Women of the Moose

Last updated

The Women of the Moose are the female auxiliary of the Loyal Order of Moose. [1] Like the rest of the Order, membership originally operated by racial discrimination and was historically open to only white women; it has since been integrated.[ citation needed ]

Contents

The WOTM works four degrees. The first is the Co-Worker and is considered necessary to be considered a full member. The other three are Academy of Friendship, College of Regents, and Star Recorder, and are based on merit. On formal occasions members wear Geneva gowns, reminiscent of those worn at college graduations and church choirs. Officers wear different colored stoles. [2]

History

The WOTM originated as the Women of Mooseheart Legion in 1913. In the early years the group had little structure above the Chapter level. In 1926, Katherine Smith, the Director of Public Employment in the Department of Labor under James J. Davis, was appointed the first "Grand Chancellor" of the Women of the Moose. Under her direction the WOM grew to 250,000 members by the time of her retirement in 1964. [3]

Local units are called "Chapters." Officials on the state level are given "Grand" designations and on the national level "Supreme" designations, ergo, "Supreme Secretary," "Grand Secretary" etc. In 1979, there were 1,824 Chapters. [4] Currently there are approximately 1,600 chapters in all 50 states and four Canadian provinces. [5]

In 1979, there were 377,282 members. [2] Today, there are more than 400,000. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Order of the Eastern Star</span> Freemasonry-related fraternal organization

The Order of the Eastern Star (OES) is a Masonic appendant body open to both men and women. It was established in 1850 by lawyer and educator Rob Morris, a noted Freemason, and adopted and approved as an appendant body of the Masonic Fraternity in 1873. The order is based on some teachings from the Bible and is open to people of all religious beliefs. It has approximately 10,000 chapters in 18 countries and approximately 500,000 members under its General Grand Chapter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Order of the British Empire</span> British order of chivalry established in 1917

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male or a dame if female. There is also the related British Empire Medal, whose recipients are affiliated with, but not members of, the order.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association</span> American fraternal organization

The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association is a fraternal organization founded on July 26, 1922, in Atlanta, Georgia. AHEPA was founded with a focus on civil rights, particularly to counteract the Ku Klux Klan. It is the largest and oldest grassroots association of American citizens of Greek heritage and Philhellenes with more than 400 chapters across the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeMolay International</span> International youth fraternity patterned after the Freemasons

DeMolay International is a youth leadership organization with Masonic origins for young men ages 12 to 21. There is in select areas a "Squire" program for those younger than 12. It was founded in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1919 and named for Jacques de Molay, the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar. DeMolay was incorporated in the 1990s and is classified by the IRS as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.

Job's Daughters International is a Masonic affiliated youth organization for girls and young women aged 10 to 20. The organization is commonly referred to as simply Job's Daughters, and sometimes abbreviated as JDI. Job's Daughters welcomes many religions and cultures.

<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 Eagles</span> American fraternal order

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, brothers John W. and Tim J. Considine, Harry (H.L.) Leavitt, Mose Goldsmith and Arthur Williams. 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".

Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia or SRIA is a Rosicrucian esoteric Christian order formed by Robert Wentworth Little between 1865 and 1867. While the SRIA is not a Masonic order, aspirants are strictly confirmed from the ranks of subscribing Master Masons of a Grand Lodge in amity with United Grand Lodge of England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation</span> Catholic dynastic order of knighthood

The Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation is a Catholic order of chivalry, originating in Savoy. It eventually was the pinnacle of the honours system in the Kingdom of Italy, which ceased to be a national order when the kingdom became a republic in 1946. Today, the order continues as a dynastic order under the jurisdiction of the Head of the House of Savoy.

<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. It has more than 750,000+ members at 1,928 lodges. The fraternity currently focuses on Community, Friendship, and Charity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knights of Rizal</span> Order of Chivalry from the Philippines

The Knights of Rizal is an Order of Chivalry of the Philippines, created to honor and uphold the ideals of Philippine national hero José Rizal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catholic Daughters of the Americas</span>

Catholic Daughters of the Americas was founded in 1903, is one of the largest women's organizations in the Americas. Founded in Utica, New York, it has its headquarters in Manhattan, New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ku Klux Klan titles and vocabulary</span>

Ku Klux Klan (KKK) nomenclature has evolved over the order's nearly 160 years of existence. The titles and designations were first laid out in the 1920s Kloran, setting out KKK terms and traditions. Like many KKK terms, this is a portmanteau term, formed from Klan and Koran.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Degree of Honor Protective Association</span> American fraternal benefit society

The Degree of Honor Protective Association is a fraternal benefit society. It was originally organized as a female auxiliary to the Ancient Order of United Workmen, but split off in 1910 to become its own independent group. It merged with Catholic Financial Life in 2017.

United Commercial Travellers or UCT is a non-profit organization that supports communities and causes across the United States and Canada. The organization is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, and Grandview Heights.

The Prince Hall Order of the Eastern Star is a Masonic appendant body affiliated with Prince Hall Freemasonry. It functions as a predominantly African-American equivalent of the mainstream Order of the Eastern Star.

References

  1. ↑ Preuss, Arthur (1924). A dictionary of secret and other societies. St. Louis, Mo.: B. Herder Book Co. p. 258.
  2. 1 2 Schmidt p.223
  3. ↑ Our History
  4. ↑ Schmidt, Alvin J. Fraternal Organizations Westport, CT; Greenwood Press p.223
  5. 1 2 Women of the Moose
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.