Our Story

       Ocean Springs Elks Lodge was granted a charter by the Grand Lodge on February 24th, 1974. To get to this point it took the efforts of a group of men who called themselves the New Elks Association of Ocean Springs and with help from Pascagoula #1120 and Biloxi #606 they accomplished this major task. This group began meeting prior to August 1973 in what was then known as Willie Dale’s White Oaks on Porter Ave. in Ocean Springs.

       Lodge #2501 has been active in community, civic and fraternal activities from the beginning and it continues today. They instituted the first Mardi Gras parade in Ocean Springs, purchased a car for the Ocean Springs Police force to use for D.A.R.E presentations along with supporting charitable and veterans associations.

The first Lodge home was purchased with members pledging various amounts of money to purchase the old Wright’s Marina in Gulf Park Estates. The building was a mess, it hadn’t been cleaned since hurricane Camille in 1969, the floors and walls were caked in dried mud leftover from the tidal surge.

     Undeterred the members cleaned the place up, even though the roof leaked and you had to put the coasters on top of your drinks to avoid whatever was falling out of the ceiling the lodge persevered.

      Unfortunately hurricane Katrina did to the building what Camille could not but with insurance proceeds and an SBA loan we have a new facility and continue the good works of the B. P. O. Elks of the U. S. A.