It was published in the Florida Elks News, July 1996 by PGER Robert Grafton. Ladies Organization Status Clarified by PGER ROBERT GRAFTON
The subject of this writing is Ladies Organizations.
The Florida Ladies of the Elks will hold their annual State Conference from October 4-6 at Destin on Florida's Emerald Coast. The support that these ladies have given our Children's Hospital, the Harry-Anne Trust Fund and the Youth Camp is outstanding. They set goals each year and they reach or exceed them. This should come as no surprise to those of us who are married.
But, there exists some misconceptions about the local, or lodge ladies Organizations. Too often these days I am asked to intervene in situations wherein the lodge {particularly lodge officers) and the ladies are not in harmony.
Because of that state of affairs, I will try to first advise you of the Elks legal position, and then my own comments. The Lodge ladies organizations are totally autonomous, if their goals and objectives are consistent with those of Elkdom. It makes very little difference in this context if the lodge has officially recognized the Ladies Organization or not.
Remember, the question is "consistent with Elks goals and objectives." This reminder is because some lodges apparently have the idea that the only purpose of a Ladies Organization is to raise money and give it to the lodge - NOT SO.
The lodge cannot dictate the composition of the membership of the Ladies Organization, nor can it dictate what they do with the funds they raise, and it cannot in any way insert the lodge into running the Ladies Organization. The only thing that the lodge can do is to either allow the ladies to meet and conduct their social affairs in the lodge facility, or not allow it.
The lodge complaints I hear are the following: "The Ladies take in members we do not like; the Ladies use our facilities and do not give us any of the profits, thereby costing the lodge money for utilities, clean-up, etc. With the advent of the Closed Door Law, it has become more difficult for the lodge's club operations to provide funds for other operations. It is also a fact that the Ladies raise more money with their sponsored parties in the lodge than the men raise with their sponsored parties.
Where does all this lead us? The Ladies should be left- alone to run their internal operation as they see fit. All of these organizations, with which I am familiar, have given substantial help in the past to their lodges. The problems arise when the lodge acts as though this is required, rather than thanking the Ladies for their assistance.
The Ladies need to stay aware of the lodge needs, and when possible, to be of assistance. If there is no lodge, there will be no ladies organization for the lodge.
The bottom line is insight and appreciation on the part of everyone for the interests of the lodge and the ladies organizations. Reasonable people can always work out their problems.