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Reprinted with permission of the Meriden Record-Journal, February 29, 2004 Elks leaders say discriminatory attitudes are a thing of
the past Back then, Meriden Lodge No. 35 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks was among a small group of bitter-enders that dug in against their national organization's decision in 1973 to end the fraternal group's whites-only policy. Wallingford and Southington joined the majority of local lodges in favoring an end to racial discrimination. Today's local leaders say that whatever discriminatory attitudes may have existed then are far in the past. Two Hispanics and a growing number of women, now about 35, are counted among the Meriden lodge's 620 members, said Tom Neill, the president of Lodge No. 35, who carries the title of exalted ruler. Wider patterns in American society — rather than the local legacy of that 1973 vote — are partly responsible for the lack of racial integration, according to several local Elks' leaders. The high level of social segregation between blacks and whites inevitably affects fraternal organizations such as the Elks, they say. "In order to become an Elk, you have to be sponsored by someone" who is a member, said Rick Carney, a member of the Meriden lodge for 25 years. "One has never been introduced. There's never been a case of anyone being voted out as an African-American or a Latino." The Meriden lodge is open to anyone, said Neill, who is not sure why it remains all white. At some of Connecticut's 34 other lodges, blacks have risen to leadership positions, he said. These lodges include Branford, New London and Norwich. "African-Americans have their own Elks, and maybe that's part of it," said Richard Calvanese, a past president of the local lodge. "But there are quite a few in the state and some of them are officers." Calvanese was the exalted ruler three years ago when the first women were initiated into the Meriden lodge. James Plawecki, president of the Southington lodge beginning in April, attributes the absence of blacks partly to the town's nearly all-white population. "We would not prevent them from joining," he said. If any members attempted to use their vetoes to block applicants because of racial bias, "I wouldn't allow it." In Meriden, blacks make up about 7 percent of the population. But very few live in Wallingford and Southington — making up 1 percent of the population in each town. Women, first accepted nationally into the Elks in 1995, are a very small but growing part of memberships at the three local lodges — now making up about 5 percent at each. Like other fraternal organizations, the Elks emphasize their charitable work rather than their social life. Leaders are proud that the Elks National Foundation, with a $350 million endowment, gave away $15 million last year for college scholarships and other charitable causes. The foundation calls itself the largest scholarship provider in the nation after the federal government. At the same time, civil rights advocates have argued in legal challenges through the years that fraternal organizations serve as important conduits for business relationships, creating an economic impediment for those who are excluded. Roland Cockfield, president of the Meriden-Wallingford chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said he has not heard of any discrimination by the Meriden Elks. He has never received a complaint about anyone being denied membership in a racially motivated incident. But Cockfield views the Elks in the context of the NAACP's continuing campaign for integration throughout American society. "We should have diversity in every organization we have. Without diversity, we're very limited in our knowledge about each other and limited in our ability to help each other and to help the community," he said. "I would not want to be in some place where I'm not welcome. I think they would need to make the first move and reach out and invite an Afro-American." Cockfield probably is not a good prospect as an Elks initiate — he is a dedicated, long-time member of the Masons. The Masonic movement has formalized relations between its separate historically white and historically black organizations. "In the Masons, we have the right, if we choose, to join with each group," Cockfield said. The historically black parallel Elks group, the Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World, remains separate. Local chapters operate in New Britain and New Haven. In 1973, the national Elks were immersed in a civil rights controversy after a federal court ruled that tax-exempt status should be taken away from fraternal organizations guilty of racial discrimination. In 1972, a proposal to integrate the Elks had been defeated, gaining only 40 percent of the delegate votes at the annual national convention. Threatened with a financial crisis a year later, the Elks' national leadership urged approval of integration. Seventy-five percent of the delegates voted in favor. But approval was required by at least half of the nation's 2,200 lodges, A large majority voted to go along. But Meriden refused, in a vote whose exact tally never was made public. Elks' leaders also did not comment publicly about the discussion that took place inside the lodge's venerable brick building near City Hall on East Main Street. Other Connecticut lodges voting "no" included Middletown, Groton and New London. The national outcome became clear in late October. It would be binding on local chapters. Meriden reversed its vote. A Connecticut man had started the national campaign against the Elks' whites-only policy. Louis Cornelius of Groton filed an $11 million federal lawsuit in 1972 after he was denied membership in the local lodge. Separately, the state Liquor Commission had suspended the lodge's liquor license because of the racial discrimination. Retired Meriden Police Chief Robert Kosienski Sr., an Elk since 1970, said he does not remember the whites-only controversy, but is happy that such attitudes have faded. "Unfortunately, the country did things in the past that now we don't accept. I'm glad that the organizations woke up. This is America and everyone should be equal and have the same opportunities," he said. "It's been nothing but a great organization and I'm proud to participate in it." Kosienski's son, Meriden school board member Robert Kosienski Jr., said he believes the Elks membership today is not prejudiced. He looks forward to racial integration finally reaching the Meriden lodge. "We should have blacks and whites and Hispanics in the club. It's not exclusive. It's inclusive. I would not be a member of a club that excluded anyone on any basis," he said. Kosienski Jr., who joined the lodge 10 years ago, said he hasn't talked with any of his friends recently about becoming Elks. "I have an awful lot of friends who are African-American and I would be glad to put their names forward if they wanted to join," he said. An Elk must formally sponsor each person who applies to join. Women and the Elks Over the past decade, barriers against women participating in the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks have been falling away. Three years after first accepting women, the Meriden lodge honored Carol Carney on Feb. 21 as Elk of the year. She experiences no sense of lingering disapproval. "I don't think about, ‘Am I working next to a guy or a girl?' I'm working next to another Elk. They don't treat us any differently." Carney, wife of Rick Carney, was honored for her leadership of the local Elks' scholarship program, which is open to all high school seniors in Meriden. She wanted to join because she was familiar with the Elk's charitable community work from her husband's 15-year involvement. Lodge No. 35 sponsors anti-drug programs in the Meriden schools and youth activities. The tradition that women, mainly members of the Elks' associated Emblem Club for women, worked in the kitchen and waited on Elks at some events also is in the past, Carol Carney said. "Every week we have a Friday night social and guys now cook. Everybody does the work." Facing the nationwide decline in fraternal organization memberships, many leaders of groups such as the Elks now welcome the broadening of membership criteria. Elks membership in the United States has declined to 1.2 million from 1.9 million 25 years ago. As recently as two decades ago, Meriden's lodge had about 900 members, half again as many as now. Membership in Lodge No. 35 has stabilized, Neill said, with very slight growth over the past four years, going up by about 50 from its low of around 570. About 35 are women. In Wallingford, the Elks are going strong. Membership is up, now totaling 800, including about 50 women, according to Walter Polnar, this year's president of Lodge No. 1365. At least one member is Hispanic, although he said he keeps no formal count of women or members of minority groups. "I don't believe it's an issue. I really don't," he said. "It's not a good old boys' group anymore." "I'm very proud that our officer of the year award went to a woman" last year, Polnar said. The usual progression of officers toward the top spot will give the Wallingford lodge its first female president in 2006, he said. In Southington, about 15 of the 330 members are women, Plawecki said. Five of the 14 officers will be women in 2004-05. "I supported it when it started and in fact we find that women are more active in some cases than men," Plawecki said. By the early 1990s, legal challenges were being made in several states against the Elks' ban on women. One of the key cases started in Meriden — where Linda Mesite filed a complaint with the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities after she was denied membership. When the national Elks organization voted in 1995 to accept women, it had spent about $1 million fighting the discrimination complaints. Mesite had applied for membership despite the men-only restriction after working as manager at the lodge for four years. The Meriden resident claimed that she was fired as a result. The case was settled with a $10,000 damage award to Mesite and a requirement that the Elks provide a positive employment reference, she said. Mesite never changed her mind about becoming an Elk. Two years ago, she joined the lodge in Westbrook, where she vacations in the summer. Although she chose not to join the Meriden lodge, it provided the required assent for her to join another lodge. She feels welcome when she visits there. "I had a problem with the organization, but just a very few people," she said. "It's a great organization. Great people." "Women are an asset to any organization. They're doers. They organize things." Robert Kosienski Jr. — who joined the Meriden Elks at the minimum age of 21 and remains younger than most members — believes the bottom line is that the organization needs more diversity to remain a healthy community service group in the long run. "If the Elks in Meriden want to continue, we have to be open-minded ... celebrating what America really is," he said. "Wouldn't it be nice ... for it to be known as a progressive lodge where everyone is welcome?" mwaters@record-journal.com (203) 317-2232
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