what is the elks lodge

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE), also known as the Elks Lodge or simply The Elks, is an American fraternal order founded in 1868 as a social club in New York City. It is a membership order of men and women with nearly a million members and a 150-year history. The Elks are a network of nearly 2,000 lodges in communities all over the country. The Elks organization is dedicated to service to communities and the country through benevolent programs, demonstrating that Elks Care and Elks Share. The Elks invest in their communities through programs that help children grow up healthy and drug-free, meet the needs of today’s veterans, and improve the quality of life for their members and the community. The Elks mission is to inculcate the principles of Charity, Justice, Brotherly Love, and Fidelity; to recognize a belief in God; to promote the welfare and enhance the happiness of its Members; to quicken the spirit of American patriotism; to cultivate good fellowship; to perpetuate itself as a fraternal organization, and to provide for its government. The Elks organization is governed through democratic representation, with overall statutes set by voting at national conventions.