HSAF Encyclopedia Home
Introduction
A fraternity (from Latin frater: “brother”; “brotherhood”), fraternal order or fraternal organization is an order, organization, society or a club of individuals associated together for various religious or secular aims.
Fraternity in the Western concept developed in the Christian context, notably with the religious orders in the Catholic Church during the middle ages. A notion eventually further extended with the middle age guilds, followed by the early modern formation of gentlemen’s clubs, Freemasons, odd fellows, student fraternities and fraternal service organizations. Members may be referred to as a brother or sister, but many variations on this tradition exist.
Today, connotations of fraternities vary according to the context, including companionship and brotherhoods dedicated to the religious, intellectual, academic, physical and/or social pursuits of its members. Additionally, in modern times, it sometimes connotes a secret society, especially regarding freemasonry, odd fellows and various academic and student societies.
Disclaimers
No Strict Classifications
For ease of use it is necessary to classify fraternal organizations. However, these classifications are neither precise nor fair. Many organizations straddle two or more classifications while it is likely others should be reclassified. Understanding these dilemmas, but confident this website will grow and develop in due time, we expect to create new means to cross-classify and categorize American fraternal organizations. In the mean time, we welcome you suggestions and support to make this website all that it can and ought to be. Thank you.
Information in Progress and the Cyclopedia of Fraternities
The fraternal information in this website, and posted under each fraternal organization’s page is basic. Because there is no on-line database of fraternal organization, or indeed, any website so dedicated, the Historical Society for American Fraternalism is attempting to fill a huge gap of information. Rather than writing entries in a systematic manner, we thought it best to supply visitors with what reliable information is available. The foundation of all knowledge of American fraternal orders is Albert C. Stevens, 1899, The Cyclopedia of Fraternalism .(NY: Hamilton Printing). By placing each of that book’s more than 600 fraternal entries into individual webpages, while not in anyway perfect, they provide the visitor some information.
Naturally the HSAF is dedicated to building upon Stevens, and there are plans underway to add to the many entries information from Arthur Preuss’ 1924 Dictionary of Secret and Other Societies, Alvin Schmidt’s 1979 Fraternal Organizations, and other fraternal reference books. Through this technique, along with links to organizations’ websites, each entry will hopefully have several blocks of information to help the reader to get a range of knowledge, and provide future editors the raw information to craft fair and accurate up-to-date entries.
Further information, more especially graphics and images will be added as financial support becomes a reality. The charts, graphics and thousands of images related to the hundreds of fraternal orders are available, only time, talent and money prevents them from posting.
Lastly, entries on each fraternal order is only the first step. With the mission to document the whole history of American fraternalism, this website will therefore have individual pages for each and every local chapter of every fraternal organization, along with lists of national, state and local officers and members. It plans to have webpages on fraternal orphanages, retirement homes, hospitals, schools, cemeteries, conventions, parades, monuments and indeed the full range of fraternal material culture.
Classifications are only the first stones in a vast and wonderful world waiting to be build. We welcome all who wish to sincerely help us to construct that world.
Equitable Aid Union of America (EAUofA) “b”
Organized at Columbus, Warren County, Pa., March 22, 1879, and incorporated under the laws of Pennsylvania. Four of the founders were Freemasons. This secret, beneficiary fraternity permitted the formation of subordinate Unions, as its Lodges are termed, north of 36° 30′ north latitude in the United States and in the Dominion of Canada. It sought to bring men and women into its Unions to promote benevolence, charity, social and mental culture, to care for the sick and needy, to aid one another in obtaining employment, and to assist each other in business.
It also insured members in sums ranging from $325 to $3,000 by means of assessments of from twenty-five cents to $1, according to age and amount. The benefit certificates also provided for the payment of specified sums in case of accident resulting in physical disability. Eligibility to membership extended to candidates from 15 to 55 years of age. The total membership in twenty-four States and in Canada in 1896 was about 30,000, of which 25,000 were beneficiary and 5,000 social members.
The official emblem consisted of the initials of the title of the Order in a triangle, surrounded by a conventionalized sun-burst. The system of assessments in the Equitable Aid Union suggests the influence of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. The government of the society is similar to that of other similar societies, subordinate Unions being under the immediate jurisdiction of Grand or State (or provincial) Unions, the officers and representatives of the latter making up the Supreme Union, or highest legislative authority.
In April, 1897, the Union suspended payments and went into the hands of a receiver. It had fought hard to continue its existence, and numbered about 30,000 members, principally in the country districts of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. Less than five years before it had $43,000,000 worth of policies in force, and not many years previously the amount was almost $75,000,000. Its decline began in 1891. In 1895 its income was $792,895 and its disbursements $801, 435, and its death rate had increased within four years from 12.2 to 17.4 per 1,000 annually.
Citation:
Stevens, Albert Clark, ed. The Cyclopaedia of Fraternities: A Compilation of Existing Authentic Information . . . of More Than Six Hundred Secret Societies in the United States. New York: Hamilton Printing and Publishing Company, 1899.
See Also:
http://nationalheritagemuseum.typepad.com/library_and_archives/equitable_aid_union/
Ethnic
Introduction
Organizations found under this classification refer directly to European immigrant organizations dedicated to helping member preserve their culture while assimilating into American society. The two oldest well-known ethnic organizations are the Ancient Order of Hibernians (Irish) founded in 1836 and the Order of Sons of Hermann (German) in 1840. These organizations are distinguished from native-born American organizations, such as the Order of United American Mechanics, African-American Organizations such as the Knights and Ladies of Tabor, or even hereditary orders such as Daughters of the Confederacy. Whiles each of these later organizations are dedicated to preserving a specific heritage, culture, or commemorating historical events, Ethnic Fraternal orders exist to bridge two cultures of the old and new worlds. Ethnic Fraternal orders’ rituals also tended to be brief and based on a factual or legendary cultural history, such as King Arthur or Leif Erickson, while more-inclusive fraternal orders’ rituals are based on pan-ethnic stories, such as the Bible, medieval knights or ancient mythology.
While a few, if not many, organizations found under this classification are not strictly “ethnic” they all at least identify with a particular group of Europeans. The Danish Brotherhood could be better understood as a “Mutual Assessment” organizations for a portion of each members’ annual dues paid for a life insurance policy. The Order of B’rith Abraham, being classified under “Religious Organizations” could also be considered “Ethnic” and “Mutual Assessment” as it included Jews from both a range of European cultures and a range of observance– from conservative to secular. In contrast, the Irish Catholic Knights of America could easily be designated at “Ethnic,” but they are classified “Religious” as there are also Irish Protestant fraternal orders. While the Brotherhood of United Irishmen is “Ethnic” as it does not specific a religious denomination, and indeed could have been created to bring both Catholic and Protestant Irish immigrant together for mutual aid and support.
Examples
Friendly
Introduction
The term “Friendly” is used to gather the most common ritual-based fraternal organization under one heading. It is a catch-all term to distinguish those fraternal orders that have charitable activities in consequence to their principles, as opposed to those with contractual obligations. Freemasonry is the first and foremost of all friendly societies with its first American lodges in the 1730s. The Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias follow in size and strength. These three great fraternities all build orphanages, retirement homes, cared for the sick and widows, but never guaranteed such services as a right of membership. “Mutual Assessment” fraternal orders, such as the Tribe of Ben Hur or the Modern Woodmen of American also provided health and death benefits, but were in many cases, insurance corporations with local fraternal chapters. Friendly Societies are ritual-based organization who believed its ritual, principles, teaching and tenets would inspire its members to care for each other and would, thereby, naturally create charitable local, state and national funds and endeavors.
Friendly Societies are also distinguished from Ethnic Fraternal order, Religious and even Hereditary orders by the universality of their rituals and membership. Friendly Societies rituals are based on the Bible, legendary medieval knights and heroes, ancient mythology, and even modern works of fiction. Rather than than perpetuating one ethnic, political, or racial point of view, or commemorating a specific historical event. Local Friendly Societies’ “lodges” contain members of diverse backgrounds and beliefs, and many charter local “lodges” for specific groups, such as German-speaking, Jewish, or by profession or trade.
Examples
Greek Letter
Introduction
Also known as College fraternities and Sororities, “Greek-Letter” organizations are begin in the 1770s with the literary society of Phi Beta Kappa founded at the College of William Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Although not limited to higher educational student clubs employing Greek letters as the initials of their organizations the term is more specific than “fraternities.” Skull and Bones, P.E.O Sisterhood, and Scroll and Key are classified as “Greek Letter Fraternities” while they do not actually employee Greek letters. Most Greek Letter fraternities limit the opportunity to join to undergraduate students, but some, especially among African-American fraternities allow non-students and adults of all ages to join. Even more peculiar, once a man or woman joins a Greek letter fraternity, they are usually not asked to pay annual membership dues, to remain a member. Furthermore, unlike nearly every other type of American fraternal order, Greek Letter fraternities local chapters are established only in conjunction with an institution of of higher education, with each chapter’s viability being subject to the institutions’ policies.