Ralph Leas is a man who has spent his life helping others, and that is why he joined the Barrhead Elks Lodge, so he could share his passion.
In April 1950 the Elks Lodge was chartered, with 100 members initiated by the then mayor, Charles Yuill, who was the first Exalted Ruler of the Barrhead Elks Lodge #332.
Leas is the only surviving member of the charter, and has been involved in the club for 65 years.
“There were three of us that went to the first meeting at the auditorium… and we all joined,” Leas said.
After returning home from the meeting his wife Rita asked him if he thought he would enjoy the club.
“The first time I went to a meeting, I came home and my wife said, well Ralph what do you think of the Elks, and I said, you know Rita, I think that’s going to be a real good club to work with, and it was, and I have been there ever since,” Leas said.
Rita was also a member of the club as part of the Royal Purple, a group of women who promote and support the community through their volunteer efforts.
“They were the only husband and wife team that ever was in the Barrhead Lodge,” Emil Smecks, dear friend of Leas and member of the Elks, said.
Rita took on the role as honoured royal lady, with Leas taking on the position of exalted ruler.
“The only ones that were ever over these 65 years,” Smecks said.
It was working with children that Leas enjoyed so much.
“As time went along I started liking it better and better and better because we were working with little kids, and that was right down my alley,” he said.
The club hosted Kiddies Day, an annual event that brought families out to Elks Beach every Father’s Day.
“We had a train, with the little cars behind and they just had a wonderful time,” Leas said.
Smecks added that a band comprised of Elks members would often play at the event.
“There were probably 30 guys there with horn instruments and you could just hear them play that march,” he said. “The whole countryside flocked to Elks Beach that day.”
Elks Beach was not always the thriving location it is today, and Leas played a large role in helping develop the land.
Smecks said prior to the club taking it over, the area was wilderness, and thanks to the help of a local contractor, they were able to get the job done.
The club has also donated medical equipment to schools for students who need them.
“We bought crutches for some kids that were coming to school for the first time but couldn’t walk very well, and we had hearing aids that we bought,” Leas said. “That is why you join a club and get involved in some of these things.”
The Elks hold a yearly Memorial Day, where all of the members of the Barrhead Elks club who have passed are remembered.
The event started in the mid 1960’s, a time when Leas was exalted ruler.
A fellow club member had brought the idea from the states, and after seeing the information on the event Leas decided it was a must.
“Here it was, this program, they had all of the sheets out on how to run it, and I looked at that and said, by golly when I go back to the club we are going to do that too, and we did ever since,” Leas said.
Sending students overseas is another accomplishment the club is proud of.
“It’s a good program for them, they see how those people live,” Leas said.
The program works as an exchange, and the Elks are happy to lend a hand in funding.
“We do a lot of good things that a lot of people don’t recognize,” Leas said.
The club raises money through the beach, where they rent trailer sites.
“On the old part there it still costs around $1,000 a year to keep, and the new part… it’s a little over $1,800 a year, that’s where we get our money,” Smecks said.
When asked why he is still so actively involved in the club, Leas said he just couldn’t leave.
“It’s because I didn’t have the heart to quit, because I like to help the little kids,” he said.
Leas is 93 years old, and moved into the area in 1975 and still lives in the same home he and his wife purchased 40 years ago.
In 1998 Leas’ wife passed away from cancer.
The club is currently looking for members interested in joining, with a member count of just over 20, the Elks are actively searching for anyone interested.
For those looking for more information call Ted Krysa at 780-674-3602.
