Elks Lodge: America's Fraternal Order of Elks

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE) stands as one of the largest and most enduring fraternal organizations in the United States, with a membership network spanning thousands of local lodges. This page covers the structure, membership mechanics, charitable scope, and classification boundaries that define the Elks as a distinct type of American fraternal institution. Understanding how the Elks operates — from its national governance to its lodge-level activities — is essential for anyone evaluating fraternal order membership or researching the landscape of notable American fraternal orders.

Definition and Scope

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks was formally chartered in New York City in 1868, initially as a social club for theatrical performers. By the late 19th century it had restructured into a formally constituted fraternal benefit society open to male U.S. citizens. The organization is governed nationally by the Grand Lodge of the BPOE, which publishes the official statutes and grand lodge proceedings that set binding rules for all subordinate lodges.

As of the most recent Grand Lodge census reports, the BPOE operates more than 1,500 subordinate lodges across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Total membership has historically exceeded 1 million, though the organization — like most mid-20th-century fraternal orders — has experienced the decline in membership common to large voluntary associations since the 1970s. The BPOE holds tax-exempt status under Internal Revenue Code § 501(c)(8), which covers fraternal beneficiary societies that provide life, sick, accident, or other insurance benefits to their members — distinguishing it from civic leagues (§ 501(c)(4)) or purely social clubs (§ 501(c)(7)). More detail on this classification appears on the fraternal order tax exemption page.

How It Works

The BPOE operates on a two-tier federated structure: the national Grand Lodge and local subordinate lodges. The Grand Lodge convenes annually, sets uniform laws through its statutes, and elects national officers including the Grand Exalted Ruler. Each subordinate lodge elects its own Exalted Ruler, who serves a one-year term, along with a slate of officers that mirrors the national template.

Membership follows a defined admission process:

1. Application — A candidate must be a U.S. citizen, at least 21 years of age (historically; some lodges have adjusted minimum age within Grand Lodge guidelines), and must be proposed by a current member in good standing.
2. Balloting — The lodge votes by secret ballot. Unlike some older fraternal orders, the Elks uses a majority-consent rather than unanimous-consent model, though specific ballot thresholds are set in lodge bylaws. The blackball and rejection process varies by lodge constitution.
3. Initiation — Accepted candidates undergo a formal initiation ceremony that introduces the order's four cardinal principles: Charity, Justice, Brotherly Love, and Fidelity.
4. Dues payment — Annual dues are set at the local level, with a per-capita assessment remitted to the Grand Lodge. There is no tiered degree system of the kind found in Masonry or the Odd Fellows; Elk membership is a single grade.

Women were admitted as full members of the BPOE following a Grand Lodge vote in 1995, ending a 127-year policy restricting membership to men. This brought the Elks in line with the broader shift in women's participation in fraternal orders that occurred across multiple major organizations in the late 20th century.

Common Scenarios

Lodge charitable programming — Individual lodges operate under the Elks National Foundation (ENF), a separate 501(c)(3) entity established to administer grants and scholarships. The ENF distributes millions of dollars annually to scholarship recipients, veterans programs, and youth activities. The Most Valuable Student scholarship competition, administered by the ENF, awards scholarships to graduating high school seniors on a merit and financial need basis, with awards ranging from $1,000 to $50,000 per recipient depending on placement (Elks National Foundation).

Veterans service — The BPOE has a constitutional mandate to conduct Veterans services, including hospital visitation, benefit assistance, and memorial observance. Many lodges maintain dedicated Veterans committees aligned with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) outreach programs.

Lodge-level community events — Lodges routinely host youth sports sponsorships, holiday food drives, and local scholarship awards that operate under the broader framework of fraternal order charitable and philanthropic work. These are funded through lodge dues, fundraising events held on lodge property, and ENF grants.

Comparison with comparable orders — The Elks differs from the Moose Lodge and the Eagles in its statutory emphasis on Americanism and veterans programming as core organizational obligations, not merely optional lodge activities. The Knights of Columbus, by contrast, incorporates a degree structure and restricts membership to practicing Catholic men — a categorical distinction that separates degree-based from non-degree fraternal orders.

Decision Boundaries

Several classification and eligibility questions define the Elks' operational boundaries relative to other organizations:

• Fraternal benefit society vs. civic organization — The BPOE qualifies under § 501(c)(8) because it provides insurance-equivalent benefits to members through lodge mutual aid funds. A lodge that abandoned all member benefit functions would risk reclassification.
• Single-degree vs. multi-degree structure — The Elks operates without progressive degrees or ranked advancement, unlike Freemasonry's three Blue Lodge degrees or the Odd Fellows' degree system. This makes it structurally simpler for recruitment and administration.
• National vs. local authority — Grand Lodge statutes are supreme and preempt local bylaws where conflicts arise. Individual lodges cannot admit members below citizenship age or waive the citizenship requirement regardless of local desire. This contrasts with loosely federated orders where national authority is advisory rather than binding.
• The Elks vs. college fraternities — The BPOE is an adult civic fraternal order with a charitable mission, not an undergraduate organization. College Greek fraternities share ritual and brotherhood elements but operate under entirely different governance, membership age parameters, and tax classifications.

The full taxonomy of U.S. fraternal organizations — including how the Elks sits within it — is covered on the types of fraternal orders in the US reference page, and the broader context of fraternal life in America is indexed at fraternalorderauthority.com.