Long hidden in plain sight at the corner of Third Avenue and Coffman Street, Elks Lodge #1055 celebrated joining the Longmont Chamber of Commerce Tuesday afternoon with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour of the lodge.
Though just now joining the Chamber, Elks Lodge members have been a staple of the Longmont community for 117 years. The original building has stood at the corner since 1925, and the ballroom was completed in 1963.
Their longtime presence in town doesn’t mean the organization and its structure aren’t without a touch of mystery, though.
When Allen Lenort, secretary of Elks Lodge #1055, meets new people and talks about the lodge, he usually hears a common statement, “I’ve always wanted to go in there …,” Lenort said people tell him.
That’s part of why the organization decided to join the Longmont Chamber of Commerce — to shine a light on the organization and show how much it does to help support the community.
“The reason for (joining) the Chamber and the reason we’ve become more open is that we’re not a secret society,” Lenort said. “We’ve given over $6 million dollars back to the local community over our history, and when people hear that, they’re like, ‘wait, what?’”
Attendees felt a similar sentiment during a look around the ballroom. Lenort talked about how the lodge replaced the former purple windows of the space with the help of the Longmont Downtown Development Authority after an individual broke several.
“The purple was cool, but it was really outdated. And with all the broken windows on the bottom, it looked like a princess with a lot of broken teeth,” Lenort said.
Following Lenort’s anecdote, a tour of the building commenced. Guests were shown the member’s meeting space, a bar area with a golf simulator in the back and the original flooring that was uncovered after removing some carpet.
But no matter what material gets tossed out from the building, its members’ purpose remains to serve the community. Kerry Tay McLean, a longtime Elks Lodge member, highlighted some of the ways that the lodge gives back.
“We have a group that does veterans work; we do drug awareness and youth programs; we’ve done things like give gift baskets out at Christmas time and we have scholarships available for high school seniors,” McLean said.
Part of how the Elks Lodge can do all this good comes from having a building filled with dedicated members who’ve been doing their part for as long as anyone can remember.
“We’ve been down here at the corner of Third and Coffman for a lot of years, and we want to be a part of the community and support the community the best we can. If anybody is interested and wants to join, we’d love to have you be a part of the Elks team,” Lenort said.
To join, visit the lodge and fill out an application. October and November are membership drives; new members or members whose membership have lapsed can join for $1
Also, community members can book the lodge for events, including weddings, meetings, celebrations of life, reunions, and more.
