Fraternal Order of Eagles

Last updated
Fraternal Order of Eagles
FoundedFebruary 6, 1898
Founder
FocusSocial issues
Location
Origins Seattle, Washington
Area served
International
Endowment $10 million
Website www.foe.com OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Fraternal Order of Eagles (F.O.E.) is a fraternal organization that was founded on February 6, 1898, in Seattle, Washington, by a group of six theater owners including John Cort (the first president), brothers John W. and Tim J. Considine, Harry (H.L.) Leavitt (who later joined the Loyal Order of Moose), Mose Goldsmith and Arthur Williams. [1] Originally made up of those engaged in one way or another in the performing arts, the Eagles grew and claimed credit for establishing the Mother's Day holiday in the United States as well as the "impetus for Social Security" in the United States. Their lodges are known as "aeries".

Contents

History

Terracotta ornamentation of the former Eagles Aerie No. 1, Eagles Auditorium Building in Seattle. Seattle Eagles Auditorium terracotta 02.jpg
Terracotta ornamentation of the former Eagles Aerie No. 1, Eagles Auditorium Building in Seattle.

The Fraternal Order of Eagles, an international non-profit organization, unites fraternally in the spirit of liberty, truth, justice, and equality, to make human life more desirable by lessening its ills, and by promoting peace, prosperity, gladness and hope. [2]

The Fraternal Order of Eagles was founded on February 6, 1898. The organization was formed by six theater owners sitting on a pile of lumber in Moran's shipyard in Seattle, Washington. They were competitors who had come together to discuss a musicians' strike. After deciding how to handle the strike, they agreed to "bury the hatchet" and form an organization dubbed "The Order of Good Things".

Early meetings were held on local theater stages, and after taking care of business, attendees rolled out a keg of beer and enjoyed social time. As numbers grew, participants selected the bald eagle as the official emblem and changed the name to "The Fraternal Order of Eagles". In April 1898, the membership formed a Grand Aerie, secured a charter and developed a constitution and by-laws, with John Cort elected the Eagles' first president.

Touring theater troupes are credited with much of the Eagles' rapid growth. Most early members were actors, stagehands and playwrights, who carried the Eagles story as they toured across the United States and Canada. The organization's appeal is also attributed to its funeral benefits (no Eagle was ever been known to be buried in a potter's field), the provision of an aerie physician, and other membership benefits. [3] The Eagles pushed for the founding of Mother's Day, provided the impetus for Social Security, and pushed to end job discrimination based on age. The Eagles have provided support for medical centers across the United States and Canada to build and provide research on medical conditions. Every year they raise millions of dollars to combat heart disease and cancer, help children with disabilities, and uplift the aged and infirm.

History of the Aerie

An aerie in nature is the lofty nest of any bird of prey, including eagles and hawks. [4] In the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the term Aerie is the name of the building in which the members meet and hold events.

History of the Auxiliary

Official logo of the Fraternal Order of Eagles Auxiliary Foeaux.jpg
Official logo of the Fraternal Order of Eagles Auxiliary

A "new era for the women of Eagledom" began when an amendment to the Grand Aerie Laws to establish a Grand Auxiliary passed unanimously at the 1951 Grand Aerie Convention in Rochester, New York. [5] Eagle Auxiliaries had existed before the Grand Auxiliary was formed, the first being founded on March 24, 1927, in Pittsburg, Kansas. Three days later, a second Auxiliary was established in Frontenac, Kansas. By March 1951, 965 local Auxiliaries were in existence, totaling 130,000 members. By the end of that year, 22 state and provincial Auxiliaries were also operating. [6]

Timeline

Structure and Organization

Elected Officers
Grand AerieGrand Auxiliary
Grand Worthy President Grand Madam President
Grand Worthy President-ElectGrand Madam President-Elect
Grand Worthy Vice-PresidentGrand Madam Vice-President
Grand SecretaryGrand Madam Secretary
Grand TreasurerGrand Madam Treasurer
Grand Worthy ConductorGrand Madam Conductor
Grand Inside GuardGrand Madam Inside Guard
Grand Outside GuardGrand Madam Outside Guard
Grand Worthy ChaplainGrand Madam Chaplain
Grand Worthy Trustee (x4)Grand Madam Trustee (x4)

Local units are called "Aeries". [7] There were 1,400 Aeries scattered across the US and Canada in 2001. [8] The national convention is known as the "Grand Aerie" and meets annually. [9] "Grand Aerie" is also the name of the headquarters of the organization, currently at Grove City, Ohio. [10]

Aeries are known by their instituting number and the name of the city in which they are located. The Aerie instituting number is appointed based on the order in which an Aerie is instituted; at current date the Grand Aerie is instituting Aeries in the 4500 range. Aerie #1, located in Seattle, Washington, is sometimes referred to as "The Mother Aerie". [11]

The Grand Aerie Fraternal Order of Eagles International Convention is held each year in a different city in either the United States or Canada. During the International Convention, delegates from all Aeries and Auxiliaries vote on the new Grand Aerie and Grand Auxiliary representatives, new by-laws and other relevant issues. [12]

Officers

Officers of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, on a local and international level, are elected each year by popular vote of their delegates. State and regional leaders are appointed each year by the Grand Worthy and Grand Madam Presidents.

The organization is led by the two highest elected positions, the Grand Worthy President and the Grand Madam President. The Grand Worthy and Grand Madam Presidents serve a one-year term touring the two countries meeting and celebrating milestone events with all Aerie and Auxiliary members.

The Grand Aerie Officers are the operating body of the Fraternal Order of Eagles between conventions and work with the Board of Grand Trustees and the Grand Auxiliary. The Board of Grand Trustees, with the exception of the chairman of the board, is also an elected body. The chairman of the board is the immediate past Grand Worthy President.

Membership

At one point the qualifications for membership were that one must be 21 years old, possess a good character, not be a Communist and be a Caucasian. By the late 1970s the all-white provision had officially been rescinded, but, because the Order used the blackball to admit new members, it was difficult for minorities to gain membership. In 1979 the FOE tried to get a lawsuit dismissed that alleged it was violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by not allowing African Americans to use their athletic facilities. The article stated that a local Eagle official could only cite Joe Louis as a black member of the FOE. [13]

In 1979 the Order had 800,000 members, a figure said to have been relatively constant over a decade. [9] In 2011, it had 850,000 members in the main organization and 250,000 members of the women's auxiliary. [8]

As of 2019, membership is open to any person of good moral character, and believes in the existence of a supreme being, and is not a member of the Communist Party nor any organization which advocates the overthrow of the United States government. [14] Currently, either gender can become a member of an Aerie, however, only women can become a member of an Auxiliary. In recent history, numerous Aerie chapters have absorbed their Auxiliaries to form one unified chapter that allows all genders, to which the Grand Aerie and Grand Auxiliary responded with enacting a law that any Auxiliary members who wish to leave the women's only chapter and join the Aerie, must be a non-member of the entire organization for one full year, which has discouraged countless members from doing so.[ citation needed ]

The FOE no longer uses secret passwords or "roughhouse initiation" rites. But, in 1979, it still had a ritual. The prospective member was asked to promise before God and on his honor, not to disclose the rituals of the Order to anyone outside of the FOE. The initiation took place in a lodge room furnished with an altar and a Bible and included religious phrases and prayers. [9]

The FOE had an insurance program in its early years, but discontinued this in 1927. Instead it offered sick and death benefits for members who would pay higher fees. Therefore, the FOE now has two membership categories, beneficial and non-beneficial. [15]

Charitable giving

"People helping people" is a statement that guides the charitable actions of the Fraternal Order of Eagles and has led the Eagles to donate more than $100 million annually. [16] As part of the charitable philosophy, the Eagles give back 100 percent of the contributions received in the form of grants. All administrative costs are paid by the International Organization through membership dues. [17]

In 1941 the FOE donated funds for the construction of a dormitory at Boys Town, Nebraska. Father Flanagan, the founder of Boys Town, was member of the order. A few years later the Order sponsored the creation of Eagle Hall at the Range for Boys at Sentinel Butte, North Dakota. The High Girl Ranch, near Midland, Texas has also received a dormitory. [13]

The Memorial Foundation was founded in 1946, and regularly supports medical research projects. [15] In the 1970s the FOE joined environmentalists in efforts to save the bald eagle from extinction. They also lent their efforts to help the golden eagle as well. [15] In 1959 the FOE began construction on a retirement home for elderly members in Bradenton, Florida. Today this home is part of Eagle Village, where there are other facilities available to the elderly. [15]

Government Relations

Since the time of the New Deal the FOE has promoted social legislation, particularly old age and mothers pensions, Social Security and workmen's compensation. By 1980 it was advocating for seniors to work after age 65 and to return the Social Security system back to its original purpose. [15]

Mother's Day

Frank E. Hering as team captain/coach of Notre Dame football in 1896 Frank Hering.png
Frank E. Hering as team captain/coach of Notre Dame football in 1896

Frank E. Hering, a Past Grand Worthy President of the Fraternal Order of Eagles in South Bend, Indiana, campaigned for "a national day to honor our mothers", nearly 35 years after social activist Ann Jarvis first proposed a similar U.S. holiday. The idea of advocating for Mother's Day came to Hering when he was a faculty member at the University of Notre Dame. Walking into the classroom of a fellow instructor, Hering found his colleague distributing penny postcards to students. Each student addressed his or her card and scribbled a message on it. Hering was informed the students could write anything, as long as it was addressed to the students' mothers.

Hering leveraged his connection with the Fraternal Organization of Eagles to organize its members in promoting the holiday, and in 1914, legislation in the U.S. Congress requested a presidential proclamation to designate the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. This date was encouraged by Anna Marie Jarvis, daughter of Ann Jarvis who continued her mother's work in crusading for a U.S. memorial day for mothers. President Woodrow Wilson signed the proclamation and May 10, 1914, became the first official Mother's Day. [18]

In 1925, the "Society of War Mothers" invited Hering to participate in a special Mother's Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. [19] There, at the "Tomb of the Unknown Soldier", before a large audience including many congressmen and senators, Hering was introduced as "the Father of Mother's Day". That was 11 years after President Woodrow Wilson by Proclamation officially made Mother's Day the second Sunday in May. [20]

Today the Eagles' work to acknowledge mothers on Mother's Day is recognized by the Anna Jarvis Birthplace Museum – a museum honoring the daughter of Ann Jarvis. Grand Madam President Margaret Cox (2007–2008), was named "2008 Mother of the Year" by the Anna Jarvis Birthplace Museum in partnership with the International Mother's Day Shrine in Grafton, WV. Cox was honored at the 100th anniversary of the holiday during the Mother's Day Founder's Festival, May 10 and 11, 2008.

Ten Commandments

In the 1940s, E.J. Ruegemer, a Minnesota juvenile court judge and member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, launched a nationwide campaign to post copies of the Ten Commandments in juvenile courts across the country. His stated goal was to provide a moral foundation for troubled youth.

In 1956, director Cecil B. DeMille's epic film "The Ten Commandments" opened across the country. DeMille and Ruegemer drummed up publicity for the film by working together to erect granite monuments of the Ten Commandments across the nation.

Although there is no official record of how many monuments were erected, estimates range from less than 100 to more than 2,000. The Fraternal Order of Eagles kept the project going long after the film opened, and some monuments didn't get erected until up to 10 years later. Many monuments went up in public places like parks, city halls, and courthouses. [21] On August 30, 1961, the Fraternal Order of Eagles of Texas presented the State of Texas with a 6-foot-high monolith inscribed with the Ten Commandments, which in 2006 became the subject of a divisive and controversial legal dispute (Van Orden v. Perry) that reached the U.S. Supreme Court. [22] The case was ruled 5–4 in favor of the defendant, the State of Texas, and the monument was allowed to remain on the grounds of the State Capitol.

Notable Eagles buildings

Notable Eagles

United States Presidents

Seven United States Presidents have held membership in the Fraternal Order of Eagles:

Politicians

Religion

Entertainers

Athletes

Others

Notable Auxiliary Members

See also

Notes

  1. Murray Morgan, Skid Road, Ballantine Books (1960). pp. 144–146 cites for Cort, John Considine, Leavitt, and Leavitt's departure.
  2. Fraternal Order of Eagles Mission Statement[ full citation needed ]
  3. Fraternal Order of Eagles Ritual and Constitution, predate 1954
  4. Webster's Dictionary, 2007 edition[ full citation needed ]
  5. Proceedings from the Grand Aerie Fraternal Order of Eagles Convention, 1951
  6. October 1951 issue of Mrs. Eagle publication
  7. Schmidt, Alvin J. Fraternal Organizations Westport, CT; Greenwood Press pp. 25–26
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Fraternal Order of Eagles Facts". Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Schmidt, Alvin J. Fraternal Organizations Westport, CT; Greenwood Press p. 96
  10. Contacts, FOE.com.
  11. Data pulled from monthly new Aerie/Auxiliary report.[ full citation needed ]
  12. Proceedings from the Grand Aerie Fraternal Order of Eagles Convention[ full citation needed ]
  13. 1 2 Schmidt, Alvin J. Fraternal Organizations Westport, CT; Greenwood Press pp. 95–96
  14. Title 111, Section 70.2 Articles of Incorporation Constitution and Statutes 2007
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 Schmidt, Alvin J. Fraternal Organizations Westport, CT; Greenwood Press p. 95
  16. All financial and dated data pulled from Proceedings of the Grand Aerie Convention, 1959–2007 and Grand Aerie Fraternal Order of Eagles Annual Financial Audit
  17. Grand Aerie Fraternal Order of Eagles Annual Financial Audit
  18. Anna Jarvis Birthplace Museum
  19. February 1925 issue of The American War Mother
  20. From the Memoires of Frank E. Hering
  21. Minnesota Public Radio (10 September 2001). "MPR: The Ten Commandments: Religious or historical symbol?".
  22. "Van Orden v. Perry".
  23. Considine, Bob (28 March 1968). "Tony Galento Reports on His Work in Eagles Lodge". St. Joseph News-Press. St. Joseph, Missouri. King Features Syndicate.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knights of Pythias</span> Fraternal service organization

The Knights of Pythias is a fraternal organization and secret society founded in Washington, D.C., on February 19, 1864. The Knights of Pythias is the first fraternal organization to receive a charter under an act of the United States Congress. It was founded by Justus H. Rathbone, who had been inspired by a play by the Irish poet John Banim about the legend of Damon and Pythias. This legend illustrates the ideals of loyalty, honor, and friendship that are the center of the order.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War</span> American congressionally chartered fraternal organization

Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) is an American congressionally chartered fraternal organization that carries out activities to preserve the history and legacy of the United States Armed Forces veterans who fought during the Civil War. It is the legal successor to the Grand Army of the Republic, the large and influential grouping of Union Army veterans that existed in the decades following the Civil War. Most SUVCW activities occur at the "Camp" or local community level. Camps are grouped into state or regional structures called "Departments". The National organization, with headquarters at the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, meets annually in a National Encampment that is attended by SUVCW members, known as "Brothers", from all Camps and Departments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loyal Order of Moose</span> American fraternal organizations

The Loyal Order of Moose is a fraternal and service organization founded in 1888 and headquartered in Mooseheart, Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fraternal Order of Police</span> US fraternal organization of police officers

The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) is a fraternal organization consisting of sworn law enforcement officers in the United States. It reports a membership of over 355,000 members organized in 2,100 local chapters (lodges), state lodges, and the national Grand Lodge. The organization attempts to improve the working conditions of law enforcement officers and the safety of those they serve through education, legislation, information, community involvement, and employee representation.

The Citizens Flag Alliance (CFA) is an American organization advocating in favor of the Flag Burning Amendment project. CFA was founded in 1989 by the American Legion and originally called the Citizens' Flag Honor Guard.

Van Orden v. Perry, 545 U.S. 677 (2005), is a United States Supreme Court case involving whether a display of the Ten Commandments on a monument given to the government at the Texas State Capitol in Austin violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sons of Norway</span> Fraternal organization for descendants of people from Norway living in North America

Sons of Norway, founded in 1895 as the Independent Order of the Sons of Norway, is a fraternal organization principally representing people of Norwegian heritage in the United States and Canada. The organization includes in its mission the promotion and preservation of the heritage and culture of Norway and other Nordic countries and to provide life insurance and other financial products to its members. The organization is classified as a non-profit 501(c)(8) fraternal beneficiary society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WoodmenLife</span> Fraternal life insurance company

WoodmenLife is a not-for-profit fraternal benefit society founded in 1890, based in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, that operates a large privately held insurance company for its members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks</span> American fraternal order

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is an American fraternal order founded in 1868, originally as a social club in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sons of Temperance</span> Brotherhood of men who promoted the temperance movement

The Sons of Temperance was and is a brotherhood of men who promoted the temperance movement and mutual support. The organization was started in New York City in 1842. In the 1840s, it spread quickly across the United States and some of Canada before reaching the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justus H. Rathbone</span> American activist (1839–1889)

Justus Henry Rathbone was an American school teacher and the founder of the international fraternal order of the Knights of Pythias. Prior to and during the American Civil War he taught, worked in a number of places for the government, and with news agencies, and also served as a hospital steward during the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sons of Hermann</span> German-American mutual aid society

The Order of the Sons of Hermann (German: Der Orden der Hermanns-Soehne, also known as Hermann Sons, is a mutual aid society for German immigrants that was formed in New York, New York on July 20, 1840, and remains active in the states of California, Ohio, and Texas today. Open to members of any heritage today, the order provides low-cost insurance and mutual aid and has historically promoted the preservation of the German language and traditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eagles Home (Evansville, Indiana)</span> United States historic place

The Eagles Home is a historic building located in Evansville, Indiana. It was designed by Evansville architect Harry Boyle and was built in 1912. It has served as a clubhouse, college, and law firm. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It currently serves as the Evansville office of the Jackson Kelly law firm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eagles Temple (Akron, Ohio)</span> United States historic place

The Eagles Temple was a prominent Fraternal Order of Eagles building in downtown Akron, Ohio, United States. With its high-styled Art Deco architecture, it was home to an organization with thousands of members, and it was designated a historic site when not yet sixty-five years old.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Army and Navy Union of the United States of America</span> Organization of U.S. veterans

The Army and Navy Union (A&NU), formally the Army and Navy Union of the United States of America is the oldest veterans' organization in the United States. It was organized on March 31, 1888, in Ohio. Its name changed over time from just a soldier's union to take account for all sailors and soldiers in all branches of the United States Armed Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lorraine J. Pitkin</span> American womens activist (1845–1922)

Lorraine J. Pitkin was an American women's activist and political postmaster. She served as Most Worthy Grand Matron (1880–86) and Right Worthy Grand Secretary of the Order of the Eastern Star (O.E.S.).

References