The Latrobe Elks has grown its membership over the past two years — at a time when it is building a new, more compact lodge.

Located just outside Latrobe in Derry Township, the local chapter of the fraternal and charitable organization put an emphasis on attracting new members with young families. It added about 20 to its roster last year and signed up nearly 40 so far this year. Membership now stands at more than 750.

“That’s unheard of,” said local Elks trustee Mario Venzin of Latrobe.

Exalted Ruler Ray Zsolcsak of Derry Township noted Elks membership nationally has been on the decline. “In this area and beyond, we’re one of the few that continues to increase membership,” he said.

The growth comes at a time when, of necessity, it is downsizing its lodge building.

A new 50,000-square-foot lodge is under construction on the same footprint as a previous building, which was twice that size. An exterior shell of corrugated steel is in place, with pouring a concrete floor and sidewalk up next.

Boasting a large kitchen, the former lodge was available to book for wedding receptions of several hundred people, but Zsolcsak noted, “That old building just was like a sieve with the money, the way it went through it.”

A deteriorating roof and mounting heating bills were among costs that prompted Latrobe Elks officials six years ago to decide to tear down and replace the structure.

As planning for a new lodge proceeded, the Elks converted a pavilion into a bar and meeting room. A nearby tent can be rented for occasions.

Designed to be more cost-efficient, the new lodge will be able to accommodate up to 120 in the dining area and 72 in its bar, served by a smaller kitchen, according to trustee Mike Petrarca of Latrobe. He said the new lodge will be suited for catered events.

The remaining portion of the old lodge footprint, at the rear of the new structure, may be developed as an outdoor patio.

As have most area building projects, construction of the new Latrobe Elks lodge hit a snag with the arrival of the covid-19 pandemic in March.

“The metal had just been delivered when covid hit,” Petrarca said. Work resumed in late May.

Zsolcsak couldn’t predict when the new lodge will be ready. After wood framing is completed, he said, “90% of the rest of it is going to be done in-house by our members. We’ve got a lot of talented people.”

He said fundraising will continue for the new lodge, which he estimated will represent an investment of about $500,000.

The Latrobe Elks golf course, a major feature for members, has seen a jump of close to 40% in use during the pandemic. Opened to the public at select times, it has been an important asset in membership recruitment and in generating revenue.

Bookings for organizational golf outings, interrupted by the pandemic, weren’t where they could have been in the past few years, without a lodge available, Zsolcsak said.

“They were hesitant to come here because, in inclement weather, they didn’t have a roof over their head,” he said.

“We utilized the pavilion and tent, but people still had reservations.”

Such outings account for about 15% of the local Elks’ revenue, he said.

Even while undertaking development of a new lodge, the Latrobe Elks has continued to donate about $50,000 annually to various groups and causes.

Recent donations went to: Westmoreland County Food Bank; Derry Veterans of Foreign Wars, to help pay for a flagpole at the Route 217 bridge across the railroad tracks; and the Latrobe Community Revitalization Program, to support purchase of new Christmas decorations.

The Latrobe Elks is “very vital to the area,” said Venzin. “We want to stay a viable resource for the community.”

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