The Mission of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks 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 Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the United States of America will serve the people and communities through benevolent programs, demonstrating that

Elks Care and Elks Share.

What It Means To Be An Elk:

The Benevolent And Protective Order Of Elks is a non-profit fraternal association that is non-sectarian and non-political. Today there are well over 1 and 1/2 million members in over 2,200 lodges in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam, and The Canal Zone.

The Grand Lodge meets once a year in July at various locations across the nation to conduct the business of the preceding year and install the officers for the forthcoming year. The Grand Secretary maintains an office at the Elks Memorial Building in Chicago, Illinois.

Over the years the Elks have made a name for themselves in many areas. They buit and donated a hospital after WWI that became the first Veterans Hospital in America. General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing was allowed to accept the armistice by President Woodrow Wilson and Pershing chose the 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour to accept it. You see, General Pershing was an Elk and he knew what the hour of eleven meant to all Elks.

For many years the Elks tried to get the United States government to proclaim a day just for our American Flag. It took another Elk, President Harry S. Truman, to set June 14th as our national Flag Day. Another future President, John F. Kennedy, was initiated into Elkdom on his 21st birthday and former President Gerald Ford is also an Elk.

Today, the Elks give more scholarships in number and monetary value than anyone in the free world except the United States government.

The Order of Elks is an organization of American citizens who inculcate the principles of Charity, Justice, Brotherly Love and Fidelity; and promote the welfare and enhance the happiness of their fellow members; and quicken the spirit of American patriotism.

The Order is not concerned with one's political affiliations, and it does not permit either religion or politics to be injected into, or to have any effect upon its fraternal deliberations, national or local.

It lures no man to its doors by any promised material benefits which might appeal to his self interest. It pledges no support to the furtherance of personal ambitions. It has no insurance feature to appeal to one's sense of economy. It is beneficent, not merely benevolent, and believes that doing good is better than merely being good. It teaches that it is nobler to serve than to be served; that laughter is better than tears; a kind word more potent than a frown; and that life is all the sweeter for a song.

The Order of Elks is best served through the existence of informed members concerned with just what a member receives when he joins the Lodge. He must be told of the principles of the order, the activities and facilities it has to offer, its programs and objectives, and especially of its many benevolence. Through indoctrination we want every Elk to be so knowledgeable of his membership that he will not only take part in the workings of his Lodge, but will also cherish it and keep it for as long as he lives.

Interesting Facts About The Elks:

1. The value of the Elks' charitable works last year was more than $200 million. Since 1868, the Elks have contributed more than $3 Billion in cash, goods and services to our communities.
2. Many of the Elk's charitable programs are funded in part by the Elks National Foundation, a perpetual fund with assets exceeding $300 million.
3. Donations to the Foundation's principal fund are never spent; only interest and earnings are used, and all of it goes toward the Foundation's philanthropic work.
4. In 2005 the foundation disbursed $11.3 million in support of the "Hoop Shoot", scholarships, veterans service, drug awareness, state major projects and other philanthropic programs.
5. The "Hoop Shoot" is the largest coeducational sports program in the country. More than three million kids participated in this year's contest.
6. Last year alone, the Elks adopted and befriended 103,000 veterans who were far from home or without family.
7. The value of the Elks' contributions to veterans service last year was more than $16.8 million.
8. The Elks Drug Awareness Program prints and distributes, free of charge, up-to-date information about drugs to schoolchildren, their teachers and their parents. Since the program's inception in 1985, the Elks have distributed more than 103 million pieces of literature.
9. In addition to information about drugs, the Elks provide alternatives to drug use by sponsoring activities ranging from Little League to Scouting. More than 2.8 million kids participated in these Elks-sponsored activities last year.
10. Each State Elks Association has its own major project. These include summer camps for children with disabilities or who are financially disadvantaged; in-home treatment for people with disabilities; children's hospitals; cancer research; and providing safe, temporary havens for abused families.
11. In 2,230 communities, men and women of our local Lodges are working to meet local needs, whether that's funding the food bank, supplying instruments for the high school band, or staffing booths at the county fair.
12. We believe in helping others, but we also believe in having fun. Often we manage to combine the two. Some of our Lodges feature swimming pools, golf courses, playrooms and ballrooms; most have dining facilities; all offer family entertainment. We enjoy doing the good works we do and the people we do them with our families and our friends.

 

BPOE 201 | 700 Dawson Road | Austin, TX 78704 | Phone: 512-442-8535 | Fax: 512-442-3198 | Email: info@austinelks.com
by the BPOE 201 Webmaster.