Chairman of the board of Moose International visits Columbus

Paul Curtis, chairman of the board of directors of Moose International, at right, speaks during a breakfast held at Moose Lodge 398, Columbus, Indiana, Saturday, April 9, 2022 Carla Clark | For The Republic

Local members of The Moose heard from one of their international leaders this past weekend.

Paul W. Curtis chairman of the board of directors for Moose International spoke during a breakfast at the local Moose Lodge in Columbus on Saturday.

“He’s traveling around the state of Indiana, visiting different lodges, and we were lucky enough to be one of them,” said Brian Holbrook, an administrator with the local lodge. He said it was Curtis’ first time visiting both Columbus and its chapter.

Curtis joined his home lodge in Camas, Washington in 1985. Since then, he has served his lodge, the Washington State-Northern Idaho Moose Association, and Moose International in a variety of leadership positions, receiving various awards for his service. Curtis was elected chairman of the board in July of 2021 during the 133rd International Moose Convention.

Holbrook said that during his visit, Curtis discussed recent updates from Moose International, which underwent a transition regarding male and female membership and rights last year.

“The women and the men came together,” said Holbrook. “And the women still have a higher degree chapter, but for years, it’s been two separate charters, I guess you could say. The women had theirs. The men had theirs.”

During the 132nd meeting of the Supreme Lodge, delegates voted to pass new amendments creating “a new and unified Moose membership where all members, male and female, would have equal opportunities, rights and privileges within the Lodge.”

The changes went into effect in May of 2021 and included renaming the Supreme Council as a Board of Directors and allowing women to serve on the board.

Curtis also discussed Moose International’s childcare and senior care operations, said Holbrook. He added that the visit went well, and Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop was among those in attendance.

For more on this story, and more photos, see Tuesday’s Republic.