Lodge History
In January of 1958, approximately 100 men from in and around the town of Mount Airy came together at the Ellis Inn (later known as the Hacienda Inn) with a proposal to form a chapter of The Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks. The chapter was instituted on January 31, 1958 and chartered as Lodge #2061 by the Grand Lodge of The Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks on July 10, 1958. The lodge continued to meet at the Ellis Inn until 1962.
In 1962 a Bond Program was formed. Members purchased repayable non-interest bearing bonds. The funds were used to purchase a parcel of land just outside of town from Joe Fowler and build the first lodge building. Around 1968, an addition was built, adding a ballroom and recreation room that more than doubled the size of the lodge. Around 1971, one of the first and largest swimming pools in the area was built behind the lodge.
Christmas Eve, 1975, a fire started in the lounge area in a faulty electronic device, igniting a Christmas tree and doing extensive damage to the lounge area and spreading partially to other parts of the building. The fire was extinguished before destroying the building but caused a great deal of damage. Determined Elks went to work on the cleanup and had the building usable in time for the New Years party.
Past Projects
Poker Run 2022
The 2022 version of the Stormin' Normal Memorial Ride and Poker Run was a huge success! Here's some photos from the ride.
Children's Center of Northwest North Carolina
Mt. Airy Elks Lodge received the Children's Center Community Partner of the Year for their continued years of providing warm coats, school supplies, back to school dinner and events, Christmas for all our children and many other wonderful donations. One of our children cried when handed a new coat. He said in all his 13 years he has never had a new coat of his own! This group gives so humbly and unconditionally. Mount Airy Elks Lodge members: Tommy Marion, Warren King, Mark Alderman and Norman Marion received the award on behalf of the Mount Airy Elks Lodge from our Board Chair, Dr. Bruce Widdowson. We are blessed by this wonderful group and countless others who give to our children!
Veterans Fishing Mission 2020
Mt. Airy Elks Lodge members organized by member Zach Williams used the NCSEA Past Exalted Ruler Association Grant to sponsor Fishing Mission 2020. Over the course of three days, November 8, 9, and 10 over 100 veterans went fishing at Cedar Springs Sportsmans Lodge in Rural Retreat, VA. The veterans were treated to a catered lunch from Aunt Bea's BBQ of Mount Airy, NC and participated in a giveaway of several Abu Garcia rods and reels from Robby's Sales in Mount Airy.
The turnout was great with 37 veterans on Sunday, 47 on Monday, and 32 on Tuesday.
Special thanks go to Semper Fi Farms and to Cedar Springs Sportsmans Lodge for allowing the Elks Lodge to be a part of Fishing Mission 2020.
For several years the Mount Airy Elks Lodge #2061 has received several grants from the Elks National Foundation which is the charitable arms of The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, for the Community Investment Program. With the Gratitude Grant the lodge, has been able to assist three local organizations, the Maranatha Homeless Outreach Ministries, the Shepherd's House and the St Andrew Lutheran Church Outreach Ministries. For many years the Elks have been involved directly in the purchasing of food, cleaning supplies, blankets, sleeping bags and personal hygiene items for these groups, to assist them in providing for our community.
We received the grant again this year, but due to the pandemic, it was not feasible to be directly involved in the purchasing of items needed, so the Elks National Foundation allowed us to use the grant for monetary donations for these three organizations, so they could continue to serve our community. Pictured is Chrissy Daughenbaugh with Maranatha Homeless Outreach Ministries, Judy Park, Gay Matthews and Pastor Rosa Erickson with St Andrew Lutheran Church Ministries, Joshua Edwards with The Shepherd's House.The Mount Airy Elks Lodge is grateful to be able to assist these organizations again this year "Elks Care - Elks Share"
So long as there are veterans, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks will never forget them.
Gratitude Grant 2020
Helping Hands Receives Elks Grant
Helping Hands Foundation of Surry County has been awarded a $2,000 Spotlight Grant from The Elks Lodge #2061. This award will be used to support the many services provided through Helping Hands designed to assist individuals who are in need of financial, educational, career and food support.
Read the full story in the Mt. Airy News
Elks Supply Scout Shelter at Raven Knob
A needed facility has been provided at Camp Raven Knob Boy Scout Reservation, thanks to Mount Airy Elks Lodge members.
It involves the construction of a picnic shelter at the reservation, for which the Mount Airy Elks Past Exalted Ruler Association used proceeds from a fundraiser late last fall. The facility officially was welcomed to the Raven Knob complex during a dedication ceremony held last week in conjunction with an Order of the Arrow program there.
The Elks not only supplied money for the facility, but ample amounts of elbow grease.
“We did all the work ourselves,” said Mark Alderman, past exalted ruler of the Mount Airy Elks and present lodge secretary.
“We basically built it from the ground up,” Alderman added Wednesday.
“There are several campsites at Raven Knob that did not have picnic shelters,” he said of facilities used for dining by scouts while on campouts.
The Elks took on the task of providing a new shelter for the Crazy Horse camping area, which is near a new climbing tower at Camp Raven Knob.
A former shelter at that location had rotted and been torn down.
The work involved pouring cement pads and building the structure, complete with a durable metal roof. This was accomplished with the help of discounts on materials such as lumber from the Lowe’s hardware chain and labor and equipment supplied by Elks representatives.
“One of our members has a backhoe,” Alderman said.
Had the shelter been built by a commercial contractor, it likely would have cost around 6,500, he said.
The construction actually was completed on Dec. 30, in time for scouts to use it during their Klondike Jamboree in January. Alderman explained that the dedication ceremony was held during last week’s Order of the Arrow event when it was known that a number of scouts, leaders and supporters would be in attendance.
Scouting is one of the numerous groups and causes that the Mount Airy Elks Lodge actively supports in the community, which also includes the children’s homes in Surry and Yadkin counties, the Shepherd’s House homeless facility, the Maranatha Homeless Outreach Group, the St. Andrew Lutheran Church Outreach Group, Red Cross, Hospice, the Elks Hoop Shoot Free Throw Contest, youth scholarships and various benefit activities.
All this is in addition to a perennial focus of Elks Lodge members: veterans.
“As long as there are veterans, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks will never forget them,” Alderman assured.
“The Mount Airy Elks Lodge is proud to have continually supported our community for 60 years.”
Tom Joyce of The Mount Airy News may be reached at 336-415-4693 or on Twitter @Me_Reporter.
Photos from the dedication ceremony can be found here
Here's a photo album of the work as it progressed.
Elks Lodge gives books to students
Lisa Flynn, Mark Alderman, Linda Self, Ray Flippen, Warren King, Denise Connolly, Tommy Marion, and Karen Dodson
Students and staff of Flat Rock Elementary School are participating in the One Book, One School program with the novel, How To Steal a Dog.
Students at Flat Rock Elementary recently gathered in the gym for the revealing of the book after Kristi Edwards, media specialist, and Phillip Riekehof, fifth grade teacher, acted out the first chapter as fourth grade teacher Shannon Parker read the story. Members of Mount Airy Elks Lodge #2061 were at the school to give each student a copy of the book during the program.
Activities are planned for each chapter of the book, and the final chapter will be read aloud with parents on Sept. 24 at Flat Rock’s Literacy Night. Mount Airy Elks Lodge #2061 will support Literacy Night by providing pizza for families of Flat Rock Elementary School after the reading of the final chapter.
The program is made possible by a grant from the Elks National Foundation Promise Grant through the local Elks Lodge chapter. Mark Alderman and Lisa Flynn wrote the successful grant application, with the money to be split between the Literacy Program and another program called Community, Food and Fun.
As printed in The Mount Airy News
