THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 21, 1995 TAG: 9505190185
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Short : 40 lines
The Rev. Carl Hutcherson of Lynchburg will be the speaker for a worship and memorial service today of the state association of the Improved Benevolent Order of Elks of the World.
The service is one of many activities being held during a state conference of the organization this week at the Holiday Inn-Portsmouth Waterfront.
More than 2,000 are expected to attend the event, which began Friday and continues through Wednesday.
The Greater Deep Creek Elks Lodge No. 1033 and its women's auxiliary, the Gardenia Temple No. 720, are hosts for the state conference. The local organizations include members from Portsmouth and Chesapeake.
The international organization was started almost 100 years ago by a Cincinnati attorney and today has more than 450,000 members in the world.
Other programs scheduled during the conference include:
An oratorical contest featuring winners of district contests for young people throughout the state. A $1,500 scholarship will be awarded.
A program of gospel music at 8 p.m. tonight featuring the Mighty Sunset Travelers of Newport News, the Sensational Gospel United of Tidewater, the Crystal Lights of Hampton, the Golden Stars of Hampton and the Word Singers of Norfolk.
Presentation of Civil Liberties Achievement Awards at a luncheon, 12:30 p.m. Tuesday. Chesapeake Mayor William Ward and Portsmouth City Councilman Bernard Griffin will be speakers.
Samuel Raines, a member of the Old Capital Elks Lodge in Williamsburg, is president of the state association. Lina Smith of Portsmouth, a member of the Beauty of the World Temple, is president of the state women's auxiliary.
For more information on the conference, call Edward Joyner, exalted ruler of the Greater Deep Creek lodge, at 420-4160. by CNB