DERBY – For the past 124 years, Derby Elks Lodge #571 has been lending a helping hand and spreading goodwill to Valley organizations and beyond from its headquarters on Elizabeth Street.
Whether they’re handing out scholarships to high school students, collecting food for Valley folks in need, or making Christmas morning brighter by ensuring local kids have presents under the tree, the Derby Elks’ charitable spirit knows no bounds.
“The Derby Lodge of Elks is a great community of people who work together to help others,” said Elks’ Esteemed Leading Knight Maria Blackwell in an email to the Valley Indy. “Working together to make a difference in the lives of others creates a bond between members.”
Blackwell and her husband Paul joined the Derby Elks two years ago, along with some other family members, and said it was one of the best decisions they made.
“We were looking for an organization that focused on volunteerism and giving back to others and the Derby Elks checked off all of the boxes,” Blackwell said. “We were also impressed with the warm welcome that we got from the members when we joined. Everyone is made to feel like family.”
That family atmosphere and sense of belonging is what drew former Elks’ Exalted Ruler David Robinson to the club more than three decades ago.
“I was involved in the Elks before I was an Elk,” Robinson told the Valley Indy in a phone interview.
Robinson said 30+ years ago, the Naugatuck Elks were sponsoring a scout troop for children with disabilities, and Robinson got involved with his son.
“The way the people treat you here, it’s all like family,” Robinson said. “And since my son became an Elk, he came out of his shell, he became an officer and is now a DJ. Before the Elks, he really wouldn’t talk to anyone. What the Elks did for my son was total acceptance.”
Robinson added, “I would not give anybody an application that I would not give the keys to my own house. It’s such a family affair. These are the best people on Earth.”
Derby Elks currently have 379 members, with another group set to be initiated next month. Blackwell said the members range in age from 23 to 85 and hail from all over the Valley and beyond, with a few out-of-state members as well.
Recent Charitable Acts
The club’s latest charitable feats that just wrapped up in April include a $4,000 donation made to the national nonprofit Tunnels to Towers Foundation, which helps Gold Star and families of fallen first responders pay off their mortgages, as well as builds specially adapted homes for injured veterans and first responders.
Elk David Savage approached the club about helping out, and before long, a St. Patrick’s Day dinner was organized. Derby joined forces with members of the Elks Riders and Elks law enforcement groups to make the event a success, Blackwell said.
“This event was a perfect example of how the Derby Elks Lodge’s members make an idea a reality for the betterment of others,” Blackwell said.
Blackwell also recalled how, last December, the Spooner House in Shelton had a refrigeration issue and lost all their food to spoilage. The Elks came to the rescue with a donation to replace all the food.
The Elks are also preparing to hand out three, $1,000 scholarships next month to high school students, where donations raised from a Super Bowl party enabled the club to provide an additional scholarship this year.
Upcoming Events
The Elks also have activities throughout each month, including trivia nights, pasta dinners, bowling nights and all types of holiday events. Some of the upcoming events, with most being held at the lodge headquarters at 73 Elizabeth St., Derby, include:
*May 12 — Mother’s Day Breakfast (Honoring All Moms)- 8:30 – 11:30AM
*May 27 — Derby- Shelton Memorial Day Parade — Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Sandwiches — 8:30AM
Anyone interested in becoming a member can contact the lodge via email at [email protected] or visit the lodge on 73 Elizabeth St. in Derby. The lodge is open Monday — Saturday 4PM- 10PM and Sundays from noon-6PM.
The Derby Elks History
Blackwell, the club’s historian, said the Derby Elks were established as Lodge #571 on April 17, 1900. In February 1900 several men met at the office of Dr. Louis D. LaBonte to discuss the possibility of forming an Elks Lodge in Derby. Some of the men were already members of the Waterbury Lodge of Elks #265. On April 17, 1900, a parade was held, and the Derby Lodge of Elks #571 was established with 61 members in their charter.
The Elks’ original meeting place was at Pythias Hall on Main Street in Derby, according to Blackwell. The club built and moved into their present building on 73 Elizabeth St. on February 21, 1917. That same day they received a telegram that a benefactor and non-member by the name of Friend A. Russ had paid the remaining mortgage ($20,000.00) on the building for the Elks, as a gift for their charity and goodwill to the community.
