A proud legacy.
A welcoming
community.

Emma Virginia Kelley’s founding of the Daughters of Elks in Norfolk in 1902 marked a turning point for women’s involvement in the Elks. Driven by her teaching and church leadership background, Kelley built the Daughters into a national force, giving African American women a meaningful place in an era of limited opportunities.

The first group, Norfolk Temple No. 1, began as a small local effort but quickly inspired new temples across the country, supporting women through charitable works, moral support, and organizational leadership.

Under her leadership, the Daughters provided a refuge and a platform for African American women facing poverty and marginalization. Through tireless outreach and organizing, Kelley united women “from the Atlantic to the Pacific,” building a network recognized by the Elks Grand Lodge.

Today her legacy is honored with the annual Emma V. Kelley Achievement Award, a tribute to her vision and the strength of the movement she inspired.

California’s earliest IBPOEW lodges were founded by visionary leaders who expanded the organization’s reach westward in the early 1900s, directly continuing the legacy begun by IBPOEW’s national founders Arthur James Riggs and Benjamin Franklin Howard.

As African Americans migrated to the West, leaders like those in Oakland and Los Angeles—including early officers and community advocates, sometimes mentioned in historical records such as members of Oakland Lodge No. 110 and Los Angeles Lodge No. 143—brought the organization’s principles of mutual aid, civic activism, and social unity to California’s growing African American communities.

Sacramento’s Elks fraternal presence includes a long-standing tradition of community service and cultural leadership, represented by different lodges in the city’s history. The original Sacramento City Elks Lodge (Lodge No. 6) was founded in 1877, experiencing early challenges but eventually achieving a lasting historical impact through its renowned Elks Tower, completed in 1926, which remains an architectural landmark in Sacramento.

This historical overview serves as context for highlighting the work and legacy of Capitol City Elks Lodge 1147, an Improved Benevolent Protective Order of Elks of the World (IBPOEW) chapter. Capitol City Elks Lodge 1147 is dedicated to fostering fellowship, charitable outreach, scholarship opportunities, and cultural initiatives in Sacramento.

The Lodge’s programs include scholarships for youth, cultural celebrations, support for veterans, and a wide range of service projects that promote unity and opportunity across the community. The Daughters of the Elks also play an active role, rooted in principles of charity, justice, and community leadership.