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Daughters of the Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World facts for kids

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The Daughters of the Improved Benevolent Protective Order of Elks of the World is a special group for women. It's connected to the Improved Benevolent Protective Order of Elks of the World, which is an African American organization. Think of the Daughters as the official women's part of the Elks. They work closely with the men's group, and the men's group supports them. Emma V. Kelley started the Daughters in 1902. Every year, they give out an award named after her, called the Emma V. Kelley Achievement Award.

What is the Daughters' Mission?

The Daughters of the Elks follow a guide from the Bible, specifically the 13th chapter of First Corinthians. Their main ideas are about being kind (charity), being fair (justice), loving their country (patriotism), and showing love to their fellow members, both sisters and brothers. Emma V. Kelley created the Daughters to bring together women who are healthy and have good character. Her goal was to help and uplift members, connecting women from all over the United States and even reaching out to sisters in Africa.

A Look at Their History

The very first local group, called a "Temple," of the Daughters was started in Norfolk, Virginia. It was named Norfolk Temple No. 1. Their first public meeting happened in July 1903 at the St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church. Forty women attended this important meeting.

The Improved Elks helped the Daughters organize a big meeting on September 9, 1903. At this meeting, the Daughters officially became a national organization, known as the "Grand Temple." They created their rules, constitution, and how they would operate. In 1907, they even started a special department for young people. By 1913, there were 48 Temples across the country. When Emma V. Kelley passed away in 1932, the organization had grown to over 35,000 members!

How the Daughters are Organized

The national organization is called the "Grand Temple," and local groups are simply called "Temples." In 1979, the Daughters had Temples in many places. These included the United States, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, the Virgin Islands, other parts of the West Indies, and Panama. That year, they had a huge membership of 450,000 people!

The leader of a local Temple is known as the Daughter Ruler. The leader of the entire national organization, the Grand Temple, is called the Grand Daughter Ruler.

Past Grand Daughter Rulers (1902-1952)

Here are some of the women who led the Grand Temple in its early years:

  • Mary P. Barnes from Virginia
  • Mamie E. Hodges from Virginia
  • Nora Taylor from Illinois
  • Laura E. Williams from New York
  • Ella C. Berry from Illinois
  • Abbie M. Johnson from Pennsylvania
  • Elizabeth Ross Gordon from Washington, D.C.
  • Nettie C. Jackson from New York

Helping Others: Philanthropy

In their first 50 years, the Daughters of the Elks did amazing charitable work. They raised over two million dollars! This money was used for college scholarships to help young people go to school, no matter their background. The Daughters were also very active during the civil rights movement in the 1960s and 1970s, working for fairness and equality.

Famous Members of the Daughters

Many notable women have been part of the Daughters of the Elks. Here are a few:

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