Florida State Association
The
Improved
Benevolent
and
Protective
Order
of
Elks
of
the
World
was
granted
a
copyright
as
an
organization
on
September
28,
1898,
in
Cincinnati,
Ohio.
A
pullman
porter
Arthur
James
Riggs
and
Benjamin
Franklin
Howard,
who
were
both
members
of
another
fraternal
organization,
met
in
that
city
and
they
discovered
that
they
both
had
dreams
of
forming
an
Elks
Organization
for
people
of
color.
Their
Dreams
and
plans
were
realized
when
the
first
Lodge,
Alpha
Lodge
No.
1
was
organized
in
Cincinnati
as
a
result
of
these
two
men.
As
the
Elks
prevailed,
the
organization
struggled
against
many
racist
attitudes
and
legal
efforts
to
deny
the
existence
of
the
"Improved
Benevolent
and
Protective
Order
of
Elks of the World".
On
June
13,
1902,
Emma
Virginia
Kelley
organized
the
Daughters
of
Elks
in
Norfolk,
Virginia.
This
group
was
later
adopted
by
the
Grand
Lodge
and
became
an
auxiliary
body
to
the
Brothers
of
Elks.
The
first
temple
was
Norfolk Temple No. 1, Norfolk, Virginia.
The
Elks
is
the
largest
predominately
black,
fraternal
organization
in
the
world,
and
boasts
a
membership
of
over
450,000,
with
Lodges
and
Temples
in
the
United
States,
Canada,
Mexico,
Cuba,
West
Indies,
Virgin
Islands,
Panama,
Alaska
and
the
Bahamas.
In
1998,
the
organization
celebrated
it's
international
centennial,
which
was
hosted
in
the
City
of
Las
Vegas,
Nevada
one
hundred
years
of
their
founding.
A
second
one
hundred
year
centennial
celebration
was
held
in
1999,
hosted
by
the
City
of
New
Orleans
for
the
founding
of
the
Grand
Lodge,
the
parent
body
of
the
organization.
Congratulatory
acknowledgments
were
received
from
the
United
States
President
William
Jefferson
Clinton,
every
presiding
governor
of
the
twenty-seven
state
associations
representing
domestic
jurisdictions,
distinguishing
personage,
corporations
and
letters
from
the
governing
authorities of the foreign jurisdictions under the umbrella of Elkdom.
The
purpose
of
our
organization
is
that
the
welfare
and
happiness
of
it's
members
be
promoted
and
enhanced;
the
nobleness
of
soul
and
goodness
of
heart
be
cultivated
so
that
the
principles
of
Charity,
Justice,
Brotherly
and
Sisterly
Love
be
inculcated;
that
it's
members
and
families
be
assisted
and protected; and that the spirit of patriotism be enlivened and exalted.
A
few
of
the
major
departments
of
the
Elks
are
the
Grand
Lodge
Education
Department,
History
Department,
Medical
Department,
Veterans
Affairs
Department,
National
Youth
Department,
Civil
Liberties
Department,
Antler
Guard
Department
and
the
Hobson
R.
Reynolds
National
Shrine
Department.
Through
the
efforts
of
it's
members
and
various
departments,
the
Elk's
sponsor
extensive
educational
scholarship
programs,
youth
summer
computer
literacy
camps
and
children
with
special
needs,
parades
and unequal community service activities throughout the world.
“Click Images Below
to Enlarge”
George Greenhill
Emma V. Kelly
Benjamin F. Howard
ArthurJ. Riggs
I.B.P.O.E.W. Logo
We’ve Come a Mighty Long Way ……