Membership


The Order is a non-political, non-sectarian and strictly American fraternity. Proposal for membership in the Order is only by invitation of a member in good standing. To be accepted as a member, one must be an American citizen, believe in God, be of good moral character and be at least 21 years old. 

How do I Become an Elk?

Elks is an exclusive membership–you must be sponsored by another Elk to join.

To qualify as an Elk you must:


Once you can say yes to these 3 criteria, then ask yourself if you already know a friend who is an Elk and ask them to sponsor you.

You can be sponsored by any member in good standing from any lodge in the country. You'll also need two other Elks who will be your references. The Elk who proposes you for membership will provide you with a copy of the Membership Application, or will email you a link to the online version of the form. Please follow all instructions and answer all questions. If applying via hard copy, please return your completed application to the Lodge Secretary.

Your application will be read at a regular Lodge meeting. It will then be forwarded to the Investigating Committee, who will call you and set up a time for you and your sponsor to meet with the committee so that they can interview you.

After the interview is concluded, the committee will report to the Lodge concerning your membership. The members will be given a notice not less than 10 days nor more than two months before the vote will be taken.

When the vote is concluded, you will be notified and asked to present yourself and your spouse for indoctrination. During indoctrination, you will learn more about the Order's programs and charities. You will also be told during the program the date you will be initiated.

After initiation as an Elk, you can take part in all meetings and social functions of the Lodge.

If for any reason your application is rejected, you can submit a new application for membership after six months from the date of rejection.

Local lodges are everywhere and can be found using our online directory to locate a Lodge near you.