Elks and Moose Lodges

We have stayed at Elks lodges across the country. Friendly places to stop. They range from full campgrounds to a spot in their parking lot with no hookups. With the modern motorhomes you can spend 3 to 5 days without hookups and stop along the way to dump elsewhere. Always conversation at the bar (unless you get there on a closed night) and many nights get a meal. I have been offered in some places a plug to plug in 20amp cord into one of their outside outlets as well. My lodge Santa Barbara, for example, has 50 amp, TV, water and a dump station at a quiet location. That in addition to lunches and some dinners.

ArchHoagland wrote:

FireGuard wrote:
What are the requirements to become a member?

You must be recommended by a current Elk in good standing.

If you don't know an Elk go to your closest Elk Lodge and explain that you want to join and they will take care of you.

It takes about a month from the time you apply until you become a member.

Maybe some lodges are more "correct" than others - as prescribed by the Grand Lodge.

Sponsored by a member and recommended by *two* others.
(The "two others" are really just a formality - but they will have to sign that they recommend you).
*NO* religious affiliation - but believe in God and be a US citizen.
Attend: A pre-initiation info meeting which explains what/who the Elks are, what they do, etc.
Initiation meeting - which is really just another formality - no "secret stuff" - the various leaders give a little speech and usually you get to introduce yourself to the membership present.

BTW - the Elks are *very* involved in supporting their local community, charitable and youth events, visiting Veterans hospitals, etc.
Some lodges have more facilities and/or more active than others - a lot depends on the population of the area where they are located.

~

ArchHoagland wrote:

FireGuard wrote:
What are the requirements to become a member?

You must be recommended by a current Elk in good standing.

If you don't know an Elk go to your closest Elk Lodge and explain that you want to join and they will take care of you.

It takes about a month from the time you apply until you become a member.

I walked into the bar as an uninvited guest in what is now my home lodge and before I had had one beer I was filling out forms and passing them to the others at the bar to sponsor me. All good folk.

I don't spend much time in my home lodge as i explained I wouldn't when I signed up because we most time in our RV. I do stop by when we are in Rochester to say hi. It did take some time as they did not have a formal meeting over the Summer and I had to wait for the Fall to be brought in.

I am also an Elks but have never stayed at a lodge, yet. I wanted to let you all know there is an alternative lodge south of Seattle in Puyallup, WA. It has a number of large sites on grass. I believe water and electric only. The location is south of Seattle and provides a quiet, safe place to stay to see the area. Easy freeway access to get out and about!

There are zero good RV parks in Seattle so this provides a great home base for sightseeing in the area.

FireGuard wrote:
What are the requirements to become a member?

You must be recommended by a current Elk in good standing.

If you don't know an Elk go to your closest Elk Lodge and explain that you want to join and they will take care of you.

It takes about a month from the time you apply until you become a member.

We are also Elks. That being said, we find most of the Lodges are busy and difficult to get into especially during the fair weather months. I devised a spread sheet on my laptop that breaks down "ALL" RV resorts/parks by miles from home. Such as resorts within 100 miles, 100 to 200, 200 to 300 and over 300 miles away.
DW and I usually have 2-3 spots picked out and possibly reserved before traveling 3-6 hrs and then getting turned away. Most all Elks lodges have minimal hook ups and maybe a dump station as most are older. The best thing to do is use RV Park Reviews and have a couple or three options in case you are turned away because they are full. We also belong to KM resorts, RPI (includes Naco-1000 trails), Good Sam and KOA. There's no way I'm going to drive for hours and be tuckered out and NOT have accommodations. Been there, done that.

I am a traveling Elk and we stay at Lodges whenever we can. The Elk International web site will provide lodge location and may indicate the availability of overnight parking - not all lodges have space or are permitted to use their space for overnight parking by local ordinance.

AS members of FMCA we joined the FMCA Elks Chapter (not a lodge) which maintains a web site with camping information for members. In practice I always call a lodge I intend to stay at as far in advance as I can to learn if they do indeed have space and whether they may have an event scheduled that would prevent our stay. Even if they don't charge for parking I will leave $10 donation for the priviledge.

What are the requirements to become a member?

Janss wrote:
I do too. Sometimes you hit a real busy lodge. Even though they are first come first served, I called this one lodge and the host put an orange cone out in front of a spot to save it for me, as they were just about full for that night.

(I'm not an Elk member even though I've had the rv books for many years) I live about a mile from the(Seattle) Elks mention above. I drive by it when I go to the store. They are filled up at least 80-90% of the time. Sometimes when I get the store and I see a RV parked, I chit chat with them a bit. Great people. Many times we used to let them park at my house if they were just only going to be a couple days. (Not any more, I tell them about overnighting places close by).

Here is what I've learned from some of them. (Probably many know of you already know this but if you don't...)

The Elkdom travel guide books are great but many times are out dated. The search button on rvparkreviews brings up many that are either not in the book or maybe closed down, etc...

Check out...

http://www.rvparkreviews.com/search.php

Go down to orange area on left hand side...Enter, "elks" in search bar, check the first 4 boxes in "search field", hit the search button just below. (you could probably turn up more results by also entering the state in the search bar IMO)

As many know Seattle is tuff to get around in with RV's and not so many RV parks close by.

If the Elks is full they park at a close by store, unhook toad and go back to the Elks and socialize waiting or asking when somebody is going to leave. If nothing is going to open up they go to their back up plan.

I do too. Sometimes you hit a real busy lodge. Even though they are first come first served, I called this one lodge and the host put an orange cone out in front of a spot to save it for me, as they were just about full for that night.