We Went Dancing At The Elks Lodge In Huntington Beach
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE; also often known as the Elks Lodge or simply The Elks), is an American fraternal order and social club founded in 1868. It is one of the leading fraternal orders in the U.S., claiming over one million members.
The Hour of Recollection
Deceased and otherwise absent lodge members are recalled each evening at 11 p.m. when the lodge esquire intones, "It is the Hour of Recollection." The exalted ruler or a member designated by him gives the 11 o'clock toast, of which this version is the most common:
"You have heard the tolling of eleven strokes. This is to remind you that with Elks, the hour of eleven has a tender significance. Wherever Elks may roam, whatever their lot in life may be, when this hour tolls upon the dial of night, the great heart of Elkdom swells and throbs. It is the golden hour of recollection, the homecoming of those who wander, the mystic roll call of those who will come no more. Living or dead, an Elk is never forgotten, never forsaken. Morning and noon may pass him by, the light of day sink heedlessly into the west. But ere the shadows of midnight shall fall, the chimes of memory shall be pealing forth the friendly message: To our absent members."
Music Was Great And We Danced Until O'Dark Thirty!
