When Walter Wilkinson took over the management
of the Hiwan Development Co. as Manager and agent, one of
the properties they owned was a large building near downtown
Evergreen that housed a ten-lane bowling alley. It didn’t
take long to learn that the alley was losing money at the
rate of about $30,000 a year. Even when the alleys were going
the basement was not in use.
Walter had been a member of the Elks Lodge in Saginaw. When
he moved to Evergreen, he transferred his membership to the
Lodge in Lakewood. Walter decided that Evergreen would be
a fine location for an Elks Lodge. To get the idea underway
he called the principal Elks Lodge #17 in Denver. He told
one of the officers about the idea. He called Walter back
to say that a group from the Lodge would come up to talk with
him. Walter arranged for a dinner at the Hiwan Country Club
and six officers from the Lakewood and Denver Lodges attended.
Walter explained his idea for a Lodge in Evergreen and showed
them the basement in the bowling alley building. They were
enthusiastic and said they would call about the requirements.
Within a few days the principal officer of the Lakewood Lodge
called. He said that the Lakewood Lodge would sponsor a new
Lodge in Evergreen. They reported that one of the requirements
for a charter would be 200 applications for membership. At
first it seemed as though that would be impossibility.
Walter met with a neighbor, Al Steinert; it was about the
middle of October in 1966. They decided to hold weekly meetings
in the basement of the
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bowling alley to which they would invite any
and all prospects for the Evergreen area. The meetings were
well attended by 30 or 40 prospects. They had cold cuts and
beer. Donations more than covered the cost. Walter arranged
for members from several Denver area Lodges to speak at the
meetings. By Christmas after heavy promotion they had about
150 applicants. About the middle of January, Walter received
a wire from the headquarters for Elks Lodges located in Chicago
that Evergreen had been granted Elks Charter #2363, subject
to getting a total of 200 applications. Within a month or
so when that was done, the Lakewood Lodge was notified as
our sponsor so that a program could be arranged at their Lodge
to officially install Evergreen Lodge in the National Elks
Organization. It took place April 15, 1967.
It gave Walter a lot of satisfaction and has
continued to make him glad that it happened. Elks Lodge #2363
now has about 400 members. They closed the bowling alley about
June of 1967, and arranged to sell off the equipment and lanes.
Walter’s vision of the entire building becoming an Elks
Lodge came true that year. Later in 1970 he arranged for the
Lodge to buy the building for $77,000. A down payment of $10,000
came from donations by generous members. Golden Savings &
Loan made a loan for the balance, which has since been paid
off. The Lodge has since become one of the most attractive
of any in Colorado. |
