Fraternal Order Orioles
Fraternal Order Orioles is a social and charitable organization that was founded in August 1910. The organization currently consists of about 54 local Nests and affiliated Auxiliaries located in 9 states in the eastern United States.
History[edit]
The Order was founded in Rochester, New York. The Order was originally named the Order of Owls, but another fraternal order of the name had a court issue an injunction against using that name.[1]
At its 1923 convention in Reading, Pennsylvania the delegates voted 241 to 8 for a modification of the Prohibition Amendment that would allow the manufacture of light wine and beers. They also decided to only vote for congressmen who were in favor of such a prohibition.[2]
Organization[edit]
As stated above, local unites are called "Subordinate Nests"; state or provincial groups are called "Grand Nests" and the national structure is the "Supreme Nest", which meets in convention annually. The head of the order is a "Supreme Worthy President" and the head of a local Nest is "Worthy President".[3] In the early 1920s the Order had a $150,000 headquarters in Buffalo, New York.[4] By the 1970s the headquarters had moved to Reading, Pennsylvania.[5] The headquarters is currently listed as a Post Office Box in DeBary, Florida.
Membership[edit]
Membership comes in three categories: good standing, which makes the member eligible for benefits in case of an accident; social membership, which is membership without benefits; and honorary membership, which is for people who do not live near a local Nest. Women are eligible to join local auxiliary units connected to the local Nests.[6]
The Order had 143,000 members in 208 Nests in the early 1920s,[7] 12,649 in 1979 in 57 Nests and 10,000 members "about a decade later".[8] As of 2023, 36 Nests continue to operate.[9]
Benefits[edit]
The Order benefits are allocated on an ad hoc basis for sickness, accident or injuries. This is not an insurance function, but more a form of charity that the Order is not obliged to pay.[10]
Ritual[edit]
The Order has a ritual that was meant to be secret. It resembles many of the other fraternal societies of the day, with an altar in the center of the lodge room, a Bible, and prayers. In addition to the Initiatory Degree, there is also a Supreme Degree, both awarded by the Supreme Nest. The FOOs watchwords are liberty, integrity, on the Orders emblem.[11] The order also has passwords, though it does not consider itself a secret society.[12]
References[edit]
- ^ Preuss, Arthur A Dictionary of Secret and other Societies St. Louis: B. Herder Book Co. 1924; republished Detroit: Gale Reference Company 1966; p.232
- ^ Preuss p.134
- ^ Alvin J. Schmidt Fraternal Orders (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press), 1930, p. 249
- ^ Preuss p.134
- ^ Schmidt p. 250
- ^ Schmidt p. 249
- ^ Preuss p.134
- ^ Alan Axelrod International Encyclopedia of Secret Societies and Fraternal Orders New York; Facts on File, inc 1997 pp.191-2
- ^ "Fraternal Order Orioles - Nest List". Retrieved 2023-11-27.
- ^ Schmidt p. 249
- ^ Schmidt p. 249-50
- ^ Preuss p.134