WHAT ARE THE ELKS?
The Benevolent
and Protective Order of Elks of the United States of America is one of the
oldest and largest fraternal organizations in the country. Since its inception
in 1868, the Order of Elks has grown to include nearly 1.2 million men and women
in almost 2,200 communities.
The BPO Elks is committed to the ideals of charity and patriotism. To that end,
Elks have now disbursed over the Order's 132 years more than $2.69 billion in
cash, goods, and services to the nation's youth, its veterans, the disadvantaged
and handicapped, and in support of patriotic and civic programs. In the 1998-99
fiscal year alone, the BPO Elks expended in such fashion over $160 million, and
the Order ranks as one of the largest private providers of college scholarships
in the nation.
The Elks have created a quiet network of good deeds that has profoundly changed
millions of lives for the better, yet there is little public awareness of the
impact of their vital work. Why is this so? Quite simply, the Elks have rarely
sought recognition, neither have they gone to the general public with
fund-raising efforts nor received monies from any level of government. Indeed,
the flow of money and goods moves in the opposite direction: the Elks donated to
the government the first veterans hospital; contribute regularly to schools and
police and fire departments; and assist the young and the needy throughout this
great nation.
How could this powerful force have come into being? And where does all this
charitable giving come from? From the generous hearts of Elks members whose
willingness to share, whose prudent long-term planning, and whose time devoted
to serve--for free and with enthusiasm--infuses the Order with an exuberant and
enduring expression of the true volunteer spirit.
Of note is that the elected leadership of the BPO Elks--from the Exalted Rulers
of the local Lodges to the national president, known as the Grand Exalted Ruler,
and other decision-makers at the various levels--serve without salaries.
The organization of the Elks is democratic representation, with overall statutes
set through voting at national conventions. The BPO Elks national headquarters
is based in Chicago. The Chicago campus is also the site of the Elks Veterans
Memorial Building; the home of the Elks National Foundation, the Order's
charitable trust; the Elks National Veterans Service Commission; and The Elks
Magazine, the official publication that is sent to every member of the Order.