Pete Howey to Head Bay County Historical Society, State Elks Vets Committee
Howey Headed Elks Lodge Fund Drive to Update Bay County Veterans Monument
June 3, 2007
By: Dave Rogers
Pete Howey, former Exalted Ruler of Bay City Elks Lodge 88, presents a check to County Executive Thomas Hickner, right, for the veterans monument in front of the Bay County Building.
Peter Howey, of Bay City, a fundraiser with the Saginaw Art Museum, has been named director of the Bay County Historical Society, officials of the group said this weekend.
Mr. Howey succeeds Gay McInerney, director for many years, as head of the Bay County Historical Society administrative and fundraising functions. Ron Bloomfield is curator of the historical museum collections.
Mr. Howey recently headed an effort by the Bay City Elks Lodge 88 to provide funding for the updating of the Bay County Veterans monument in front of the county building on Center Avenue.
As Past Exalted Ruler of the local Elks Lodge, Mr. Howey presented the $700 check to County Executive Thomas L. Hickner. New Exalted Ruler at the Bay City Lodge is Dana Monville.
Mr. Howey, who soon will be chairman of the State Elks Committee for Veterans, also is working on hospice programs at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Saginaw.
"The B.P.O.Elks is the greatest fraternal charity in the world," according to Mr. Howey and local Elks Trustee James A. Hollerbach.
"Last year the Elks gave $265 million dollars to charity," said Mr. Hollerbach. "This is divided up into Scholarships, Youth Activities(including Drug Awareness and a National Hoop Shoot), Welfare, including things like Katrina Disaster, and Veterans Support.
The Elks' motto is: "As long as there is an Elks Organization, we will never forget a Veteran."
"B.P.O. Elks is the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, said Mr. Hollerbach, adding: "It also stands for the Best People on Earth."
Another Elks byword is: "The faults of our brothers and sisters we write upon the sand, their virtues upon the tablets of love and memory."
The Elks National Foundation has capital of $400 million dollars, that we spend only a portion of the interest on charity," said Mr. Hollerbach, adding: "Dividing the number of members in the United States and the 400 members in Bay City into the amount given for charity and Bay City Elks Lodge #88, was responsible for over $106,000 last year."
The next Big Event for Bay City Elks is Flag Day, which will be in the Wenona Park Friendship Shell.###