Alaska Fraternal Lodges

About Fraternal Organizations in Alaska

A deep look at the history, oldest lodges, membership process, and notable members of fraternal organizations across Alaska.

History of Fraternal Organizations in Alaska

Alaska's fraternal history is shorter than that of any continental state and bears the unmistakable stamp of frontier conditions, gold-rush fortunes, and the practical necessities of life in the far north. The first organized fraternal activity in what was then the District of Alaska followed the Klondike Gold Rush of 1896 to 1899 and the simultaneous Nome and Fairbanks rushes of the early 1900s. Independent Order of Odd Fellows lodges were among the earliest fraternal bodies to appear, with Skagway IOOF Lodge organized around 1899 to serve the surge of stampeders and merchants flooding the trail to the Klondike, and Juneau IOOF Lodge No. 1 chartered shortly thereafter.

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks reached Alaska when Juneau Elks Lodge No. 420 was chartered on April 14, 1898, making it one of the very first BPOE lodges west of the Rockies and the first in any U.S. territory north of the contiguous states. Nome Elks Lodge No.

1102 followed in 1908, drawing membership from the gold-bearing beaches of the Bering Sea coast, and Fairbanks Elks Lodge No. 1551 chartered in 1925 to serve the interior gold camps and the Alaska Railroad workforce. Anchorage, founded only in 1915 as a railroad construction camp, did not receive its Elks charter until later — Anchorage Elks Lodge No. 1351 was chartered in 1919, growing rapidly with the city.

The Loyal Order of Moose, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, and the Knights of Columbus all reached Alaska before statehood in 1959, but membership remained small relative to the Elks until the post-World War II population boom. Military service members stationed at Elmendorf, Fort Richardson, Eielson, and the Aleutian outposts swelled fraternal rolls in the 1950s and 1960s, and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline construction of 1974 to 1977 produced another transient surge. Today's Alaska fraternal scene reflects a state where lodges often serve as the principal social institution in remote communities, where membership crosses ethnic and economic lines that elsewhere divide social clubs, and where lodge halls double as wedding venues, polling places, and emergency shelters during winter storms.

Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks in Alaska

The Alaska State Elks Association coordinates BPOE activity across the largest state by area but one of the smallest by lodge count. Alaska currently has approximately 19 Elks lodges, with the most prominent being Anchorage Elks Lodge No. 1351, Fairbanks Elks Lodge No. 1551, Juneau Elks Lodge No.

420, Ketchikan Elks Lodge No. 1429, Sitka Elks Lodge No. 1662, Kodiak Elks Lodge No. 1772, Petersburg Elks Lodge No.

1615, Wrangell Elks Lodge No. 1595, Soldotna Elks Lodge No. 2706, Palmer Elks Lodge No. 1842, and Homer Elks Lodge No.

2127. Juneau Elks Lodge No. 420 holds particular historical importance as the oldest fraternal lodge of any kind in Alaska that has continuously operated under its original charter, and its building near downtown Juneau has hosted territorial governors, judges, and members of every Alaska statehood delegation. Anchorage Elks Lodge No.

1351 is the largest Elks lodge in Alaska by membership and operates one of the most active charitable programs, including the Alaska Elks Major Project that funds vision-screening clinics for children in remote villages — a program of particular importance given the state's geography and the difficulty of accessing specialty pediatric care. The Alaska Elks also fund scholarships through the Most Valuable Student program at the state level and feed substantial donations into the Elks National Foundation. The Hoop Shoot free-throw program reaches school gymnasiums from Barrow to Ketchikan, and the Alaska state finals are held annually in Anchorage with the regional winner advancing to the Western regional and ultimately the national finals.

Loyal Order of Moose in Alaska

The Loyal Order of Moose in Alaska is small but tightly organized through the Alaska Moose Association. Anchorage Moose Lodge No. 1534 is the largest, followed by Fairbanks Moose Lodge No. 1392, Juneau Moose Lodge No.

700, Ketchikan Moose Lodge No. 1296, Kenai Moose Lodge No. 1942, Palmer Moose Lodge No. 1731, and Sitka Moose Lodge No.

1763. Each Alaska Moose lodge contributes per-member dues to Mooseheart, the residential child-care community in Illinois, and to Moosehaven, the senior community in Florida. Distance from the lower 48 means that few Alaska Moose members will ever visit either flagship facility, but the financial commitment remains a defining identity marker for the order. Alaska Moose lodges are notable for their integration into year-round community life: in many small Alaska towns the Moose hall is the only large indoor gathering space, and lodges routinely host wedding receptions, memorial services, school graduations, and Native village events.

Women of the Moose chapters in Alaska have historically been particularly active, organizing care packages for deployed Alaska National Guard troops, food drives for rural villages affected by subsistence shortages, and toy distributions to children in foster care across the state.

Eagles, Knights of Columbus & Other Fraternal Orders in Alaska

The Fraternal Order of Eagles maintains roughly 12 active aeries in Alaska, with Anchorage Aerie No. 1717, Fairbanks Aerie No. 1037, Juneau Aerie No. 4200, Ketchikan Aerie No.

4352, and Wasilla Aerie No. 4218 among the most prominent. The Eagles' historical advocacy for Mother's Day, Social Security, and workers' compensation is well-known to Alaska members, and the order's national charity for diabetes research and treatment receives steady support from Alaska aeries. The Knights of Columbus are organized across Alaska through the Alaska State Council, which oversees roughly 25 councils.

Anchorage Council No. 11352 is among the largest and most active, supporting Holy Family Cathedral and the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau. Other notable Alaska KC councils include Fairbanks Council No. 4870, Juneau Council No.

1760, Ketchikan Council No. 1561, and Soldotna Council No. 8617. The Knights in Alaska have long supported the Catholic missions to Alaska Native villages, especially through the Diocese of Fairbanks which oversees one of the geographically largest Catholic dioceses in the United States.

Alaska KCs raise funds for Special Olympics Alaska, parish religious education, seminarian support for the Alaska dioceses, and pro-life pregnancy resource centers. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows retains a small Alaska presence with several lodges in Southeast Alaska, while women's auxiliaries — the Daughters of Rebekah for IOOF, the Women of the Moose, and similar bodies for the other orders — operate alongside each men's lodge.

Alaska Fraternal Lodges by the Numbers

Alaska's fraternal landscape is small but proportionally significant given the state's population of roughly 730,000. The state hosts approximately 19 BPOE Elks lodges with combined membership of about 4,500 to 5,500, making Elks per-capita membership in Alaska among the highest in the country. The Loyal Order of Moose operates roughly 12 lodges with combined membership of 2,500 to 3,500. The Knights of Columbus maintain approximately 25 councils across the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau and the Diocese of Fairbanks, with combined membership estimated at 2,000 to 2,800.

The Fraternal Order of Eagles operates about 12 aeries with combined membership of 1,800 to 2,500. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows has roughly 5 small lodges. Geographic concentration follows population: the Anchorage Bowl, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, the Fairbanks North Star Borough, and the Kenai Peninsula collectively host about 70 percent of Alaska fraternal lodges, while Southeast Alaska's island communities — Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka, Petersburg, Wrangell — contain a disproportionately dense concentration of historic Elks lodges dating to the early territorial period.

How to Join a Fraternal Lodge in Alaska

Joining a fraternal lodge in Alaska follows the same procedures as in any other state, but with a few practical adjustments suited to Alaska conditions. To join the Alaska Elks (BPOE), an applicant must be a U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age, of good character, and believe in God; sponsorship is required from an existing member, and a second seconder is typical. Annual dues at Alaska Elks lodges typically run $120 to $250 because clubhouse heating costs are substantial in the far north.

Initiation fees are usually $50 to $200. The Loyal Order of Moose admits men 21 or older of good character; Alaska Moose dues range from $50 to $90 annually with similar initiation costs. Knights of Columbus membership in Alaska is open to practical Catholic men aged 18 and older; applicants approach a parish priest or existing Knight, complete a Form 100, and after a short period of consideration are inducted in a parish ceremony. Alaska KC dues typically run $30 to $50 annually.

The Fraternal Order of Eagles admits men 21 or older with belief in a Supreme Being; dues are usually $50 to $80. Many Alaska lodges hold monthly open-house dinners that allow prospective members to meet existing members and tour facilities before applying — this is particularly common in winter when other social options are limited and when lodges actively recruit to maintain membership through long, dark months.

Notable Alaska Fraternal Members in History

Alaska's fraternal membership rolls include territorial-era figures, statehood pioneers, and contemporary leaders. Ernest Gruening, the second elected governor of Alaska Territory and later one of Alaska's first U.S. Senators, was a member of Juneau Elks Lodge No. 420 throughout his decades in Alaska public life.

Bob Bartlett, Alaska's other founding Senator and a key advocate of statehood, was likewise a Juneau Elk and used the lodge for informal political consultations during the statehood campaign. Wally Hickel, two-time governor and U.S. Secretary of the Interior, was a member of Anchorage Elks Lodge No. 1351 and frequently spoke at lodge dinners.

Jay Hammond, the bush-pilot governor who shepherded the Alaska Permanent Fund into existence, was associated with the Bristol Bay-area Elks lodges through his commercial-fishing connections. Senator Ted Stevens, who served Alaska in the U.S. Senate for 40 years, was a member of Anchorage Elks Lodge No. 1351 and a frequent honoree at Alaska Elks state conventions.

In Catholic fraternal life, Bishop Francis Hurley of the Archdiocese of Anchorage was a member of the Knights of Columbus and personally sponsored the formation of several Alaska KC councils during his episcopate. Olympic skier Tommy Moe, of Anchorage, has been an honorary guest at Alaska Elks events celebrating Alaska athletes, and several Iditarod champions have lodge connections through their support communities.

Frequently Asked Questions: Alaska Fraternal Lodges

Sources & Further Reading

• https://www.elks.org/lodges/
• https://www.mooseintl.org/
• https://www.foe.com/
• https://www.kofc.org/en/who-we-are/our-history/
• https://www.akelks.org/
• https://www.archdioceseofanchorage.org/