The Elk is distinctively an American animal. It habitually lives in herds. The largest of our native quadrupeds, it is yet fleet of foot and graceful in movement. It is quick and keen of perception; and while it is usually gentle and even timorous, it is strong and valiant in defense of its own. The founders were a group of actors who rented a room first on 14th Street and then on the Bowery, where they could drink in peace of a Sabbath evening.
Members carried a cork; failure to do so meant having to buy a round of drinks. Their leader, the aggressive American nationalism of modern Elks notwithstanding, was an English actor called Charles Algemon S. It seems likely that he borrowed at least some of the paraphernalia of the Elks from the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffalo.
According to some accounts, it may actually have been the head of a moose. The founders were after all actors, not taxonomists. To this day, good fellowship ranks very high. Elks Lodges sell good liquor at very reasonable prices, and their breakfasts are an excellent value, if somewhat out of step with a cholesterol-conscious world. If an Elks Lodge is in session at p. The organization provides very well for Elks fallen on hard times, and for the families of dead brethren.
The Elks National Foundation — the charitable and humanitarian wing — was founded in The Elks are also very strong on patriotism. The Elks who remained at home shipped vast quantities of cigarettes and tobacco to the fighting forces, and for those who came back, their work with veterans especially wounded and disabled veterans has always been extensive and enthusiastic. When the organization changed from the Jolly Corks to the B.
This Foundation is charged with furthering the charitable, educational, patriotic, and benevolent activities of the order. It is extremely wealthy.
The Elks National Home, for elderly Elks, was established at Bedford, Virginia, in ; it was later rebuilt and dedicated anew on July 8, He is a fierce protector, a loyal companion, and a generous provider who brings comfort and security to those within his defending circle.
Unlike most of the aforementioned fraternities, who only specify that members must believe in a "higher power," the Knights of Columbus is flat-out Catholic.
McGivney in in Connecticut as a way to help new Catholic immigrants. McGivney also wanted to keep good Catholic men from being tempted to join other non-denominational secret societies.
The symbol of the KofC is complex. There is a shield, as a knight would use, protecting a cross pattee, which represents Christ. On the shield is a knife, an anchor, and an ax called a fasces. The knife is what a knight uses in battle, the anchor represents Christopher Columbus for whom the order is named , and the fasces represents unified strength and embracing orderly authority.
There's a reason the Shriners are famous for wearing silly hats and driving little cars in parades. The Shriners are a branch of Freemasonry that was started by Masons who wanted to focus more on fun and fellowship than ritual and sanctity. The order adopted an Arabian theme because one of the founders attended a cool party in France with that theme. The many parts of their emblem all represent different things. The scimitar stands for the backbone of the fraternity its members , the sphinx stands for the governing body of the Shriners, and the five-pointed star represents the many children helped by their philanthropy each year.
The emblem also bears the phrase "Robur et Furor," which means "Strength and Fury. Skip to header Skip to main content Skip to footer Feature.
Freemasons Once upon a time, the Freemasons were a guild of actual stone cutters. This was repeated so incessantly that the stranger Elks when they approached Brother Goddard, greeted him with the expression, "Hello Bill! I was told to see you," etc. In a day or two the custom spread to the streets, with Elks from all parts of the country, and passing each other they sang out cheerfully, "Hello Bill!
Both the old Rituals and the secret "grip" were not consigned to print, but were passed on verbally and physically, as is still currently done in some other fraternities. If you have ever seen the movie PAPER MOON in which a con man gains the trust of his victims by using the passwords and secret handshakes of many different organizations so as to pass for a member of whichever suited the circumstances, you may have seen our "grip" but we can neither confirm or deny that it appears.
The movie was set in the s, but the "grip" probably was perpetuated past when Grand Lodge officially discontinued it. If you enjoy historical "spelunking," you might try to find someone initiated before , when the blindfolding of candidates was done away with ER rapped four times as the signal to remove blindfolds , or even better, ask some of Elkdom's older Lodges if they still have paraphernalia for the old "Part II" wherein pranks were played upon incoming members.
Some of these were quite complex electro-mechanical wonders, while others squirted water or shot off blanks. The most widespread practice was for each candidate to ride a live goat around the Lodge room.
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