Under a 1995 amendment to the Constitution of the Grand Lodge of Elks, women are allowed to join this previously all-male organization. In the Bitterroot, the Lady Elks are a very active group with three women on the board, and a seemingly endless list of programs they support through their fund-raising efforts. Gail Meis is the President of the Lady Elks. They recently added the Kids Backpack Program to their causes, and Meis presented a check to Victoria Howell, chair of Project 59870 which has been raising money for the Kids Backpack Programs in the Stevensville area. The Lady Elks also provide support to the lodge as a whole.
According to Debbi York, a Past Exalted Ruler of the Elks Lodge #1651 (only the second woman in Montana to be an Exalted Ruler), the Lady Elks raise money for the community and give out grants.
“For example,” said York, “we put together totes for the young people that ‘age out’ of Linda Massa Youth Homes. The totes contain items a person would need to start living on their own.”
Other programs they support include Christmas gifts for veterans and nursing home residents; dictionaries for all 3rd grade students; nationwide and local drug awareness programs; Haven House and Pantry Partners food banks; SAFE shelter in Hamilton; Hoop Shoot; Head Start in Hamilton; scholarships, both nationwide and locally; veterans’ programs; wheelchair loan program; wheelchair ramps; local soccer and baseball programs; Sprinkle Pink Breast Cancer barbecue; U.S. flag disposal boxes. And the list continues to grow.
On Saturday, December 11th, The Elks Lodge will distribute game meat to any veteran that wants it. This is the second distribution for this year. The distribution will take place at 1 p.m. at the Lodge at 203 State Street in Hamilton. This popular program is supported through a grant to cover the meat processing costs. Hunters donate their unwanted game which is processed at Hamilton Packing. Veterans don’t have to be Elks members to get some meat. Interested veterans can contact Rick Parks at rickp3670@gmail.com for details.
Elk Jerry Lewallen gets a grant to purchase sugar-free candy to distribute to all the nursing homes in the area. He dresses up as Santa and with his helpers Phil Meis as Bernard the Elf and Dan York as Rudolph, they make their visits, bringing some simple pleasure to the folks who don’t get out much.
To help augment the many programs, the Lady Elks hold a variety of fundraisers. They put on stick horse races at which people can gamble on their favorites. They hold bake sales and a rummage sale on Apple Day. They also get grants from the national Elks.
The Elks Lodge services all of Ravalli County. Like most service organizations in the area, membership has dropped off in recent years, and the costs of operating and maintaining their building continue to mount. The Hamilton Elks Lodge currently has about 135 members but they would like to have more. Any potential members must be proposed by a current member.