State Sponsor

Welcome home to all attendees of the national convention in Austin, Texas. It was a great event and very worthwhile to attend. Our President, Russ Smith, presented our flag at the Sunday opening in Florida style. We installed our new officers for the year 2024-2025, including our Florida District Deputies. Our new Grand Exalted Ruler, Doug Schiefer, and his wife and family were welcomed as our order’s first family. They are from Ohio and they had a great demonstration. We were honored to have our Florida members of the Grand Lodge committees — PSPs Carl Gerace, Dan Tabor, Vic McClellan and Frank Maletesta — represent our FSEA. Our State Co-sponsor, Robert Grafton, PNP, had a national ritual award named in his honor, to be presented to the highest ranking Grand Lodge Esquire annually. Congratulations, Bob! In our legislative session, we approved all the resolutions submitted other than the two insurance proposals, and I want to thank all the voting members.

Our COO/State Secretary, Carl Seibert, and his wife, Thersea, along with the assistance of staff members, put on one of our best Florida dinners, with hundreds attending. Dan Masi, Laz Suarez and Colleen Gallant were everywhere helping and staffing our convention booth. Our FEYC Director, Nick Miller, stayed home, handling our summer campers, ensuring great experiences for the children we host. What a fabulous organization this is. Be Loud, Proud and Visible as a member of our state association. This was an amazing task after just completing a near-perfect state convention for all of us.

Co-sponsor Bob Grafton, PNP and I need ALL of you to help the FSEA get to a prominent position in membership. We need much work on our delinquent members and we need it NOW, not later. We are too good of a state association to accept mediocrity. Let’s make Florida prominent and be recognized as a leader in our order. We can do this with your help.

On behalf of PNP Bob Grafton, Sandra and myself, we look forward to seeing you soon and may God bless you, your families and our USA.

Michael F. Smith, PNP

State Sponsor

Florida State Elks Association