The Orange Elks, An All-American Lodge
by: Bill Neessen
Published: July 13, 2026
ORANGE...For the tenth time in the last twelve years, the Orange Elks Lodge #1475 is an All-American Lodge. The term "All American", in Elkdom and in our society means that you are the best that you can be. For the 2025 - 2026 Elk year, the Orange Elks officers, their committee chairmen, our members, spouses and our friends have all helped the lodge earned this title through their hard work supporting our Community, our Veterans, our Youth and our Community Partners!
Our Lodge supports the Programs of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Our key programs are Scholarships, Youth Activity Programs, making donations to Veterans Causes, participating in Veterans Programs, conducting an Americanism Essay Contest, and having a Drug Awareness Education Program. The lodge works closely with our Community Partners, the Orange Police Department, the Orange City Fire Department, the Hub of OC, the Santiago Creek Greenway Alliance to clean up Santiago Creek and GRIP (Gang Reduction Intervention Partnership) to name a few.
The 2025-2026 programs that were successful included two blood drives for the American Red Cross, the Flags Over Orange Program, conducting the Flags Over the Plaza Program, helping members of Pasadena Lodge who lost homes in the fires, working with the H U B O C Resource Center, and providing dinners at the Tustin Village Outpost Dinners.
Every year the Lodge begins new programs, and this year was no exception. The formation, initiation and installation of officer for our Antler Program was a good example, hosting 110 Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard personnel for Fleet Week, supporting the Jasper Ray Foundation for swimming lessons at the summer swim camp and making a $1,500 donation, the $2,500 donation to the Orange Police Department to install an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) in the Police vehicles, the formation of the Bereavement Committee to support the family of a member who has passed away and installing a "Little Free Library" in our parking lot to provide books for people to read and return are just a few of the new programs.
Exalted Ruler Lynn Butler accepting the award from Michael L. Kennedy, G L Fraternal Committee
Photo:OrangeElks