Fraternal History

Today there are nearly 200 legal reserve, non-profit fraternal benefit organizations in the U.S. and Canada with an aggregate membership of approximately 10 million persons of various ethnic, religious, and vocational backgrounds. While life styles have changed, the basic needs of men and women - both social and economic - continue to be served by societies of the far-reaching Fraternal Benefit System.

In the beginning, powered by the principle of brotherhood and a belief that each individual has a responsibility for his fellow men and women, fraternal-type organizations developed in ancient Greece and Rome, which offered financial aid to their members in time of sickness and death.

More recently the Guilds of England, which were organized as groups with common interests, formed the prototype of our fraternal benefit societies. Although several societies trace their roots back before the Civil War, the origin of the American Fraternal Benefit System is agreed to be in 1868 when the Ancient Order of United Workmen was formed in Pennsylvania. The basic principles of brotherhood, good citizenship and the values of human dignity combined with an insurance plan attracted thousands of members to the numerous fraternals chartered during the late 1800's.

WOW/ALA carries with it a rich history and noble beginnings in and of its own. COMPANY PROFILE

HISTORY

Woodmen of the World and/or Assured Life Association's early beginnings can be traced to the same founder of Modern Woodmen of America and Woodmen of the World/Omaha Woodmen Life Insurance Society, Joseph Cullen Root. Root, and our official founder and first Head Consul (President), Fred A. Falkenberg, first met at the Windsor Hotel in Denver, Colorado in April of 1890 to plan the formation of Woodmen of the World. In June of that same year, Mr. Falkenberg and Root met with others in the Paxton Hotel in Omaha, Nebraska for the purpose of officially formalizing the Fraternal Benefit Society. Woodmen has been, and continues to be, a non-profit, nonpolitical, nonsectarian organization.

It is believed that the inspiration for the name, Woodmen, came from a church sermon, which touted the "trees" as being "God's first temple." From that first ideal, the concept of giving honor to the pioneers who had cleared with axe and wedge a pathway for civilization as it moved west was born. In our present ceremonies and rituals we continue to recognize the spirit of brotherhood, mutual aid and patriotism which bound the early settlers together to protect their homes and loved ones and which serve as a foundation of our great fraternal.

Initially called the Pacific Jurisdiction of the Woodmen of the World, our fraternity originally consisted of the states and territories of California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. The Denver Society was connected with the Omaha Woodmen, even though it always set its own rates and collected its own assessments. The use of the ceremonial ritual was the only thing held in common with the Omaha group, and for use of such, the Pacific Jurisdiction paid a fee to the Omaha Woodmen. In July of 1916, at the 12^th Regular Meeting of the Head Camp Session (National Convention), the Articles of Incorporation of the Denver Woodmen were amended and the words "Pacific Jurisdiction" were deleted from its name. From that time on, until expanding into states east of its original nine state region prompted the use of the synonym Assured Life Association, Woodmen of the World was used as the official name of the Society. Also, at this meeting, resolutions were adopted canceling all the contractual relations with the Omaha Woodmen and the Denver group formulated its own rituals.

Over the years, Woodmen of the World witnessed panics, disasters, World Wars I and II, the Great Depression, the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War. The Society today is a stronger organization due to those who guided it through these formative years. Now, as in the past, members are grouped into local lodges that pitch in when disaster strikes to relieve suffering and distress. In addition, they meet regularly, elect their owe officers and carry on their own business, social, fraternal and charitable activities.

In the years following our founding, there hare been drastic changes in our way of life, family needs and in the way those needs are met. As a result, Woodmen of the World is challenged to continue performing a vital role for our members and pledges to seek solutions to these changing needs through the democratic self-help process which is our personal, fraternal and national heritage.

HISTORY OF FRATERNAL BENEFIT SOCIETIES

What is a fraternal benefit society? Surf the links below:

Link: Barnes & Noble web site (www.bn.com) referencing books about fraternals

Link: National Fraternal Congress of America (www.nfcanet.org)

In addition to its own past, Woodmen has adopted the histories of two substantial organizations that merged into it in recent years.

In 1994, The Supreme Camp of the American Woodmen, a Colorado domiciled fraternal benefits society, was acquired and merged into Woodmen of the World/Assured Life Association. Founded in 1901, American Woodmen remains true to its origins for the benefit of the Black community through its association with Woodmen of the World and/or Assured Life Association. Woodmen is committed to preserving and perpetuating the rich history of the American Woodmen, making it part of its own.

Again, in 1995, The Danish Brotherhood in America, a Nebraska domiciled fraternal benefit society, found its home in Woodmen of the World and/or Assured Life Association. With this merger, Woodmen acquired a substantial organization with a proud history dating back to 1882. Started by Danish immigrants to the United States, the Danish Brotherhood continues to preserve and perpetuate Danish culture and traditions through its association with Woodmen of the World and/or Assured Life Association.

We have included the histories of these two organizations in our website, to demonstrate our commitment to the membership that is a part of those histories, and as a means of preserving that history that is now a part of Woodmen.

Click here for history of the Supreme Camp of the American Woodmen

Click here for history of the Danish Brotherhood in America

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