Jim McLeod, the national leader of Elks of Canada, will be among 120 delegates attending the 86th annual B.C. Elks Association Conference taking place in Williams Lake this weekend.
“I welcome the delegates on behalf of the Williams Lake Elks and Royal Purple and hope everyone will all enjoy our provincial conference,” says conference chair Arnie Zimmerman, the Williams Lake membership director and B.C. Elks third vice-president.
The conference, taking place at the Elks Hall, will include a golf tournament on Friday, meeting sessions and election of officers on Saturday and Sunday during the day, and the installation of officers on Sunday, Zimmerman says.
The conference will also include two evening dinners and dances.
Saturday evening is a black and white dance where everyone will wear black and white. Sunday is the grand ball for the newly elected presidents of the provincial Elks and Royal Purple organizations.
The Elks of Canada and their affiliates, the Royal Purple, are a fraternal organization founded in Canada in 1912 and currently has approximately 20,000 members.
The Elks and Royal Purple are dedicated to working for the good and welfare of the community with priorities for the needs of children, senior citizens and many others in need.
They have provided playgrounds, children’s camps, senior citizen housing and special equipment for hospitals and regional health units.
Special concern has been placed on the need for the early identification and rehabilitation of hearing impaired children.
Funding is provided by their national charity the Elks and Royal Purple Fund for Children.
Money from this fund is also made available to provide assistance for the good and welfare of children with other afflictions, when finances are not available from other sources.
Since its inception, the Elks and Royal Purple Fund for Children has contributed more than $15 million throughout Canada in public awareness and special projects to bring about the early identification of the hearing impaired.