It is really quite simple to reinstate your membership in the Elks!
Reinstate in your same lodge:
Go back to your old Lodge and ask the Secretary for an Application for Reinstatement. Fill out the form. Pay the prescribed fees.
Your application will be forwarded to the Investigating Committee, who will contact you for an interview. After the interview, the committee will make their recommendation to the members at a regular meeting.
After the Lodge vote, you will be notified by the Secretary. You will be required to pay a prorated portion of annual Lodge dues. Then you will be issued your membership card.
Reinstate in a new lodge:
Should you wish to reinstate your membership in Elkdom with a Lodge other than the one in which you were initiated, you must reside in the jurisdiction of that Lodge. Before you reinstate you have to obtain a Certificate of Release from your old Lodge. Write a check payable to the old Lodge in the amount of $10 and ask the Lodge Secretary to forward a Certificate of Release.
When you receive your Certificate of Release present it to the Secretary of the Lodge you want to reinstate your membership with. Then you would go through the steps described earlier.
If a Lodge has no proof of prior membership, the burden of proof falls on you. Proof of prior membership can be:
- An old membership card
- A canceled check
- An affidavit signed by two members attesting to prior membership (It must be notarized)
If you cannot provide proof of prior membership, it will be necessary to apply for membership as a new member.
