A debate about proposed changes to the Elks of Canada's principles, dress code and rituals broke out during the visit of the organization's provincial president to the Olds Elks Hall on Jan. 21.
Leonard Shain was in town to discuss potential changes proposed by club members from across the country during a strategic planning session in Regina on October 24 and 25.
The proposed changes include shrinking the organization's seven principles of equality, service, justice, love, kindness, charity and fidelity to four values of respect, service, community-mindedness and integrity.
Other proposed changes include allowing members to wear black, instead of the traditional purple, and changing the mission statement to ìa Canadian volunteer organization of men and women serving communitiesî from the current mission statement of ìa national, fraternal and charitable organization promoting and serving community needs through volunteers.î
The changes are designed to attract new and younger members as many clubs are dealing with declining and aging memberships.
ìI think (the changes) are too generic. These changes aren't going to attract new members,î said one member at the Olds meeting, declaring that many of the changes strip away the characteristics that make the Elks unique from other service organizations.
ìIt's nice to see the ritual. We have to stay fast, keep our values up. It's kind of disappointing,î said another member.
Shain defended the proposals, saying that if the organization did not change, it wouldn't be able to attract new, younger members and would decline. He said many younger people want to volunteer but aren't interested in the traditions that many different service clubs have built up over time. Rather, he said, younger people want to volunteer informally.
ìWe are listening and we are trying to go in the right direction,î he told the group.
But many in the group weren't in favour of the changes.
ìIt's up to the lodges to get out there (in the community), not to change,î said another member of the Olds Elks.
Shain told the group the hope is that each lodge would attract one new member per month in order to increase membership by 1,000 people throughout the province.
Following the meeting, Shain said the provincial leadership is aiming to visit about one-third of the Elks' 86 lodges across Alberta to discuss the potential changes with the members before a national convention in Airdrie in July where the changes are to be debated.
Any member of the Elks can attend the national meeting. A provincial meeting will be held in June in Westlock prior to the national event.
The Elks celebrated their 100th anniversary in 2012 and Shain said something needs to be done if the club is to last another century.
ìIf we're going to be around for another 100 years we understand that we have to do some changes so that we can go with the volunteers of tomorrow. If we keep doing things the way we did them 100 years ago and hope for a different answer today, that's not going to happen,î he said.
