March protests Elk's 'facist policies'
by MICK MOIIARTY
Nebraskan Staff Writer
In support of an already ac
tive boycott, 100 protesters,
mostly University students,
defied cold weather and
demonstrated Friday against
"the racist policies of Lincoln's
two Elks Lodges."
The demonstrators con
fronted Exalted Ruler Richard
H. Blomgren of the Elks Lodge
No. 80 at 15th an "P Street
after marching from the
Nebraska Union.
Facing a barrage of ques
tions concerning the Elks'
"white 13056," Blomgren told
the demonstrators, "we have
the clause because it's national
policy."
The "white clause" in the
Elks' national constitution
states that only whites can
qualify for membership to the
organization.
Asked why the clause is part
of the national policy,
Blomgren said, "I'm sorry, but
that's the way it is."
"It's been that way for over
100 years," Blomgren told
spokesmen for the demonstra
tion. But Blomgren did say that at .
the last national convention of
the Elks he supported a con
stitutional amendment to strike
the "white clause." The
amendment failed miserably
with only about 20 ont of 2,500
delegates to the convention
supporting it, according to a
statement of the Human Rela
tions Insight League (HRIL).
His support for this amend
ment didnt appease the
demonstrators.
Ray Parks, a black student,
told Blomgren that "that's just
jive."
"Admit you're a racist,"
Parks said. Blomgren was
silent and didn't reply.
After the verbal confronta
tion with Blomgren, the
demonstrators marched to the
other Elks Lodge, located at
9th and "M."
The 9th Street Elks Lodge is
used by blacks and whites. The
demonstrators marched to the
"other" Elks Lodge though to
protest the dual nature of the
club, according to the HRIL
statement
The demonstration was call
ed by the Human Relations
Insight League in cooperation
with the Lincoln Human Rights
Commission and the League of
Women Voters.
Carol Riley of the League of
Women Voters said her
organization will continue to
bring public pressure on
private clubs which have
discriminatory policies.
She also said the lea ue will
ask University officials to pro
hibit campus clubs frori using
the facilities of those clubs
which have discriminatory
policies.
The demonstration which had
started at 3:30 p.m. occluded
with a march back to the
Nebraska Union during which
downtown Christmas shoppers
read some of the
demonstrator's signs such as,
"Prejudice is Un-Americfcn and
Undemocratic and "Eat
Lunch With a Racist Go to the
Elks Club."
Before the demonstrators
returned to the Nebraska
Union, they stopped, in front of
the Elks Lodge at 15th and "P"
Street to sing some carols.
And AS UN senator Bill
Behmer left word with the Elks
that "this is only the beginning."
9 5 ' !? frarf ? - r t Hill ' ,
S 1 .. V
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University and Wesleyan students confront Blomgren . . .
protesting "racist policies",
Woman delivers Christmas sermon
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"Rome Intelligence, 007. Bad
news in Bethlehem. A kid was
born in a manger who some
renegade Jews are saying is
King. Herod doesnl like it
"Your mission should you
choose to accept it, is to kill all
infants. This message will self
destruct." This Christmas story ,
delivei id from the pulpit of the
University Methodist Chapel
and Student Center, came from
a woman.
Anna Mae Alphonse, possibly
holding the distinction of being
the only woman in Lincvln to
give an Advent sermon, con
eluded, "The mission was and
is impossible" because the
message of Christ cannot self
destruct Alphonse graduated from
Garrett Seminary m 1968. She
said that about 20 out of the
400-500 students in her class
were women.
"The atmosphere was ob
viously male-dominated," she
commented "Unfortunately, a
lot of the students had male
chauvinist attitudes."
Alphonse objected to three
typical attitudes toward female
seminary students: being
treated as romantic In
volvements, being resented
because as a group the women
made higher grades and being
looked down upon.
"A lot of the teachers at the
school looked down on us
because we didn't have a man.
They thought that our end goal
was to snatch a minister for a
husband," she said.
Although she graduated from
the seminary, Alphonse was not
ordained.
"The church needs
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leadership which stands solidly
with the lay people," she said.
"A distance develops between
clergy and the congregation."
She noted that the Methodist
Church does allow women to be
ordained though 'very, very
few" have been.
Finding a job would be dif
ficult for a female minister,
Alphonse ! She added that
the woman would probably find
herself in a small parish, as an
associate or teaching in a
seminary or a college.
"It would take a woman with
a really solid sense of identity
to be a minister. She would
need to have a lot to offer and
the right kind of ag
gressiveness," Alphonse said.
She noted that the job
discrimination and the lack of
an equitable pay scale are
causing Women's Lib groups to
form in seminaries.
Alphonse also said that
women should lead - re-examination
of some traditional
attitudes the church has held
toward women, and indeed,
some Biblical language as
well.
She cited the example of
Paul's words to the Corinthians
as he wrote against the Incest,
homosexuality and "women
speaking up" which occurred
within the church mem
bership. Paul, in effect, told the Cor
inthians it would be better if
women shut up, Alphonse
said.
While she believes the
Biblical writers were faithful
and inspired, Alphonse added
that the writers must be seen in
the context of their time and
culture. In their style of life,
women had a definite place
which included propagating the
human race.
"Though they were inspired,
the writers saw things through
their own prejudices," she said.
"They probably were not
totally liberated."
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7
PAGE 2
THE NEBRASKAN
MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1970