Welcome to a new Lodge Year! Congrats to all newly installed Lodge Officers and Chairpersons.

Now is a great time to review the following.

Employment Practices: Every Lodge should establish and follow a personnel policy that provides a means for an employee to register a grievance.
Service of Alcohol: Only trained bartenders, whether they are employees or volunteers, can serve alcoholic beverages to Members and their guests.
Food Service: All health department rules must be observed in the Lodge kitchen. A clean kitchen in good repair is vital to a successful Lodge.
Signing Documents: Documents must be reviewed by the Lodge attorney before a Lodge officer or anyone signs a document that obligates the Lodge to indemnify or hold another party harmless.
Lodge Furniture: Inspect all chairs, stools, tables and equipment. Remove any damaged or worn items from the premises. Retain all records from the purchase of replacement items.
Dance Floors: Clean up spills and debris promptly and avoid applying slippery substances on the dance floor since that may contribute to falls.
Parking Lots: Repair any holes/broken pavement promptly. The parking area should be illuminated to permit easy access to/from the lot to the Lodge.
The Property Plus Certificates of Coverage and invoices will be arriving in April.
Property plus program ¨ All Lodges, including Lodges that do not own a building, must participate in the Property Plus Program Property Insurance
¨ Lodges must be inspected to determine replacement cost of the building
¨ Property Plus covers loss from fire, wind, storms and theft
¨ Property Plus protects appliances, furniture and contents in the Lodge
Boiler and machinery
¨ Furnaces, Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, Elevators, Ice Machines and Boilers are covered
Crime insurance
¨ Property Plus includes crime coverage in the amount of $50,000 for Member/Employee theft
¨ Crime Coverage protects Lodge Officers, Trustees, volunteers and employees
¨ Lodges do not need to purchase a separate bond from an insurance agent to cover Lodge Officers
Certificates of insurance
What you need to do when someone requests a certificate of insurance from the Lodge
¨ A “Certificate of Liability Insurance” can be found on page 8 of the Liability Insurance Program
¨ Copy the Certificate of Liability Insurance and provide it to anyone that requires proof that the Lodge has liability insurance
¨ Lodges that require specialized certificates should also refer to page 9 of the Liability Insurance Program for guidance on how to obtain a certificate through Gallagher Insurance.
¨ Contact the Grand Lodge Insurance Department with any questions about certificates of insurance
Special Event Policies
A person or organization using Lodge facilities must provide a Certificate of Insurance that names the Lodge as additional insured for that particular event. If a Certificate of Insurance that names the Lodge as additional insured on their insurance policy cannot be provided, a Facility Rental Policy or Special Event

Policy can be obtained by contacting Gallagher Insurance (800) 421-3557. 

Fraternally yours
Barry Harper PDDGER
OEA Lodge Operations Chairman

Manuals & Documents For Trustees & Board Members

Grand Lodge provides a wide range of guides and resources that every board member and trustee should be familiar with. These documents can be found on the Grand Lodge website, in the password protected, members-only sections. Every board member and trustee should have login credentials to this site (if not, please create a login at www.elks.org, or ask your lodge secretary for assistance). Every trustee and board member should download (AND READ!) the following documents:

• Annotated Statutes

  • Statute 12.070

  • Statute 16.020

  • Statute 16.040

• Guide For The Board of Directors

• Discrimination & Harassment Guide For Local Lodges

• Accident & Claim Prevention Manual

• Liability Insurance Program Book

• Property Plus Program Guide

• Responsible Beverage Service

• Guide To The Courts of The Order