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.Murray Morgan, Skid Road, Ballantine Books (1960). pp. 144–146 cites for Cort, John Considine, Leavitt, and Leavitt's departure. Originally made up of those engaged in one way or another in the performing arts, the Eagles grew and claimed credit for establishing the Mother's Day holiday in the United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".

History

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.Fraternal Order of Eagles Ritual and Constitution, predate 1954 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.

Some chapters of the Order once had a bad reputation for violating alcohol laws. This was stopped under President Frank E. Hering, who began revoking the charters of non-compliant Aeries. The organization's strongest areas were the Mississippi Valley and the Rocky Mountain region. Many of its leaders, such as Frank E. Hering, were high degree Freemasons.

History of the Aerie

An aerie in nature is the lofty nest of any bird of prey, including eagles and hawks.Webster's Dictionary, 2007 edition 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

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.Proceedings from the Grand Aerie Fraternal Order of Eagles Convention, 1951 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.October 1951 issue of Mrs. Eagle publication

Timeline

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 – F.O.E. starts advocating for Mother's Day 1923 – First old-age pension law for Americans passed in Montana due to Eagles' lobbying 1927 – Creation and formation of the Ladies Auxiliary 1935 – Support for enactment of Social Security Law 1944 – Eagles Memorial Fund established 1954 – Nearly 10,000 Ten Commandments plaques distributed 1955 – F.O.E. Ten Commandments monument placed in Ambridge, PA. F.O.E. Ten Commandments monument placed on the grounds of a state capital, Denver, Colorado 1957 – Nationwide "Jobs After 40" program inaugurated 1967 – Jimmy Durante Children's Foundation established 1972 – Golden Eagle Fund established 1983 – Max Baer Heart Fund offered first grants for Aerie-sponsored CPR classes $405,000 donated to Eagles' Truman Cardiovascular Lab at Research Medical Center, Kansas City Golden Eagle Fund donated $5,000 in grants to institutions conducting Alzheimer's disease research 1985 – Donations to St. Jude Hospital top $1 million 1988 – Eagles matched grants up to $500 to sponsor Drug Education Seminars 1991 – Eagles supported Operation Desert Storm with mail and food packages 1995 – $50,000 donated for the Eagle Alcove of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C. (Roosevelt was a lifetime F.O.E. member) 2001 – Memorial Foundation established Attack on America Fund and raised $500,000 F.O.E. purchased property to consolidate international headquarters 2002 – International headquarters opened in Grove City, Ohio 2005 – Eagles rededicated Ten Commandments monument at international headquarters F.O.E. generously supported development of a new scoliosis brace named the "Eagle Brace" F.O.E. signed first year contract with Braun Racing for FOE.com-sponsored car 2006 – Eagles worked with local government leaders to keep "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. F.O.E. signed second year contract with Braun Racing 2007 – Eagles supported American Eagle & Literary Challenge in quest to name June 20 National Eagle Day, The Disaster Relief Fund was passed which will allow the Eagles to have "trailers" stocked with supplies to be a first response team. 2008 – $25 million gift commitment to fund The Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center at The University of Iowa.

Structure and organization

Elected Officers Grand Aerie Grand AuxiliaryGrand Worthy PresidentGrand Madam PresidentGrand Worthy President-ElectGrand Madam President-ElectGrand Worthy Vice-PresidentGrand Madam Vice-PresidentGrand SecretaryGrand Madam SecretaryGrand TreasurerGrand Madam TreasurerGrand Worthy ConductorGrand Madam ConductorGrand Inside GuardGrand Madam Inside GuardGrand Outside GuardGrand Madam Outside GuardGrand Worthy ChaplainGrand Madam ChaplainGrand Worthy Trustee (x4)Grand Madam Trustee (x4)

Local units are called "Aeries".Schmidt, Alvin J. Fraternal Organizations Westport, CT; Greenwood Press pp. 25–26 There were 1,400 Aeries scattered across the US and Canada in 2001. The national convention is known as the "Grand Aerie" and meets annually.Schmidt, Alvin J. Fraternal Organizations Westport, CT; Greenwood Press p. 96 "Grand Aerie" is also the name of the headquarters of the organization, currently at Grove City, Ohio.Contacts , FOE.com.

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".Data pulled from monthly new Aerie/Auxiliary report.

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.Proceedings from the Grand Aerie Fraternal Order of Eagles Convention

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.Schmidt, Alvin J. Fraternal Organizations Westport, CT; Greenwood Press pp. 95–96

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

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.Title 111, Section 70.2 Articles of Incorporation Constitution and Statutes 2007 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.

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.

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.Schmidt, Alvin J. Fraternal Organizations Westport, CT; Greenwood Press p. 95

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