Unity goal of Racial Progression Conference
With racial strife and protests continuing to erupt across the country amid calls for police reform and social and civil justice, a local youth group is looking to bring the community together with a much-needed dialogue on topical issues that affect El Dorado and Union County. Jr. Elk Herd 473, the junior arm of Gusher Elk Lodge 560, will present a Racial Progression Conference at 6 p.m. Sunday.
The virtual meeting will be live-streamed on the Jr. Elks’ Facebook page and accessible via Zoom, a video-conferencing app.
Local protests have centered on calls to relocate a Confederate monument from Union County Courthouse grounds.
While the demonstrations have largely been peaceful, tensions have bubbled to the surface and boiled over, widening divisions, some along racial lines, throughout the community.
There have been a few tense moments at some gatherings.
In one such instance in early July, an armed group that was not a part of the protesters calling for the removal of the monument gathered in front of PJ’s Coffee and displayed guns, prompting the El Dorado Police Department to break up monument protesters at the courthouse.
The monument issue is now in the hands of Union County voters and has been placed on the ballot in the November General Election.
Wm. Jerome Robinson, Exalted Ruler of Gusher Lodge 560, which is headquartered at 1525 E. 19th St., said the Jr. Elks
approached senior members of the group and asked how they could get involved.
“With everything that’s been going on in the city and the country, with COVID-19 (the coronavirus), we’ve been unable to meet ourselves,” Robinson said. “We’ve been meeting in conference calls and this came up in discussions and they asked, ‘What can we do to make a difference here in our city.’”
The Jr. Elks fraternity was formed in 2006 by Gusher Lodge 560 to mentor and provide positive influences for African American boys in El Dorado and Union County.
Senior Elks members have said the mission of the junior fraternity is to instill into its members the “Four C’s”: character, curriculum, community service and conduct.
The Jr. Elks group is open to ninth— 12th-grade male students in Union County who are selected by a unanimous vote by senior Elks members.
Jr. ELKs remain a part of the group until they are 21 years old. Robinson said there are 15 - 17 current members.
The group performs a number of community service projects, including participating in events that raise awareness about such issues as Lupus and the Special Olympics; working as servers and ushers at local banquets and other such events; reading to elementary school students; volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club of El Dorado and as bell ringers to help collect donations for the Salvation Army during the holiday season.
“Last Christmas, they adopted a (local) foster family and took them a gift basket and some toys,” Robinson said.
The Jr. Elks also perform step routines at local events and have won awards in national competitions during the annual Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World convention.
Robinson said the Jr. Elks were looking forward to participating in the Drill-A-Rama youth competition at the 2020 IBPOEW, which was to have been held in Baltimore.
Drill-A-Rama tests its participants in several categories, including drill and precision, percussion/drumline, leadership, inspection and other areas, in two divisions — senior and junior.
The Jr. ELK Herd No. 473 swept the overall competition at the 2012 DrillA-Rama in Houston, bringing home six trophies, including the overall grand-prize trophy that stood 6 feet tall.
The group bested teams from Texas, Tennessee, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Connecticut.
Robinson said the 2020 IBPOEW national convention was canceled due to COVID-19. He noted that Friday would have been the final day of the convention.
Racial Progression Conference
While Jr. Elk members were disappointed about not being able to travel to Baltimore this year, they said the cancellation of the national convention will allow more time to serve their community.
Robinson and other members of Gusher Lodge No. 560 said they were excited when the junior fraternity expressed an interest in hosting the Racial Progression Conference.
“We put it in their hands and (Jr. Elks member) R.J. Thomas ran with it. He is the organizer,” Robinson said.
Robinson said the Jr. Elks returned with the idea for a panel discussion that will include Mayor Veronica Smith-Creer; El Dorado City Council Member Andre Rucks (Ward 3, Position 2); Kris Borosvskis, assistant football and track coach at El Dorado High School; Derek Easter, seventh-grade girls’ basketball coach at Barton Junior High School; Shannon Ellison, Social Studies instructor (World History and African American History) at EHS; Jim Tucker, superintendent of the El Dorado School District; and Lt. Chris Lutman of the El Dorado Police Department.
“These are people in the community, public figures that they know,” Robinson said. “We thought this would an awesome opportunity.”
In a written statement, the Jr. Elks said members of the panel will answer questions and address the concerns of participants.
“The purpose of this meeting is to have a conversation and bring awareness to racial injustices that happen within our own community,” according to the statement. “This is not an argument but a discussion to come to a common ground, reflect and bring change for (the betterment of) the community. All voices matter.”
For more information, call Robinson at 870-918-1512.