CANADIAN ELK CANADIAN ELK ´ELAN CANADIEN - Elks of Canada

WAW AI N W R I G H T E L K S L O D G E N O . 2 2The Wainwright Elks Lodge was organized in April of1925 with a very large and active membership. TheLodge went well for several years but during theDepression Years it fell on hard times and had to close.In the 1940’s several of the original members and somemembers of other Lodges, who had moved toWainwright got together and decided that an ElksLodge should once again be organized. Brother P. A.Miquelon came to Wainwright to assist in the organization.On March 3, 1941 Brother S. Bibby was installedas the Exalted Ruler and 50 members were initiated.For the first several years the Lodge rented the I.O.O.F.Hall. In 1951 they moved the meetings to the newly redecoratedMasonic Hall. In 1957 the Lodge purchasedthe old McCaffery School, moved it into town and put iton a full basement. This building had several renovationsdone to it and in 1973 two additions were addedto the building nearly doubling the square footage.The Lodge became very active with many worthwhileprojects and selling Victory Bonds in every Bond driveduring the Second World War. As the years progressedthe Lodge began to support many local groups like thesenior mens baseball club in 1947, minor hockey asearly as 1950, kids play grounds in 1956 and the localScouts and Girl Guide camps located at the Arm LakeRecreational Park in 1960. Many projects were supportedby the Wainwright Elks Club in these earlier years,some of the larger ones that made the quality of life inWainwright better. The Elks were major contributors tothe artificial ice project in the mid 1960’s; the Auralstimulatorfor the hospital in 1968, and major renovationsto the older arena with purchasing and replacementof all the bleacher seats.In the early 70’s Lodge membership saw the need toexpand the Elks Hall for the betterment of the communityand the expanding membership. A committee wasstruck and with much deliberation and debate the projectwas accepted and the addition to the Elks Hallwould begin with the largest part of the build beingdone by its members. The early 1970’s were goodyears for the membership with the expansion of theElks Lodge but with expansion came some difficultieswith the high interest rates of the mid 70’s and early80’s making fund raising very challenging These difficultieswere over come with good leadership and apositive attitude with the membership. The membersdid many small fund raising events in these years thatdid not cost the people of Wainwright a lot of money toattend and these little events helped to pay the billsand maintain their Lodge.P R O F I L EThe Lodge made it through the 70’s and early 80’ witha strong membership and many new members joiningin 1983 and 1984 with many new ideas on past fundraisers and new exciting projects. The Lodge prosperedwith these ideas. Fund raising was still a difficultthing to do but with changes in some of the gaminglaws the Elks Lodge did a major revamping of the bingoprogram which they had in place for some 40 years.With the addition and promotion of pull tabs to thebingo and many larger raffles and functions the Lodgewas again able to support the community of Wainwrightwith larger projects. The membership had an opportunityin the mid 80’s to purchase a building adjacent tothere existing building in hopes of future expansion.The Elks rented this building to the Salvation Army at avery reasonable rate for many years and that revenuewas placed into a building development account.Some of the major projects that occurred in the mid80’s was the development of Wainwrights golf coursefrom 9 holes to 18 holes with the Elks contributing inexcess of $30,000.00 dollars to this project. In 1987 itwas the 75th anniversary of the Elks of Canada and themembers of the Wainwright Lodge found a project thatthey felt worthy enough to celebrate this momentousoccasion in this great organization’s long and proud history.The Lodge received some green space land in thenewly developed east end of town where the Lodgebuilt a playground for all ages with all the bells andwhistles. This project had a charitable donation amountof $50,000.00 dollars to the community.The Lodge moved into the 90’s with an inspirationalvision towards the future of a grander and betterequiped meeting facility for them and the community.As history so many times repeats itself it did here, andagain with great debate and deliberation the membershiptook the plunge and a large parcel of land waspurchased on the north west corner of town adjacent tothe newly developed 18 hole golf course. The early 90’swere very profitable years for the club. The memberswere very busy with many fund raising projects whichincluded hosting of the Elks provincial curling, snowcrossracing, bullaramas, and the addition of SatelliteBingo. All these events were very successful and profitable.Years of talk and planning came together in 1995by an informal or even as rumour may have it, changeby meeting of some of the members of the two clubs.30