The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the USA

 

fraternal and charitable society founded (1868) in New York City. Through the Elks National Foundation, located in Chicago, the group carries on a broad-ranging program of charity and welfare, giving to such organizations as the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, and the Boy and Girl Scouts. The Elks also sponsors health, veterans, and college scholarship programs, as well as various local community service activities. The organization has about 1.3 million members in more than 2,200 local lodges. Its official Elks Magazine, is published monthly. Membership in the society, originally limited to white males, was opened to all male U.S. citizens in 1973 and to women, who had previously belonged only to lodge auxiliaries, in 1995.

Bibliography

See M. Carnes, Secret Ritual and Manhood in Victorian America (1989).

Elks redirects here. For other meanings, see Elk.

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE; also often known as the Elks Lodge or simply The Elks), is an American fraternal order and social club founded in 1868. It is one of the leading fraternal orders in the U.S., claiming over one million members.

History

The Elks had modest beginnings in 1868 as a social club (then called the "Jolly Corks") established as a private club to elude New York City laws governing the opening hours of public taverns. Early members were mostly from theatrical performing troupes in New York City.

It has since evolved into a major American fraternal, charitable, and service order with more than a million members, both men and women, throughout the United States. Current members are required to be U.S. citizens over the age of 21 and believe in God.

The Hour of Recollection

Deceased and otherwise absent lodge members are recalled each evening at 11 p.m. when the lodge esquire intones, "It is the Hour of Recollection." The exalted ruler or a member designated by him gives the 11 o'clock toast, of which this version is the most common:

"You have heard the tolling of eleven strokes. This is to remind you that with Elks, the hour of eleven has a tender significance. Wherever Elks may roam, whatever their lot in life may be, when this hour tolls upon the dial of night, the great heart of Elkdom swells and throbs. It is the golden hour of recollection, the homecoming of those who wander, the mystic roll call of those who will come no more. Living or dead, an Elk is never forgotten, never forsaken. Morning and noon may pass him by, the light of day sink heedlessly into the west. But ere the shadows of midnight shall fall, the chimes of memory shall be pealing forth the friendly message: To our absent members."

Elks National Foundation

Established in 1928, the Elks National Foundation is the charitable arm of the BPOE. The foundation, with an endowment valued at more than $400 million, has contributed $253.5 million toward Elks' charitable projects nationwide.

An interesting physical artifact of the order is the number of communal cemetery plots once favored by the group. Often these are marked with impressive statuary.

Due to the willingness of most Elk Lodges to respond to community needs and events, it is common to turn the BPOE abbreviation into a backronym for "Best People on Earth." ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Structure and organization

The national headquarters, known as the Grand Lodge, is located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. Local Elks Lodges, known as subordinate lodges, are located in about 2,100 cities and towns across the United States and its territories (as of 2006).

The local Elks lodges are known by their lodge number and the name of the city in which they are located. For example, the first Lodge, located in New York City, is Lodge 1, while the Lodge in Nashville, TN is Lodge 72. When a Lodge is closed, its number is retired, but if re-instituted at a later time, the city name and lodge number can be reinstated by the Grand Lodge.

A Grand Lodge Convention is held each year in a principal city in the United States. It is at this meeting that delegates from the subordinate lodges vote on the next new Grand Exalted Ruler and conduct other items of business.

Local Lodge

Chair Officers

• Exalted Ruler
• Esteemed Leading Knight
• Esteemed Loyal Knight
• Esteemed Lecturing Knight

Other Lodge Officers

• Esquire
• Inner Guard
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• Tiler
• Chaplain
• Trustee (5 yr.)
• Trustee (4 yr.)
• Trustee (3 yr.)
• Trustee (2 yr.)
• Trustee (1 yr.)
• Organist
• Justice of the Subordinate Forum

Past Exalted Rulers are not considered officers, but rather a valuable advisory resource. A Lodge's Past Exalted Ruler's Association usually meets monthly, and current officers are encouraged to seek counsel from the men and women who have led Lodges in previous years.

Famous Elks

Politicians

Presidents of the United States

Warren G. Harding
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Harry S Truman
John F. Kennedy
Gerald R. Ford

Members of Congress

Tip O'Neill
Carl Albert
John McCormick
Sam Rayburn
Tom Foley
Hale Boggs

Entertainers

Lawrence Welk
Will Rogers
Jack Benny
Andy Devine, Past Exalted Ruler of San Fernando, California, Lodge No. 1539
Clint Eastwood
Gene Autry
Montie Montana
William F. Cody (Buffalo Bill)
Donald O'Connor
Billy Barty

Sports Figures

Honus Wagner
Vince Lombardi
Casey Stengel
Mickey Mantle
Whitey Ford
Jim Finks

^[4]

In popular culture

• In The Honeymooners, Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton are members of the Raccoon Lodge and in one episode they are both candidates to be voted the Raccoons' "Grand High Exalted Mystic Ruler". This is likely a parody of the Elks and the Shriners as well as The Mikado.
• In The Flintstones, which takes much of its inspiration from The Honeymooners, Fred belongs to the Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes Lodge No. 26 with a "Grand Pooh-bah".
• In Stephen King's The Dark Tower, Roland and Susannah come across a skeleton that is wearing a ring that identifies him as an Elk.
• In Scene Nine of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, during the act "Brotherhood of Man", with the lyrics "Now, you may join the Elks, my friend, and I may join the Shriners".
• In Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. Main character Milkman dead proclaims, "If this bath and this woman... are all that come out of this trip, I will rest easy and do my duty to God, country, and the Brotherhood of Elks for the rest of my life." Page 285.
• In Hunter S. Thompson's short 1990 essay "Tarred and Feathered at the Jersey Shore", included in his book Songs of the Doomed, he recalls of his time living in the abandoned coal mining town of Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania: "I had to join the goddamn Elks Club in order to get a drink there on weekends."
• In The West Wing episode "The Women of Qumar", Rob Lowe's character Sam Seaborn mentions that his father was an Elk.
• In Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David lies about being "a moose and an elk" when trying to get a membership in a Protestant golf club.
• In Take Me Out To The Ball Game, 1948. Frank Sinatra, Esther Williams, Gene Kelly, Betty Garrett.
• It’s strictly USA (reprise) Lyrics and music by Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Roger Edens

"Like the annual Elks convention... ...They're really here to stay; Cause it’s strictly USA." ^[5]

• Frank Barone in Everyone Loves Raymond was a member of the Elks although he left the lodge after being made man of the year.
• In Babbit, by Sinclair Lewis, the main character, George Babbit, is an active member of the Elks.
• Canadian indie rock group The Weakerthans have a song entitled "Psalm for the Elks Lodge Last Call".
• Members of the Elks Lodge are served reinvented American culinary classics in Bravo TV's Top Chef.

References

See also

• Army of Hope

External links

• elks.org, the official website

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