Midday with the ENF: 2019 (Season 6)

Hosting an episode of Midday isn't all grins and giggles.

Join the Midday crew for their ground-breaking (maybe) sixth season! Don't miss a single pod as host Jim O'Kelley and sidekick Debbie Doles give you an insider's look at the Elks National Foundation and the programs we fund.

Have a question or comment? Send it to the Midday Mailbag by emailing enf@elks.org with the subject Midday. We love hearing from our Middies!

On the go? You can also subscribe to Midday with the ENF through iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

Episode 62: December 2019 | It's a Holiday Miracle!

What started out as a single thank-you note blossomed into 14 sweet, sincere expressions of gratitude. It's a holiday miracle! Don't miss a Midday episode that some are calling a modern holiday classic.

Show Notes

Here are the links to web pages and videos mentioned in the December episode of Midday.

  • Flashpoint Chicago. (This episode was produced by students Ben White and Akira Cavin.)
  • It’s the final episode of the sixth season of Midday with the ENF. Thanks for tuning in all year long!
  • Send us a question to the Midday Mailbag enf@elks.org
  • Check out the new CIP History Report here to keep track of the grant projects at your own Lodge and Lodges across the country.
  • Every Lodge that met the GER’s per-member-giving goal in the prior fiscal year is eligible for a Gratitude Grant. If 15 percent of a Lodge’s members donated $10 or more to the ENF in the prior fiscal year, the Lodge is eligible for a $500 bonus on their Grant!
  • Thank you for your thank you letters!
  • Learn more about the ENF’s scholarship opportunities here.
  • At the 2018 Elks National Convention in San Antonio, 150 Elks scholars served side-by-side with Elks to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Order. In this film, Elks scholars, including Mark and Andrew Ansell, share what the #ElksFamily means to them.
  • You can watch the ENF presentation from the Opening Ceremonies of the 2018 Elks National Convention here.
  • Listen to Season 2, Episode 11 of the Midday podcast from the 2015 Elks National Convention in Indianapolis, featuring MVS scholars Mark and Andrew Ansell, here.
  • Learn more about the Legacy Award—including eligibility and service requirements—here.
  • Learn more about the Elks Scholar Service Trips here.
  • Learn more about the Hoop Shoot here, and meet the 2019 BackBoard here.
  • Raton, N.M., Lodge No. 865 went “beyond the basket” this holiday season. Read more here.
  • The Elks National Veterans Service Commission’s Welcome Home initiative, including the Elks Emergency Assistance Program, is dedicated to preventing and veteran homelessness. Our Be The Spark series features veterans helped by the Elks Emergency Assistance Program. Read more here.
  • Check out the #OneOfAMillion Giving Stories on our Facebook page, and tell us why you’re #OneOfAMillion! Visit more enf.elks.org/OOAM to share why you support the ENF.
  • The deadline for all 2020 CIP Grants is December 31, 2020. Don't wait; apply today!
  • We hope to kick off Season 7 of Midday with the ENF on January 24 with a live episode recorded in Colorado Springs at the Colorado State Association’s Midwinter Conference. Don't forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes or wherever you listen to your podcasts, or tune in at enf.elks.org/Midday.
  • Scholarship season is almost over. The Legacy Awards application closes on January 31, 2020. Learn more and apply here.
  • Happy Holidays! We hope you have a bright and prosperous New Year!

Episode 61: November 2019 | Keep on Keepin' on!

Doug Wise of the Grants department visits the show to announce this year's Impact Grant projects that will receive renewal funding for next year. Tune in today to hear how these amazing Lodges are building stronger communities.

Show Notes

Here are the links to web pages and videos mentioned in the November episode of Midday.

  • Flashpoint Chicago. (This episode was produced by students Savannah Victoria, Aaron Loss and Mitch Sullivan.)
  • The fourteen new Impact Grant recipients were announced on Wednesday, November 20 on the Midday Minute. Learn which Lodges will build stronger communities in 2020 and keep up with all the news we can't wait to share between Midday episodes. Click here to watch Midday Minute.
  • Send us a question to the Midday Mailbag enf@elks.org
  • Subscribe to the ENF YouTube page here.
  • Follow along with our #OneOfAMillion Giving Stories as Giving Tuesday approaches on our Facebook page.
  • Celebrate Giving Tuesday by joining the Fidelity Club!
  • Tell us why you're #OneOfAMillion! Call 773/755-4959 to leave a voice message about why you support the ENF, or share your giving story on Facebook or Twitter with #OneOfAMillion for your chance to be featured. If you’d rather email your comments in, send them to the Midday Mailbag at enf@elks.orgwith the subject line "Giving Story."
  • Learn more about Giving Tuesday here.
  • Doug Wise, programs coordinator for the Community Investments Program, made his Midday debut on the most recent episode of Midday Minute during which we announced the 14 new 2020 Impact Grant recipients!
  • Calling the Hogs is a time-honored tradition at University of Arkansas football games. Fans chant, "Woo. Pig. Sooie!" Fun fact, "Sooie" is a pig call in England.
  • Susan Good, a member of Fresno, Calif., Lodge No. 439, was the 2016 CIP Volunteer of the Year. Watch the video honoring her efforts here.
  • Learn more about the Vets on the Water program here.
  • The Elks are dedicated to meeting the needs of today's veterans. Interested in launching a veteran-focused project at your Lodge? Use a Spotlight Grant or a Beacon Grant to get started! But hurry, the deadline to apply for 2020 Spotlight and Beacon Grants is December 31!
  • The Elks National Veterans Service Commission offers employement, housing, health, education and family services for veterans. Support the ENVSC by designating your gift to Veterans, or check out the ENVSC's programs here!
  • Watch our new series, Coming Home here.
  • What do we love more than featuring our Lodges and their Grant projects on social media? Nothing! Except maybe acronyms. Send us photos of your Lodge in action to enf@elks.org or include great action shots in your quarterly and final reports!
  • Learn more about the project centered on providing support packs for homeless teens, started by Hopkins, Minn., Lodge No. 2221 and recreated by several Lodges across the country,here.
  • Saratoga-Wilton, N.Y., Lodge No. 161 started a program to combat food insecurity among seniors in their community. Check out their efforts here, and read more about the Lodge's Impact Grant project in the Fall issue of Heartbeat and the December/January issue of the Elks magazine!
  • Coos Bay, Ore., Lodge No. 1160 launched the Share Bear Snack Pack Project using an Impact Grant. Learn more about the project, which has inspired other Lodges to address youth hunger with Impact Grants,here.
  • It's official! The 2020 Spring Elks Scholar Service Trip will take place in Wheeling, West Virgina. Learn more here.
  • Bremerton, Wash., Lodge No. 1181 used a Beacon Grant to host a zombie-themed disaster preparedness seminar for their local Girl Scouts. The Lodge, which sits on two fault lines, will continue preparing youth in their community for a potential natural disaster with a 2020 Impact Grant.
  • Congratulations to all of the Lodges receiving 2020 Impact Grants! We look forward to hearing how your community projects grow and thrive. And thank you to every Lodge that applied for the Impact Grant!
  • The next episode of Midday with the ENF on December 13. Don't forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes or wherever you listen to your podcasts, or tune in at enf.elks.org/Midday.
  • Don't despair if your Lodge didn't receive an Impact Grant. The deadline for all other 2020 CIP Grants is December 31, 2020. Don't wait; apply today!
  • Lodge judging for the MVS scholarship contest opened last week. Good luck to all the Lodges during the judging process and to the applicants!
  • Scholarship season is almost over. The Legacy Awards contest is in full swing. Learn more and apply here.
  • Happy Thanksgiving! Here at the ENF, we feel incredibly blessed to build stronger communities along with you. This year, we're thankful for our supporters!

Episode 60: October 2019 | The Best Years?

In a very special episode of the Midday podcast, Jim and Debbie dive into an epidemic on college campuses. Along the way, they rail on the college-admissions scandal and celebrate ENF Month. Listen today!

Show Notes

Here are the links to web pages and videos mentioned in the October episode of Midday.

  • Flashpoint Chicago. (This episode was produced by student Aaron Loss.)
  • Keep up with all the news we can't wait to share between Midday episodes. Click here to watch Midday Minute.
  • Send us a question to the Midday Mailbag enf@elks.org
  • Subscribe to the ENF YouTube page here.
  • Follow along with our #OneOfAMillion Giving Stories during ENF Month on our Facebook page.
  • Help us celebrate ENF Month by telling us why you support the ENF. Call 773/755-4959 to leave a voice message. We will select a few to play on the October Episode of Midday. If you’d rather email your comments in, send them to the Midday Mailbag at enf@elks.org
  • Learn more about ENF scholarships here.
  • Read more about the growing challenges faced by college students, which can lead to ongoing mental health problems.
  • Whoops! Arithmetic can be hard. Prior to 9/11, the United States hadn't been attacked on our soil by a foreign adversary in 60 years, not 70 as Jim said on the show.
  • The National Scholarship Providers Association provides the ENF Scholarships program with information on best practices on addressing issues facing today's college students.
  • Learn more about the MVS Scholarship here. But hurry, the application closes on November 5!
  • Check out how the Hoop Shoot program develops resiliency—sometimes known as grit—and how it benefits students in their academic careers.
  • Learn more about the statistics surrounding college students' mental health here.
  • Five years ago, we introduced the Leadership Weekend for the top 20 MVS Scholarship finalists as a way to engage them with the #ElksFamily, the ENF and each other.
  • Watch Emery Bergmann's video encapsulating the isolation of being a college student in the modern world here.
  • If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or a mental health problem, including mental illness, and need help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
  • The ENF offers three Elks Scholar Service trips per year for 20 scholars to learn about societal issues, serve those in need in the name of the Elks, and connect with #ElksFamily.
  • Connect with a local Lodge here.
  • Read more about Dennis Youngs' path to becoming a neurosurgeon with the help of an Emergency Educational Grant here.
  • Through the various opportunities scholars have to engage and build community, we hope to inspire them to become champions of the Order by joining the Elks. Learn more about what joining means to past scholars here.

Episode 59: September 2019 | Grit Happens

School is back in session, so Makenna Cannon joins Jim and Debbie to talk about how lessons learned through the Hoop Shoot can lead to better performance in the classroom. The episode features three classic Griteos, with lively discussion of each one. Tune in today!

Show Notes

Here are the links to web pages and videos mentioned in the September episode of Midday.

  • Flashpoint Chicago. (This episode was produced by students Savannah Victoria, Taylor Fitzjarrald and Aaron Loss.)
  • Send us a question to the Midday Mailbag enf@elks.org
  • Read how the lessons participants learn through the Hoop Shoot can apply to the classroom. Click here to read Schoolhouse Grit.
  • Watch all of the Griteos here.
  • Mat talks about how his son, Cole, learned the importance of preparation and practice in Fatten the Hog.
  • Cole’s also featured in the 2014 Hoop Shoot National Finals Video.
  • Don’t Count Yourself Out features brother and sister Macy and Andrew.
  • In Bit by the Hoop Shoot Bug two-time Hooop Shoot National Champion, Jennifer shares that her best memories of basketball were with the Hoop Shoot. Now, she's reliving those experiences with her daughter, Alexis.
  • Hangin’ Out shows how the Hoop Shoot provides opportunity for family time.
  • In 2020, the BackBoard will expand from six to 12.
  • We want to hear about past Hoop Shoot participants who are volunteering at contests. Email us at hoopshoot@elks.org
  • Tell us where you’d like to see the Foundation’s centennial; email us at the Midday Mailbag enf@elks.org
  • We’ve had some big ideas at the Elks National Foundation, like the Legacy Scholarships, the CIP, 150 for 150, and Elks Scholar Service Trips.
  • Help us celebrate ENF Month by telling us why you support the ENF. Call 773/755-4959 to leave a voice message. We will select a few to play on the October Episode of Midday. If you’d rather email your comments in, send them to the Midday Mailbag at enf@elks.org

Episode 58: August 2019 | The Only Constant Is Change

Procrastination. Parasites. The World Wide Web. Join Jim, Debbie, and the ENF's new Scholarship Manager for a wide-ranging conversation!

Show Notes

Here are the links to web pages and videos mentioned in the August episode of Midday.

  • Flashpoint Chicago. (This episode was produced by students Savannah Victoria, Cris Solis, Taylor Fitzjarrald and Aaron Loss.)
  • Subscribe to our YouTube page! Tune into the Midday Minute playlist, your source for breaking news that can't wait until the next episode of the podcast!
  • Meet the new Scholarships Manager! (Check out Who's Who at the ENF.)
  • "The Future Looks Like..." film series featuring the 2019 MVS class is off and running. Watch the first four films on our YouTube channel!
  • Emergency Educational Grants have increased to $5,000.
  • Legacy Awards applications open this weekend! This $4,000 scholarship opportunity is available to children and grandchildren of Elks.
  • The Most Valuable Student scholarship application is also open! Spread the word; share our post on your Facebook page; help us find our next 500 MVS scholars!
  • What's a Cornerstone Grant? If you're a Legacy scholar, or you know one, check it out.
  • Rest assured—all the socks that were left over from the Spotlight Grant Drive will be given to veterans during Chicago's Stand Down!
  • The deadline for this year's Most Valuable Student scholarship contest is November 5, 2019. The podcast explains why.
  • Meet Jay Little, the 2016 Top MVS Male winner and one of our favorite Elks scholars, on the latest episode of the Midday Minute!
  • Welcome Katie, Doug, and Meaghan to the CIP office by reading their posts on our blog!
  • The CIPerstars may be new, but they are mighty: 1,942 grants have been approved; 672 Gratitude Grants; 731 Beacon Grants; and 238 Spotlight Grants. We're hoping to get to 1,000 Lodges applying for the Spotlight Grant. Lodges have until Dec. 31, 2019, to apply for all six grants!
  • "The only constant is change."

Episode 57: July 2019 | Three tomatoes are walking down the street ...

In episode 57, which is not sponsored by Heinz, we catch up. Join Jim and Debbie as they chat about all the things going on at the office.

Show Notes

Here are the links to web pages and videos mentioned in the July episode of Midday.

  • Flashpoint Chicago. (This episode was produced by students Savannah Victoria, Cris Solis and Reuben Enriquez.
  • Have you watched the first Midday Minute? Check it out! Don't forget to subscribe and hit the bell so you're notified every time we post new content. (And help us reach our goal of 1,000 subscribers!)
  • Email us at enf@elks.org to submit questions, comments, or concerns for the Midday Mailbag because it was empty for this episode, and that makes us sad.
  • Scholarship applications open soon, starting with the Most Valuable Student scholarship on August 5. Legacy Awards applications open September 1.
  • Last year's Hoop Shoot National Finals keynote speaker Kendall Coyne has been nominated for Sportswoman of the Year. Vote for her here by August 2!
  • The 2020 Hoop Shoot season is right around the corner! States with 100 percent Lodge participation in hosting Hoop Shoot contests will be recognized and given a prize.
  • GER Robert L. Duitsman's theme for 2019: Honoring the Past—Embracing the Future
  • 2014 Most Valuable Student scholar Nathan Miller has attended every Leadership Weekend as a contestant, then a leader, and a judge. Join us in wishing our #ElksFamily member Nathan good luck on his move from Chicago to Milwaukee!
  • BREAKING NEWS: The Winter Elks Scholar Service Trip is heading to San Diego January 5-11, 2020! You heard it first Middies.
  • The five Lodges that won the Spotlight Grant Drive raffle were chosen! Click here to see the winners of a $4,000 Spotlight Grant.
  • Watch the new Spotlight Grant training video that premiered at the Community Investments Program workshop. (Runtime: 4 mins., 18 secs.)
  • CIP Stats: 1,705 CIP total grants, including 179 Spotlight Grants, and an additional 351 grants through the Veterans Service Commission have been approved since April 1. #ElksCare!
  • Impact Intents are due by July 31.
  • Grant applications close December 31, so get your applications in!
  • Visit elks.org/vets to learn more about the thousands of veterans the Veterans Service Commission have assisted, and how, in the Elks' mission to #EndVeteranHomelessness.
  • Our goal with veteran homelessness is reaching Functional Zero. Lake County, Illinois, is just the tenth place in the country to reach Functional Zero, and they credit the Elks for helping them get there.
  • The "Future Looks Like..." series will premiere on our Facebook and YouTube channels starting in August. Stay tuned for profiles on the 2019 Class of MVS scholars!
  • New Griteos will also premiere this fall! Lots of new content to look forward to in the next few months, so don't forget to subscribe to our YouTubechannel.
  • Watch Be the Spark: Positioned to Make a Difference, another film premiered at Convention. Nicole, an Army veteran and mother of two, who received assistance from the Emergency Assistance Fund.
  • Don't want to receive another round of appeal letters from the ENF? Sign up for the Fidelity Club, our monthly giving program. It's easy, safe, and appreciated.
  • Colleen Conrad, former CIPerstar, has officially moved onto the Scholarships Program! We've also welcomed a few new ENF staff members. Check out Who's Who.

Episode 56: Convention 2019 | The 2019 Convention Live Show!

This episode was recorded before a live studio audience in the Ferrara Theater at the America's Convention Center Complex during the Elks National Convention in St. Louis. It features a host of guests, including Rick Gathen, Mary Morgan, the top MVS winners, and more!

Show Notes

Here are the links to web pages and videos mentioned in the Convention Live Show.

  • To prove Midday was live, Jim led with his rendition of "Hey Hey Holy Mackerel," which is not OK in Cardinal nation.
  • Rick Gathen joins Jim and Debbie to discuss the Elks' first membership gain in 39 years. How'd we do it? Bricks and Clicks.
  • Rick advises Lodges to use the Membership Toolkit to help Lodges grow members and engage current Elks.
  • Shout out to Lodges for using Community Investments Program grants to promote Elks in their community.
  • Meet Brandon Dawson and Jacob Fritchie share their experiences as Elks scholars and members of the Scholar Advisory Board. Jacob was also a 150 for 150 Service and Celebration Weekend attendee in San Antonio!
  • Sean Pringle, the 2019 Alum of the Year, joined Oceano/Five Cities, Calif., Lodge No. 2504 after getting involved with the Elks as an MVS scholar in 2019. He's also the Lodge and District Scholarship Chair for his Lodge!
  • A member of Long Beach, Wash., Lodge No. 1937 took home an Elks National Foundation shirt, worn by Jim, for having 74 new members last year, the most in the crowd!
  • Colleen and Donna talk all things grants, including the new Spotlight Grant. Watch the Spotlight Grant film, "A Spotlight on Service," highlighting Donna's Lodge, Hyannis, Massachusetts, Lodge No. 1549, here.
  • The Spotlight Grant Drive was a huge success at Convention. Watch which Lodges won the raffle to double their Spotlight Grant here.
  • Mary Morgan joins the show to talk about the Welcome Home initiative to eliminate veteran homelessness. To date, the Elks have helped 6,000 veterans exit or avoid homelessness through Welcome Home kits, Focus Grants, and the Emergency Assistance Fund.
  • Read veterans' stories in the "Be the Spark" series, highlighting the Emergency Assistance Fund.
  • Lake County near Chicago has eliminated veteran homelessness and gives partial credit to the Elks for helping them get there. The Elks are hoping to get to Functional Zero by continuing to provide resources for Lodges and Elks to use in their communities.
  • Hoop Shoot Regional Directors Vern Larson and Larry Torres share why they've volunteered with the program for decades. They also share stories about the BackBoard members, including Madigan Moore who's from the same region as Vern!
  • Relive the 2019 Hoop Shoot National Finals, and meet Anthony Thompson, who broke a record for taking home his second Getty Powell Award in back-to-back years, and Jamisyn Stinson, who competed in the Hoop Shoot for the first time in her last year of eligibility and took it all home, in the 2019 Getty Powell Champions video.
  • The 2019 Top Most Valuable Student scholarship winners, Tabitha Escalante, sponsored by Maumee-Bowling Green, Ohio, Lodge No. 1850, and Victor Ramirez, sponsored by Miami/Coral Gables, Fla., Lodge No. 1676, join Jim and Debbie to tell us how they found out about the MVS scholarship and what their experience as Elks scholars has been like so far. Learn more about the MVS scholarship here. The 2020 contests opens online on August 5, 2019.
  • The future of grants: Freedom Grants might increase next year; Beacon Grants might be larger in the future; and Promise Grants might be gone.
  • Share this film series "Beyond the Scholarship" to encourage members of your Lodge to engage with Elks scholars.

Episode 55: June 2019 | Meet Me in St. Louis!

It's our convention preview episode! Kate Edsey, our meeting planner, visits the show to talk all about the upcoming reunion in St. Louis.

Show Notes

Here are the links to web pages and videos mentioned in the June episode of Midday.

  • Flashpoint Chicago. (This episode was produced by students Savannah Victoria, Cris Solis and Taylor Fitzjarrald.
  • Fact check Jim's stupid human trick with this list of all past Convention sites.
  • Watch a long-form interview with top two Most Valuable Students from 2003, filmed during the 2015 Leadership Weekend.
  • Meet the Scholar Advisory Board.
  • Here's a link to a list of all of our past Alums of the Year. We're currently on a Sean streak.
  • One of these days, we'll fix the link to the website for our other podcast, A Podcast of Ice and Fire. You'd love it.
  • We're so excited about the Elks' first membership gain since 1980! Hopefully this will be the beginning of a new streak of gains. We'll keep doing our part by sharing stories about the great work the Elks are doing, turning our scholars into champions of the Order, and increasing our investment in programs like the CIP!
  • Like our new Spotlight Grant? Well, bring new socks or a new or gently used children's book to our booth in St. Louis, and your Lodge will have a chance to double the value of its Spotlight Grant. Learn more here.
  • Find links to our Facebook page and other social media channels right here.
  • The Hoop Shoot booth is a Convention destination. Meet the Regional Directors, pose with the best overall male and female shooters, and try your hand at free throw shooting ... if you dare.
  • The top two Most Valuable Students will be our special guests on the Midday live show at Convention. After the show, they'll speak at Opening Ceremonies.
  • After the Opening, stick around for the Party Crashers, America's best cover band, presented by the Elks National Foundation.
  • Check out our complete schedule of Convention activities.

Episode 54: May 2019 | The Long Midday

Everyone is talking about Game of Thrones, and so are we (if inadvertently). Plus Jim and Debbie recap the Leadership Weekend and Hoop Shoot National Finals.

Show Notes

Here are the links to web pages and videos mentioned in the May episode of Midday.

  • Flashpoint Chicago. (This episode was produced by students Beau Falcon, Nikolai Stier and Savannah Victoria. For Beau and Nikolai, it's their last show. Bye, Guys!)
  • We celebrated the end of of April at Bonus Round Game Cafe, where Debbie won a game of Dixit.
  • Jane reacts to Patrick winning Dixit.
  • We say goodbye to good friend of the show Maryann Dernlan, who leaves us for another opportunity. Maryann is a Legacy scholar who served four years on the Scholar Advisory Board, including one year as President, and then became our first Elks Scholar Fellow before joining the staff full time.
  • The website for Jim and Debbie's podcast about A Game of Thrones, A Podcast of Ice and Fire, is currently down. We'll get that fixed ASAP. In the meantime, you can learn more about this excellent series here.
  • You'll find everything you ever wanted to know about the Leadership Weekend, including media content (photos and videos) for the 2019 installment, right here. The complete list of winners is here. Read the weekend recap here.
  • Learn more about the Hoop Shoot here.
  • Meet the Backboard alumnni advisory board.
  • The complete results of the 2019 Finals are here. And you can watch the highlights video that we showed during the Awards Banquet right here.
  • If you weren't following along on social media, go back and review our Twitter feed. We also livestreamed all contests on Facebook Live. Check out our Facebook page for for girls contests and the Elks Scholars Facebook page for the boys contests. You'll also find the Monday Madness livestreams on our Facebook page.
  • Correction: Camden Cowgill won championships in 2016 and 2018, not 2016 and 2017.
  • Watch Griteos about Camden, Anthony Thompson, Samantha Griebel, Will Parkhouse, DeShun Coleman, and many other great competitors on our YouTube Channel. And please subscribe to us on YouTube. The more subscribers we have, the more cool things we can unlock on YouTube, like livestreaming!
  • Our keynote speaker was the fantastic Kendall Coyne Schofield.
  • Explore the Hoop Shoot's rich history and see trading-card images of all the Finalists here.
  • April was also a big month for the Community Investments Program!

Episode 53: April 2019 | The Podcast Jumps to Warp Speed

In a brisk episode, Jim and Debbie introduce the top 20 Most Valuable Students and then share some of the storylines for this year's Hoop Shoot National Finals. This one will get you pumped for the two big April events.

Show Notes

Here are the links to web pages and videos mentioned in the April episode of Midday.

  • Flashpoint Chicago. (This episode was produced by students Beau Falcon, Nikolai Stier and Savannah Victoria.)
  • Learn more about the Welcome Home initiative and the Emergency Assistance Fund.
  • Check out the videos and other great coverage from the Biloxi service trip right here.
  • Learn more about the Portland service trip right here.
  • Check out photo albums and short films from the first five Leadership Weekends right here.
  • Meet our Board of Trustees.
  • Okay, so maaaaaaybe the Top 20 finalists weren't as final as we led you to believe. Shortly after we recorded this episode, one of the 20 declined our invitation to attend the Leadership Weekend and accepted a $4,000 runner-up award instead. The actual Top 20 are listed here.
  • We've compiled some of the Nard Dog's greatest hits for you.
  • And speaking of great hits, this one goes out to one of the Top 20 finalists. (And, raspberries to Jim for botching the lyrics.)
  • Here's Anthony Thompson's Convention hype video from 2018. He's one of two returning champions in this year's Hoop Shoot National Finals field.
  • The other is two-time champion Camden Cowgill. Here is Camden's Convention hype video from 2016. We also did a Griteo about the Cowgill dynasty and Camden's rivalry with his legendary uncle. Watch Anything You Can Do.
  • Anthony and Camden will be joined by another champion from 2016, Samantha Griebel. Check out For My Sisters, a story about Samantha carrying her three older sisters to the finish line.
  • The Griebels joined the Fidelity Club. You should, too.
  • When we interviewed him at the 2017 National Finals, DeShun Coleman knew he'd be back one day. This year is that day. Here's DeShun in I'll Be Back.
  • Will Parkhouse, his brother and father appear in this Griteo from the 2016 contest, Hangin' Out. It speaks to the benefits of spending time with your kids.
  • Give your ears and eyes a rest after that battery of videos. Here's a web story about the Besonens of Michigan.
  • Explore the rich history of the Hoop Shoot program.
  • Okay, here's the Randy Eaton story that we stumbled through on the pod. In his very first year as the state director for Missouri, Randy had a national champion, Paula Corder. (... Debbie was right.) Paula went on to play at Southeastern Missouri University, where she led the nation in free throw percentages in 1999. She's still in the top 10 of highest free throw scorers in the NCAA.
    This year, in Randy's final year as a state director, Paula is back with her daughter, Kaylee King. Feels like full circle for Randy.
    Hoop Shoot lore is filled with great stories like that!
  • Fine, here's one more trans-generational Griteo: Bit by the Hoop Shoot Bug.
  • Check out the full field of 2019 National Finalists, and send some e-greetings to your favorites. We'll compile the greetings in a booklet and present them to the Finalists when they arrive in Chicago. We want their weekend to begin with the knowledge that their family, friends and the Elks are rooting for them.
  • Like this stuff? Then like us on Facebook and get a daily dose of feel-good stories.
  • And there are soooooooo many more videos like the ones we linked to here on our YouTube channel. Check it out and subscribe.
  • And finally, the website for Jim and Debbie's podcast about A Game of Thrones, A Podcast of Ice and Fire, is currently down. We'll get that fixed ASAP.

Episode 52: March 2019 | The Fast Track to Destruction

Jim and Debbie interview Nicole, a veteran who was on the fast track to destruction before getting help from the V.A. and the Elks. Plus CIPsters Colleen Conrad and Chelsea Dennis drop by to talk about the new Spotlight Grant. 

Show Notes

Here are the links to web pages and videos mentioned in the March episode of Midday.

  • Flashpoint Chicago. (This episode was produced by students Beau Falcon, Nikolai Stier and Savannah Victoria.)
  • Don't blame February for the shortened month. It's actually this guy's fault.
  • Learn more about the Community Investments Program. You'll have to wait for more info about the Spotlight Grant, though.
  • The ENF offers a scholarship for the children of deceased or totally disabled elks. Learn more.
  • Learn more about the Welcome Home initiative and the Emergency Assistance Fund.
  • (We also fund the Veterans Service Commission's other programs.)
  • So, what exactly is a Most Valuable Student?
  • Nicole is one of the veterans featured in the #BeTheSpark series. Read her story and others. Since joining the fight to end veteran homelessness in September 2015, the Elks have helped more than 1,350 veterans like Nicole exit or avoid homelessness through timely emergency financial assistance.
  • Our mission is to build stronger communities. Want to help?
  • On the page for each grant component of the CIP, you'll find a link to Instagrant ideas.
  • Learn more about CIP Patron Saint Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.

Episode 51: January 2019 | Back on the Bayou

Just back from the Service Trip to Biloxi, Elks Scholar Fellow John Kavula joins Jim and Debbie on the big show. Episode 51 also features interviews with Rose, a veteran who avoided homelessness thanks to emergency assistance from the Elks, and Fischer Brown, a three-time Hoop Shoot National Finalist. 

Show Notes

Here are the links to web pages and videos mentioned in the January episode of Midday.

  • Flashpoint Chicago. (This episode was produced by students Beau Falcon and Nikolai Stier.)
  • Learn more about the 2019 class of Impact Grant recipients.
  • Watch Opened Doors, a new film about the Oshkosh grants team.
  • Help us get rated on Charity Navigator. Click the link, register as a user for free, then search for Elks National Foundation and click the Vote Now button.
  • Our next #TrueGritTuesday Griteo series launches on January 22. Watch on Facebook, our YouTube channel, or right here at elks.org. Watch for new Griteos every Tuesday!
  • Want more news from the Hoop Shoot program?
  • Learn more about the Welcome Home initiative and the Emergency Assistance Fund.
  • Rose is one of the veterans featured in the #BeTheSpark series. Read her story and others. Since joining the fight to end veteran homelessness in September 2015, the Elks have helped more than 1,350 veterans like Rose exit or avoid homelessness through timely emergency financial assistance.
  • You can learn more about, and catch up on all the great coverage from, the Biloxi service trip right here. Having just watched the rough cuts of the Biloxi films, we can tell you that they're going to be amazing.
  • If you'd like to learn more about past service trips, or the upcoming Portland trip, you can do that from this handy dashboard.
  • John was joined on the Biloxi trip by fellow Fellow Brianna Bueltmann. Meet the Elks Scholar Fellows.
  • Learn more about the Gratitude Grant component of the Community Investments Program.
  • Finally, tell the high school seniors in your life about the Legacy Awards scholarship for the children and grandchildren of Elks. The deadline is coming!

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