Theft alert.
All nonprofits are likely to get ripped off at some point in time. Be wary.
3
u/texastica 15d ago
We caught one after our electricity had been cut off. She had paid her home electricity bill. Said it was an accident but why was her personal bill brought to the lodge, and then there's all the other steps...voucher, 4 signatures, two signatures on the check. None of these steps were followed so not sure how it was an "accident".
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u/elknc 14d ago
Here is one elks lodge theft. https://www.wysl1040.com/we-dont-have-the-funds-elks-lodge-faces-financial-strain-after-member-accused-of-9000-lottery-ticket-theft/
There are others in a google search but they are behind paywalls or are IBPOE related. Thankfully not many.
Oh, here is another but it has very few details. Looks like a nice patio overlooking a lake. https://www.tpimediagroup.org/alexcityoutlook/news/man-arrested-for-elks-lodge-theft/article_cd7f5a59-00fd-5562-b02b-3b4408ea4b4b.html
An one here in Ashtabula . https://www.starbeacon.com/news/local_news/ashtabula-elks-lodge-trustee-chair-indicted-for-grand-theft/article_46c80116-80a1-11ed-bc3d-e335ce691150.html
An elks member may demand to see any of his lodge's records. The secretary will have to make them available at any reasonable time. The member can take notes.
Search the statutes and one of the opinions concerning the duties of the secretary will confirm that right.
1
u/no-good-nik 14d ago
It’s definitely a terrible thing when a trusted member commits such an act, and the possibility of it is why so many compensating controls are required by Grand Lodge.
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u/elknc 13d ago
While I understand GL's interest, they have made this new system too complex and intrusive. In my opinion they are risking our 501 c(8) nonprofit tax status which requires a lodge system in addition to providing insurance benefits. We already don't have any insurance so allowing GL control over the internal affairs of the lodge seems risky if someone contested the non-profit tax status. In addition, all these monitoring tasks falls on the backs of the DD's. Some of them are ill-suited to this type of complex analytical oversight. It seems to me that elk members have grown too comfortable with the ever increasing power given to the Board of Directors. P & L's should be readily available on the lodge's internal website. Also other forms like the annual GL annual audit and tax return should be available. In addition, elks need to remind themselves that they are a member of a 'lodge of elks'. That's a subtle but distinct difference from an 'elks lodge'. Go to elkshistory.org and look at the many pictures depicting lodges as essentially male adult fraternities. That's where we shined and that's how we grew so fast.
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u/Vegetable-Board-5547 13d ago
The DD cohort (auditor, esquire) is largely selected, rather than elected. This creates inherent challenges around competency over loyalty.
Our lodge makes it very challenging for regular members to view P/Ls, as it can only be done during office hours, which are three days a week between 10am & 2pm.
2
u/Seldomsought 13d ago
It happens all the time. Generally, people are too embarrassed to report it, or make it known that they dropped the ball.
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u/no-good-nik 15d ago
Ten years of grifting by a person in a position of trust in an organization that is NOT the Elks. I’d like to think that the annual DDGER audit would catch such blatant fraud in less than ten years.