Homer Elks Lodge #2127 won first place July 1 in the All-American Lodge contest for Division III during the Elks Grand Lodge National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri. According to Michael Luhr of Petersburg, Homer’s is the first lodge in the state to receive a first-place win of the national award.

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is an American fraternal organization with more than 750,000 Members and a network of nearly 2,000 lodges in communities across the country. Alaska is home to 15 lodges, according to Homer’s past and current exalted ruler, Jill Hockema.

Hockema said more than 6,000 people attended the annual convention in Kansas City this July. Local representatives included herself, her husband Matt Hockema, Alaska State Elks Association President Tom Stroozas, and past exalted ruler and former ASEA president, Rick Eckert.

Lodges are divided into six divisions, based on the number of members enrolled. Division III is for lodges with between 226 and 300 members. Next year, thanks to the addition of 63 new members to the Homer lodge and more becoming involved frequently, Hockema said the lodge will be evaluated in Division IV, for lodges with between 301 and 450 members.

To be considered for the award, they are evaluated based on things like charity work, grants applied for, youth and veterans activities, community recognition programs, and community service initiatives.

Each lodge fills out a certification form where they can earn points across these various categories. The points are first tallied by the district deputy, then reviewed by the Grand Lodge, which compares scores across all the competing lodges.

Hockema said the final tally for Homer Lodge #2127 came to 1,046 points, the highest score ever achieved by an Alaska lodge. She noted that the work of the lodge would be impossible without the help of lodge officers and volunteer members, emphasizing that the achievement was a collective effort.

Since its inception in 1959, Homer Elks has given back $2.2 million to the community in various charity work, including support for veterans, youth, and the homeless.

Recently, they completed the Elks National Foundation Spotlight Grant, which provided $2,000 worth of fruit over eight weeks to the Glacierview Baptist Church’s Third Annual Kids Free Summer Lunch Program. Hockema wrote in a July 10 email that the program serves children who are homeless, attending summer school, participating in sports, and those receiving care at the local mental health center.

A photograph of the award given to Homer Elks Lodge #2127. (Photo courtesy of Jill Hockema)

Leading Knight John Mink poses for a picture while assembling lunch bags at Glacierview Baptist Church’s Third Annual Kids Free Summer Lunch Program. (Photo courtesy of Jill Hockema)

Crates filled with enough apples to feed 500 kids, according to Hockema. From May 22 through July 9, they’ve served 2,837 meals to children. This year, their program runs from May 20 to August 15. (Photo courtesy of Jill Hockema)