Community Corner
Ridgewood Elks Lodge Shut Down After Years Of Fiscal Problems
Lodge No. 1455 was not 'living up to the expectations that an Elks lodge is expected to live up to,' an official said.
RIDGEWOOD, N.J. — Elks Lodge 1455 was shut down recently after years of being on and off probation and having financial difficulties.
The 93-year-old lodge was on and off probation since about 2001, said Paul Helsel, past grand exalted ruler of the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks.
The lodge often had financial problems, mostly due to the low number of members — about 90 — who belonged there. A typical, successful lodge has anywhere from 400 to 500 members, Helsel said.
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"We made a decision that was in everybody's best interests," said Helsel, who is chairman of the Elks' national Advisory Committee. "We require lodges to be financially sound."
The lodge went through the Elks' internal legal proceedings and a review process before the decision to close it was made.
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Helsel said the lodge was also "deficient in other areas," but would not comment on what those areas specifically were.
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