Owner Comments:
Purchased on 2/10/2015 in the Stacks 2015 February Americana Sale, Lot #3032 (part).
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The Order of Sons of St. George were first established in Scranton, Pennsylvania in 1871. It was originally founded for the purpose of resisting attacks by the Molly Maguires, a secret society of Irish immigrant laborers working in the coal mines of Pennsylvania.
The Order of the Sons of St. George evolved into an ethnic fraternal benefit society for Englishmen residing in the United States of America, and their sons and grandsons. It offered sick and death benefits to members and social activities such as dances, picnics, and other lodge activities. Membership was limited to first-, second- and third-generation Englishmen.
There was the initiatory degree and there were two higher degrees, which were adopted by the Supreme Lodge in session at Cleveland, Ohio, October, 1922, known as the Degree of Patriotism and the Rank of Knighthood. The ladies’ auxiliary was named Daughters of St. George. Headquarters were in Chicago, Illinois. In 1936 it changed its name into the St. George Fraternal Insurance Society.