Over fifty years ago, in November 1974, the Montague Elks Lodge No. 2521 inducted its first class of Elks. Half a century later, the Montague Elks are still a strong herd with 485 members.

The early Elks

Before the Montague Elks Lodge No. 2521 was chartered, the The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE) organization had a presence in communities across the United States for many years.

BPOE has its origins in New York City, and the first BPOE was established in February 1868. News of the Elks spread, garnering membership interest. To allow for expanded membership, the Elks asked the New York State legislature to charter the establishment of a Grand Lodge with the ability to charter lodges across the U.S. In 1871, the New York Elks Lodge No. 1 became the first local lodge chartered in the United States. Since then, lodges have been established in all 50 states, with 55 lodges across the state of Massachusetts.

Ken Morin is one of the original members of the Montague Elks, having been part of the first class of inductees to the lodge in 1974. Morin was one of the speakers at the 50th anniversary celebration of the Montague Elks in November. During a recent phonecall, Morin recalled some of the early projects he worked on with fellow Elks to get the lodge established. 

In 1974, the building at then 1 Columbus Ave. was purchased from the Roman Catholic Bishop of Springfield by the Montague Elks Board of Trustees, according to Morin and the Registry of Deeds. Morin said that before the lodge was ready for use, the Elks used to meet at St. Kaziemerz for their regular meetings. He remembers the construction that went into the new space: tearing down walls, setting up floor drainage and fixing the flooring.

“We purchased that building and started tearing into it,” Morin said.

Morin explained that one of the first projects in the building was to set up the bar in the Elks lounge, and the house committee that he chaired oversaw the bar with staffing and management, along with other parts of the building, during renovations. 

As his time in the Elks progressed, Morin recalls the shifting membership numbers, including how at one point in the 1990s there were around 700 Montague Elks. During his time on the house committee in the early years of the Elks, Morin said that he was awarded Elk of the Year, which was a “highlight” for him.

“I know during three or four years, the Elks had a growth of anywhere from 25% to 32% almost four years running. Somewhere in there, at that time, I was awarded Elk of the Year for involvement,” Morin said.  

Charity and community

A cornerstone of the Elks is the community service. Angie Cyr is a member of the Montague Elks, having joined in 2002, and Cyr and her husband have run bar poker at the lodge for 20 years.

Cyr noted that a couple of her favorite Elks initiatives are raising money for Turners Falls High School sports uniforms and monthly visits to the Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospital in Leeds for monthly bingo. Additionally, the Elks run fundraisers throughout the year.

Cyr says that one of her favorite parts of being a member of the Elks is that it gives her a chance to volunteer and help local kids. 

“It brings happiness and joy for me, because I love working with kids, so that's where I put my feet down as far as that goes with the club,” Cyr said. 

Cyr said that nothing has changed very much since she became a member over 20 years ago. However, she’s noticed an increase in younger membership – something she welcomes as the Elks are a largely older organization in Montague. 

“We really appreciate it. We can always use the younger help, because we do have a lot of older members, and it’s nice to bring in some nice new blood and help out,” she said.

Upcoming for the Elks

As Cyr mentioned, there has been an increase in younger membership among the Elks. One of these members, 27 year-old Allie Cooke of Turners Falls, will make history in the new year as the youngest female Exalted Ruler in the lodge’s 50 year history. 

The news that Cooke will step into this role was announced to members during the annual membership Christmas party last month. Cooke comes from a family of Elks members, including her grandfather, George B. Cooke, who was one of the charter members of the lodge in 1974, and her father, George H. Cooke who is an honorary lifelong member of the Elks.

Since being inducted in 2021, Cooke has been a member of the activities committee, eventually working up to the Inner Guard position in 2022, then Leading Knight in 2023. Cooke has worked close with the current Exalted Ruler Justin Demers, and she says she looks forward to stepping into the role. A vote for all members will take place in February, and if elected, she will start in April. 

Through her leadership positions within the Montague Elks and working closely with Demers, Cooke said she feels confident about becoming Exalted Ruler. 

“The fact that I was able to go to a couple conventions and attend regional meetings ahead of time, I think will help prepare me for what’s expected of me when I’m Exalted Ruler,” she said.

Cooke also said that of her goals is to maintain community service and community outreach, and she wants to continue gaining new membership for the Elks. 

“I'm hoping for more fresh faces in the lodge,” she said. “I’m hoping for new ideas, tying in what has worked in the past, but also new ideas that may work in the future to help continue to bring our lodge success.” 

For more information about the Montague Elks Lodge No. 2521, visit their Facebook page: facebook.com/montagueelks2521. For information about the Elks as a national organization, visit https://www.elks.org/

Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.