North Carolina State Association.

The last historical book put together for the NC Elks was completed in 2002 by Walter McSwain, Jr of N Wilkesboro lodge. You can download this but they are very large files so it might be something you would want to do and then go to bed. It's divided into four parts.

• Part 1. Ray Fusion's which went through 1971. Click here to download it. It's a good attempt at gathering information about the NC Elks from 1939 on. However, he is totally off base on his assertion that he makes in his introduction that there were no records of the association prior to then. You should be able to see that in the table below.
• Part 2. click here for history from 1971 to 2002.
• Part 3. click here for history of the individual lodges.
• Part 4. Click here for the last part which lists an assortment of information regarding state association events.

For current information on the State Association please go to www.ncelks.org. My attempt here is to save historic information that might provide an intriguing look to the past.

For 69 years the State association marked its beginning from 1939. Apparently there was some sort of controversy that  caused them to distance themselves from early Elks. However, this was corrected at the October 2008 state convention. (Click here for Grand Lodge historian's Mike Kelly's list of early State Association)

 Click on highlighted links for more information. If anyone from NC and from the cities noted has the time to check out the local newspaper at your library or your lodge records please email mikejonea2@yahoo.com . Typically, it was front page news when Elks gatherings were formed so as long as you an approximate date, you can find a good deal of lost information. If you find something you think I ought to add, please let me know.  

Date	Location		State President	Secretary	Other information
May 20, 1901	Charlotte		Director Gen. Hamilton Wilson		.Click here for newspaper captions. Seven lodges in state.
1902	Asheville		C.F Tomlison of Winston	C D Keehin of Salisbury	Click here for newspaper captions
1903	Wilmington #532		B.S Davis of Charlotte	?	As noted in state history book pg 171. You also need to read this from the Wilmington newspaper. This is noted as the Third reunion.
1904	Winston		William J Bellamy of Wilmington		As noted in above newspaper article.
1911	Durham #568		?	?	Durham morning Herald June 15 or 16th 1922 notes this is first meeting since reorganization. Click here to see article.
Mar 13-15, 1912	New Bern #764 Click here for program. Go here to see slideshow		W. G. Bramham of Durham	T. B. Kehoe	Program says 10th anniversary of New Bern. Thanks to the late Frank Oglesby for allowing me to scan this program.
1913	Wilmington		?	T. B. Kehoe	As noted in state history book pg 171
May 27-28/1914	Winston-Salem #449		?	T. B. Kehoe	Picture of gathering can be seen at Salisbury Lodge
July 1915	Charlotte		?	T. B. Kehoe
May 17-18, 1916	Washington #822. Building was located upstairs 218-230 W Main St. Since 1950 Dibble and associates.		Joseph F Tayloe	T. B. Kehoe	New Bern won the cup thanks to having the largest delegation in the parade (59). Washington had 120. Overall 400 attended with 16 lodges in attendance. See the Washington Daily news for these 2 days of fascinating articles.
May 15-16 1917	Raleigh		Joseph Ferrell	T. B. Kehoe
May 1918	Greensboro		?	T. B. Kehoe
1919	Greensboro		?	T. B. Kehoe
May 25-26, 1920	Salisbury. Click here for a neat picture of gathering can be seen at Salisbury Lodge		P. B. Beard of Salisbury	T. B. Kehoe	Here are two articles from the  convention in Salisbury. Held during the middle of the week, 1000 Elks attended! Fascinating reading in Word format. May 25th, May 26th Elks might build dormitory at Jackson Training School. Endorse the Antlers and Boy Scouts
Telegram from State Sec concerning convention
June 8-9, 1921	Goldsboro			T. B. Kehoe	A few grainy pictures of this convention can be seen here
June 15-16, 1922	Durham		W.G. Wegener of Durham	T. B. Kehoe	D.D. Daughtridge, 1st VP Rocky Mount, 2nd VP is W.C. Maupin of Salisbury
	First Day		Lodges attending	Durham program
more on Durham->
June 1923,	High Point		Arthur Lyon of High Pt	T. B. Kehoe	Also mentioned in July 1923  Elks Magazine. pg 40
June 2, 1924	Winston-Salem		Henry Matson of Winston	T. B. Kehoe
As noted in Oct 1925 elks Magazine. Pg 81.	Wrightsville Beach. State Association Entertained by Wilmington Elks		Charles Harris of Raleigh	T. B. Kehoe	400 to 500 attended. Novel feature was a bathing beauty contest in which various lodges had their favorites entered. (now that would have been interesting )
1926	?		James Hatch of Charlotte	T. B. Kehoe	Officer's were to decide on a meeting date and place.
1927	?		James J Hatch of Goldsboro	J S Crawford of Goldsboro	Meeting date not decided as of March 1927 Elks Magazine
1927 to 1929	no apparent meetings
March 1930	?		Norman Boren of Greensboro	Max Rawlins of Greensboro	As noted in March 1930 elks Magazine. page 55. State Association list.
March 24, 1930	Raleigh		D.W. Sorrell of Durham	T.B. Kehoe	State meeting as noted in May 1930 Elks Magazine. Voted to make permanent the temporary association it had been (no meetings for 3 years).  8 lodges in attendance. Grand Lodge officer's were present. Grand Sec, J. Edgar Masters
spring 32	Wilmington		Harry Patterson of New Bern	T. B. Kehoe	Feb 33 elks mag says that association dissolved in 1924. Meeting called by DD R.E. Stevens for reinstitution association was held. Article in June 32. Pg 52. Representatives of 14 lodges met.
sometime late 1932	Greensboro		Harry Patterson of New Bern	T. B. Kehoe	next step of reformation was accomplished.
May 1933	Asheville		Harry Patterson of New Bern		Should be totally revised Association at this meeting. Click here for Elks mag report.
May 19, 1934	Charlotte		John Morton of Charlotte	W.B. Davis of Greensboro	Click here to read Elks Magazine article from July 1934 on convention
1935	Wilmington		John Morton	W.B. Davis	Regional mtg held. 5 Eastern lodges represented. January 1935 elks magazine. pg 23 eastern edition. Friendship activities of Lodges discussed and plans discussed to combat Communism.
May 1935	Salisbury		N.P. Mulvaney of Asheville	W.B Davis of Greensboro	Click here to see picture in Elks Magazine.
May 1937	Charlotte		John Morton		Article from Elks Mag in adobe pdf. One of the best conventions ever held. 1000 in attendance. State essay contest winners announced. Theme was "American Schools As a Public Safeguard".  $1000 given to a national education fund. GER David Sholtz attended.
May 1938	Greensboro		John Caffey, Greensboro	W.C Burns, from High Point	Convention not held?

Other info

• Apparently the Lodges were allowed to endorse by voting for or against the District Deputy representative that the Grand Exalted Ruler would pick.  This was found  in a review of the minutes of Salisbury Elks lodge from 1912 to the 1930's.
• May 18, 1922. Letter to Lodge that included credentials and rules for voting. Back then all PER's and existing ER's and GL members were allowed to vote although no lodge could have more than 10 votes exclusive of PER's and GL members.
• Sometime after May 10, 1929, one of the Elks Magazine purple and white cars journeyed south into NC and ultimately to the GL 1929 convention in Los Angeles.  This included a stop in Salisbury! Click here for article from July 1929 elks Magazine.
• Mar 21, 1930. Grand Lodge officer's visit to Salisbury. Click here for a partial html version of the article. They later went north to Lexington, W-S, Greensboro, High Point and into eastern NC and Va.
• June 24, 1930 Elks Magazine Goodwill tour (Salisbury this day). W-S, Greensboro, Raleigh followed. In adobe pdf file
• East District meeting at Goldsboro. 150 in attendance! May 1932 Elks Magazine
• State association article in February 1933 Elks Magazine. It said that the organization hadn't met since 1924 and the first meeting to discuss reorganization was held in 1932. Click here.
• State association article August 1933. Click here
• June 1934 Elks Magazine- pg 50 Eastern Edition. GER Meier arrives in Hendersonville Feb 4,1934 by rail and then drives to Asheville (reported as 1401 lodge number) for inspection. The GER then went to Greenville SC, Columbia, Orangeburg and Charleston. By Feb 7th, he was in Wilmington. Was guest of honor for a dinner at Harrell's oyster house and then attended the lodge meeting. State Association president Harry Patterson was in attendance (he was also a Past Grand Innerguard). Feb 8th he traveled to Goldsboro for a luncheon with 60 members. Then New Berne for a dinner at the Lodge. 110 members in attendance including President Patterson, DD Tom Kehoe and 2 past state presidents.  Feb 9th the GER stopped in to see the Governor of NC, J.C.B. Ehringhause (he was a PDD). at noon, he had a luncheon at Durham lodge with 75 members. Then on to Greensboro for a dinner at lodge #602. 75 members in attendance as well as a number of State association officer's. Then he went to Danville, VA for many more visits.
• July 1935 Elks Magazine prints picture of Officers of Association for a convention that was held in Salisbury in May of that same year. See picture in table above.
• 1936 Elks Magazine,  Durham, Greensboro and Goldsboro hold inter-lodge event. Click here
• Jan 1937. Interlodge mtg in New Berne, Interlodge meeting in Wilmington plus fascinating article about Concord #1593 and its "carney" roots. Click here.
• Raleigh, Sept 13-15, 1940
•  Fall meeting was Asheville, August 24-26, 1941
• 1942, Spring meeting was  in Winston Salem on May 15th. Clyde Glenn of Durham was drafted for President for the third time. PGER David Sholtz (and past Gov of Fl) was honored guest. Click here for Elks Magazine article.
• Elks Magazine August 1943. State convention held in Wilson, NC on June 4-5. Click here for jpeg image of article. Hendersonville was selected to host 1944 convention. J.A Kelly of Salisbury was elected 3 year Trustee.
• Elks Magazine March 1944. Lengthy report on Nov 30, 1943 Fall meeting at Raleigh. 17 of 22 lodges represented. Reorganization which had started in 1943 completed. GER  Lonergan attended.
• June 9-10, 1944 meeting to be held in Hendersonville.
• Sept 1944, the Association met in Charlotte (or the GER dedicated Charlotte's new home). Click here for the Nov 1944 Elks Magazine article.
• June 7, 1945 spring meeting in Greensboro. Click here for article
• Sept 29-30th, 1945 fall meeting in Hendersonville. 15 of 21 lodges attended. 251 boys attended two week sessions at youth camp. Thad Eure presided. Click here for article.
• June 27th & 28th, 1946, State Association met in Wilmington. 297 delegates and guests attended. mortgage was retired on Boys Camp. Click here for elks Magazine article.
• 1947 ~ June 6th and 7th State convention was held in Charlotte.
• April 1948 Grand Exalted Ruler visit to Carolina's. Includes Southern Pines, Raleigh & Asheville. Click here.
• Elk Magazines Sept 1949. Picture of kids heading to State boys camp sponsored by the Charlotte Elks Lodge. Salisbury was very active with the boys camp. Also page 2 has brief story on May '49 state Association meeting.
• 1966 in Kinston. Pictures of convention program.
• 1976 in New Bern. Adobe pdf copy of program.

Misc. pictures & State Major Project from 1945 to 2003 was the Elks Boys Camp

Picture taken sometime in the 1940's of the Boy's Camp. Click on the picture to enlarge.. For a video from 1992 or so of the Elks camp, go to this youtube link. or copy and paste the below in a new browser window.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjcA8QSNFnE	Picture of the float NC had in the 1941 Grand Lodge convention  that was held in Philadelphia.	See slideshow of NC pictures

Back to North Carolina, 

Back Salisbury home, Updated 04/26/2015