Efforts to keep fraternal orders private now go beyond a guard at the door.

Apr 1, 1997 12:00 PM, By ALEX GOFF

It used to be you just needed a secret handshake and a code word or two to know who was in and who was out, but today's fraternal orders - Moose, Elk, Masons, even Templars - have found an increasing need to use the latest access control technology to keep non-members out.

A Growing Market When Elks Lodge 186 in Olympia, Wash., sold its building to the city to make way for a park and fountain, the members were not happy about losing the facility they had called home for decades. Once the new building was finished, however, all was well - almost.

Like many of the more than 4,000 Elk and Moose lodges throughout the United States (along with countless other clubs and fraternal organizations), Elks Lodge 186 was becoming increasingly concerned about security.

Over the bar in the lodge hangs a sign: What you see here, what you hear here, leave here. The privacy of the members, not to mention the safety of the lodge's property, has become enough of a concern that fraternal organizations have made lodge security a significant and growing market in the access control industry. It's just common sense, says K.C. Jones, Exalted Leader of the Elks Lodge in Olympia. We're not necessarily worried about having anything stolen, but we are worried about general protection of our lodge and our members.

This market is definitely heating up, says Bob Beck, president of R. J. Beck Protective Systems Inc. in Norwalk, Ohio. What they need is effective access control and membership tracking on computer.

While the number of new lodges opening in the U.S. is not high, many of the older lodges are rebuilding.

A lot of them are upgrading their lodges right now, says Michael Linebarger, who owned a California-based company that installed security systems in several lodges before becoming a technical writer. They're putting in new bars or replacing facilities. That's the ideal time for them to consider upgrading their security as well.

The grand old system of stationing someone at the door to screen non-members and members who owe dues is gradually proving inadequate. Dues tracking systems are slow, and doormen can be distracted. The challenge for protective systems installers is to create a simple access control system that allows easy access to members in good standing, but keeps out non-members and members who are behind in dues.

Computer membership tracking At the Gaelic-American Club in Fairfield, Conn., the man-at-the-door security plan that had been adequate for many years was quickly becoming unacceptable. The club, a two-story building with a bar, banquet rooms and a full kitchen, wanted to improve access control, monitor membership and keep out delinquent members.

When they came to us, they simply had a security guard man the front doors, says Bob Kline, vice president of technical services for Pelletier Alarm Services in Danbury, Conn. Anybody could simply walk in.

Pelletier installed Radionics' ReadyKey for Windows 95 along with the Radionics K2001 proximity reader with magnetic locks on the double entrance doors. The system tied a member's status to computer approval of every card.

Installation was simple, Kline says. One reader and an exit motion sensor. The computer system itself was a simple thing - no dues, no access.

To meet the Gaelic-American Club's goals, Mark Dreksler, access control products manager at Radionics in Salinas, Calif., modified the computer software slightly.

We needed to add start and stop fields to the access information, and make sure we took into account memberships that lasted several years, Dreksler says. This applies to many types of clients but is especially useful to lodges and fraternal orders. You want to be able to import membership data so that you are not retyping everything, and you want to create a door security system that also records when members come and go.

Proximity readers Installers and lodge directors alike favor proximity readers for access control. You're working on security for usually only one or two doors, but those doors have thousands of users, Dreksler says. You can use key cards, and for years many of these clubs have been using them. But now you're seeing a shift toward proximity cards. You don't have the moving parts, and there's less margin for error.

Beck, who also installed Radionics proximity readers in several lodges, says they are more expensive but better serve the customer.

The product one of our clients used was a slide-through reader, but it was from a substandard manufacturer, and the quality just wasn't there, he says. The system would crash unexpectedly. We put in the ReadyKey software, which is a Windows 95 application, so it's pretty simple to install and use. The proximity access worked well, because there's less chance of the members putting the card through wrong or upside down.

Radionics makes its own models and also supplies HID, Motorola and other models. It's easy to use, Dreksler says. For lodges or legions or VFWs, the proximity card doesn't require a lot of dexterity, and for some older members that's a plus.

Compared to a daily sign-up book, it was far superior, says Beck, whose company has installed proximity reader systems in several fraternal organization lodges. You can immediately see which members entered when and for how long. It can even be used as a member sign-up tool. A lot of the lodges have computer capability already, so now the lodge staff can have a PC anywhere and keep track of the membership. Some clubs even use these cards on their golf courses as a way to operate the golf ball dispensers.

Easily Pelletier's largest account (they issued 4,000 cards), the Gaelic-American Club's requirements are typical among clubs, lodges and fraternal organizations.

In this case, they did make one special request, Kline says. They didn't want past members or overdue members trying to get in, failing, and becoming angry and taking their frustrations out on the reader. They asked for the reader to be hidden behind sheet rock.

Kline says the proximity sensor can cost as much as 15 percent more than other access systems, but the extra features are worth it. Inside Security

The issue of access control applies equally to the internal security of fraternal lodges. Many lodges open their doors to functions for non-members - weddings, parties, business lunches - but do not necessarily want those guests exploring every facet of the building.

Linebarger installed an internal security system at the Moose Lodge in Salinas, Calif. They needed to have the ability to open doors in various locations from behind the bar, he says. In many of the lodges, the leader might be the manager of the building or serving drinks behind the bar. A lot of these places will allow outsiders to use their facilities, so they need a way to allow access for members to a certain area, like the beer cooler, while restricting access for others.

Linebarger installed a Radionics 8112 lock system with an alpha keypad. It's worked well, says member J. B. Smith. We're able to control who goes into what room.

We're as worried about internal security as external security, says Jones, the Olympia Elks Lodge leader. There, Northwest Electronic Security installed a DSC Power 832 internal burglar alarm system by Digital Security Control, Toronto. We were worried about general protection rather than having anything stolen. Not only have we put in a perimeter alarm, but we also made sure that if someone decides to hide out in the building, the alarm system is in effect, and any noise will set it off.

Easy market Installers say internal installation is no more than a two-day job. And according to Beck, most lodge installations are uncomplicated, short jobs, usually involving no more than two doors and a couple of PCs in the lodge office.

Kline agrees. Installation was fairly simple, he says. One reader with double entrances and magnetic locks. We also put in an exit motion sensor. That part of the process can often be forgotten.

The installation on the doors is pretty straightforward, adds Dreksler. It might take two days. Installing the software, if they have computers and Windows, takes minutes.

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© 2012 Penton Media Inc.

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