Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-09

10 O0lu8 uGkO In xOEtl6uu, oTe. ElhS
from every part OF the United States
have migrated to the land OF the set
ting sun for the big event. some trav-
cling In magnificent all Pullman spe-
cial trains. and others going one at a
time. but all bent on having one Of
the most enthusiastic meetings in the
history Of the order. And as for the
convention city, all hands testify that
no bet has been overlooked that will
make the Elks Of the country always
carry a warm spot In their hearts for
the hospitality OF that north Pacific
metropolis.
Many matters Of Importance to Elk
dom will be brought before the con-
vention. One Of these Is the problem
Of q national home for the order.
There il a fund OF 100000 in the hands
Of August Hermann OF Cincinnati. who
is also the head OF the national base
ball commission, for the purpose OF
starting some new building operations
at Bedford City, Va. where the pres
ent home is located. The western Elks
claim that the Virginia site for the
home Is too far to one side Of the
country: they want 1t located nearer
the center OF population. 1t is ex-
pected that they will make a strong
fight to have the home removed to the
Mississippi valley region. On the other
hand. it Is asserted that the southern
delegates all will stand together for
the Virginia site. and that they will
be supported in their contention by
the great body of eastern Elks
Another proposition that will come
up is the establishment at Denver of
a national tuberculosis sanitarium for
the order So enthusiastic has Denver
become over the matter that site
has been selected tentatively. and
plans for the buildings already have
earnestly for years to further the fight
against tuberculosis. and the Colorado
contingent feel that II a sanitarium
ever Is to be established that now Is
the time, and that Denver is the place.
X
The little brother campaign
lot OF atten-
Enlist Interest ton in various
Of Young America. country This
Is q campaign in which Elks under
take to enlist the interest Of young
America in the order. and to awaken
In them an appreciation of the prin-
ciples for which Elkdom stands. 1t Is
believed by those who inaugurated this
campaign that in a decade 1t will be-
gin to bear fruit in the expansion Of
the order. and In the making OF bet
ter men out Of the boys who now are
being Influenced by the movement.
The Elks were the first Of all the secret
orders to hold annual memorial services
for departed brothers. No Elk ever Is
forgotten. AS long as the order lasts will
his memory be kept green by the annual
lodge of sorrow, held on the first Mon
day Of December. These memorial serv-
the most beautiful and impressive held by
any organized body.
No secret order is more devoted to the.
ends OF charity, 1t 10 claimed, than the
B. P. o. E Aside
Order Devoted from the many mil
to Charity Work. s sDas the hs. "e@ RiSsn
within the order, more than three million
dollars has been raised for outside pur-
poses. A beautiful illustration of the
character Of Elk charity is to be found In
their efforts last winter to relieve the dis
tress Of the flood victims Of the Missis-
sippi. A large fund WIS raised and dis
patched to the stricken district by the
same men who had succored the starving
at San Francisco and Galveston. The
name Elk seldom was spoken by the
dispensers Of the bounty of the order.
whom they were Indebted for this kind
ness they were told that the gtver was
anonymous When they wanted to be az
forded means whereby they could repay
It, after they got back onto their financial
feet. they were told that they could do
SO by passing it along to some other
needy person when the time came.
The wealthtest lodge In the whole order
of Elks Is Lodge No: l Of Brooklyn. It
has to hold its membership restrictions
very close in order to keep 1t down to
any reasonable size. One lodge had to
double its initiation fees In an effort to
put some kind of a check upon the re-
markable growth
While the B. P. o. E. is the direct out
come Of q small social club of New York,
known as the Jolly Corks. which was
made up principally Of theatrical people
In opposition to sumptuary laws. today
1t is q cosmopolitan order and has In 1t
some Of the most staid and conservative
men in the country. It's membership is
growing rapidly rap, and d o the latest reports
be reached 1t Is now sthe eighth largest
secret order in the country. In the past
few years the order has built more new
homes for its local lodges in proportion
to the size OF its membership than any
other order in the United States. Today
there are more than a dozen big struc-
lures going up in as many cities. and 1t
is said that other cities are contem
plating the erection Of new clubhouses.
The Washington home Is being taken as
an example OF Elk architecture. and the
magnificent new home in New York Is
only one of many that have been mod
eled after It,
Few Of the secret orders are better rep
resented with periodicals devoted to their |
interests than are |
Elk Periodicals the Elks Every
in Every Section. county has one