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Date: 5/27/2022
LUDLOW – For 27 years, the Ludlow ELKS Lodge 2448 have been hosting cruise nights every Tuesday at 5 p.m. filled with friends, music, food, raffle prizes, classic cars and motorcycles. This year, they kicked off their first cruise night season since the coronavirus pandemic on May 3.
“People love this event,” said Chairman David Kenniston. “They love coming to this event. It’s a nice easy event to go to. At the end of the year, people are almost in tears that we were closing in late September early October when we stop doing them. There’s people that just can’t wait for the following year to come back.”
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is a fraternal organization with a network of 2,000 lodges in communities all over the country, promoting charity, justice, brotherly love and fidelity. They give out scholarships each year to high schools and colleges. The Elks also give money to local groups, soup kitchens and home veterans.
The Elks organization was founded in 1868 as a social club in New York City under the name “Jolly Corks” by 15 actors, entertainers and others associated with the theater. Soon Elks were spreading the word of the Brotherhood of Elks and traveling to other cities. Eventually, there were requests for Elks Lodges in cities other than New York. The Elks asked the New York state Legislature for a charter authorizing the establishment of a Grand Lodge with the power to establish local lodges anywhere in the United States.
The Ludlow ELKS Lodge is an offshoot of the Springfield Lodge. The town of Ludlow grew and they decided to open up a lodge on Canterbury Street in downtown Ludlow where Tony and Penny’s Restaurant is now located, then moved to their current location on 69 Chapin St.
“Everything we do is charity driven,” Kenniston said. “Ninety-nine percent of it is all volunteer. In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, we have over 40,000 members and 60 lodges from Pittsfield to Boston.”
He continued, “Though times were tough, we’re coming back very strong. Our goal is continuing to grow and get back in the swing of things.”
Those interested in becoming a member of the Ludlow Elks Lodge, visit their website at www.ludlow-elks.org. For questions, call 583-2448 or email bpoe2448@aol.com. To learn more information about the Elks, go to www.elks.org.