Module 1: CLMS Fundamentals

What is CLMS?

Understanding the Community Lodges Management System

CLMS (Community Lodges Management System) is the official tracking and reporting system for Elks community service activities, including DAP. Understanding why we track activities and how CLMS works will help you appreciate its importance and use it effectively.

Why We Track DAP Activities

Tracking DAP activities serves multiple purposes:

  • Demonstrate impact: Data shows how many students and communities we reach
  • Support funding: Activity numbers justify budget allocations at lodge, state, and national levels
  • Earn recognition: Awards and recognition are based on documented activities
  • Identify needs: Data reveals which areas need more support or resources
  • Report to stakeholders: Schools, partners, and the public want to see our impact
  • Improve programs: Tracking helps us understand what works

What CLMS Tracks

For DAP, CLMS captures:

  • Presentations: School visits, assemblies, classroom sessions
  • Students reached: Number of young people who participated
  • Events: Community events, health fairs, Red Ribbon Week activities
  • Volunteer hours: Time contributed by DAP volunteers
  • Materials: Educational materials distributed

Who Uses CLMS

CLMS is used at every level of the organization:

  • Lodge Chairs: Enter activity data for their lodge
  • District Chairs: Monitor lodge reporting and district totals
  • State Chairs: Track statewide performance and compliance
  • National DAP: Aggregate national statistics and trends
  • Grand Lodge: Report Elks community impact externally

The Importance of Accurate Data

CLMS data represents the Elks to the outside world. Accurate reporting matters:

  • Inflated numbers undermine credibility if discovered
  • Underreporting means we do not get credit for our work
  • Inconsistent definitions make comparisons meaningless
  • Missing data creates gaps in the story of our impact

Take the time to report accurately—it reflects on your lodge and on Elks nationwide.

CLMS vs. Other Tracking

You may keep your own records (spreadsheets, notebooks), but CLMS is the official system:

  • Your personal records should feed into CLMS, not replace it
  • Only CLMS data counts for awards and recognition
  • State and national reports pull from CLMS

Think of CLMS as the permanent record and your personal tracking as working notes.