The Elks Lodge in Noblesville may be home to some and a mystery to others.
If you’re a member, it’s where you go to hang out with friends, volunteer for a good cause, and network with others in the community. But if you’ve never stepped foot in the door, you might wonder what the Elks are all about.
The national organization was founded in 1868 with goals of charity, justice, brotherly love and patriotism. They are home to more than 880,000 members across more than 2,300 lodges in the U.S. In addition, they are the second-largest provider of college scholarships in the United States, just behind the U.S. government.
“We’ve been in Noblesville for 125 years,” said Geoff Robinson, secretary of the board. “I think a lot of people don’t know what the Elks do, but we’re committed to charities and we’ve given $5.1 million to our community since we’ve been in existence.”
Robinson said there are several different groups that want to be a part of the Elks for different reasons.
It’s a members-only organization with an annual fee. Officers meet twice per month and various committees meet as well.
“Some people are really excited about getting involved, volunteering and helping these charities,” Robinson said. “Some members pay their dues simply because they know they are donating to a good cause, and others want a safe place to come and socialize. They can come in and watch the ball game and have a drink. It’s a different environment than your typical bar.”
He says many come to be members because of the social aspect.
A member might invite someone to join them for an event and they’ll have a fun night, but once they learn what the Elks are all about, they often become passionate about helping others.
“I think we’re often thought of as an old man’s club and that’s not true anymore,” Robinson said. “About 25% of our members are women and you have to be 21 to join, but the members are getting younger and younger.”
In fact, Noblesville is home to one of the younger lodges in the state, and they routinely accept new members with a traditional ceremony, dating back to their inception.
They support youth programs including Boys & Girls Clubs across the state, as well as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts groups. They also support veterans, seniors and minority groups.
“Every Christmas we work with counselors at our two middle schools to get a list of 15 families from each school,” Robinson said. “We provide a Christmas meal for them with all the trimmings. We host a food drive and take cash donations, and then a few days before Christmas we deliver them to the families.”
They have one of the largest drug awareness programs in the country, committed to eliminating the use and abuse of illegal drugs. The Elks lodges also work together to make an impact through donations to cancer research. For example, The Noblesville Elks recently donated $30,000 toward the cause. Statewide, the Elks donated $160,000 to Indiana University and $160,000 to Purdue University.
Throughout the year their primary focus is raising funds to give back to the community, and they do that through fundraisers, but through their own fun schedules too. The social calendar includes yoga, Paint n’ Sip classes, euchre tournaments and game nights, and every time a fee is collected for the event, a portion of it goes back into the pot for the many charities close to the Elks’ hearts.
Next time you drive past the Elks Lodge, just know they are having fun and supporting the Noblesville community in the process.
Comments 1
I never knew what the Elks club did. Thanks. Sharing.