Help! Problems with Moderator permissions...

I have a private "Moderators' Lounge" set up specifically for the different forum Moderators to go to when they need to discuss things off of the public boards. In the User Admin "Permissions" area I am only allowed to make a member either a "Member" or an "Administrator" but there is no "Moderator" level. Even when I try to allow the Moderators access to the "Moderators' Lounge" they cannot enter it...they keep getting the following message, "Sorry, but only moderators can read topics in this forum." So how can I fix things to where they are not only allowed entry, but have posting rights, etc. without setting them as "Administrators"?? Please help!

Thanks!

You must make them moderator of that forum
""Moderators' Lounge"
Else they want be able to access it

Then, are you saying that in order for all of my forums Moderators to enter and be allowed to post in the "Moderators' Lounge" forum they ALL have to be Moderators of that forum??? They are all currently Moderators of other assorted public forums within the site. The Moderators' Lounge forum was set up for them to come to in order to privately discuss any problems within their respective forums. So, making them all Moderators of the "Moderators' Lounge" is the only way for them to access that forum and post???

Yes its the only way to do that. You can go in forum permissions and edit the forum permissions according to your wish.
When you make them mod they have all permissions like post,edit, del,sticky etc. You can change that in the permission to "admin".
Fo eg. you dont want them to del the post. then make this permission to admin.
You'll understand it when you do it actually.

i wanted the same and placed all of my moderators into a user group, gave the group moderating status for the forum, and set the forum to be only for moderators.. this way also keeps off the 'Moderator xxxSALLYxxx, JoeW, Alex420" below your forum description on the main index.

yeah... thats easy way and lloks good on front page
but be cautious with group permissions.