“In today’s world, clubs are fading, memberships are down and ages of members are increasing. For us as Elks, the opportunity is to possibly grow our membership with younger people,” said Tom Schilling, exalted ruler of Springfield’s B.P.O.E.
Staring in mid-January, what was Northwood Hills will become the Elks’ official meeting place. All facilities, including the pool, tennis courts and golf course, will be maintained and available to all Elks members.
The conversation started in August 2007 when Mike Mason, a member of both organizations, suggested the idea to Gene Horner, the president of Northwood’s board of trustees. Mason saw the deal as a way to help both organizations and to keep the club’s facilities up and running for many years to come.
“So many people we knew and cared about belonged to both organizations. It just made sense to try to bring in the younger people, but there wasn’t much to bring them into the Elks,” Mason said.
Northwood wasn’t in dire straits, but membership was declining, Horner said, so the proposition made sense.
“We’d made some financial changes and could have made it on our own, but for how long?” Horner said. “We think this is the best thing for both organizations.”
In November 2007, Northwood membership authorized the board to pursue a deal. Horner took the job as president because he wanted to maintain the club’s green space and a golf course.
“There are a lot of other things people want out there, and you could have it as a shopping center, but with this idea going forward, hopefully we can save this green space. We have 130 acres out there that’s going to stay beautiful,” Horner said.
The Elks saw the union as the perfect way to attract younger members to keep their organization infused with energy.
“Our building (at 126 W. High St.) was built in 1909 specifically as an Elks club, and quite frankly, we don’t have anything (there) to offer younger people or younger families,” Schilling said. “So I’m seeing families come out here (to Northwood) on the weekend, swimming, playing golf, enjoying themselves. I think we can grow our club from the things we now have to offer. ... I think this is a marriage made in heaven.”
The Elks brought 583 members to add to Northwood’s roster of about 280.
“To date we are at 766 with 111 membership applications pending. In a year’s time, I think we’ll go from almost 600 to nearly 1,000 or maybe over,” Schilling said.
About 100 new members had no affiliation with either group.
There have been dissenters and members from both sides who will not join the new group, but the transition team was not deterred.
Horner said he and Mason took a lot of flak, but bit the bullet and moved forward. Schilling heard his own share of grousing.
“This is a great idea and we can make it work. We have a lot of good people — a lot of volunteers — who will help us make this work,” Horner said.
The goal for the Elks is to be relocated to their new facility by Jan. 15.
Initial changes will include new signs and moving the stained glass tablets with names of deceased Elks, from the club’s early years, to the entry way at the new facility.
Other renovations will take place over the next year. One of the first modifications will make the facility handicap accessible.
With a slowdown of activity at the club over the winter, Schilling said they would like to get in and begin work immediately, so everything is ready when the next golf season arrives.
“Northwood Hills is basically gone. We’re all as one — we are all Elks,” Schilling said. “We’re just trying to be sure we help everyone meld together. There are a bunch of brilliant minds among all of these people we have here who are all Elks now and if we can get a little help from all of them, I think we’ll be super-successful. I think this is going to be the place to go on the north end of town.”
Changes across town
While the Elks were negotiating with Northwood, there were holding simultaneous talks with Chris and Rebecca Lewis about purchasing their West High Street building.
By the end of February, what was the Elks club will become the Buckeye Sports Lodge, but it won’t look like a lodge at all.
The Lewises have plans to transform the 100 year-old building into what Chris calls “an upscale casual membership club.”
Interested parties must be nominated by an existing member to be eligible to join. Yearly general memberships will be $40; memberships for Elks, law enforcement, firefighters and veterans will be $20.
The club will not close during renovations and all current Elks members will be welcome.
The Lewises, also owners of Dream Cup coffee shop at 1821 W. North St., weren’t looking for a new venture, but were approached by people who knew they were still sitting on some reinvestment money from the sale of property inside the hospital construction area.
“When I saw the building, I fell in love with it. ...I was attracted to the architecture and integrity of the building,” Chris Lewis said.
The Lewises received $1.5 million for 26 parcels of land, and have reinvested the net, after paying off mortgages, into other downtown properties.
“We’ve put everything we got from the city back into the city. ...If you reside in, invest in and draw revenue from a community and you have the opportunity, you should reinvest in the community. We believe in Springfield and want to invest for the long haul. ... We’re trying to make an impact in whatever way we can,” he said.
The couple faced one sticky issue. If they didn’t reinvest the whole $1.5 million, they would face tax penalties, so they had to come up with $500,000.
“Through my construction firms and shrewd real estate transactions over the last 3½ years, I was able to make up the shortfall,” he said.
The former Elks building has three usable floors. When the changeover is complete, main floor and second level will be open for business. Plans for the basement will be undertaken in the future, Chris said.
The main dining area and social room will remain relatively the same, with some cosmetic changes including a new stage and sound system.
There will be a Friday night supper club with entertainment, and on some Saturday nights, jazz and blues acts will be booked.
The upper level — which used to be the Elks lodge room — will become an interactive gaming area with golf simulators, a putting green, billiards and darts.
“The majority of the people who seek out what we’re going to offer have to leave town,” Chris Lewis said.
Not anymore, if the Lewises have anything to say about it.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0371 or elroberts@coxohio.com.
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