Timetable:
2006 essay winner from Salisbury is Jesse Pinkston. Click here. His school is North Hills. | 2005 winner is Taylor Young of North Hills Christian. Click
here for
her essay in adobe pdf file
|
2004 Winner was Shanna Stewart of China Grove Middle school. She won the W/C district too! Click here for her winning essay. | 2003 winner is Nia Campbell. Her essay |
Almost 200 essays were judged. Over $500 in cash and prizes were awarded. | 350 essays with about $400 awarded in cash and prizes. | 300 plus essays. About $400 awarded in cash and prizes/ |
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, thru its 2000 local Lodges and nearly million members across the country, furnishes a number of youth and community events that help keep kids focused on positive and wholesome activities. Many Lodges sponsor baseball, swimming and soccer teams. The Elks have an annual Hoop Shoot contest in which 3 million kids participate in. All these wholesome activities help keep kids on the straight and narrow.
In addition, the Elks maintain a printed material distribution program. Its importance and value to our communities is rooted in the fact that prevention is the key to minimizing youth substance abuse. By putting quality and current information on substance abuse into the hands of proactive parents we are helping spark any number of conversations with their kids. This is important because parents who regularly and candidly speak with their kids about substance abuse represent the most effective form of prevention. Kids will listen to their parents even though they may pretend to not be paying any attention. Research has shown that when parents candidly talk to their kids about substance abuse they refrain from this activity more often ( 30% reduction as reported by the Partnership for a Drug Free America).
Sadly, most parents neglect this important task. If you are searching for ways to inter-react with your kids go to www.antidrug.com which will help you frame the conversation. Remember- you are the key as a parent. No one including your schools, DARE or your church can better prepare your children to resist abusing substances!
Our role then as Elks is to help prompt those conversations no matter how uncomfortable they may be. For the Salisbury Lodge and since 1998, we have spent a week at the Rowan County Fair inside the exhibit building and hand out thousands of pieces of information. We also have a trailer available for events like festivals, parades and other outdoor events. We also hold an essay contest which had over 350 essays submitted last year. So we are getting the word out and hopefully help prompting parents to talk to kids about substance abuse. This program is a free service to the public.
1999 | 2004. This picture made Elks Magazine | ||
Excellent Non Elk material-
Growing up Drug Free-A parents guide to prevention- US Dept of Education.- 1-877-4EDPUBS. Excellent full color 20+ page 8 x 11 1/2 publication and it’s free. Each Lodge can order a case of 50 to supplement your Elks material.
Talk to your child about alcohol free color booklet(25 pages) from the NIAAA. NIH Pub number 00-4314. Call 301-443-3860. Internet- www.niaaa.nih.gov Also, there are a number of other alcohol related publications that can be ordered.
Video on Inhalant Abuse-donation of $10 or more requested 800-269-4237. Website is www.inhalants.org
Good Website’s
Worried about someone's heavy drinking? For college students try www.e-chug.com Others for $25 try www.drinkerscheckup.com
www.Brad21.org B.R.A.D. (Be Responsible About Drinking, Inc) was founded by the family and friends of Bradley McCue, a Michigan State University Junior who died of alcohol poisoning after celebrating his 21st birthday. They have excellent alcohol prevention materials available at nominal prices.
www.drugwatch.org All kinds of info on types of drugs, what they look like etc.
www.tommyjones.org This is a memorial site for Tommy Jones who died from a drug overdose just 2 weeks after spending 28 days in a drug treatment program. Lots of important information about substance abuse from a parent who lost his struggle to save his son.
www.jointogether.org Great resource for the community in learning on current trends in treatment, education & government & private funding that’s available.
www.drugabuse.gov Excellent site detailing all substances that are being abused
In addition, our Lodge has a unique program where we furnish displays that hold these pamphlets for distribution to the general public. | |
The 4 pocket displays cost $14 each so any help in financing that would be greatly appreciated. The material itself is paid by the Elks National foundation. If you are in the Salisbury area and would like to receive material, please call the Lodge at 704-636-1161 after 3 pm. Lodge e-mail is salisburyelks699@gmail.com As for other types of displays, call Segal display products at 800-626-0322 and order a catalog. They’ve got all kinds of display options at wholesale prices. |
Drug Trailer NC now has 2 trailers available for the 37 Lodges in the State to use. Festivals, car shows, county Fairs, Christmas parades have all seen our members and the van out disseminating prevention material on substance abuse.
Other possible ideas- include bookmarks with handouts like what local businesses sometime do. Ex: When Precision Auto Tune gives a plastic bag that includes the receipt plus a card offering discounts. Now or at least until they run out, they'll be including bookmarks.
- incorporate the distribution of Elks Drug Awareness material within your existing Lodge activities. Whether it’s a weekly bingo, a youth awards ceremony, soccer shoot, hoop shoot or other event where people congregate ask the chairperson to include distribution of this material. Example: all hoop shoot participants should receive a bagful of DAP material that is to be given to their parents. At your bingo games, put a rack by the entrance way and fill it full of coloring books and DAP pamphlets.
Oregon Elks Lodge #359 from Newport will be setting a drug trailer up at their local Wal-Mart store. They have made arrangements to wrap Christmas presents in the trailer, and the money they will make will go to one of their lodge charities.
Return to www.SalisburyElks.org
Updated 10/26/2011