Most of the BPOE are heavy drinkers. I worked as a bartender at an Elks lodge one summer and raked in a hundred bucks in tips every night. But they are also hard workers.

One night, a 60-year-old man and 3 friends sat down and polished off a bottle of Black Velvet. I woke up the next morning at 6 a.m. for a morning run and saw the guy hanging off the business end of a John Deere combine. He recognized me and made a point to say good morning.

BPOE = Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks.