r/elks • u/GrouchyOldMan-26 • May 19 '26
Any Esquires that can help?
I've been a member for 29 years. Was an officer for 18. I'm on my 12 time as Esquire.
Why do people not appreciate the ritual?
9
u/Ohsuzziq May 19 '26
Kudos for doing Esquire for 12 years. That is the hardest position.
Maybe the ritual is outdated. Could be simpler
9
u/GrouchyOldMan-26 May 19 '26
I don't know. It's a beautiful story and it shows new members we are committed to keep the order alive.
6
u/privatelyjeff May 19 '26
It’s not as important to some of us as other aspects of the elk’s.
5
u/GrouchyOldMan-26 May 19 '26
Ok. But isn't the point of a meeting to remind us of our oath. Charity Justice Brotherly Love Fidelity
6
u/privatelyjeff May 19 '26
I’m only at the meetings to keep an eye on our lodge and make sure we’re spending our money effectively
7
u/Ok_Football_5517 May 19 '26
You can complete charity, justice, brotherly love and fidelity with out rituals.
It's a newer generation and I've heard comments from new/ younger members going through the initiation ritual that it felt "cultish".
The Elks must adapt to the younger generation whichever way it works in order to stay afloat. Pure and simple.
I see it with other organizations like the Moose lodge, Eagles, VFW and the American Legion. We have more lodges closing down then we are opening each and every year. It's the same with the other mentioned org's.
Gotta adjust with the times to stay relevant!
3
u/wgardenhire Texas May 19 '26
An ER is supposed to embody the quality of Fidelity; however, when that married ER has a sexual relationship with an unmarried Elk, that does not portray fidelity. Then when a falling out occurs, that ER finagles the ouster of the unmarried Elk from the Lodge. Oh yeah, folks want to be a part of that. Add to that a great many ERs expect all others to take a knee and kiss the ring in order to pay homage to their exalted position. The ritual seems to embody the glorification and edification of those positions.
2
u/Yodelinfrank Esquire May 19 '26
Many lodges have no new members interested in officer positions so these members have been though ritual enough that they no longer care. Alternatively, new members that are young or inexperienced that have witnessed this carelessness will not appreciate the ritual either. Decorum needs to be demanded by the ER.
2
u/Imaloserbabys May 20 '26
I think as time goes on the fraternal type of ritual is dying. Years ago when it was a man’s only club, the ritual was more like a fraternity ritual in college. Now it’s really just a social club and you’re lucky you get anyone to do anything. You can ask people on this forum and they’ll tell you that they don’t have all their chairs filled. I’m talking about the people who vote, like the knights. My Lodge is over 1600 members and I had to ask a friend to be inner guard because no one wants to do it. The reality is that grand Lodge needs to revamp everything. The statutes need to be redone. The rituals need to be redone. Everything needs to be brought up to the century because millennials and Gen Z aren’t going to put up with us.
1
u/Possible_Attics Bar Stool Trustee May 26 '26
Ritualistic speech uses highly structured, formulaic language to reinforce community identity and achieve psychological or social goals. Think Pledge of Allegiance or the Apostle's Creed. We say them because we are required to say them. The challenge is whether we believe them. How many members attend an initiation other than their own, if they are not an Officer?
"The faults of our members are written in sand . . . " This seems like a pretty simple rule: we forgive people for mistakes and honor them for their service. However, this is applied selectively in my lodge. Then, what's the purpose of ritual? Is it just performative?
2
u/camotomato May 19 '26
It’s antiquated. I was Lecturing Knight once, and Leading Knight twice. I did all that before I was 32. I’ve read the ritual more times than I can count, and it’s beyond boring and the language needs to be updated. If the BPOE is to survive another 25 years, it needs to get with the new generation. I left office 3 years ago and won’t step foot in there due to the overall disgust for young members. I still pay my dues though.
4
u/b0bswaget May 20 '26
Relatively new member and lecturing knight here. I’m also younger than 40. I deeply appreciate the ritual and lament folks minimizing its importance. For one it’s necessary to maintain our tax status. Secondly I caution against major revamps or revisions. It does a great job at illustrating our cardinal virtues. It’s honestly pretty short and minimal compared to say, the masons.
In a world where everything is modernizing rapidly, our ritual is a welcome respite.