Elks Consider a Proposal to Admit Women

NEW ORLEANS —  The Elks, one of the nation’s largest fraternal organizations, took the first step Thursday to begin admitting women.

At its national convention here, more than two-thirds of about 5,000 people on the Elks’ legislative body voted to admit women beginning in late September or early October.

The proposal now goes to the fraternity’s 2,250 lodges.

Edward J. Mahan, grand exalted ruler of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, said he expected the lodges to allow women but doesn’t think a great many will apply.

“Women have been deeply involved in the Elks” through their own auxiliaries, he said.

“In my own opinion there will be a very limited application because then the auxiliary loses its existence,” he said.

The Elks, whose national headquarters are in Chicago, has 1.3 million members nationwide and prides itself on patriotism and community service.

If the fraternity’s members vote to accept women, Mahan said, the next step would be to change the statutes so they are gender-neutral.

“There will be changes in terminology, changes in ritual. We now say ‘my brother.’ Now we’d say . . . ‘my generic associate’? I don’t know what we’ll say. . . . But that’s only housekeeping. That doesn’t get to the heart or soul of the brotherhood.”