A B’nai B’rith Token of Generosity

B'nai B'rith Identification Tag, 1927. United States. Gift of Nancy S. Lynn in Memory of John A. Lynn, 99.049.28.

This small metal item in the collection of the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library features a menorah with the numbers “1927.” It is an identification tag produced by the International Order of B’nai B’rith, one of the largest Jewish organizations in the world. This tag was a symbol of the owner’s charitable donations through the organization.

B’nai B’rith, which means “Children of the Covenant” in Hebrew, was established in New York, New York, in 1843 by a group of German Jewish immigrants. Some of its goals as a fraternal organization were “alleviating the wants of the poor and needy,” “visiting and attending the sick," and "providing for, protecting, and assisting the widow and the orphan,” as described in its constitution. The group evolved into a general charitable and service organization in the early 1900s. B’nai B’rith is the oldest national Jewish organization in the United States.

Its Wider Scope Program, begun in 1927 as this tag illustrates, helped fund major initiatives in the United States and abroad. Two of these were the now-independent Anti-Defamation League and Hillel International, a program for Jewish university students. Expanding charitable and human rights work internationally continued to be a goal of B’nai B’rith. Earning non-governmental organization (NGO) status in 1947, it was the first Jewish organization to have regular, full representation at the United Nations.

B'nai B'rith Identification Tag, 1927. United States. Gift of Nancy S. Lynn in Memory of John A. Lynn, 99.049.28.

The reverse of this tag identifies the owner as subscriber number 3072 to the Wider Scope program that supported B’nai Brith’s projects. This subscriber was John A. Lynn (1861-1945), from North Jackson, Ohio. Lynn’s granddaughter gave this token, and other items related to Lynn’s involvement in Masonic and fraternal organizations to the museum in 1999.

Lynn had a full life in Ohio—marrying his wife Jessie Patchin in 1896, parenting two children, and working as an insurance agent. In addition to his membership in B’nai B’rith, he was also a Freemason, Shriner, and Knight Templar, as shown in this image, from the same gift to the museum. This small tag is a tangible sign of Lynn’s generosity.

Further Reading:

• A United Order True Sisters Anniversary Medal
• B’nai B’rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum and B’nai B’rith Archives

Christmas on the Home Front: Masonic Christmas cards in World War I and World War II

The Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library’s collection includes a large collection of material related to World War I and World War II. Like their fellow patriotic citizens, members of Masonic and fraternal organizations fought in the wars and supported them at home. However, even during times of war, daily life continues, and Americans whole-heartedly celebrated Christmas during these turbulent years. In the spirit of the holidays, here are two Christmas cards sent during World War I and World War II by Masonic organizations.

Sent by Colonial Chapter, No. 87, Order of the Eastern Star, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this first card wishes its members a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Ella L. Smith, Worthy Matron, and Wm. F. C. Whitehouse, Worthy Patron. Illustrated with a garland of holly at the top and sides, the card also depicts the British, American, and French flags at the center. This card is undated, but the three flags represent the allied powers in World War I.

Massachusetts-based Brookline Lodge issued the second card, titled “Peace, Good-Will, Brotherhood.” The card’s design is hand drawn and written by hand. It was then mass-produced and sent out to members. Illustrated with holly, a lit candle and candle holder, as well as the square and compass, the card reads “May we ever cherish and defend such a way of life—and hold in sacred memory those who gave their lives that we might have Freedom.” T. Wesley Downer, Worshipful Master of the lodge in 1945, sent this card just a few months after the end of World War II. Brookline Lodge sent out this Christmas card during their twenty-fifth anniversary year. During their anniversary celebration, Henry S. C. Cummings, Secretary and Historian, stated “We cannot help but be reminded of this moment to a quarter of a century ago—for the first World War had just been won over those who schemed to change our way of life. We have again triumphed over these same forces of evil, and in a real sense, enjoy much the same impulses that stirred then in the hearts of men, in their desire for a friendlier, more orderly and righteous world.”

These Christmas cards help remind us of the importance of family, friends, and community in turbulent times. Happy Holidays from the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library!

Photo caption

Order of Eastern Star Christmas and New Years card, undated, Museum purchase, A2022/185/001.

Brookline Lodge Christmas card, 1945, Collection of the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, A2019/125/001.

Scottish Rite Jewel Worn by Marquis Fayette King

Jewel Worn by Marquis Fayette King, 1885. Edward Williams (1820-1890), New York, New York. Gift of Council of Deliberation of Maine, 2018.032.2a-b.

In 1870 a committee of the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction happily announced that “the condition of the Treasury will warrant an appropriation for a suitable distinctive badge for each Active Member of the Council….” The group went on to “earnestly recommend that a committee of three be appointed to prepare a design….”  This new committee was further charged “to procure and deliver a jewel to each Active Member of the Supreme Council….” Expenses noted in the proceedings show that in July of 1870 the Supreme Council paid the firm Edward Williams & Co. to produce fifty-three jewels for Active Members, along with ten “triangles for officers.” The following year, the Supreme Council commissioned the same company to manufacture two more jewels for Active Members, “13 triangles for Deputies,” and six jewels for foreign representatives.

From 1870 through 1890, Edward Williams & Co., a New York City firm founded by silversmith and diamond cutter Edward Williams (1820-1890), crafted jewels for the Supreme Council. Williams’ company also provided jewels to other Masonic organizations. In 1881 one newspaper described Williams as a “distinguished artist in precious metals” who had created “a magnificent jewel” in gold and platinum, decorated with enamel and diamonds, for the Past Grand Master of the Grand Encampment of the United States.  When Williams died in 1890, notices of his death included the information that he had “manufactured Masonic and Odd Fellows’ badges” and he was “was well known as a Mason.”

Edward Williams & Co. made this jewel, now in the collection of the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, for Marquis Fayette King (1835-1904). On December 30, 1885, Williams received $143.87 from the Supreme Council, in payment for his bill “for making and engraving 2 jewels for Active Members.”  These jewels were intended for the two new Active Members the Supreme Council had named to serve on the Scottish Rite’s governing body in 1885. One was Marquis Fayette King from Portland, Maine.

King was born in 1835, a few months after the death of his heroic namesake, Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette. King became a Mason in his hometown, joining Ancient Land Mark Lodge in Portland as a young man in 1859. He became a member of the Scottish Rite in 1863 and received the 33^rd Degree in 1865. After being appointed to the Supreme Council as an Active Member in 1885, King served as a Deputy, a member representative for his home state of Maine. He wore this gold and enamel badge, the jewel associated with his role as an Active Member of the Supreme Council and Deputy for Maine, for almost 20 years.

Learn more about King’s jewel and the holdings of the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library in “Looking Back, Moving Forward: Fifty Years of Collecting.”

References:

Nathan Gold, Marquis Fayette King (Boston, MA: David Clapp & Son), 1905, 5.

Proceedings of the Supreme Council..Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite for the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction... (New York, NY: Masonic Furnishing Company) 1870, 1871, and 1886.

 

A Helping Hand: The Grand Lodge of Cuba in Exile

The recently opened exhibition in the library reading room, titled 2024 Recent Acquisitions at the Van Gorden-Williams Library & Archives, highlights several unique items. One such piece, titled List of Cuban Master Masons Recognized by the Grand Lodge of Cuba, F. & A. M. in Exile, 1961-1966, showcases the complicated history of Cuban Freemasonry and its intersection with Cuban and American history.

When Fidel Castro took power in Cuba in 1959, he quickly consolidated power and acted against political dissidents. Around 200,000 Cubans fled in 1959—many of these refugees settled in Miami where there was already a significant Cuban population. During Castro’s crackdown, many Masons, who were against Castro’s regime, fled, including the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Cuba, Juan José Tarajano. Tarajano formed the Grand Lodge of Cuba in Exile in Miami, Florida.

With this publication, the exile Grand Lodge sought to activate Masonic networks to assist its members. The pamphlet declared “we will deeply appreciate your interest in assisting these needy Brother Masons who were forced to flee from their homeland by a ruthless Communist tyranny. All of them will accept any kind of job.” The pamphlet lists members’ name, age, marital status and children, occupation, any physical defects or illnesses, and languages spoken. Previous jobs were varied, signaling the widespread need and diversity of exiled Masons, from a surgeon in gynecology and obstetrics to a land surveyor to a barber to a jeweler. The Grand Lodge of Florida, and other Grand Lodges, such as Texas, rose to the challenge of assisting Cuban Masons in exile.

Due to anti-communist politics in the United States, many of the usual restrictions against refugees were waived for Cuban exiles. In 1960, President Dwight D. Eisenhower went so far as to establish the Cuban Refugee Emergency Center to provide public services. The Grand Lodge of Cuba in Exile’s pamphlet was part of the larger relief effort for Cuban refugees in Florida.

Despite Fidel Castro confiscating some of the Grand Lodge property and arresting anti-Castro Masons, he did not fully suppress Freemasonry in Cuba. After Grand Master Tarajano fled, leadership fell to the Deputy Grand Master who subsequently left as well. The Senior Grand Warden, Jorge Luis Cuervo Calvo, was elected as the new Grand Master and the Grand Lodge of Cuba continued to function. The Grand Lodge of Cuba, as with all public institutions in Cuba, was closely supervised by the Cuban government and it was widely recognized that there were Secret Police informants within the lodges.

Since the Grand Lodge of Cuba continued to exist, the Grand Lodge of Cuba in Exile was a source of controversy, and the Masonic world debated whether the Grand Lodge in Exile was legitimate. The two Grand Lodges functioned separately for decades, with both claiming legitimacy.

This pamphlet speaks to this complicated history as well as to the greatness of Masonic networks and their aid to their fellow Masons in need. Come see the pamphlet and more in the newly opened exhibition at the Van Gorden-Williams Library & Archives. The 2024 Recent Acquisitions at the Van Gorden-Williams Library & Archives is on view through March 14, 2025.

Photo Caption

List of Cuban Master Masons Recognized by the Grand Lodge of Cuba, F. & A. M. in Exile, 1961-1966

Grand Lodge of Cuba, F. & A. M. in Exile

Miami, Florida

Gift of Dubois Lodge, No. 520, MA 160.005, A2024/027/001

Now on View: Revolutionary Views: The American War for Independence in Print

A defining event of the 1700s, the American Revolutionary War was illustrated during the war through the United States’ centennial in 1876, and beyond. Over time, American, British, and European artists have offered their interpretations of important events related to the war to the print-consuming public. The prints exhibited in the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library’s exhibition Revolutionary Views: The American War for Independence in Print—many based on paintings—depict historical occasions viewed through the lens of their creators’ national perspective or political agenda.

The Memorable Engagement of Capt. Pearson of the Serapis, 1780. Daniel Lepinière (ca. 1740–1785) and James Fittler (1758–1835), London, England. Special Acquisitions Fund, 78.74.12.

Works published in London during and at the end of the war reflect the English perception of significant conflicts. Published in 1780, the year after the clash occurred, The Memorable Engagement of Capt. Pearson of the Serapis illustrates the Battle of Flamborough Head in vivid detail. The engagement was an American naval victory that made John Paul Jones a household name. The inscription on this print expresses the English perspective, which put a positive spin on the conflict, praising Captain Richard Pearson, “whose bravery & conduct saved the Baltic Fleet under his Convoy though obliged to submit to a much superior force . . .”

Prints created in Philadelphia and New York after the war present American points of view, exhibiting pride in the accomplishments of colonial militia members and the Continental Army, and celebrating significant figures such as George Washington. These later prints often reflect national concerns at the time of their publication. During the tumult of the American Civil War, for example, printmakers created works to remind Americans of the country’s founding and its early ideals to inspire support for unity.

The Spirit of – 76, 1862. Painted by Tompkins Harrison Matteson (1812-1884). Engraved by Henry Samuel Sadd (1811-1893). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Special Acquisitions Fund, 77.75.7.

The Spirit of 76, printed in the second year of the American Civil War, aimed to inspire Union supporters to follow the lead of colonists who fought in the Revolutionary War. The man in the center of the room is preparing to join the fight. A woman holding a copy of the Declaration of Independence in one corner of the image reminded viewers of the ideals for which the Union was fighting.

Pivotal moments in American history, like George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River prior to the Battle of Trenton, have been interpreted by artists in varying ways. Prints depicting this event offer alternative arrangements of the actors from the early 1800s, reflecting the motivations of the artists in their time. The museum’s collections include five different interpretations of this historic event, all titled Washington Crossing the Delaware.

Washington Crossing the Delaware, ca. 1876. Lithographed by John Cameron (ca. 1828-after 1896). New York, New York. Loaned by the Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts, GL2004.3404.

Nathaniel Currier and James Merritt Ives, prolific publishers of historical scenes, offered their own illustration of the event in 1876, the centennial anniversary of both the Battle of Trenton and the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Washington is shown on a rise above the river, consulting with his staff as they prepare for the crossing. As the nation’s 100^th birthday approached, dramatic illustrations of Washington and other heroes of the Revolutionary War enjoyed widespread popularity.

As we look forward to the 250^th anniversaries of the Battle of Lexington in 2025 and the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, American history will be illuminated through the lens of the 21^st century. Viewing these historical prints together, along with the other works in this exhibition, shows how past artists have interpreted—and celebrated—the past in different ways to inform and persuade their audiences.

New to the Collection: A Past Grand High Priest Jewel Made for Albert Gallatin Mackey

Past Most Excellent Grand High Priest Jewel Made for A. G. Mackey, 1874-1875. Joseph Bock, Charleston, South Carolina. Gift of the Estate of John F. Bemis and Randall E. Bemis, 2024.011.64. Photograph by Michael Cardinali.

On February 12, 1867, Dr. Albert Gallatin Mackey addressed his brethren at the Annual Grand Convention of the Most Excellent Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of South Carolina in Charleston.  Mackey (1807-1881) was the presiding officer, or Grand High Priest, of the Grand Chapter. In his remarks, Mackey let his fellow Royal Arch Masons know that “for the first time in twenty years” he would not be there for the entire meeting due to “imperative and unexpected calls of public business.” Mackey continued, lamenting the beleaguered state of Royal Arch Freemasonry in South Carolina, noting that “strife in our land pressed heavily on the condition of our Chapters.” Most chapters in South Carolina had stopped work during the Civil War. In 1867, when Mackey offered these comments, several remained closed. Representatives from fourteen chapters attended the 1867 gathering.

In his remarks, Mackey reviewed his long association with Royal Arch Masonry in South Carolina, recalling that in 1847, when he first served as Deputy Grand High Priest, the state claimed only two functioning chapters.  By 1860 Mackey had helped establish twenty-two chapters. He recalled that he had spent time at each of the chapters to “instruct them in the work.” Mackey summed up his long involvement with Royal Arch Masonry in South Carolina stating that he could, “without arrogance, claim that the present organization of Royal Arch Masonry in the State, has been produced by my personal labor and teaching.”

The next day, to acknowledge Mackey’s significant contributions to Royal Arch Freemasonry in South Carolina, a group recommended that a committee be appointed and charged to “show some, though inadequate, evidence of the high appreciation of Comp. Mackey’s services to Royal Arch Masonry" and to "prepare a Jewel or other suitable memento” to present to Mackey “as the funds of the Grand Chapter will admit.”

Several years passed before the Grand Chapter could afford to commission Mackey’s jewel. In 1875, the project moved forward with a $50 appropriation combined with $30 contributed by five chapters to procure jewels for Mackey and another past Grand High Priest. From an expense recorded in the Grand Treasurer’s report for the year, it appears the two jewels together cost $100. Mackey's jewel was recently donated to the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library.

Charleston silversmith, jeweler, and fellow Mason, Joseph Bock (1837-1903), crafted Mackey’s handsome jewel in gold over silver in the shape of a high priest’s breast plate floating over three joined triangles, all symbols related to the office of High Priest. The jewel bears his maker's mark, "Jos. Bock" stamped on the back. Bock, a member of La Candeur Lodge No. 36 in Charleston, advertised “Masonic Jewels in sets or singly furnished to order” in 1867. Newspaper notices in the late 1860s and early 1870s complimented the “artistically wrought” and “handsome” jewels crafted in “exquisite style” that Bock, often working with engraver William Fisher, created for the Masonic community.  

Upon receiving the jewel at his home in Washington D. C., in 1875, Mackey wrote to thank the Grand Chapter. In his letter, Mackey spoke of the “very close and warm place in my heart” held by the chapters and members of the Grand Chapter. He also stated that he would wear “this token of brotherly love, coming from the cherished companions of my dear native State” with gladness and pride. Mackey is primarily remembered today for his books about Freemasonry including A Lexicon of Freemasonry (1845), The History of Freemasonry in South Carolina (1861), and An Encyclopedia of Freemasonry and its Kindred Sciences…(1873). This jewel is a tangible reminder of the time he spent solidifying Royal Arch Freemasonry in South Carolina and of the regard he earned from his fellow Freemasons in this endeavor.  

Sources:

Albert G. Mackey, M. D., The History of Freemasonry in South Carolina (Columbia, SC: South Carolina Steam Power Press) , 1861, reprinted 1936, 502-503.

Proceedings of the M. E. Grand Royal Arch Chapter of South Carolina, 1862, 1866, 1867, 1870, 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875  (Charleston, SC: Courier Job Press).

"Watches, Jewelry, Etc.," The Charleston Daily News (Charleston, South Carolina), January 28, 1867, 2.

"The Exhibition," The Charleston Daily Courier (Charleston, South Carolina), November 8, 1872, 1.

"Masonic Presentations," The Charleston Daily Courier (Charleston, South Carolina), January 16, 1873, 1.

"Masonic Testimonials," The Charleston Daily News (Charleston, South Carolina), January 16, 1873, 4.

 

New Library Online Catalog

The Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library has launched a new online library catalog, with an improved interface and searching capabilities.

The library catalog contains information about the nearly 65,000 books and over 1,000 periodical titles available in the museum’s research library collection. The Van Gorden-Williams Library & Archives has one of the world’s most comprehensive collections on the subject of American Freemasonry and fraternalism. Its other major collecting area is American history.

 

And stay tuned in April 2025, when we launch a brand-new archives catalog!

An Emblem of Scottish Identity

Fraternal Ribbon Badge for Clan McLean No. 105, Order of Scottish Clans, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Museum Purchase, 2003.022.7.

Fraternal ribbon badges were worn on a member’s lapel for meetings, conventions, and other gatherings. They served to identify members of a fraternal group both to fellow members and to the general public. Some ribbon badges were colored or designed differently for the different occasions that a member might attend. This ribbon badge provided its owner with two options—one side for somber occasions and one side for festive occasions.

One side of this badge is plaid with silver printed text: “CLAN / MCLEAN / NO. 105, O. S. C. / HALIFAX, N. S.” The badge has a pin bar at the top bearing a pair of clasped hands and another bar hanging below bearing the word “Member.” Below hangs a pendant with gold filigree around a circular button with the seal of the organization: a lion on a shield on top of crossed lines (referencing Scotland’s St. Andrew’s cross flag) in the center, flanked by Scottish thistles, and the letters “B” at the top, “O. S. C.” at the bottom.

These initials stand for the Benevolent Order of Scottish Clans, a fraternal group with both American and Canadian members. The organization, which was often called the Order of Scottish Clans, was founded in St. Louis, Missouri in 1878. Later headquarters were in Boston, Massachusetts. Its goals were kinship for persons of Scottish descent, financial benefits to members in case of illness or death, preservation of the cultural traditions of Scotland, freedom from political and theological sectarianism, and loyalty to the laws and governments of their countries.

Membership was initially open only to men of Scottish descent, although women’s auxiliary groups existed, such as the Daughters of Scotia, founded in Connecticut in 1895. During the latter years of the O.S.C.’s existence, in response to declining enrollment, women of Scottish descent became eligible for full membership in the order. Despite this recruitment effort, on July 22, 1972, the Order of Scottish Clans merged into the Independent Order of Foresters and became the Order of Scottish Clans High Court, I.O.F.

Fraternal Ribbon Badge for Clan McLean No. 105, Order of Scottish Clans, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Museum Purchase, 2003.022.7.

Clan McLean No. 105, the group noted on this object, was founded in 1892 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. W. G. Waddell, Deputy Royal Chief of the Nova Scotia O.S.C., called a meeting “with the view of organizing a clan in this city.” The group celebrated its 37^th anniversary in 1929. According to the Halifax newspaper The Evening Mail, “This Clan has always actively assisted in cultivating fond recollections of Scotland, its history and traditions, its literature and ideals, its minstrelsy and song, and its customs and amusements. In past years the Scottish concerts under the auspices of the Clan, especially on Burns' Anniversary, were musical treats of a high order which were always well patronized and enjoyed by citizens of the city.”

The reverse side of this ribbon badge is solid black and bears the same inscription as the front. The badge’s owner would have chosen this more sober side on the occasion of a fraternal funeral. In November 1892, less than a year after the group formed, the Halifax Herald printed a notice that “the Officers and Members of Clan McLean are requested to attend the funeral of their late Clansman HUGH MURRAY.” Its owner may have worn the plaid side for a joyous occasion, such as annual conventions of the Order of Scottish Clans. One of these gatherings was held in Halifax in 1903. However the owner wore it, this ribbon badge was a versatile emblem of Scottish identity for its owner.

New to the Collection: Apron Made by Harriet Van Rensselaer

Here at the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, we are always excited to add a new and interesting Masonic apron to the museum's holdings. This apron, a recent gift to the collection, sheds light on who made Masonic aprons in the early 1800s and the different designs that inspired their work.

One of the compelling aspects of this apron is a multi-part inscription--assumed to have been made by the person who crafted it--inked on the back of the object.  This inscription (at right) reads: "Harriet Van Rensselaer/Maker/Chittenango/June 13 1826."

This intriguing inscription tells us that this apron was the work of a female apron maker. Even though women were excluded from Freemasonry because of their gender, many women worked to support the Masons in their families. Sometimes this work took the shape of creating the aprons that Masons wore to meetings or for special events. In crafting this apron, Harriet delineated Masonic symbols in colored paint on velvet, a popular painting technique in the early 1800s. This apron displayed her skill in the trendy painting style. 

As noted on the apron, Harriet resided in Chittenango, a community in Madison County, New York. The Harriet Van Rensselaer who signed this apron was likely the woman (born Harriet Merritt Morehouse, 1801-1847) married to Philip Sanders Van Rensselaer (1801-1882).  For a few years in the mid-1820s, the couple lived in Chittenango. Later they moved t0 Ohio. Harriet's children were young in the 1820s, she may have made this apron for her husband. What lodge Philip Sanders Van Rensselaer belonged to is not known--research into this object is ongoing--but Masons in and near Chittenango had established a lodge in the area called Sullivan Lodge No. 109 in 1804. If he was an active Freemason during the time he and his wife lived in Chittenango, he might have attended meetings at this lodge.

For inspiration in making this apron, Harriet Van Rensselaer drew on a printed apron designed by Giles Fonda Yates (ca. 1798–1859) (see an example below)​​. The engraving firm Balch, Rowdon and Co. of Albany, New York, cut the plate for Yates' design and, according to a date printed on the apron, produced it in 1821. Van Rensselaer modified Yates’s richly detailed design. She changed the location of some elements and omitted others to suit her composition and the materials she used to make this apron. For example, she moved symbols that represented Masonic constitutions and a lodge charter.  Yates shows these emblems on the black and white pavement at the center of the apron. Harriet placed them on either side of the pavement, the light background of this area of the apron making the symbols more easily visible.

Together these two signed Masonic aprons offer insight into how ideas about how different artists expressed the visual culture of Freemasonry in the 1820s.

Photo credits:

Apron Made by Harriet Van Rensselaer, 1826. Chittenango, New York. Gift of Francis. I. Karwowski, 2024.10.1. Special thanks to Paul Deluca for photographing this apron.

Apron Designed by Giles Fonda Yates, 1821. . Engraved by Balch, Rowdon and Co., Albany, New York. Special Acquisitions Fund, 78.77. Photograph by David Bohl.

 

Recent Acquisition Highlight: Companions of the Forest Membership Certificate

 

The Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library recently purchased a striking membership certificate issued by Pride of Flushing Circle, No. 437, to Amanda Karlson on June 19, 1901. The Pride of Flushing Circle was a part of the Companions of the Forest, an auxiliary organization to the Foresters of America. Companions of the Forest met in chapters called “circles” and the Foresters of America met in chapters called “courts.” The Foresters of America traces its roots to a British fraternal organization called the Ancient Order of Foresters. The organization drew on imagery of Robin Hood and the Bible, particularly the Garden of Eden. This can be seen in the forest scenes and the garland of red roses and blue flowers, potentially blue bells, on the membership certificate.

The Companions of the Forest was established on June 7, 1883, with the motto “Sociability, Sincerity, and Constancy.” The organization was open to white men and women between the ages of eighteen and fifty who were Foresters or the wives or “lady acquaintances” of the Foresters of America. The Companions of the Forest sought “to improve members morally, socially, and mentally” and provided sick and death benefits. Within the first ten years of the organization’s founding, there were 20,000 members in the United States.

The organization was patriotic. This can be seen in the eagle and American flag imagery in the certificate, as well as in the way that they opened their meetings by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. During initiation, the new members pledged to “honor the flag…and to glorify it.” This patriotic fervor was common in many American fraternal organizations at the time, and reflected the nationalism, assimilationist, and anti-immigrant sentiment that could be found in American society in the early twentieth century. The Companions of the Forest funneled this patriotism into the aim of world peace with the United States leading the way. A prayer included in a 1929 ritual book stated, in part, “as men in their expression enlist for war, so must woman in their natural spirit of protection enlist for peace.”

Although we have not yet discovered much about Amanda Karlson, who received this certificate, there are some traces of the Pride of Flushing Circle, No. 437, found in newspapers. The Pride of Flushing Circle, No. 437, was established in 1898 with a founding membership of twenty-three in Flushing, New York. The Time Union newspaper noted the successful and popular events hosted by the Circle. The paper stated that "the circle lays great stress upon its beneficial features. In the case of sickness of members they receive $5 a week during their illness. A death benefit is also given at the death of either a member of her husband.” The last mention of the organization in the newspaper was a notice for euchre night, a trick taking card game, on February 2, 1910.

These organizations acted as a social outlet and safety net for women in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. For the Companions of the Forest, this sentiment is emphasized in an 1896 ritual book, which states “our circle represents the home circle, where mutual aid and interest in the welfare of each member hold supreme sway…with the parties and sects of the world we have nothing to do, its disputes and factions we leave behind us. We meet as a family, made so by sociability, sincerity, and constancy.” You can learn more about the Companions of the Forest at the Van Gorden-Williams Library & Archives.

 

Photo caption

Membership certificate issued by Pride of Flushing Circle, No. 437, to Amanda Karlson, 1901 June 19, Museum purchase, A2024-029-001.

 

References

Constitution and General Laws of the Supreme Circle of the Companions of the Forest (Detroit, MI: John R. Burton, 1883).

Supreme Chief and Supreme Secretary, Companions of the Forest; ritual containing the opening, closing and initiatory ceremonies, also the installation, institution and funeral ceremonies. Together with diagrams of the floor work, (Detroit, MI: A. W. Brookes, Detroit, 1896).

Annie E. Poth, Ritual: Companions of the Forest, (Supreme Circle, 1929).

Flushing Secret Societies: A Fruitful Ground for Fraternal Organizations, Time Union, September 1, 1900