Military Order of the Serpent (

acronym An acronym is a type of abbreviation consisting of a phrase whose only pronounced elements are the initial letters or initial sounds of words inside that phrase. Acronyms are often spelled with the initial Letter (alphabet), letter of each wor ...

MOS;

nickname A nickname, in some circumstances also known as a sobriquet, or informally a "moniker", is an informal substitute for the proper name of a person, place, or thing, used to express affection, playfulness, contempt, or a particular character trait ...

, Snaix; established 1904) was an American

secret society A secret society is an organization about which the activities, events, inner functioning, or membership are concealed. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence ag ...

and veterans'

fraternity A fraternity (; whence, "wikt:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal order traditionally of men but also women associated together for various religious or secular ...

organized in 1904, and incorporated on August 6, 1907. The MOS received official recognition by the

United Spanish War Veterans The United Spanish War Veterans was an American veterans' organization which consisted of veterans of the Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War and China Relief Expedition. Origins Soon after the Spanish–American War ended, in early ...

(USWV) at the

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encampment. It became the humorous branch of the USWV, as devotion to the principles and objectives of USWV did not prevent a belief in humor. The MOS was the outgrowth of ideas by Walter Scott MacAaron (1877–1941), Col. Fred S. Fanning (1863–1940), Col. John Parker, and others. It took its basis from the ancient rites observed by the several Filipino tribes and the ordeals passed thru by the Gilmore Party when captured by the native Filipinos. The MOS was said to be adopted from a clandestine

Masonry Masonry is the craft of building a structure with brick, stone, or similar material, including mortar plastering which are often laid in, bound, and pasted together by mortar (masonry), mortar. The term ''masonry'' can also refer to the buildin ...

formed by Filipinos in 1871, at

Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...

. Known as the

Katipunan The Katipunan (), officially known as the (; ) and abbreviated as the KKK, was a revolutionary organization founded in 1892 by a group of Filipino nationalists Deodato Arellano, Andrés Bonifacio, Valentin Diaz, Ladislao Diwa, José Dizon, an ...

Society, this was a

revolutionary organization A revolutionary movement (or revolutionary social movement) is a specific type of social movement dedicated to carrying out a revolution. Criteria Charles Tilly defines it as "a social movement advancing exclusive competing claims to control o ...

with headquarters in the Biak-na-Bato Cave, where

Emilio Aguinaldo Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who became the first List of presidents of the Philippines, president of the Philippines (1899–1901), and the first pre ...

and his headsmen signed the Spanish treaty.

Preceding events

The Order of the Serpent was originally formed in the Philippine Islands. It was built upon the history and traditions of a Filipino revolutionary organization known as the "Katipunan", who worshiped the snake as their Deity and lived by levying tribute much in the same manner as the Black Hand. The members of the tribe had a triangle branded on their left breast with a "K." in each corner, and a sunburst in the center. To become a member, the native had, in addition to his oath of allegiance, submit to an odd ceremony, concluded by signing his name with the blood from three cuts in the shape of a triangle onto his left arm. This becoming known, the troops, in 1899, examined every native captured to determine if he had the scar and so secured the secrets of the society. During the Philippine insurrection, Walter McAron, who became Grand Gu Gu Grandississimo (GGG) of the Military Order of the Serpent (MOS), together with 15 other American soldiers, were captured by the Katipunan, so that they are well acquainted with the customs and manners and traditions of the Katipunan organization. This Order was introduced into the United States and subordinate bodies were organized in many of the States. One of the spectacular features was the parade of members as Snakes in costumes, representing every tribe in islands of the Philippines, from the Tagalog to the Iggorotto. The Katipunan, the Great Snake, headed the smaller ones, and he inserted the royal sting of the jungle for those wishing to learn the mysteries of the Order when the initiates were instructed.

History

The Military Order of the Serpent aimed to present in its work one of the Filipino societies, Order of the Serpent, which has sworn undying hatred of the Americans and had devoted its members to the service of Katipunan. As was generally known, the ritual of the Spanish War Veterans (SWV), like that of its successor, the USWV, did not contain much levity. In the autumn of 1903, Capt. Frederick Mason Fanning was elected Department Commander of

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SWV and chose

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(1860–1937) as his Adjutant General. At the time, he promised Ohio a clean side degree to stimulate interest in the depleting SWV. The Gilmore Party had just been rescued from the Philippines to the joy of the U.S., and public prints were filled with the strange adventures of that party among the

indigenous peoples of the Philippines The indigenous peoples of the Philippines are Ethnic groups of the Philippines, ethnolinguistic groups or subgroups that maintain partial isolation or independence throughout the colonial era, and have retained much of their traditional pre-col ...

. The Filipinos Society of Katipunan came prominently to the SWV's attention and after experimenting with various side degrees offered by costume houses, which proved to be either trifling, dull, or immoral, the SWV determined to establish the MOS as a side degree of the SWV, which later consolidated into the USWV. The extensive knowledge of native customs obtained from those who served, principally of the 22nd Infantry, U. S. A., together with some of the organizers' own knowledge, helped in writing up a ritual. The degree was formally introduced to the members of the SWV of Cleveland on January 1, 1904. About 52 delegates attended the meeting from various camps all over the state. From that time on, the Snake became a feature of USWV camps in

and was always worked at Department Encampment. When the organizers learned that a civilian reporter was claiming some credit for the organization of the Order, Capt. Fanning and a chosen group of faithful Snakes incorporated it in 1907, the Captain retiring from his position at the head of it and giving place to Captain Charles E. Stroud, of

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, who served until the last Supreme Convention at

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, when Phillips was elected Supreme Gu Gu Grandississimo. The Order was general throughout Ohio, and in 1913, at Cedar Point, was worked on by many at the National Encampment, while at Boston in 1914, 233 applicants were inoculated with the Sacred Virus. By 1914, the Order existed in 22 States.

Membership

The regulations governing membership were identical to those of the USWV. No one who was not a member in good standing of that body was eligible to or retain membership in the MOS. In addition, to be eligible, a man must not only have been a veteran of U.S. wars, but he must also have seen foreign service.

Headquarters and lairs

The organization was chartered by the State of

and extended to nearly every department of the USWV. The constituent bodies of this organization were a national body known as the Supreme Lair of the United States, the Military Order of the Serpent, and State Organizations known as Grand Lairs, each Grand Lair being designated by the name of the state, territory or possession in which it existed. The Grand Lair of Ohio, for several years, held the honors of having the most active lairs and largest membership, but through lack of interest, lost that honor for a time. In 1907, the leader of the Order, the Grand Junta, maintained an address at

Defiance, Ohio Defiance is a city in Defiance County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 17,066 at the 2020 census. It is located at the confluence of the Auglaize and Maumee rivers about southwest of Toledo and northeast of For ...

. By 1931, the permanent administrative headquarters were located

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Organization

The organization consisted of a Supreme Lair of the U. S., which was much like the National Encampment USWV in its organization and operation. Departments were organized into Grand Lairs. The Grand Lair was the unit of work and was supposed to put on the work at Department Encampment or at the will of the Grand Junta of the department. Local Lairs operate under Rits of Dispension (so-called) and have the power to initiate not to exceed 50 percent of the local USWV membership in any calendar year. The organization was non-partisan and non-sectarian. Its purposes were the maintenance of a secret society to perpetuate memories of the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

, the incident struggle in the Philippines, the

China Relief Expedition The China Relief Expedition was an expedition in China undertaken by the United States Armed Forces to rescue United States citizens, European nationals, and other foreign nationals during the latter years of the Boxer Rebellion, which lasted ...

, and for literary purposes connected with these wars of the U.S. The Preamble to its constitution stated:— "We the members of the United Spanish War Veterans who have seen the mystic light diffused by the weird and awful Khatee Puna even the Great Snake who haunts the Jungle, desiring to more firmly establish good fellowship among our comrades, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the Military Order of the Serpent."

Administration and symbols

The objective of the MOS was: "To Make Life More Pleasant and Ourselves More Useful to USWV, All Sons of USWV, and the Rest of Humanity." The emblem of the order was a Serpent with a triangle and other symbols. The emblem carried at a parade in Boston, was said to measure in length. Its colors were green and purple, with gold accents. Its member's cap was green and featured a gold serpent and purple tassels on the top. Its garb was a white costume designed to represent Filipino natives who had become civilized. Initially, the MOS had two degrees, Khattee Puna (first degree), and the Bayana (second degree). Subsequently, there were three degrees, the Khatee Puna (first degree), Kaul (second degree), and Bayani (third degree). The badge of the Order (Khatapunan and Kaul degree badges) was a Filipino cross with the emblems of the American Service deposed on its arms; center and spaces between the arms of cross bear the symbols of the Katipunan. Comparison of MOS degrees to the

system:

Katipunan color designations: * ''Katipon''. First-degree members. Other symbols: Black hood, revolver, and/or bolo. * ''Kawal''. Second-degree members. Other symbols: green ribboned medallion with Malayan ''K'' inscription. * ''Bayani''. Third-degree members. Other symbols: Red hood and sash, with green borders.

The titles of its office were odd. The leader of the Order was the Grand Junta, or Grand Gu Gu Grandississimo. Other titles associated with the order included: Thrice Infamous Inferior Grand Gu Gu, Grand Datto, Grand Lord High Keeper of the Sacred Amphora, Keeper of the Ophidian, Chief Ladrone, Ungodly Villain, Thrice Dulcat Yawler of the Jungle, the Insidious thumper of the Sanctified Sheep-Hide, Lord High compellor of the Sacred Bull Cart, Dog Robber of the Unhallowed Loat, and Depraved Pangula. The official organ, ''The Hiker'', was a bi-monthly publication. Thomas M. Stalford was the editor & publisher.

Notable people

Members

John Henry Parker

Supreme Gu Gu Grandississimos

* Henry Escarraz * Frederick M. Fanning * Walter Scott MacAaron * George Meredith * Sydney Aaron Phillips * E. W. Simmons * Walter E. Steele * Charles E. Stroud

References

External links

Photo, Malbon Fair. Parade float, 'Military Order of the Serpent'
via

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Military Order of the Serpent, Ritual of the Degree of Khatapunan
via stichtingargus.nl {{authority control 1904 establishments in Ohio Secret societies in the United States Aftermath of the Spanish–American War American veterans' organizations Defunct organizations based in the United States Defunct fraternities and sororities Fraternities and sororities in the United States Defiance, Ohio Topeka, Kansas Humour