WOMAN'S BENEFIT ASSOCIATION OF THE MACCABEE8, The. A fraternal benefit society composed entirely of women and officered and managed by women. It exists solely for the benefit of its members and not for profit, having a lodge system with ritualistic work and a representative govern ment, and grants life and disability protection upon satisfactory medical examination. It has members in every part of the world and is firmly established in 55 States, Territories and provinces of this continent with 2,814 kseal bodies doing business therein. The Woman's Benefit Association was formerly known as 'The Ladies of the Maccabees of the World.' but at the meeting of its legislative body in 1915 adopted the present name, as being more representative of its aims and objects.
Founder.— The founder was Miss Bina M West, who is now Supreme Commander (presi dent). At the organization of the Association she was Supreme Record Keeper, which office she held until July 1911, when she became Supreme Commander. She personally intro duced the Association in the original 16 States of its jurisdiction, revised and developed its ritualistic work, assisted in combining the sepa rate State jurisdictions under one central gov ernment, and instituted and perfected thf sys tem of general t The success of the Order has ilti. •iiati1y u the efforts and executive aridity ot tnts great leader. Miss West was horn in Saint Clair County, Mich., the daughter of Alfred J. and Elizabeth Conant West. a direct !nant, first governor c She first became idennnen in intai wnn me woman's auxiliary to the Maccahec Order, then organ ized in Mi higan, and in 1891 was so success ful as St; !c Organizer that she !•ras elected Great Lie !tenant-Commander fel responding to vice-pre t h raS thereby a member ot tne executive committee and con cerned with the management and growth of that branch of the Association. In 1892, mainly through her efforts, a national body called 'The Supreme Hive of the Ladies of the Maccabees of the World' was established with a view to combining under one central ,rganira• :he separate groups of women di doing ess in the various States under the name ot "Ladies of the Maccabees.' and of carrying the Order
into still other States. Miss West was thus the founder and has been the real manager and leader of the Association since its incep tion. Her unselfish and indefatigable services to the Association and her wonderful qualities of leadership have made it the greatest fra ternal benefit society composed and officered solely by women. Every one of the certificates in force, amounting to $155,404,138.26, bears \Vest's signature, and she has with her own hand signed warrants disbursing over $18,500.000 in benefits.
History.— The Woman's Benefit Associa tion was established on 1 Oct. 1892, being or ganized to provide a central goverment for reviews already established in 'Michigan, New York and Ohio (The Michigan branch, how-. ever, never affiliated completely with the Su preme Body and continued a separate organ ization, thus permitting the Woman's Benefit Association to enter Michigan the same as in other States. The Order in Ohio came under Supreme jurisdiction in 1898 and that of New York in 1899). The first review in New York was organized at Grand Island, II March 1891; in Ohio at Cleveland, 15 July 1892. The first review organized directly under the juris diction of the National body was at Pittsburgh, Pa., 7 Oct. 1892.
During the first two years of the Associa tion's existence 203 reviews sere organized in 18 States. Of these 35 were organized by Miss West's personal efforts. The total of resiews now number 2,555. The growth of the Order has been rapid and steady and its membership has grown in V years to 216,290, making it the Largest fraternal benefit society in the world conducted wholly by women and for women. The Association is also one of the strongest financially in the fraternal world, having re serves on hand of over $12,000,000 carefully in vested in municipal bonds, the intertst alone on these bonds amounting annually to more than $550,000.