2 Elks Lodges Vote To Keep All-Men Policy National Leaders Have Decided To Allow Women
Elks lodges in Lewiston and Grangeville have reaffirmed their policies of restricting membership to men only.
All local Elks lodges are being required by the organization’s national leadership to vote on the question of removing the membership requirement.
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks has spent $1.3 million in recent years on five lawsuits filed by women in Midwestern states trying to join the club. Elks lost, but has appealed.
In June, national leaders voted to remove the male membership requirement, but the policy will be reconsidered after all local lodges make individual decisions. Local lodges have been told they can continue to exclude women for the time being, but if a lawsuit is filed the national organization will no longer pick up the tab.
Of the 1,200 members of the Lewiston Elks Lodge, only 45 showed up at a meeting Tuesday when the question was put to a vote, said Thomas Eier, chairman of the board of trustees. The vote was 35-10 in favor of retaining the male membership requirement.
“Personally, if it wasn’t for the ladies of the Elks we would not have an Elks lodge,” Eier said Thursday. “Let’s explore having ladies of the Elks on an equal basis as men of the Elks and allow our ritual program to continue as it is right now for the men of the Elks.”
Charlotte Nordgaard, president of the Lewiston Ladies Elks Auxiliary, sided with the men’s decision.
“We think that we should stay like we are because we have moneymaking events and we help the men, both with money and work,” Nordgaard said.
The Grangeville lodge voted 27-20 Wednesday night to retain the male membership requirement.
The Grangeville lodge came under fire in 1992 when two female U.S. Forest Service employees complained that the organization excludes women from membership. Nez Perce Forest Supervisor Mike King issued a memo in May 1992 barring the Forest Service from using the Grangeville lodge for parties, meetings and other functions.