The real basis of the fraternal system in America is the fraternal bond of union, uniting the members together in a common cause for mutual beneficial and protective purposes. The lodge system requires meetings of the members at least once a month, and therefore directly tends to draw the members closer together. Every member thus participates in the work of the organization and the emulations aroused among the different lodges naturally produces the best results at the least outlay. Bread cast upon the waters will return, and it is the act of casting that produces that wonderful change in the human heart, which constitutes the re turn. A mother is fonder of her offspring than the father, and both parents love a crippled child more than the sturdy members of the flock. and the reason is the same. The mother suffers more and bears more than the father, and both do more for the cripple than for the healthy child. No one ever did a good deed, or thought to do a good act without feeling the better for it, and thus no person ever did or can partici pate in the good work that the various lodges of the fraternities are engaged in without grow ing to love the work and the organization which does*the work. This ennobling influence upon the membership is not by any means the least of the many blessings conferred upon the American people by the fraternal system. This same influence naturally impels the members to labor without compensation for the growth and prosperity of the organization and thus at' a low cost produce results beyond the dreams of avarice to the insurance companies.
Every society is required to have a repre sentative form of government and is governed by its constitution and laws, as enacted, or from time to time amended by the constituted author ities. Its constitution and laws therefore con stitute the contract between the members in their relations to the society. The protection furnished by such societies is not insurance in the ordinary sense in which that word is un derstood and used. No 'society can issue a certificate in favor of a creditor of the member and the benefits furnished under the certificate cannot be attached for the debt of the member. The beneficiaries are limited to husband or wife, affianced husband, or affianced wife, or some heir, blood relative or dependent of the member. In insurance anyone having an in surable interest in the life of the policy holder may be named as beneficiary while under a fraternal certificate the beneficiary is limited by the bonds of affection and duty. In the one case a beneficiary has a vested interest in the policy and it cannot be changed without her consent, while in the other the beneficiary has no vested rights whatever until the claim matures; and the member may have his certifi cate changed in favor of another beneficiary without her knowledge or consent.
There are other societies con ducted on the same principle. According to the reports of the supreme bodies of these or ganizations for 1916 the membership of the principal fraternal organizations in the United States and Canada was as follows, beginning with the largest: Freemasons 1,760,277 Odd Fellows 1.622,100 Modern Woodmen of America 921.899 Eastern Star. Order of 800,000 Woodmen of the World 732,385 Knight of Pythias 729,053 Rechabites, Independent Order of 701,040 Good Tempters. International Order 620,000 Loyal Order of Moose 620,000 Improved Order of Redmen 479,033 Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks 442,658 Royal Arch Masons 422,359 Order of Eagles 400,000 Ancient Order of United Workmen 350,000 Knights of Columbus 346,560 Order of Owls 346,754 The Maccabees 331,756 Ancient Order of Hibernian 250,000 Royal Arcanum 244,722 Knights Templar 237,368 Independent Order of Foresters 218,074 Junior Order of United American Mechanics 230.000
Nobles of the Mystic Shrine 220,000 Foresters of America 205, 736 B'rith Abraham Order 194,490 Brotherhood of American Yeomen 196.478 Woman's Benefit Association of the Maccabees 179.176 Knights and Ladies of Security 155.399 Ladies' Catholic Benevolent Association 155,080 Loyal Orange Institution 150,000 Tribe of Ben Hur 101,011 Orioles. Order of 98.781 Sons and Daughters of Liberty 90,265 Protected Home Circle 88.252 Fraternal Aid Union 80,000 Mystic Workers of the World 83.538 Knights of the Golden Eagle 78,112 Court of Honor 75,786 United Commercial Travelers of America 72,964 Order of Gleaners 71,070 Daughters of America 68,000 Improved Order of Heptasophs 65,604 Knights and Ladies of Honor 65.855 Catholic Mutual Benefit Association 64.615 National Union 62.028 New England Order of Protection 53,619 Harman's Sons 42.000 Ladies of the Modern Maccabees 50.088 Independent Order of B'nai B'rith 40,083 Knights of Malta 40,000 United Order of American Mechanics 36,316 Patriotic and Protective Order of Stags 34,827 Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm 34,000 Fraternal Brotherhood 26,495 Royal League 32.756 Sons of Saint George 32,000 Order of United Ancient Druids 30,968 Smaller organizations 236.841 Total 16,118,931 -------..= All the older associations operate on what is known as grand jurisdictions consisting of rep resentatives elected by the subordinate lodges within the limits of the grand jurisdiction. It in turn sends delegates to the supreme body, which is the highest authority in the organization. As a general rule the supreme body assumes all lia bility for death or disability payments that are permanent in their nature, and the subordinate lodges assume and pay the sick or other tem porary disability benefits. Each member pays his share of all benefits through the local lodge, of which he is a member, the dues going to the supreme office, being remitted direct, and not through the grand jurisdiction. As a rule the grand jurisdiction covers a State, and has su pervision over the growth and general manage ment of all the lodges within its territory. Of late years the tendency has been to do away with the plan of grand jurisdictions and have the supreme body composed of delegates elected either directly by the lodges or by districts com posed of a number of lodges: The officers are usually elected by the supreme body, but in some cases are elected by a direct vote of the mem bers.
To sum up in a word: a fraternal society is a brotherhood of members, bound together by its fraternal bond of union. It is organized and carried on for the sole benefit of its members and their beneficiaries. It operates on the lodge system, and uses a ritual in the meetings of its lodges and the initiation of its new members. It has a representative form of government, in which the management is responsible to the members for the faithful performance of their duties. It is governed by a constitution and laws enacted by the representatives of its mem bers, and it furnishes its members, in all the States, with protection in case of death, and in many of the States with protection in case of disability resulting from illness, accident and old age after the expectancy of life, and in some of the States with still more liberal benefits. See INSURANCE, FRATERNAL, and the articles on the different fraternal organizations.