As the Ritual Team heads off to Lompoc today for a weekend of contests and friendship, the lodge will be teeming with activity in connection with Conejo Valley Days.

We’ll have much to report next week so stand by!

While you wait in anticipation 🙂 here’s something to educate and amuse! In the early 1900’s and actor and Vaudeville star, Nat M. Wills wrote and performed a song describing his membership in the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Called “BPOE” he also used the letters as “Best People On Earth”. Enjoy!

Here are the words – at the end you’ll see a space _____; if you can understand the words please let us know. Additionally, the name of the “fellow Elk” is a best guess.

BPOE
As sung by Nat Wills

There’s a bunch of good fellows who’ve banded together they’re known throughout the land
For the thousands of folks who are down are their luck they have lent a helping hand
The Order of Elks are the men that I mean and their motto is Sweet Charity
Their emblems the head elk on a button with four letters “BPOE”
They are the Best People On Earth, BPOE
They are the people who do the most good, when you are an Elk you will see what they’ll do for you
We never will know the half of their charity, they pull together in all sorts of weather the BPOE
At my initiation into the Elks lodge I was simply treated grand
Every brother was there with an Indian club to give me a helping hand
I woke up at the doctor’s he thought I’d been hit by an automobile on the head
When I told him I’d merely been joining the Elks then he smiled at me sweetly and said,
They are the Best People On Earth, BPOE
They are the folks who do everyone good now you’re an Elk you can see what they do to you, they’ve broken your arm they’ve fractured your ribs and knee. I’ll be busy with you till you members go through in the BPOE.
Oh a young brother Elks by the name of Picardi he ran off with my wife
There was no need to run so when he took her from me I was his friend for life
Till twenty years passed he heard I was grieving his consciousness worried him then, it was then he remembered that I was an Elk so he brought her back to me again
They are the best people on earth (whistling)
My mother-in-law came back to my wife to me Now Picardi ___ he’s one of the order of BPOE!