The Orangeburg democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1879-1881, 1879-04-11
KNIGHTS OF HONOR.
INTERESTING ARTICLE ON THE ORIGIN |
AND PURPOSE OF THIS ORDER.

AND PURPOSE OF THIS ORDER.
Editor Orangeburg Democrat:
In recent number of the DEMO
Graf you noticed the organization Of
a Lodge of, knights of Honor in Or
angeburg under very favorable aus
pices. AS the Order is comparative.
ly new one in this county, and in
fact not old anywhere, a little light
thrown on its origin and objects may
be of interest to your readers, and
particularly so to all new members:
The Order of knights of Honor
is q secret benevolent society, com.
posed OF d Supreme, Grand and Sub
ordinate Lodges, 1t was established
in June, 1873, 10y persons who felt
that the various systems of. relief to
the families Of deceased members, as
adopted by other orders, was def
cient in important respects, and who
believed that an Order established
With the purpose Of paying death
benefit as one Of it's main objects
would meet with approval and sue
cess. Tie unprecedented growth of
the Order has confirmed the wisdom
of its projectors. The objects of the
Order are stated briefly by the Su-
preme Lodge Charter as follows:
First. TO unite fratcrnally all ac-
ceptable white men of every profess
sion, business and occupation.
Second. To give all possible moral
and material aid in its power to it's
members, and those depending on it's
members, by holding moral, instruc
tive and scientific lectures, by en-
couraging each other in business, and
by assisting each other to obtain en-
ployment. .~
4 Third. TO promote benevolence
and charity by establishing Wi
dows' and Orphans Benefit Fund,
from which, on satisfactory evidence
Of the death Of q member of this cor
poration, who has complied with all
its lawful requirements, q sum not
exceeding two thousand dollars shall
be paid to his family, or as he may
direct. III d! s.SI.tc,i = =, 70
i
Fourth. To provide for creating a
fund 'for the Teliefof sick and distress
cd members. >
Fifth. To ameliorate the condition
Of humanity in every. possible man
The first Lodge in this county { Le-
banon) was organized at St. Mat
thews Academy on the 18th Of Sep.
tember, 1877. During the present
year Lodges have been organized at
st. Matthews, Branchville and Or
angcburg. The Order now numbers
over one hundred members in this
county and rapidly increasing. I'm
til sometime last Summer the Lodge
at St. Matthews Academy was the
only one in the State South Of Co
lumbia. Since then they have been
organized at Charleston, Blackville,
and other places. The Order now
numbers over 900 members in the
United States.
AS distinctive feature from other
life insurance organizations, there
are no large salaried officers at its
head, and no large amounts ofmoney
arc allowed to accumulate in the
hands Of it's officials. he Benefit
Funds are collected rby assessments
on each member upon the death Of
any member in the Order but while
there remains as much as two thous-
and dollars in the hands of the Su-
preme Treasurer no assessment can
be made. In other words, when an
assessment is called for and collected
the Supreme Treasurer cannot make
another assessment until he shall
have paid out all the money collected,
so as to reduce the amount in his
hands TO less than two thousand dol
lars. This Widows and Orphans
Benefit Fund can be used for no
other purpose than paying up these
death rates Of two thousand dollars.
The assessments now average one to
every twenty-seven deaths, and they
average about one assessment each
month. The annual dues are seven
ty-five cents per quarter, so that we
have for those under forty-five years
Of age, IN insurance of two thousand
lnlloro Of on or,,,,ol oo,G Ec,ao,>