Volume 14 , Issue 4

Fraternal Order of Eagles (1911)

We were digging through some old receipts and papers and found the following receipt dating back to July 1911, which shows our Great Grandpa J. R. Warwick had paid dues of $2.25 to the Fraternal Order of Eagles (FOE), in Alva, Woods county, Oklahoma. My question is, "What was the Fraternal Order of Eagles and how long did it last in this northwest Oklahoma community?

I spread the word around about this old receipt and connected to an article on Wikipedia that states the following about the Fraternal Order of Eagles International (F.O.E.). It was 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. Originally made up of those engaged in one way or another in the performing arts, the Eagles grew and claimed credit for establishing the Mother's Day holiday in the United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." Their lodges are known as "aeries."

I was looking back at what else was going on in Alva, Oklahoma, the summer of 1911. I know from research done on the Old Opera House Murder Chronology in Alva, Oklahoma, that in June 1911 there was a change of venue from Woods to Woodward county and the defendant Justice N. L. Miller was delivered to the sheriff of Woodward county.

BUT . . . back to the Fraternal Order of Eagles. The 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.

The Fraternal Order of Eagles was an international non-profit organization, united 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.

The Timeline of the FOE:

1898 - "Order of Good Things" established. Later that year, the organization changed its name to Fraternal Order of Eagles and formed the first Aerie.

1904 - First public plea for Mother's Day

1927 - Creation and formation of the Ladies Auxiliary

1935 - Support for enactment of Social Security Law

As to the Social Security involvement . . . The following letter was written October 25, 1935 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to past Fraternal Order of Eagles Grand Worthy President John M. Morin: "I am very glad to give you as the representative of the Fraternal Order of Eagles a pen with which I signed the Social Security Securities Act. The measure will directly benefit 30,000,000 of our citizens by its provisions, among which are those for unemployment insurance and for Old Age Pensions. Its broad purpose is to "give some measure of protection to the average citizen and to his family against the loss of a job and against poverty-ridden old age."

"I have long observed with satisfaction the sponsorship by the F.O.E. of social justice legislation both in the states and in the nation. The records for more than a quarter of a century bear witness to the campaigns of education conducted, the literature distributed, and the addresses delivered by your socially-minded Order. These efforts have borne, and are bearing gratifying results. Our countrymen owe the Eagles good will for their unselfish services."

"The pen I am presenting to the Order is a symbol of my approval of the Fraternity's vision and courage. May its possession inspire your 600,000 members to re-dedicate their own efforts and those of the Fraternity to the insuring of such economic and political conditions as will bring a greater degree of happiness to our people."

For more information on Oklahoma and the Fraternal Order of Eagles (FOE) you can check out it's history by clicking this FOE LINK.   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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