPS and where they are headed to college.
L ? R
Kent Tran, Kylie Seppala, Rogelio Salas, Sharon Kim, Evelinn Gonzalez, Connor Dapkus, Lynda Einstein and Victoria
Kent is one of the lodges Eagle Scouts
