Board

HIKE Fund Board of Directors Meet to Plan and Improve

| HIKE Fund

(St. Louis, MO) – The mid-year meeting of The HIKE Fund’s Board of Directors was held March 4, 2017. Lively and productive business discussions led to improvements in how we process applications, creating an online toolkit for coordinators, new items for sale at Job’s Daughters International Supreme Session in PA, among others.

There are already 14 daughters who have raised over $1,000 for HIKE and will receive a medallion at Supreme Session! How many more will there be? Here’s a letter from Cassidee in Utah who was determined to raise $1000 and SHE DID!

hikeletterutah

Application for the T&T HIKE Scholarship of $1,000.00 is now online. It is awarded to a Majority Member of Job’s Daughter using the same qualifications as the Supreme Guardian Council Scholarship, who is entering her junior or higher year of college in Audiology, Speech Pathology or Deaf Education. We would love to present a deserving MM with a scholarship.

instagramWe’re now on Instagram and we want daughter HIKE coordinators to be our IG ambassadors. We want girls to share all the amazing activities and fundraisers they plan and implement in photos and videos. A short online training will be held at the end of March, so have your state daughter coordinators contact Leslie Hoglund, Website and Social Media Director, for more information.

Fun ideas were shared from HIKE coordinators. We encourage and love when states get creative in promoting our work to their communities. Indiana Youth HIKE Coordinator, Jesse, made her own brochures and business cards and has been very active in her outreach to sell beautiful bracelets for HIKE. Please share your cool ideas with us!!

hikeflyer1 hikeflyer2

Mid-Year Board Meeting Highlights

| HIKE Fund

Our time in St. Louis concluded yesterday after a long yet accomplished day. Each Board member reported in their respective areas of leadership, and discussions about sustainability and longevity were had. Board_of_Directors_Table

Meeting highlights included:

  • Grant applications are open again! After a temporary pause to re-evaluate funding and impact, the Board decided unanimously that we are able to award another 15 grants through Supreme Session in July 2016.
  • The T&T HIKE Scholarship for $1,000 is open to any daughter or majority member of Job’s Daughters International studying Audiology, Speech-Language Pathology, or Deaf Education. Applications are available on the JDI website under Scholarships.
  • The Board has openings for 4 new members. If you or someone you know would be a good fit to help The HIKE Fund, go online to submit your application. Deadline is May 1,2016. (If you’d like to download an application form to mail to Board President, Donna Goede, click here.)
  • Quarterly information about donations received and awards granted will be posted online so that states can see how they are doing. Job’s Daughters who are raising top dollars will also be featured quarterly.
  • New and trendy HIKE apparel will be available at Supreme Session and the Bracelet Bar will be available again to stock up on HIKE charms from past years.
  • This year, we enter into our 32nd year of The HIKE Fund, Inc. and the HIKE Challenge will be for every daughter to raise $32 for HIKE. If we can reach this goal, it will bring us close to $157,000!! This amount would allow HIKE to award up to 40 grants in the next year. Start working on your fundraising ideas now.
  • Supreme Session will feature a few HIKE events and we hope you’ll put them on your agenda to attend!
  • We’re also looking for guest bloggers to share their HIKE stories or what HIKE means to them. This could also include promotion of your upcoming HIKE events and fundraising activities. We want to promote all the great work you’re doing to support HIKE’s vision – “That every child may hear…”

More information to come in the following months leading up to Supreme Session, July 24 – 30, 2016 in Grand Rapids, Michigan!

HIKE Tour of Walker Scottish Rite Clinic

| HIKE Fund
Mr. Earl Walker
Mr. Earl Walker

Scottish Rite clinics across the U.S. provide free care to help children with speech and language disorders to learn the communication skills necessary to succeed in school and throughout their lives. Walker Scottish Rite Clinic in St. Louis, MO at Maryville University is a new facility started with a generous donation from Mr. and Mrs. Earl E. Walker. Maryville University started new degrees in communication disorders and speech-language pathology and students are able to secure observation hours and supervised therapy hours.

Lobby of Walker Scottish Rite Clinic
Lobby of Walker Scottish Rite Clinic

Children and their families incur no cost for individualized services and support provided at the Walker Scottish Rite Clinic. They offer bilingual services for native Spanish language homes, and provide screenings in schools and head start programs within a 60-mile radius of the clinic. There is special support provided by area Job’s Daughters’ Bethels, Order to the Eastern Star Chapters, and other Masonic organizations to hold book drives for the lending library. Children receive new books as they progress in treatment to reinforce communication at home.

Large Gross Motor Therapy Room
Large Gross Motor Therapy Room

Sheri Mistretta, Executive Director, noted that there are 200 children in active therapy and serve around 700 per year. She anticipates once the graduate degree begins, there will be greater capacity to serve more children and their families. Sheri expressed her gratitude to The HIKE Fund for awarding grants to several children who have participated in her clinic.

The HIKE Fund Mid-Year Board Meeting Kicks Off Tomorrow

| HIKE Fund

The agenda is full and Board members from around the U.S. will make their way to St. Louis, MO. Under the coordination and facilitation of President, Donna Goede, the Board will discuss many aspects of The HIKE Fund’s activities and financial sustainability as to ensure our philanthropic impact to children and youth needing hearing aids and other assistive hearing devices. 

  
In addition to the meeting, Board members will get to tour the new Walker Scottish Rite Clinic at Maryville University and have discussion with Sherry Mistretta, Executive Director. 

The Board welcomes your thoughts and suggestions on improving our reach and aim. Please leave a comment below and stay tuned for more information as the meeting gets underway. 

In Memory of Philip O. Edwards

| HIKE Fund
In Memory of Philip O. Edwards
Please join us in remembering Phil. As a sitting Board member of The HIKE Fund, he served for many years. We will miss him deeply.

Phil Edwards

January 3, 1935 – January 16, 2016
Preceded in death by parents, John and Avlie Edwards; sister, Linda Burgoyne. Survived by wife, Doris Edwards; children, Shannon (Max) Duda, Overland Park, KS, Carla (Jeff) Thomas, Sumter, S.C.; grandchildren, Kaitlin (Zach) Peele, Amanda Duda, Roman Thomas; sister, Joy (Mike) Reeb, Sandpointe, ID; brother-in-law, Ross (Lynn) Burgoyne, Homer, AK. Charter Member of Farmhouse Fraternity – University of Idaho. Past Master and currently Secretary of Centennial Lodge #326 AF & AM. Director and Secretary of the Masonic Youth Foundation of Nebraska. Director of the National HIKE (Hearing Impaired Kids Endowment) Fund. Past Patron of Narcissus Chapter #269. Past Associate Bethel Guardian and Past Associate Grand Guardian – Job’s Daughters International. Member of the Omaha Valley Scottish Rite, Tangier Shrine, and York Rite. He enjoyed working at Vala’s Pumpkin Patch, and doing Father Job for Job’s Daughters.

VISITATION: Wed from 5-8pm at Crosby Colonial Chapel. FUNERAL: Thurs at 10:30am at West Hills Church, 3015 S. 82nd St. Interment Westlawn Hillcrest Cemetery.

Memorials to HIKE (Hearing Impaired Kids Endowment) Fund or Masonic Youth Foundation.

Tender little memories of some word or deed Give us strength and courage when we are in need… Blessed little memories help to bear the pain that life has tossed And soften all the tears and loneliness of our loss… Precious little memories of little things that were done Make the very darkest day a bright and happy one. -Author Unknown-