BY GINNY PRIVITAR
Richard Altieri is a 56-year member of the Elks, an organization he has loved and served in many ways. Now, he is writing an article on its history.
According to Altieri, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks began on Feb. 2, 1868. Fifteen English entertainers and theater people in New York City started the organization. This convivial group enjoyed a drink or two. They also had a drinking game in which the men would place corks on a bar and the last to pick his up would pay for the others’ drinks. They called themselves the “Corks,” and later “The Jolly Corks.”
In December 1867, just before the holidays and after attending the funeral of a friend, they decided to form a protective and benevolent society.
A committee was formed and charged with formulating rules and regulations and selecting a new name. On Feb. 16, 1868, the founding members met and by a vote of 8-7, the Jolly Corks voted to henceforth be known as the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Their purpose then, as now, is to perform charitable work.
“So,” Altieri said “147 years later, this fraternal order is continuing the charity work of their forefathers.”
Today, the Elks has expanded their mission. Their charitable works have a particular focus on special needs children and veterans. Altieri has been involved for 35 years with special needs children.
The Elks runs Camp Moore in Haskell, named for three-time governor of New Jersey, Harry A. Moore.
“The camp was started by the Democratic League in 1936 to provide summer recreation for needy children, but the League ran into financial troubles in the mid-to-late 1960s,” Altieri said.
The camp buildings were in poor condition and, on June 3, 1970, the camp was turned over to the New Jersey state Elks Association. Elks themselves did extensive work on all the buildings and the camp reopened on July 7, 1971 with just three campers.
In 1989, the Department of Transportation took some property from the camp for Route 207 and they were faced with rebuilding.
Altieri, who was in construction, played a major role in the rebuilding.
“I was in the construction business (Altieri Construction Company in Oakland) all my life and when the state took the land, I was contracted to construct all the buildings.” He was also the maintenance chairman for 18 years, from 1985 to 2003. And he built it to last.
“They’re going to be there a long time," said Altieri. "I’ll be dead and buried” (before the buildings come down).
Over the years, members of the Elks kept improving the camp, which now serves up to 85 children with special needs for one week each, from ages 7 to 18. The kids love the camp, and it provides a respite for parents.
Altieri and his family moved from Oakland to a house he built in West Milford in 1979. Before civilian life, he served in the Army during the Korean War. He counts his family as his greatest joy. He and his wife, Delores, have been married for 58 years and have five kids and eight grandchildren. “I’ve been blessed: good wife, good kids, good health,” Altieri said. He was fortunate in business, too. “I was very lucky; in at the right time and plenty of work around.”
Retired now, Altieri is 81 years old and says he does all the cooking at home. Italian food is his specialty, “but I can cook anything,” he said, having cooked for as many as 200 people at weddings and banquets at the Elks lodge. This accomplished cook says he does “everything by taste,” but he was able to come up with a recipe for healthy meat loaf we can all follow.
The Elks main fundraising effort is an annual charity ball, held in XXX. At the West Milford BPOE Lodge #2236, located at 1860 Union Valley Road, they gather to fraternize, play games and enjoy fundraising dinners every Friday night and a monthly breakfast. According to the group's website, it’s a place where neighbors come together, families share meals, and children grow up. The group has regular meetings twice a month on the first and third Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Anyone interested in joining may call 973-728-2236.