75th Anniversary of a local institution

Shoreline Elks Lodge

By Bruce Bennett

If a chair is 75 years old, it can be considered an antique. If an organization turns 75 years old, it can be considered an institution. 

Such is the case with the Shoreline Elks Lodge. 

Formerly operated as the Lake City Elks Lodge and located on Lake City Way, the Shoreline Elks Lodge celebrated their anniversary on Saturday, September 13, 2025. 

The sold-out event marks three-quarters of a century of service and charitable giving in the community. 

The lodge was chartered in September, 1950, in Lake City, WA before relocating to its current property at 14625 15th Avenue NE in 2012. Today, the organization has become a significant contributor to local charities and community programs.

“A lot of people think we are just a social club, but we really aren’t,” said Mike Thyng, Chair of the 75th Anniversary Committee.

“We’re not a club; we’re a fraternal organization and open to both men and women. There are about 2,200 lodges across the country with 1.5 million members. We have gotta be doing something right in our communities. Our motto as always been, Elks Care. Elks Share.”

The lodge’s charitable efforts center around the Washington Elks Children Therapy Services, established in 1954 and funded by the state’s lodges. The program employs many therapists who provide free home-based physical and occupational therapy to children with developmental delays and physical disabilities. 

“We start at infancy and work our way up. The therapists will stay with that child until the child is good enough to be on their own and parents are able to take over the care duties.” noted Thyng.

The lodge donates to the veterans association

Locally, the lodge distributes approximately $40,000 annually to area non-profit organizations. Recent charitable recipients include Seattle Children’s Hospital, HomeLink Food Bank, First Responders, Compass Veterans Center and high school student scholarships, through the lodge’s Most Valuable Student Program, and youth drug awareness programs. 

 “Just about every fundraiser we have goes to supporting some non-profit organization in our Shoreline community. We try to be good and caring neighbors. We’ve been doing these types of activities since we began.” Thyng added.

One of the lodge’s founding members is James Bickford, of Seattle, who was initiated into the Ephrata, WA Elks Lodge in 1947, relocated to the Lake City Elks and, now, at 98 years old, remains the lodge’s longest-living member, He has maintained his membership for all 76 years and leads the lodge’s Sunday Community Bingo operation.

Barbeque

Raelynn Phillips currently serves as Exalted Ruler of the Lodge, making her one the few women to hold the leadership position in the lodge’s 75-year history. 

Women have been members of the organization since the 1990s. There is also a Lodge ancillary group, the Shoreline-Lake City Emblem Club, which supports its own list of charities, such as scholarships, national disaster relief funding and the lodge itself. 

“It’s very exciting and an honor to serve this year,” she said about leading the organization during its anniversary year.

“I think it’s just a wonderful time to be celebrating the Elks.” We are also growing in younger members. What they now realize is there is something here for them and their families and that they can have a good time. It’s an intergenerational membership.” said Phillips.

“The way I look at the Elks, they are built on everything that the original United States was built on. That’s the belief in God and country, helping out your fellow man, charity and supporting the veterans and the youth in our community.

"We still say the pledge of allegiance and have a prayer as part of each lodge meeting. Those who are not members of the Elks just don’t realize what a resource we are in terms of the amount of time and funds the Elks give back to the community.” Phillips concluded.

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE) traces its origins to 1863 in New York, when a group of actors from England formed the organization to provide mutual support and assistance to members’ families in times of need. 

The group voted to adopt the elk as their symbol rather than the buffalo. 

“If they had not voted to be an elk, we would’ve ended up being a buffalo,” Thyng humorously noted as he referenced The Flintstones’ Water Buffalo Lodge.

The Shoreline Elks Lodge #1800 operates under the national organization headquartered in Chicago, which oversees more than 2,200 lodges across the United States.