Gabe Stark
Reporter

For many people driving past the Trenton Elks Lodge, the building is simply another stop along the street. But inside the historic structure at Five Points, members say the organization is much more than a social gathering place — it is a community-focused nonprofit dedicated to supporting veterans, youth and local charitable causes.

Founded in Trenton on Aug. 14, 1902, the local Elks Lodge will celebrate its 125th anniversary next year. The current lodge building, constructed in 1916 on the site of a former livery stable, has served as the organization’s home for more than a century.

Leading the lodge today is Exalted Ruler Scott Hughson, who joined the organization four years ago looking for a place to meet people.

“I honestly joined just to have a place to hang out,” Hughson said. “I didn’t have kids. I wasn’t married at the time. Then I started learning more about what the lodge does and I became more involved.”

Today, that involvement centers on charitable giving and volunteer service.

The lodge recently held a barbecue fundraiser during Trenton’s Fourth of July festivities, raising more than $2,000. Members added another $1,500 from lodge funds, allowing them to donate $3,500 to the North 65 Senior Center.

“We’re constantly donating,” Hughson said.

During the past year, the Trenton Elks have donated $1,200 to help local FCCLA students attend national competition, $1,500 to the food pantry, $500 to FosterAdopt Connect, $4,000 toward renovations at the Children’s Education Center, $1,000 to the Trenton High School Band Boosters for the Washington, D.C., parade trip and additional support for FFA, senior celebrations, the North Central Missouri Fair and other community organizations.

“We host events and cookouts,” Hughson said. “After our expenses are paid, everything above that goes toward our donations.”

Elks have also sponsored free community swim nights at the Trenton Family Aquatic Center, providing free admission along with pizza and drinks for families.

The Trenton lodge currently has 228 members, with roughly half remaining active on a regular basis. Membership is by invitation and sponsorship from existing members, a requirement Hughson said helps the organization maintain its nonprofit fraternal status. Applicants must be proposed by one member and endorsed by two additional members before being considered.

While the local lodge focuses on community service, it is also part of a much larger organization.

The Missouri Elks Association helps fund mobile dental clinics that provide care for children with disabilities and disabled veterans throughout the state. Nationally, Elks membership dues support scholarships, grants and youth programs.

Locally, the lodge organizes annual Hoop Shoot and Soccer Shoot competitions that allow area youth to advance from local competition to district, state, regional and national events. The lodge also helps families with travel expenses as participants advance through each level.

Members say those youth activities are among the most rewarding parts of the organization.

“You get a certain satisfaction when you’re helping somebody else, especially when you’re helping youth or veterans,” Esteemed Leading Knight Matt Robert said. “When you see a kid’s face light up during the Hoop Shoot or Soccer Shoot, it just makes it worth it.”

Although many residents may think of the Elks Lodge simply as a private club, members hope people recognize the charitable mission behind the organization.

“A lot of people drive by this place and just see a bar,” Hughson said. “We’re not a bar. We’re a lodge. We’re a group of people with a common mission, and our goal is to help the community wherever we can.”

Beyond fundraising, members describe the lodge as an extended family.

“When you come in here, people know your name,” Robert said. “They ask how your day is going. If somebody needs help, they know they can call another Elk brother or Elk sister. We’re basically a family.”

That sense of purpose, lodge members say, is what keeps them involved.

“It’s kind of given me a mission,” Hughson said. “Instead of just sitting at home, I get to be part of something that’s making a difference in the community.”