The Collegian

Issue date: 3/6/08 Section: Features

Media Credit: Myles Sandrian The Elks Lodge bar (top) was purchased from a Detroit hotel around 1940. Sid Michael (above) views the wall of past exalted rulers.

Media Credit: Myles Sandrian

Media Credit: Myles Sandrian

Media Credit: Myles Sandrian

Media Credit: Myles Sandrian

Joe Petrides '06 joined the Hillsdale Elks Lodge #1575 two weeks ago.

Coming to live and work in Hillsdale as an admissions counselor left him with few social outlets.

He decided to join the Elks for their involvement in the community, socialization opportunities and "the best quesadillas you'll ever have."

"I didn't know I could have been a member [at this age], otherwise I would have done it a lot earlier," Petrides said. "When you graduate from Hillsdale, you realize how small the town is. I wanted to get to know the community members better."

Petrides said he also liked the fact that, as a member, he is welcome at any Elks lodge in the country.

There are only three eligibility requirements for becoming an Elk: Potential members must be U.S. citizens, must be at least 21 and must believe in God.

The Elks' mission is to support charity, justice, brotherly love and fidelity.

"I think it would be good for all people to join something that puts attention on others instead of themselves," Elks Esteemed Loyal Knight Mike Parney said. "I think it's a really good learning experience of just living a good life. It helps you grow."

Administrative titles range from Exalted Ruler, the highest, to Esquire. The Old English titles date back to more than 100 years, Parney said, and are kept as tradition.

The charity
Parney, member for six years and owner of Parney's Car Care, said the Elks are a service club.

Much of the charity the Hillsdale Elks perform is for veterans and disabled children.
In the fall, the Elks create an indoor trick-or-treating simulation for disabled children, called Pumpkin Patch, complete with houses, Parney said.

"What I like most about the Elks are the people," Parney said. "I enjoy the camaraderie, working together for an effort."

The Elks organization also ranks third nationwide for scholarships. According to the Elks official Web site, the Elks National Foundation donates more than $3 million in college scholarships.

Their Most Valuable Student Scholarship awards 500 recipients with $1,000 to $15,000 in scholarships for four years.

1930 to now
The Elks began as a social group known as the Jolly Corks, a group in New York City who established themselves to evade a law in the city restricting when a public tavern could open.

The Benevolent Order of the Elks was established in 1928. The first national headquarters was in Chicago.

The Hillsdale Elks had the privilege of having the 104th Elk and original member of Chicago #1, Art Carp, come to Hillsdale. He was the oldest Elk in the country when he died two years ago.

Sid Michael, secretary and historian, said when strange noises are heard at the club, the Hillsdale Elks blame it on "old Art Carp."

The Elks came to Hillsdale in 1930. Initially their budget was $112 a year. It has since increased to $25,000.

The Hillsdale Elks began with 81 members and today are just shy of 500.

60 North Manning Street
The Elks bought the antebellum house on 60 N. Manning St. for $30,000 from the city. Their budget then was $112 a year.

Now the budget nears a quarter of a million dollars, but the history still remains.
The third floor, where the bar and dance floor were located - although they have not been in use since the 1950s - is strewn with receipts and handwritten notes dating back to the 1930s and 40s.

Down one floor, many of the rooms, which have high ceilings that hint at the house's former Victorian wonder, now store Christmas and Halloween decorations. An old slate pool table and dart boards are located in an upstairs room.

The main staircase of dark wood leads straight down to the front door. This wood double door with etched glass panels has not been in use since the 1930s.

Secretary and Historian Sid Michael said this practice began when churches moved in across the street. The Elks voluntarily closed these doors to abide by a law stating an establishment selling alcohol can not have an entrance facing a church.

On the main floor, the barroom is decorated for St. Patrick's Day. Off to the side is a dining room for larger events.

The Elks' meeting room, complete with dance floor, is often rented out to Hillsdale College fraternities and sororities for parties starting at $400 for the evening.

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