Wendy Thienes
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Shaunavon Standard
Shaunavon resident Gordon Brown was installed as the new President of the Saskatchewan Elks Association during a ceremony on June 14 in Shaunavon, as part of the Association’s 96th Annual Conference.
The installation, which took place Saturday afternoon, wrapped up several days of meetings, discussions and socializing during the group’s annual conference. This was the second time the event was held in Shaunavon. It was first held here in 2022 when Shaunavon’s Kyle Stevenson began his term as President. Brown is the third provincial President from the local Lodge, joining Stevenson and long-time member Andy Cox who previously served a term.
“It was a fantastic weekend,” offered Brown, who takes over as president from Drew Kenke. Brown began his time on the Executive in 2022-2023 as Esquire, then moving to 2nd Vice President and serving as 1st Vice President last year. Brown was fast-tracked to his new role due to declining interest in executive roles and some members stepping down for various reasons. Kyle Stevenson is also going through the seats again and will be sworn in for a second term of Presidency at the Provincial Conference in 2026, which will once again be held in Shaunavon. Andy Cox is the new District 10 representative, a position which he has held multiple times in the past. Forty delegates from across the province took part in the gathering.
Dignitaries in attendance included Grand Installing Knight Eugene Hartter from Wilkie Lodge who is also the Grand Lecturing Knight nationally. A Patrol Team from Bengough was on hand to participate in the ceremony.
Brown first joined the Elks in 2011-2012 at the encouragement of Stevenson. Brown says, “Once you see what they do provincially and nationally, it hits home that it’s more than a small-town club in one community. At one of my first provincial events, Tanai Wilkins, a local beneficiary of the SPARC (Saskatchewan Pediatric Auditory Rehab Centre) program was in attendance. You don’t realize until you see or know someone that has benefited, just how important our work is.” SPARC is a pioneer in cochlear implant technology and is located at the Jim Pattison’s Children Hospital in Saskatoon.
The Saskatchewan Elks Foundation Corporation is a registered charity established in 1991 which promotes and supports the needs of the individual and the community at large through a variety of programs and services including SPARC. SPARC is an early detection, assessment, and (re)habilitation program for hearing impaired children in the province. Funds from the Trucks & Bucks Lottery that the Foundation manages will go towards SPARC over the next three years to fund a sound booth for the Hospital. Annual Walkathon funds are also directed to SPARC.
Each President establishes a theme that they want to focus on during their term. Brown says, “My theme is ‘Nobody Does it Like the Elks’. Over all my years as an Elk I’ve noticed, through conversations and seeing what the Elks do, that we take things to heart. When we put on events or help people, it’s more than just words on a wall. We do whatever we do to the best of our ability. We don’t take shortcuts and we’re there for the children and people we’re helping because it’s the right thing to do.”
There are currently 39 paying members in Shaunavon’s Lodge. Brown adds, “Not everyone comes out, but they are still supporting through their dues. We’re trying to make it intriguing to join. The more members we have, the more events we can do which means we can give more back to the community.” Brown says they would love to be able to help with every request they receive, but the current reality is that they can’t and he encourages everyone to support them where possible. Future projects may include a capital upgrade to the parking lot at the Elk’s Hall and potential development of horseshoe pits in a space east of the hall.
Brown is looking forward to his new role, saying, “It’s a privilege and honour to step into this role for an organization with such rich tradition and with the support of all my brothers and sisters Elks. I’m excited to see what we can do this year to raise membership and to keep the Elks of Canada strong.”
The Saskatchewan Elks Association has been around since 1929. There are currently just over 40 Lodges in the province. In addition to supporting SPARC, the Association is also involved with a project called “Saskatchewan Elks Seniors Homes”. The goal is to provide appropriate and affordable accommodations for Saskatchewan seniors. There are currently 135 living quarters in eight communities across the province: Davidson, Esterhazy, Hanley, Moose Jaw, Moosomin, Nipawin, Prince Albert, and Rosetown.
