It’s been 100 years since the inception of the Elks of Canada and the local club is holding an open house to celebrate.
The Elks Lodge and the Royal Purple Lodge of Moose Jaw are holding an open house and membership drive on Nov. 24 from 2 to 5 p.m. in the Legion Hall. The Elks of Canada was founded on Sept. 26, 1912, and is the largest, all-Canadian fraternal organization in the country.
“(The open house is) to explain the history and current activities of the Elks and the Royal Purple ... We’re going together for this membership drive with the hope of increasing awareness,” said Elks Lodge member Harold Claffey, adding that the goal is to increase membership. “None of us are getting any younger and we need some younger members to come into the Elks with their ideas.”
He said the club currently has 70 local members with an average age of 60. Anyone age 18 and older is welcome to join. The club meets once a month and promotes and supports a variety of needs in the community.
“We are a society of friends who support each other … So we are a club and a charitable organization,” said Claffey. “Our big thrust is helping children (and) to provide for community needs wherever we can.”
The main charity is the national registered charity Elks and Royal Purple Fund for Children. Its goal is providing medical funding for children under age 19 and supporting programs to help children with hearing and speech disorders.
For more information, see an upcoming edition of the Times-Herald.
