Do the Elks have a secret handshake?
What it means to be an elk booklet?
The Order of Elks is an organization of American citizens who love their country and desire to preserve its cherished institutions; who love their fellow man and seek to promote his well being; and who love the joyousness of life and endeavor to contribute to it, as well as to share it.
To be eligible for membership in the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, you must be a citizen of the United States over the age of 21 who believes in God. You must be sponsored by a member of the Elks Lodge and reside in the jurisdiction of the Lodge you wish to join.
A “Stray Elk” is a paid-up Member of a Lodge who now resides within the jurisdiction of another Lodge. An individual who has taken an Absolute Dimit or been dropped from membership for nonpayment of dues is not a Stray Elk.
What is the difference between Elks and Masons?
The Elks also share a secret handshake and other customs known only to members. But Lopes said secrecy is not what defines the organization. Even the building itself doesn’t define the group, he said. “The lodge is not the building,” Lopes said.
