Elks 'irreparably damaged' by press

By Shannon Brennan, Sun staff writer
Clearwater Sun - January 29, 1983

Members of the Clearwater Elks lodge say the club's reputation has been "irreparably damaged" by press coverage of their business dealings with the Church of Scientology.

"We don't like the way we've been treated," Charlie Pride, chairman of the Elks building committee, said Friday. "It makes us look like we're the bad guys."

Elks members voted Tuesday night to sell their downtown club, at 516 Franklin St., to the sect for $240,000. Pride said the repercussions from the decision are like "a bad dream."

During Friday's press conference, Pride defended the local club, pointing to all the charitable work it has performed in the past 57 years. The lodge has raised thousands of dollars for the Florida Elks Harry-Anna Children's Crippled Hospital in Umatilla, among other charities.

But the sale of the property to the Church of Scientology has blotted out all the good they have done, Pride said.

"We never dreamed that there would be such furor," he said.

The Elks have been trying to sell their club building since 1975, Pride said. Both Pinellas County and the city of Clearwater have declined to buy or trade property with the Elks, he said.

In June 1981, the building was out on the open market, Pride said, but the Elks received no offers.

"We are desperate to get out of here," he said. "We are absolutely out of money."

Pride blamed the club's woes on its downtown location, which has no parking and "nothing to offer." Several members have said the club wants to relocate to the Countryside area...