Chartered August 14, 1902
Our history
From Tampa's boom years to today, Lodge 708 has been a gathering place for good people doing great things. A century of brotherhood, charity, and community — and we're just getting started.
From Tampa's boom years to today, Lodge 708 has been a gathering place for good people doing great things. A century of brotherhood, charity, and community — and we're just getting started.
In 1900, Tampa exploded into existence. The railroad brought commerce, the cigar industry brought workers, tourism brought visitors, and the military brought opportunity. From just 16,000 people, Tampa was becoming a real city—and it needed leaders.
That's when a group of forward-thinking businessmen decided to create something bigger than themselves: an organization dedicated not just to fellowship, but to actually making Tampa better.
The first meetings happened at the Hampton Building, with Abe Maas as the first Exalted Ruler. Members borrowed space at the Masonic Lodge on Franklin and Whiting—not ideal, but it worked. By 1904, Tampa was growing so fast that the Florida Elks Association itself chose our city for its organizational meeting.
Two years later, in 1906, the Lodge found its first real home—a milestone that said we weren't going anywhere. We were here to stay.
From day one, Tampa Elks understood something: membership meant service.
When the Tampa Children's Home caught fire, the Elks didn't just watch. They built a new one. They funded it. They supported the Salvation Army. They backed the University of Tampa. And when the Florida Elks Children's Hospital was founded in 1928, guess who was there?
By the 1980s, the historic Bayshore ballroom had seen better days. Running it became expensive and complicated. So the Lodge made a bold move: they found a new home at 3616 West Gandy Boulevard—where they remain today, welcoming Tampa Bay for over 40 years.
This wasn't just a relocation. It was a fresh start. A chance to build something new and do it better.
In 1996, something historic happened: the first female members joined Tampa Elks Lodge 708. Five years later, in 2001, an even bigger moment—the first female Exalted Ruler took the gavel.
The Elks were evolving. Adapting. Getting stronger by including everyone who wanted to serve.
Fast-forward to now, and the work hasn't stopped—it's expanded:
Beyond that: Police and Fire Fighter of the Year awards. Free CPR classes for the public. Salvation Army bell ringing at Christmas. Youth Fish-A-Rama. Food for the hungry. Veteran support. The list keeps growing because the need keeps changing—and the Elks keep showing up.
This is what nearly 125 years of caring and sharing looks like. Want to be part of the next chapter?
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