We have seen a lot of progress within the Moose Fraternity in just a few short years, that has helped make us more relevant in today’s society. We have brought both the women and the men together into one unified membership where all have a voice and a vote. And we have empowered women to take on leadership roles throughout the Fraternity to make us stronger as an organization.  In fact here at our lodge, for the first time in The Tiffin Moose’s 76 years, the 2023 Board of Officers includes two women and two officers that represent our LGBTQ+ membership.

These changes have helped the Fraternity grow and prosper, as we have seen an increase in membership for only the third time in the past 30 years. In order to continue this growth, however, we need to remain relevant to potential members who are also changing. These individuals represent multiple generations with different expectations and values than those that existed when we were founded, and even those that existed only a few short years ago.

One part of those values has been inclusivity, where all individuals are welcomed and respected. The Moose has long considered itself non-discriminatory, but has never articulated that value with a formalized statement. Therefore, to begin 2023, the Moose International Board of Directors recently approved a diversity statement that represents the Fraternity’s views on inclusion for members, volunteers and staff.

“The Moose Fraternity is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and connectedness. We will only be able to grow today as an organization, and provide meaningful help to others, with a diverse group of members, employees and partners that are representative of the communities and individuals which we serve. Therefore, we do not discriminate against any member, potential member, employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.”

The diversity statement appears on our website, our membership applications, and in our employee policy materials. More importantly, the statement will guide our actions moving forward so that we accurately represent the varied individuals that make us the strongest fraternal organization that exists today.