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
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
.
History
The Order was founded in
Rochester,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
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* ...
. 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.
At its 1923 convention in
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading ( ; ) is a city in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 95,112 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, fourth-most populous ...
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.
Organization
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". In the early 1920s the Order had a $150,000 headquarters in
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...
. By the 1970s the headquarters had moved to
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
, Pennsylvania. The headquarters is currently listed as a
Post Office Box
A post office box (commonly abbreviated as P.O. box, or also known as a postal box) is a uniquely addressable lockable box located on the premises of a post office.
In some regions, particularly in Africa, there is no door-to-door delivery ...
in DeBary, Florida.
Membership
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.
The Order had 143,000 members in 208 Nests in the early 1920s, 12,649 in 1979 in 57 Nests and 10,000 members "about a decade later". As of 2023, 36 Nests continue to operate.
Benefits
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.
Ritual
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. The order also has passwords, though it does not consider itself a secret society.
[Preuss p.134]
References
{{Reflist
External links
Fraternal Order Orioles
Fraternal orders
Organizations established in 1910
Secret societies in the United States
1910 establishments in New York (state)