A MOOSE is a powerful creature — one of North America’s tallest, largest, and heaviest animals. Moose Lodge 356 is perhaps a little more subtle than its animal counterpart, but its members are no less of a force of nature when it comes to serving the community.
Founded in 1888 as a men’s social club, the Loyal Order of Moose has an international membership of over one million. In 1912, the fraternity changed its priorities. Instead of a place to hang out, Moose Lodges became a place to serve. The 250 members of Bowling Green’s lodge have been excellent examples of that service heart.
“It’s known as the best-kept secret in Bowling Green because nobody usually has heard of us,” member Debbie Chyle said. “Most of the time when you say ‘moose,’ the people will think it’s a bar to go have a cheap drink at, watch television, and play sports — which we do have all of those — but that’s not what we’re about.”
The most significant projects Moose members take part in are Mooseheart, a boarding school in Illinois for children in need, and Moosehaven, a members-only retirement community. Each state and each local lodge does much more, however. The school system, the Salvation Army, and Isaiah House have all experienced the generosity of Moose members, along with numerous other organizations. Camp Courageous for Kids has received $10,000 from members of the Moose Lodge — but their service goes beyond money.
“When we do these community services, all of it is not just a cash donation,” Chyle said. “Like the Isaiah House, we also collected diapers and wipes. And last year, we did one for one of the veterans homes at Louisville, and we had tons of food.”
When the tornado came through in 2021, the Bowling Green Moose Lodge was a donation spot. A lodge from Indiana came down to help, and together, they fed over 2,500 people. The lodge is also a part of the international Youth Awareness program, where students educate younger children on healthy habits, bullying, drugs, and more. The state of Kentucky gives students who succeed in the local competition a $1,000 scholarship. Those students then advance to the annual Youth Awareness Congress, where they have the opportunity to receive up to $12,000 in scholarships. To date, two Bowling Green students have advanced to the annual congress, and one of those received a scholarship.
The lodge regularly works with some organizations. A stuffed animal named “Tommy Moose” can be found at police and fire departments and with ambulance crews and is used to calm children in traumatic situations. A Boy Scout troop meets at the lodge every Thursday, a “Safe Surfin” group helps find lost children, and the Guardians of the Children motorcycle club meets at the lodge once a month.
“We’re not a club. We are a lodge,” Chyle said. “Our symbol, the moose, [is] the protector of the young and the elderly in a herd, and that is how we got the moose as our name and objective of taking care of children and seniors.”
For Chyle, that objective has kept her a member of the association for over 40 years. She originally joined to play darts in the local league but stuck with it because of the good she saw happening in the community and through Mooseheart and Moosehaven.
“Anybody that ever steps foot on that campus will never let their dues drop; it is rewarding,” Chyle said. “It touches your heart. The same thing with Moosehaven — I’ve been down there several times, and when you walk on that campus, you get a piece of serenity.”
Moose Lodge 356 is a gathering place for families and community and, even better, a staging ground for community service. It’s a spirit that all in Bowling Green can aspire to. GN
