The story
Founded by John Cort on Feb 6, 1898, in Seattle.1
History
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.
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.
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. 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. 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.
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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.
From Wikipedia’s article on Fraternal Order of Eagles, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5