TEMPERANCE
ORDERS
The temperance movement of the 1840s saw the birth of secret fraternal orders
dedicated to total abstinence and temperance, but served as lodge
organizations that offered fraternal benefits to their members. Here are five
of the most famous and largest fraternal orders of the temperance movement:
THE SONS OF TEMPERANCE
The
Sons of Temperance were founded in New York City in 1842 as a temperance
organization that also functioned as a fraternal benefit society. It admitted
both men and women into its ranks, and had secret ritual, signs, passwords,
grips and regalia such as collars. It became the model for several other
temperance fraternal orders, and created considerable disagreement within the
temperance movement as to whether fraternalism and secret ritual were
appropriate to the cause. The order is long defunct.
THE INDEPENDENT ORDER OF RECHABITES
This men's secret fraternal order was founded in the United States in 1842
as spin-off society of the English Independent Order of Rechabites, which was
organized in 1835. It was a total abstinence secret society which used a
three degree form of ritual for its members. Organized in "tents"
(lodges), the Rechabites took their name and ritual from the Holy Bible, in
which Jeremiah the prophet described the Rechabites who abstained from wine
and
lived in tents.
A separate organization, the United Daughters of Rechab, was established for
women. The Independent Order of Rechabites' "High Tent" or grand
lodge was based in Washington, DC. Both orders are defunct.
THE TEMPLARS OF HONOR AND TEMPERANCE
This order was established in 1845 and was originally known as "The
Marshall Temperance Fraternity," then the "Marshall Temple, Sons of
Honor," before adopting its title of "Templars of Honor and
Temperance."
The order was a fraternal temperance society, modeled on the "Sons of
Temperance." It utilized a six degree system for its members, and whose
ritual were based on the Biblical story of David and Jonathan, of the legend
of Damon and Pythias, and the medieval Knights Templars. It had
secret signs, passwords, grips, emblems and collars and aprons very similar to
the Masonic Fraternity and the Odd Fellows. The order was thought to be
defunct, however the T.H.T. was
introduced in Scandinavia in the late 19 century, and is still in existence
there. The orders home page is
www.tempelriddareorden.org a mostly Scandinavian page, but with some
information in English as well.
THE
INDEPENDENT ORDER OF GOOD TEMPLARS
This order was founded in Utica, New York in 1850 as the "Knights of
Jericho," a secret fraternal temperance society. It used three degrees
originally in its ceremonial, and now uses only one. It also used Masonic-like
regalia like collars and aprons, but no longer uses regalia. They claimed that
their order was better than the Sons of Temperance in that
they were not distracted from their primary purpose by offering insurance, and
because it admitted women on an equal basis. It admits both men and women
into its ranks and is now known as the International Order of Good Templars.
Its national magazine is called The Good Templar. Its governing body is
the National Council. The
I.O.G.T is now known as The International Organization of Good Templars, and
it’s homepage is
www.IOGT-International.org
A special "Thanks" to Brother Denis P. McGowan who provided the history of
these Orders. Brother Denis P. McGowan is a dedicated fraternalist and
student of the history of American fraternal organizations.
