The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1900-05-26
GREAT COUNCIL
RED MEN.

Sixty-Fifth Annual Session Held at
Berlin, Nd, on Wednesday-Progress
and Success of the Order - Great
Sachem NJ. +. Magraw, Of Cherry Hill,
the Presiding Officer.
The Great Council Of Maryland, In
proved Order Red Men, held its sixth-ffth
annual session on Wednesday of Berlin,
Md. The main feature of tha sessions was
the enactment Of new laws which are eX-
pected to prove of great bencnt to the
order.
The Great Council Of this State since its
organization has made great progress. and
is now in il most nouri7hing condition.
The early history Of the order is very in
teresting. II the written records Of the
Red Men were in existence they would
show historic connection with the Revolu.
tionary societies and palriobio associations
of 1865, under the name Of the Sons Of
Liberty. branch Of thi7 order became
She St Tamiua Society, Of Annapolis, Ma,
about f1Tl. TIE building now used by
Chesapeake Tribe, No 30, Annapolis, was
erected on the very location of that society.
Other TaminG societies were organized in
1889 in other sections of the United States.
The first organization of Red Men, il is
said, took place at Fort MitIlin, on the
Delaware River, in 1913. Members of this
order, however were known to exist from
as far back as 1876 and they helped to Or
ganize what afterwards became the In
proved Order of Red Men. The Red Men
used the forms and ceremonies of the abo.
rhymes, and as Many Of them were identi-
cal with those Of the st. Tamina Societies,
it seems very probable that those who insti-
tuted the st. Tamina Societies were the
same who organized the Red Men. st.
Tamina Day was celebrated on Nav 70,
and was observed by the army from the
time of the Revolution down to the OPEN
Ing of the War of 1879, when the Secretary
of War forbade ita observance any longer
among the troops.
The strength Of the order for long time
was in Maryland and Virginia. Ii was
some years after its organization in these
states that it became established in Penn
sylVania, where at present there are nearly
four hundred tribes and 30, 600 members
t,, I,1
the Improved Order of Red Men there ex-
listed in Baltimore, lodge or society
known as the Red Men. This organization
soon went out OF existence, and some ot
the members urged the formation Of new
order. This was DONE the tirst tribe being
Logan Tribe, No. /. TIE motto, "Freedom
Friendship and Charity" was odopted for
the order
In conformity with the Indian character
OF the order, officers have the titles Of chiefs
OF Indian tribes. The year ID known as
"great sun" Themonthsfolow the regu-
lar calendar order, significant of the season,
as January, ''cold moon" February, 'snow
MOON" March, warm moon;' April,
"plantmoon;" May, Glover moon" June,
"hot moon;" July, Chuck NOON" August,
sturgeon NOON September, "corn
moon;' October, travelling NOON" Nov
ember, beaver moon;" December, ''Lunt-
ing moon"
The term moon is used instead of month;
suns instead of days and "seyen suns
in place of weeks. The money is called
"wampum, and is divided into parts as
''fathoms," fleet" and "inches." A
'fathom," is one dollar, a foot" ten
cents and an "inch' one cent. The chiefs
of the different tribes are elected every
''six moons, and meetings are held every
"seveI suns.
The Great Council of Maryland was
formed after meeting Of the Logan and
Metamora Tribes had been held, May 30,
1885. a charter, however, was not granted
until the session of the Maryland Legsla-
ture, in 1898.