Meadowood Springs Supported
by Oregon State Elks

The Oregon Elks - 34 Years of Making a Difference

Meadowood Springs Speech and Hearing Camp is a major charitable project of the Oregon State Elks Association and its subordinate lodges.  This camp would not be possible without the Elks' dedication and commitment to helping children 6 to 16 years of age with speech, language and hearing challenges. Each year, the Oregon State Elks and Lady Elks sponsor children to attend one of two 10-day summer residential camps/clinics.

The Elks became involved with Meadowood in December of 1968. $700 was raised after a program was outlined and presented to the Elks.  Since that time, the Elks have continued to support Meadowood Springs Speech and Hearing Camp.

In May of 1973, the Oregon State Elks Association adopted Meadowood Springs Speech and Hearing Camp as a major project under the leadership of the Physically Handicapped Committee.  In May of 1981, Meadowood became a separate committee of the Oregon State Elks and today it remains as one of the Association's major projects.

In the ensuing years, the Elks have contributed enormously to the growth of the camp. Today, the Oregon State Elks and Lady Elks contribute annually to the camp for sponsorships, medallion program, equipment maintenance, designated funds and general operating funds.  We should also note that a number of the cabins at Meadowood are named after individual lodges within Oregon.  Either that lodge built the cabin and still maintains it, or it was adopted as a project after the cabin was built.

Financial assistance is not the only service the Elks and Lady Elks contribute to Meadowood.  They also volunteer hundreds of hours each year maintaining the facilities at the camp.  Over Memorial Weekend and following two weekends, the Oregon Elks travel to Eastern Oregon to assess the winter damage and make repairs to the camp in preparation for the summer camp/clinic. 

What other ways have Oregon Elks helped Meadowood?  Construction of A-frame cabins, infirmary for nursing care, multipurpose building, large outdoor pool and accompanying wading pool, pool house with showers and dressing room, bathhouses, laundry facilities, large dining hall, man-made lake for fishing and canoeing and the list goes on.  Even grading and building of mountain roads into the camp was the result of the Oregon State Elks' tenacity and ingenuity.  Numerous "in-kind" donations have also been contributed by the Elks — to name a few: a steam table, salad bar, tools, paint, computers, printers, stuffed animals, clothing, art supplies, truck, gravel, equipment use, golf carts, lumber for decks, paper products, janitorial supplies, office supplies, books, videos, puzzles, games, food, kitchen supplies and equipment, pool chemicals, and so on.