Two sixth graders from Greene County Middle School were among the top winners in the Iowa Elks Northwest District Essay Contest “Our Flag…What it Means to Me”.
Emily Hofer placed second in the girls competition and Xavier Hayes placed third in the boys competition. Both won the Jefferson Elks Lodge #2306 local contest in their respective divisions. There were 69 entries locally. Their essays were then in competition with other Elks Lodges in the Iowa Northwest District. Both received certificates and monetary awards at the local and district level. Brenda Onken is their instructor at the East Greene building.
Emily is the daughter of Nancy and Brent Hofer of Scranton. Xavier is the son of Crystal Heard of Jefferson. Both Emily and Brent will read their essays during the Elks Flag Day Ceremony, Friday, June 13, as part of the opening of the Bell Tower Festival.
Jefferson Elks Lodge #2306 sponsors many other youth centered activities, including drug awareness programs including drug literature, coloring books, comic books, and red ribbons. The Elks distribute dictionaries to all third graders in Greene County, sponsor “Hoop Shoot”, youth baseball and softball teams, provide a home for Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts in their lodge, award scholarships, sponsor a safety summer camp, and host the Greene County junior/senior prom.
