Elks to Vote on Black Nominee

The Van Nuys Elks Lodge, accused of racism in September for refusing to admit two black men, is scheduled to hold a closely watched vote tonight on another black nominee.

At least one member, a past exalted ruler, has threatened to resign if Ben Harvey is not admitted.

The two blacks rejected in September--the Rev. Jules S. Bagneris III and Thomas J. Montgomery--said Harvey’s acceptance would encourage their plans to reapply in March. And Deputy State Atty. Gen. Louis Verdugo, who is investigating the earlier vote, said his “interest is piqued” by tonight’s vote.

Jose De Sosa, president of both the San Fernando Valley chapter and state conference of the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People, said the outcome of the vote may help his organization determine whether the Van Nuys lodge has racist membership practices.

Lodge spokesman Dan Davis declined to release any information about Harvey, saying the nominee had requested anonymity to avoid “that circus the media created the last time.” No black community leaders contacted recognized Harvey’s name.

Another Elks member and a Valley resident familiar with the nomination, both of whom asked not to be identified, confirmed that Harvey will be formally sponsored tonight by the lodge’s exalted ruler, George Aguilar.

Aguilar, a Los Angeles police officer, did not return telephone calls Monday.

Sen. Alan Robbins (D-Tarzana) sponsored both Montgomery, a retired state motor vehicles examiner, and Bagneris, an unsuccessful City Council candidate who now represents the firm that is dredging Hansen Dam. The lodge considered those nominations twice, voting 34 to 19 in favor of their admission the second time, just shy of the two-thirds majority required by lodge bylaws.

On Monday, Davis blamed the rejection on Robbins’ involvement rather than on racial bias. By his own admission, Robbins is not very active in the organization. In past interviews, several lodge members charged that Robbins had made the nominations merely to win beneficial publicity for sponsoring black applicants.

“The last time was a political thing and that was what upset most people,” Davis said.

Also rejected in September was Robbins’ aide, Jack Sheffield, who is white.

However, Steve Duchscherer, a past exalted ruler of the Van Nuys lodge, on Monday continued to describe the September vote as the work of a “handful of bigots.” Duchscherer said he hopes tonight’s outcome will be different. But if it isn’t, he said, he may leave the lodge.

Duchscherer said he had hoped to sponsor another black nominee before he learned of Aguilar’s motion. But, he said, “If his candidate cannot get through . . . I know that I won’t have a chance.”