Woodhull Classmates Win Elks Lodge Essay Awards
Ainsley Lumpe and Jessica Erhardt are very good writers. The Woodhull Intermediate School fifth grade classmates have a way with words. They know how to string sentences together to convey a powerful message. The youngsters recently won honors in the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the United States of America’s annual essay contest.
Ms. Lumpe and Ms. Erhardt are students in teacher Marilyn Broomer’s class. The classmates were thrilled to learn they had earned awards in the local Elks Lodge writing contest, which was open to students throughout the Town of Huntington.
The Americanism essay contest is a national Elks Club initiative. Designed for those in fifth through eighth graders, the annual competition was created to foster patriotism among young people in America.
The theme of this year’s contest was “What Veteran’s Day Means to Me.” Ms. Lumpe and Ms. Erhardt created touching essays. Ms. Broomer submitted the pieces to the Elks Club by the January deadline and the youngsters were delighted to hear their work had garnered honors in Division I at the Huntington Elks Lodge level.
The two essays were sent on to the next level of the contest where they were crowned the winning entries for the East District, which encompasses Nassau and Suffolk counties. Ms. Erhardt’s essay went on to win top honors in New York State Division I.
“I am so proud of Jessica and Ainsley,” Woodhull Principal Traci Roethel said. “It’s wonderful to see where their love for writing has taken them so far, not only at the local level but at the state level, which is such an amazing accomplishment.”
The two Woodhull School classmates will be formally recognized during a Flag Day ceremony at the Huntington Elks Lodge on East Main Street on June 14 at 10:30 a.m.
“Congratulations to these talented young ladies on their success in the contest and for sharing in the support of our veterans,” Huntington Superintendent James W. Polansky said. “The strength of their convictions and their abilities to express themselves in writing will continue to serve them well!”
The Huntington Elks Lodge will celebrate its 85th anniversary on June 29. The Huntington Elks trace their genesis to the Good Fellowship Club formed in August 1924.
“In the early days, the Club had no home of their own,” states the Huntington Elks website. “They met in rooms over a store, which was located on New York Ave. a bit south of the Huntington Theater. They looked around for a home and found a residential building on the corner of East Main Street and Gibson Avenue. Forming a holding corporation and purchasing the stock thereof, they were able to take possession of the house, the present home of the Huntington Elks. It was here that they started the activities in the interest of the community for which Elks are noted. To Elks everywhere they offered hospitality. Their reputation became widespread and as good as their name implied.”
The Huntington Elks Lodge was formally instituted during a ceremony held on the evening of June 29, 1929 in the St. Patrick’s School auditorium on Main Street.