Iowa Fraternal Lodges

About Fraternal Organizations in Iowa

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

History of Fraternal Organizations in Iowa

Iowa's fraternal lodge culture is rooted in the same prairie civic tradition that produced its renowned public schools, county extension offices, agricultural fairs, and small-town newspapers. From the Mississippi River bluffs of Dubuque and Davenport to the loess hills of western Iowa, lodges have been the connective tissue of Iowa community life for more than 150 years. Iowa contributed a uniquely important figure to American fraternal history: Melvin Jones, born in Fort Thomas, Arizona but raised and educated in Iowa, founded Lions Clubs International in Chicago in 1917 with deep Iowa civic-tradition roots. Iowa has long claimed Melvin Jones as one of its own, and Lions Clubs across Iowa have a particularly strong sense of heritage as a result.

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows established lodges across Iowa in the early to mid-1800s, and IOOF lodges in Burlington, Dubuque, Davenport, Cedar Rapids, and dozens of smaller Iowa communities served as some of the first formal community organizations in their towns. The Masonic Grand Lodge of Iowa grew rapidly in the antebellum and Reconstruction periods, and the magnificent Iowa Masonic Library in Cedar Rapids became one of the largest Masonic libraries in the world. The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks established lodges in Iowa beginning in the 1880s and 1890s. Des Moines Elks Lodge No.

98 was chartered in 1888, and Cedar Rapids Elks Lodge No. 251 followed in 1893. Other fraternal orders followed as Iowa's population grew. The Loyal Order of Moose, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, and the Knights of Columbus established themselves in Iowa's larger communities, with Knights councils anchored at Catholic parishes serving the state's substantial Catholic population, particularly the descendants of German, Irish, Bohemian, and Italian immigrants who settled in Iowa for farming, railroad work, and meatpacking.

Lions, Rotary, and Kiwanis service clubs are extraordinarily strong in Iowa, with chapters in nearly every incorporated community in the state. The agricultural cooperative tradition in Iowa, embodied in farm bureaus, grange halls, and rural electric cooperatives, parallels and reinforces fraternal-lodge culture. Many Iowans hold multiple memberships, serving simultaneously in their local Lions Club, their Knights of Columbus council, and their Elks lodge. The mid-twentieth century saw expansion in Iowa fraternal lodges as veterans returned from the World Wars, agricultural prosperity supported new lodge homes, and the post-war population boom created demand for civic and social organizations.

Today Iowa's lodges remain a powerful force in charitable giving, scholarships, veterans support, and community service across the state's 99 counties.

Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks in Iowa

Iowa's BPOE history runs deep. Des Moines Elks Lodge No. 98, chartered in 1888, anchors central Iowa Elks life and has hosted generations of Des Moines business leaders, civic figures, governors, and visiting Elks. Cedar Rapids Elks Lodge No.

251, chartered in 1893, anchors eastern Iowa Elks life and has served as a foundational institution in Linn County civic life. Across Iowa, BPOE lodges in Davenport, Dubuque, Sioux City, Waterloo, Iowa City, Council Bluffs, Ottumwa, Burlington, Mason City, Fort Dodge, Marshalltown, Clinton, and dozens of smaller communities round out the Iowa State Elks Association. The state association coordinates the Hoop Shoot youth basketball competition, the Drug Awareness Program, scholarship awards, and major-project work focused on Iowa children with special needs. Iowa Elks members log tens of thousands of volunteer hours annually, support Iowa veterans through partnerships with VA facilities including the Iowa City VA Health Care System and the Des Moines VA, and run programs ranging from Christmas baskets to youth athletic sponsorships.

Iowa Elks have a strong rural identity, with many lodges serving as community centers in towns where they may be the only formal social institution beyond the school and church. The Iowa State Elks Association is among the more active state associations relative to Iowa's population, reflecting the state's broader civic-engagement tradition. Reciprocal-visit programs with neighboring lodges in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Missouri keep Iowa lodges connected to the broader Midwestern Elks network.

Loyal Order of Moose in Iowa

The Loyal Order of Moose maintains a strong presence in Iowa, with lodges in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Dubuque, Sioux City, Waterloo, Council Bluffs, Burlington, Ottumwa, Mason City, and dozens of smaller Iowa communities. Iowa Moose lodges contribute to Mooseheart in Illinois and Moosehaven in Florida, with Mooseheart particularly accessible given Iowa's proximity to Kane County, Illinois. Many Iowa Moose members make annual trips to Mooseheart for service work, conventions, and family events. The Iowa Moose Association coordinates state-level events, scholarship programs, and statewide fundraising drives.

Lodge programming includes Friday-night fish fries, Saturday dances, charity bingo, and family-night events. Women of the Moose chapters and Moose Legion bodies provide additional layers of social and charitable activity. The Iowa Moose Association has produced multiple Moose International officers and has hosted national-level events at lodges across the state.

Eagles, Knights of Columbus & Other Fraternal Orders in Iowa

The Fraternal Order of Eagles operates aeries across Iowa, with strong representation in the Quad Cities, the Cedar Rapids-Iowa City corridor, the Des Moines metro area, and the Sioux City-Council Bluffs western Iowa region. Iowa Eagles support the order's signature charities including diabetes research, kidney research, and the Jimmy Durante Children's Fund, and they raise additional money for local food banks, disaster relief, and tornado recovery, which has been particularly relevant in Iowa given the state's tornado activity. The Knights of Columbus operate active councils across Iowa under the four Iowa Catholic dioceses: Dubuque, Davenport, Des Moines, and Sioux City. Strong councils anchor flagship parishes including the Cathedral of St.

Raphael in Dubuque, the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Davenport, St. Ambrose Cathedral in Des Moines, and the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City. Iowa Knights are deeply involved in pro-life ministry, the Tootsie Roll campaign benefiting people with intellectual disabilities, Coats for Kids, food drives, seminarian support, and disaster relief. The Iowa State Council awards substantial scholarships annually and has been recognized at the Supreme Council level for charitable programming.

Fourth Degree color corps members provide honor guards at parish events, civic celebrations, and military funerals across the state.

Iowa Fraternal Lodges by the Numbers

Iowa is home to roughly 3.2 million residents and supports a fraternal lodge network sized to its population and rural-civic character. The Iowa State Elks Association includes roughly fifty active lodges. Iowa Moose lodges and chapters number more than fifty. Eagles aeries number more than thirty.

Iowa's Knights of Columbus state council has more than 200 active councils. Lions Clubs International lists more than 500 Iowa clubs, ranking Iowa among the most Lions-dense states per capita in the nation, a distinction reinforced by Iowan Melvin Jones's role as the founder of Lions International. Rotary and Kiwanis are active in nearly every Iowa community. Combined active membership across these orders runs into six figures.

Charitable giving from Iowa fraternal organizations totals millions of dollars annually, with major programs including Elks scholarships, Knights of Columbus disaster-relief grants, Moose support for Mooseheart and Moosehaven, and the extensive vision-screening, diabetes-awareness, and youth-leadership programs run by Iowa Lions Clubs. The state association calendars show thousands of fundraising events per year statewide.

How to Join a Fraternal Lodge in Iowa

Joining an Iowa fraternal lodge is straightforward and welcoming. Most Elks lodges accept U.S. citizens aged twenty-one and older who believe in God, with a current member as a sponsor. Initiation fees in Iowa typically run between fifty and two hundred dollars, with annual dues ranging from one hundred to two hundred fifty dollars.

Knights of Columbus membership is open to practicing Catholic men aged eighteen and older through online enrollment at kofc.org or in person at any parish council across Iowa's four Catholic dioceses. The Loyal Order of Moose welcomes adults aged twenty-one and older; many Iowa Moose members maintain close ties to Mooseheart given the geographic proximity. Eagles, Lions, Rotary, and Kiwanis all maintain straightforward applications, and the Iowa Lions tradition is particularly accessible given the state's pride in being one of the most Lions-active states in the country. Iowa lodges have embraced online dues payment, app-based event RSVPs, and active social media.

The smaller-town character of much of Iowa means that in-person membership development still relies heavily on personal invitations, family connections, and word of mouth in close-knit rural communities.

Notable Iowa Fraternal Members in History

Iowa's fraternal rolls have included a long list of notable figures. Melvin Jones, the Iowan-raised founder of Lions Clubs International, is the towering figure in Iowa fraternal heritage; his 1917 founding of Lions in Chicago drew on the small-town civic values he absorbed in Iowa. President Herbert Hoover, born in West Branch, Iowa, was a member of multiple civic and fraternal organizations and is honored at lodge events across the state. Multiple Iowa governors past and present have held Elks, Moose, or Knights of Columbus membership.

U.S. senators including longtime Iowa senators from both parties have addressed state fraternal conventions. Des Moines mayors, county executives across Iowa, and state legislators have been honored guests at lodge events. Iowa-born athletes who played in MLB, NFL, NBA, and other professional leagues have been honored at hometown lodges, including standouts who came out of Iowa high schools and went on to national prominence.

Country music stars with Iowa ties have performed at lodge benefits. Less famous but no less important: hundreds of thousands of Iowa farmers, teachers, firefighters, police officers, electricians, ironworkers, factory workers, and small-business owners whose lodge service shapes Iowa communities every day.

Frequently Asked Questions: Iowa Fraternal Lodges

Sources & Further Reading

• https://www.lionsclubs.org/
• https://www.elks.org/lodges/
• https://www.mooseintl.org/
• https://www.foe.com/
• https://www.kofc.org/en/index.html
• https://www.iowakofc.org/
• https://www.rotary.org/
• https://www.kiwanis.org/
• https://iowaculture.gov/
• https://www.lionsclubs.org/en/about-us/mission-and-history/our-founder