A faded portrait

Wed, 13 May 2020 07:26:18 GMT

Fraternal organizations were a natural offshoot of the guilds of the late Middle Ages and Renaissance. Most were organized in the 18th and 19th centuries, though some claim a much more ancient heritage.
Freemasonry is said to date to the building of King Solomon's temple more than 2,500 years ago, but the modern Masonic order actually started in 1717 with the establishment of the Grand Lodge of England.
Fraternal clubs, with the lodges they built, were a place where immigrants to the New World could come and eat, be entertained and socialize with transplants from their native lands.
At a time when workers received no benefits and public charity was generally frowned upon, fraternal organizations provided dues-paying members with dependent support, health care and funerary coverage.