The tradition is almost as old as the Order itself. According to the History of the Order of the Elks, the first such memorial service was performed in 1870, when two members of New York, NY Lodge No. 1 died. Fellow brothers suggested honoring them with a “Lodge of Sorrow” by decorating the Lodge and holding a session with songs and a eulogy. In 1889, Exalted Grand Ruler (as the position was known then) Hamilton E. Leach recommended that the Memorial be observed annually, and the resolution was unanimously adopted at the Grand Lodge Session of 1890. “The Elks Memorial Day is important because we use this day to honor and cherish the memories of those Elks who have passed away,” said Mark Bump, PDDGER and Lodge Secretary for Joliet, IL Lodge No. 296. “It is one of the most moving ceremonies in all of Elkdom.”
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