By Pepper Fisher
PORT ANGELES – The Naval Elks Lodge in Port Angeles is marking its 125th year, albeit two years late, and the public is invited to help them celebrate on May 6.
Past Exalted Rulers Rhonda Rose and John Pearce dropped by the Todd Ortloff Show this week to talk about the event, being billed as “Lost In The Lodge”. Rose says they’re offering the public rare access to explore the historic downtown building and discover its hidden gems.
“From the gym in the basement, to the scary fifth floor, that there are lots of haunted stories about. We have a speakeasy room on that fifth floor, and we also have a hidden room that, in my 29 years of being a member, never knew this room existed. And that’s another little Skylight Speakeasy room. So, there will be lots of places for people to really explore the entire building.”
Described as an “immersive experience”, there’ll be a 21-piece orchestra in the ballroom, a band in the lounge, a jazz duo in the Lodge Room, and two hidden speakeasies for visitors to find on their own. There’ll be food and cocktails available, too, in this 21-and-older event.
Pearce explains how the local chapter came to be a Naval Lodge.
“Back in 1868, the Elks were established. And then about 1896, Admiral Beardsley came with the Pacific Fleet, and he wanted to put an Elk’s Lodge in Port Angeles. Well, back then, we were just a co-op, so there wasn’t the population to do it. And so, Admiral Beardsley, with his officers, kind of gave Port Angeles the population they needed to start an Elks Club. But, one of his deals was that it had to be called Naval. And that’s why we have a couple rules there that are kind of navy-based. Like, no lids in the the lodge room, and no lids in the lounge. But yeah, Admiral Beardsley was a big part of getting it going, and that’s the reason we are Naval.”
Tickets are $30 for this Lost In The Lodge event, and are available by calling the Elks Lodge at (360)461-0426, or visit “events at the Elks’ on Facebook, but they’re going fast.
Again, it’s on Saturday, May 6 from 7-11pm, at the Els Lodge, 131 E. First Street, downtown Port Angeles.