close

Donora Elks closes its doors

5 min read
1 / 4

Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter

The original charter created in 1912 listed all the founding members of the Donora Elks.

2 / 4

Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter

Lodge secretary John Carson, left, and Richard Stoioff, inner guard, are shown inside the Donora Elks on Meldon Avenue.

3 / 4

Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter

The Donora Elks building on Meldon Avenue

4 / 4

Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter

Some of the ceremonial items used by members of the Donora Elks

One hundred and six years after its opening Jan. 3, 1912, Donora Elks Lodge 1265 is closing its doors due to dwindling membership and lack of business.

After lodge secretary John Carson, 78, of Donora, sent out notices of a lodge meeting, members voted June 10 to close the lodge by 17-2 count.

“I feel very bad about the closing but realize nothing can be done,” said Carson, who joined the fraternal organization in 1961 at the age of 21 on the urging of his father. “Dad became an Elk in 1955 and was lodge treasurer when he died on April 6, 1972.”

As a service organization, the Donora Elks donated $1,000 annually to United Cerebral Palsy and also contributed to the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society and the American Lung Association in its effort to fight tuberculosis. It also distributed food baskets to the needy during the Christmas holidays.

At the moment, lodge members are clearing out the building at 429 Meldon Ave. and sending official documents to the Grand Lodge in Chicago. These include financial records and minutes of meetings along with artifacts like the lodge gavel, Bible, American flag, elk antler and the bell once rung for deceased members in good standing at the lodge or the funeral home.

“The Grand Lodge will take over ownership of the building, although I have no idea what they’ll do with it,” Carson said.

Carson will retain plaques that names the Donora Elks as ritual champions for the initiation ceremony of new members for the Southwestern District of Pennsylvania in 1974-76. He’s also keeping certificates that name him officer of the year for the Donora lodge in 1980, 2001 and 2011.

Items including art deco chairs and poker chips have been given to Donora Historical Society.

“The most significant item we’ve received is an electric memorial clock in Elk official colors of dark blue and white that chimes and lights up,” said Brian Charlton, curator of the society collections. “I’m going to have an electrician take a look at it because the wiring is very old. I’m also concerned about getting the proper bulbs because old bulbs like these are hard to come by.”

Following the practice of the Grand Lodge, which rang the memorial clock at the 11th hour of the evening to honor deceased members in good standing, the Donora lodge adopted the same ritual at parties, meetings and other events that went to 11 p.m.

The historical society will also receive two large plaques on which the names of deceased members were engraved along with the year they joined the lodge and the date of their death. The first entry dates from 1912 and extends through 2018 with the addition of the latest deceased member, John Chanko.

“The earliest plaque is cast in bronze and quite beautiful,” Charlton said. “They are about 6 feet by 3 feet in size and have the names of about 100 members on each.”

A third plaque now in the possession of the historical society records the names of the lodge’s exalted rulers, starting with Dr. Minor Day in 1912 and ending with Gary L. Davis. The current exalted ruler’s name, Walter D. Griffin, has not been added to the plaque because it’s now in the possession of the historical society.

“We’re trying to determine how to display the plaques at the historical society museum,” Charlton said. “The artifacts tie in with the society’s goal of preserving and protecting the history of Donora.” The museum is at 595 McKean Ave.

According to Carson, who served as lodge secretary for 42 years from 1976 to the present and held the office of exalted ruler in 1974 and 1975, membership at the Donora lodge peaked between 1970 and 1972 with around 600 members, with a noticeable decrease beginning in 1980.

“In the last 10 years, several Elks lodges have closed in the Pittsburgh area, including Mt. Pleasant, Brownsville, Waynesburg and Pittsburgh No. 11,” he said. “However, at least eight in the Southwestern District remain active.”

Carson said originally the Elks accepted only men but started admitting women about 20 years ago. Subsequently, just three women decided to join the Donora lodge, but they eventually dropped off the membership rolls.

One of Carson’s fond memories is of Mike Nemesh, who in 1937 was to serve as lodge steward. His duties included cooking members’ meals, bartending and helping to plan for the lodge’s annual picnics. Nemesh served as steward for 50 years.

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks began as a social club in 1868 in New York City, when it was known as the Jolly Corks. After one of the members died and left his wife and children destitute, the group added service roles and rituals along with a change to its current name. Since then, the Elks has gone on to become a major fraternal, service and charitable organization with over a million members.

Charlton, however, questions the continuing viability of the Elks and similar organizations.

“These clubs are closing everywhere across the United States,” he said. “As a cultural historian, I’m curious to see what this says about our nation’s values when a group dedicated to helping others can’t get new members.”

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $3.75/week.

Subscribe Today