Ed Rogerson (left), exalted ruler of the Kindersley Elks Lodge, stands with members of the head table at a banquet on June 9 at the Elks Hall in Kindersley to help conclude the 89th Saskatchewan Elks Association provincial conference.

Kenneth Brown
of The Clarion

Delegates from Elks lodges across Saskatchewan have gathered in Kindersley for their annual provincial conference. The event has been declared a success.

The Saskatchewan Elks Association held its 89th provincial conference on June 7-10 at the Elks Hall in Kindersley. A total of 57 delegates attended the event on behalf of their lodges and it marked the third time the Kindersley Elks Lodge has hosted the conference.

The formal conference was held over two days on Friday and Saturday, and the event concluded with a provincial executive meeting on Sunday. The delegates and their guests enjoyed live entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights. The conference included an installation of officers and district reps among items on the agenda. The event also featured an annual general meeting for the Saskatchewan Elks Foundation.

Approximately 100 delegates, guests and volunteers gathered at the hall on Saturday night for cocktails, a supper, speeches and live entertainment featuring Cash Back of Rosetown. The master of ceremonies was Maurice Koszman, the current 3rd vice-president for the Elks of Canada.

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The crowd stood to welcome the head table. The head table included Eugene Hartter of Wilkie, the new provincial president, Kalvin Nankivell of Kisbey, immediate past president, and Ron Potter of Moosomin, current 1st vice-president for the Elks of Canada.

Hartter, Nankivell and Potter were all joined by their wives at the head table. The delegates and their guests enjoyed a prime rib supper before the speeches. Members of the Kindersley Legion had volunteered to help run the bar.

The master of ceremonies introduced each member of the head table after supper. He also introduced each speaker starting with Clarke Jackson, a councillor for the Town of Wilkie and a member of the Wilkie Elks Lodge. Jackson said he was asked by his council to deliver greetings to Hartter.

He joked around with his fellow lodge member, but he said Wilkie is lucky to have the Hartter family as part of the community. Jackson said the new provincial president is a dedicated volunteer, so he thanked him and wished him well in the role.

Mayor Rod Perkins of Kindersley was next to speak, and he said town officials appreciate the Saskatchewan Elks for choosing to host the 89th conference in Kindersley. He noted that he hopes they felt welcomed by the community and the organization should be proud of its activities in the province.

The mayor said Kindersley has seen its service clubs come and go, but the Elks Lodge is still going and it is nice to see. Perkins said he hopes the delegates enjoyed their experience and he thanked them for coming to town.

Koszman then introduced Ed Rogerson, the exalted ruler of the Kindersley Elks Lodge. Rogerson congratulated Hartter on becoming provincial president and he thanked all of the delegates for attending the conference. He added that he hoped everyone enjoyed their time.

Before the speeches by delegates at the head table, Koszman and other Elks had to take care of some business. Koszman, a member of the Bengough Elks Lodge, thanked members on hand from the organization’s provincial patrol team.

The next person to speak was Gary Hamilton, a member of the Kindersley Elks and official organist for the Saskatchewan Elks. Hamilton was one of the main organizers for the conference and he recognized his team of helpers from the local lodge.

“All I had to do was ask and they would do anything for me,” he said, recognizing that several dedicated, active members from the lodge helped out and he believes the conference was a success. “They went out of their way and they really tried hard.”

Hamilton also thanked his daughter for helping him throughout the weekend, and all of the delegates for attending the event. He made cheque presentations on behalf of the Kindersley lodge. Hamilton presented cheques for $5,000 to the Town of Kindersley, an annual contribution to the handi-bus, $2,000 to the Saskatchewan Elks Foundation, and $2,000 to the Elks & Royal Purple Fund for Children.

It was time for delegates at the head table to address the crowd. Nankivell, the past president, said he wanted to thank the Saskatchewan Elks for all of the strong support during his year as president. He said he enjoyed the experience and he learned a lot along the way, and he knows Hartter will do a great job.

Potter, who is next in line to become the Grand Exalted Ruler of the Elks of Canada, said the Elks organization is a family to him. He said he will be travelling a lot as the national president and his wife makes sure he has everything he needs.

He noted that he and his wife are “really looking forward to next year” and doing all that they can for the organization. He recognized Hamilton for the work he does and he said he has the deepest respect for the long-time Kindersley Elks member. He thanked the local lodge for its hard work.

Hartter who had just been installed as provincial president earlier that day, was the final speaker of the night. He also thanked Hamilton and the local members, along with all of the volunteers that helped with the conference.

“It’s going to be a rewarding year,” he added, recognizing that his theme for the year is “the past, the present and the future” and he hopes to bring messages from the past and images from the present to share with potential future members of the organization. “I look forward to travelling around.”

After the conference had ended, Hamilton said there are roughly 60 lodges and 800 Elks members in Saskatchewan. He added that he believes the conference was excellent thanks to all of the great help he had, and he could not have asked for a better outcome in the end.

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