The Moose is unique in all the animal kingdom. The woodland is his home. The green things of the forest are his food. He takes only what he needs, nothing more. He loves freedom and is the master of his domain. Yet for his great size and strength he lives in peace with other creatures. The Moose uses his size and power not to dominate but to protect, not to spoil but to preserve. He is a fierce protector, a loyal companion, and a generous provider who brings comfort and security to those within his defending circle.

All who would bear the name of this noble animal are called to follow his vision, to courageously seek the heights, strive for lofty goals and lead the way for others to follow. To live the vision of the Moose is to look at the world in a new way; a way that sees not only what is, but what can be. With courageous heart, generous spirit, and lofty vision the moose stands before us, and with us to challenge the future, a challenge that calls us to leave the low meadows and small hills behind and ascend to the heights of life with mighty strides.

In the true spirit of the moose you are called to live in peace and harmony in your community, using your energy to build, protect and preserve. Every brother Moose owes a common debt to his community, for the community is the birthplace of our Order. From it we renew ourselves and through it we are offered the opportunity to serve. Service is the gift given to us by our communities. It forms the very foundation of our Order and gives life to our ideals.

As we live and serve so also shall we grow. Others will be drawn to us and to our Order more by what we do than what we say. The greater our deeds, the stronger our Fraternity.

Across the length and breadth of our countries, communities large and small form the foundation of a free society. As we serve our communities we affirm our freedom as a way of life, and bring honor to our Order."

Why The Moose?

Men and women join the Order for a variety of reasons, including Family Activities, Community Service projects and member sports programs, just to name a few. While these activities offer each Moose member a valid reason to join, the main endeavors of the fraternity remain Mooseheart, the 1,000 - acre Illinois home and school for children in need, and Moosehaven, the 65-acre Florida retirement community for senior members in need. These residents, entrusted to the care and support provided by membership in the Moose, are constant living reminders of the humanitarian efforts of Moose members.

Though the Moose fraternal organization was founded in the late 1800s with the modest goal of offering men an opportunity to gather socially, it was reinvented during the first decade of the 20th century into an organizational dynamo of men and women who set out to build a city that would brighten the futures of thousands of children in need all across North America.

Who Are The Moose?

A Moose member is a man belonging to the Loyal Order of Moose, or a woman belonging to the Women of the Moose. These members, over 1.5 million strong, make up the two components of the fraternal organization known as Moose International. Their membership is held in any one of 2,000 Lodges and 1,600 Chapters throughout the United States, Canada, Great Britain (for more on Moose in the U.K. see www.mooseintl.org.uk ) and Bermuda. Moose International headquarters is approximately 38 miles west of Chicago at Mooseheart, Illinois.

In the early 1990s, the Moose organization decided to rethink the entire idea of what a fraternal facility and its programs need to be about in the 21st Century de-emphasizing our Social Quarters, and placing greater emphasis on programs designed to appeal to every segment of our members' families in facilities called Family Centers. These members responsible men and women and their children, make the Moose program strong and active in communities all across North America.

While our focus is changing to better serve the family at the Lodge, the commitment to the Moose fraternity's missions remain as strong as ever. Lodges and Chapters across the fraternity contribute to Moose-sponsored programs such as Mooseheart and Moosehaven, and also to people in their own communities through Community Service initiated by members of the Lodge.

Come on down to the Norwalk Moose Family Center!

View Norwalk Moose Lodge No 1739 in a larger map

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Moose Charities Inc.
is a registered nonprofit, Illinois-based 501(c)3 charity,
charged with the primary goal of providing the necessary resources for the good works of
Mooseheart Child City & School and the Moosehaven retirement community.