Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks

A benevolent fraternal society, organized in the City of New York, February 16, 1868, as the outgrowth of a social club known as the Jolly Corks, composed principally of members of the theatrical profession. Its first regular organization was New York Lodge No. 1. The Grand Lodge of the Order was incorporated March 10, 1871, as chapter 19 of the laws of that session, and the past officers of New York Lodge No. 1 were made the first members of the Grand Lodge under the act of corporation. The power to form subordinate lodges was given to the Grand Lodge on March 12, 1871. 

Charters were issued to New York No. 1 and Philadelphia No. 2. The third lodge was incorporated April 18, 1876, in San Francisco, and subsequently lodges were formed in Chicago, Cincinnati, Sacramento, Baltimore, Louisville, Saint Louis, Boston, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Providence, Washington, Denver, Cleveland, in the order named and other cities. During the thirty-five years
of its existence New York Lodge No. 1 alone has dispensed $175,000 in direct charity, having in addition to assisting its own members, been a liberal contributor to the relief of suffering in national calamities like the Chicago and Boston fires, and the Johnstown flood. The Order itself has since its institution dispensed nearly two millions in the same cause. Lodges at the present time number 816, and subordinate lodges have been established in Skaguay and Juneau in Alaska, Honolulu and Hilo in the
Hawaiian Islands, and Manila in the Philippines.

 Membership in the Order can be acquired only by white male citizens of the United States of the age of 21 and upward, of good moral character; only one lodge can be instituted in any one city, and such city must have a population of at least five thousand, and each lodge is given complete jurisdiction over all residents within said corporation. One of the unique features of the Order, and one which attracts the attention of the outside world more than anything else to its internal organization, is the annual memorial service for the dead of the Order, held by every lodge on the first Sunday in December of each year. This is termed the Sacred Session of the Order. The similar term "lodge of sorrow" is applied only to funerals. The membership at the present time is upward of 150,000, and it owns property and cash to the extent of about four million dollars. The Elks-Antler, claiming to have the largest circulation of any fraternal paper in the world, is published monthly by the Order.

Society Of Colonial Dames of America

 A women's patriotic society, organized in New York City in 1890, incorporated in 1891, and having for its purposes the collection of
manuscripts, traditions, relics and mementos of Colonial and Revolutionary times, and the commemoration of the success of the Revolutionary War. Membership in the society proceeds by invitation, and is restricted to women who are directly descended from some ancestor of distinction who came to reside in an American colony before 1776. This society was the first organization of women to be founded for patriotic purposes, and now has chapters in New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore.

Colonial Wars,  Society of

A patriotic society, organized in New York City in 1893. It consists of a general society made up of general officers and of delegates from the various State societies as follows, in the order of their institution: New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Massachusetts, Connecticut, District of Columbia, New Jersey, Virginia, New Hampshire, Vermont, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Nebraska, Minnesota, Kentucky, California, Colorado, Iowa, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Delaware, Rhode Island, Washington, and Maine. The
various State societies have, for their general object, to perpetuate the memory of Colonial events, and of the men who, in military, naval, and civil positions of high trust and responsibility, by their acts of counsel assisted in the establishment, defense, and preservation of the American Colonies. 

With this end in view, they seek to collect and preserve records of every kind relating to the Colonial period of American history and to inspire in their members the fraternal and patriotic spirit of those who made American freedom and unity possible. They admit to membership male descendants of those who assisted in the establishment, defense, and preservation of the American Colonies. The publications of the general society include general registers and historical papers and registers by the various local societies. The general society has caused the erection of a monument at Louisburg, on Cape Breton Island, and memorial tablets have been placed by the New York society on the sites of Fort Oswego and Fort Ticonderoga. The membership is about 4000.

Societies For Ethical Culture

The first Society for Ethical Culture was formed in New York City in May, 1876, by Prof. Felix Adler and several associates. The purpose of the movement was to provide a centre for persons who had lost their attachment to the traditional creeds and desired to aid in seeking what is good and in promoting the moral development of the individual and of society. A second society was formed in Chicago in 1882 ; a third in Philadelphia in 1885; and a fourth in Saint Louis in 1886. A few years afterwards the first society in
London was organized by Dr. Stanton Coit. Other societies have since been formed in England, and in Germany (where there are 16). Austria, Switzerland, and Italy. The most important of these societies are those in the United States, England, and Germany, and at Zurich, Switzerland. An Ethical Congress and a convention of all the Ethical Societies in America were held in connection with the tenth anniversary of the fourth society, in Saint Louis, in 1896.

A congress of American and European societies was held at Zurich, Switzerland, in the same year, when the office of International Secretary was instituted. The societies in America seek less to gain adherents than to establish their principles and perfect their organization. Not affirming any creeds and not hostile to any, the Society for Ethical Culture teaches that moral ends are supreme above all human ends and interests, and that the authority of the moral law is immediate and not dependent upon religious beliefs or philosophical theories. Meetings are held on Sundays and are devoted to addresses, with exclusion of audible prayer and all forms of ritual. Special importance is attached to the ethical training of children, and important schools have been established in New York and other cities. The New York Ethical Culture School was the first to introduce manual training as a regular branch of the curriculum in elementary schools. Young men's societies, women's conferences, Sunday ethical classes, and the like come within the sphere of activity of the societies. The New York society had 900 members in 1901.

United Irish league of America

An association of Irish-Americans which is practically the successor of the Parnell Land League and of the Irish Federated Societies in sympathy with the Land League Movement. It was provisionally established in New York, December 4, 1901, and was ratified at the first National Convention of the United Irish League held at Boston, October 20-21, 1902. The purpose of the league is to act as an auxiliary in America to the national organization in Ireland in the achievement of its aims. These include self-government for
Ireland, the abolition of land-lordism there, and other reforms of political and economic conditions in the country. Membership in the league is open to all Irish-American Nationalists without distinction of class or creed, and to all sympathizers with the national claims of Ireland. The general management of the league when not in convention is vested in a national committee, consisting of the president, two vice-presidents, treasurer and secretary, and 31 members at large. The National Convention is held biennially or oftener at the discretion of the national committee.

Ancient Order of Hibernians

A prominent Catholic Irish organization. The society was instituted originally for the protection of the Catholic priesthood and religion in Ireland, but it has now as its main object "the advancement of the principles of Irish nationality." According to some authorities the order was first instituted in 1642, following the great uprising in the north; according to others, in 1651, when Cromwell had proclaimed nearly the whole native population outlawed, and had put a price upon the head of every priest and made it death to attend a Catholic service. The founder was Rory Og O'Moo, and the society was at first known as The Defenders. On the
establishment of Catholic emancipation, in 1829, the society was reorganized under its present name as a beneficial and nationalist organization. It was soon afterwards extended to England and Scotland and was introduced into the United States in 1836. Its membership is restricted to persons of Irish birth or descent and of Catholic faith. Military drill is a prominent feature in some of the branches. The order is an active supporter of the present Gaelic movement (see Gaelic League), having endowed a Celtic chair
at the Catholic University of America, and contributed generously toward the support of Gaelic organizers in Ireland. The latest report shows that, including the ladies' auxiliary, the American branch had a membership of 150,000 and disbursed annually nearly $$1,000,000 in benefits. This branch is closely affiliated with the parent body in Ireland, as well as with those in England, Scotland, Australia, and other parts of the world.

Clubs

The clubs of New York number more than 200. The oldest and most conservative of the non-political clubs is the Union, at Fifth Avenue and Fifty-first Street, organized in 1836. The Union League Club, at Thirty-ninth Street and Fifth Avenue, is the largest political club. The most important club of artists and literary men is the Century Association, organized in 1847, which possesses a beautiful building in West Forty-third Street. Among other noted clubs may be mentioned the Army and Navy, City, Calumet, Colonial, Grolier, Knickerbockers, Lawyers", Lotus, Metropolitan, New York, Players', Progress, reform and University. The Player's Club, as its name implies, has a membership largely composed of theatrical people. Its beautiful home on Gramercy Park, costing $250,000, was presented to the club by the distinguished tragedian Edwin Booth. The University Club membership is restricted to graduates of colleges. Its club house, an imposing structure of granite, opened in May, 1899, at Fifth Avenue and Fifty-fourth Street, is one of the finest in the city. The New York Yacht Club also has a magnificent club house on West Forty-fourth Street.

International order of King's Daughters and Sons

An organization formed in New York City, early in 1886, as a distinctly spiritual force. At first women only were admitted to membership, but the society was soon enlarged to take in men and boys. It is strictly undenominational, organized with local bodies called 'circles,' which are combined into 'chapters of circles,' and has a central council which is incorporated, with headquarters in New York City. The social and religious services are of the most varied description, each circle being given free choice in choosing its own special work. The idea is to work "first for the heart, next the home, then the Church, and after that the great outside."
The badge of the society is a Maltese cross of silver, bearing the initials I.H.N. ("In His Name"). A weekly paper, The Silver Cross, is published in New York. The present membership is nearly 500,000 in all parts of the world.

B'nai B'rith Lodge

The Order was founded October 13, 1843, by 12 men in New York who, under the leadership of Henry Jones, organized at Sinsheimer's Cafe in Essex Street. The first name chosen was Bundes Bruder which was later changed to Independent Order of B'nai B'rith. At the 13th quinquennial convention of the Order in Cincinnati in April 1930, the name was shortened to B'nai B'rith. The first B'nai B'rith lodge was established in New York, November 12, 1843. On January 1, 1933, there were 403 lodges in the United States and Canada, and 215 in 26 other countries throughout the world. Although organized and for a time dominated by the German-Jewish element, it early became a democratic organization and is today the only group in many communities where Jews of all shades of belief may foregather. In the early years the Order confined itself to the establishment and maintenance of
orphanages and homes for widows and the aged, and other eleemosynary institutions, in addition to the work of Americanizing the flood of east European Jews then pouring into the country.

 Recently, however, it has extended its sphere so that today it supports the B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundations, the Aleph Zadik Aleph, its junior auxiliary, the Anti-Defamation League, and the "B'nai B'rith Magazine," a national Jewish cultural monthly. Since the depression, the Order is one of the leading organizations to attack discrimination against Jews in industry. The present Constitution of the Order was adopted in 1868 at which time Julius Bien was elected president. He served until 1900 at which time he was succeeded by Leo N. Levi upon whose untimely death in 1904 Simon Wolf became president ad interim. In 1905, Adolf Kraus was elected president and held the office for 20 years to be succeeded by the present incumbent, Alfred M. Cohen, who was elected in 1925 and reelected in 1930.

The secretaries were as follows:

M. Ellinger, 1868-79
M. Thalmessinger, 1879-90
Sol Sulzberger, 1890-1905
A. B. Seelenfreund, 1905-23
Leon L. Lewis, 1923-25
Boris D. Bogen, 1925-29
I.M. Rubinow, 1929

I. M. Rubinow, M.D., Ph.D
Sec. B'nai B'rith
Cincinnati, O.

American Jewish Historical Society

Organized in New York in 1892 by a group of distinguished Jews, among whom were Cyrus Adler, Sabato Morais, Alexander Kohut, Kaufmann Kohler, Prof. Charles Gross, Simon W. Rosendale, and Henrietta Szold. Its object is "to collect and publish material bearing upon the history of America, and to promote the study of Jewish history in general, preferably so far as the same is related to American Jewish history or connected with the causes of emigration from various parts of the world to this continent." Thirty-two
volumes, called Publications, embodying original research in the field of American Jewish History, the work of a small devoted band of scholars, have been published. They consist of a selection of the papers read at the public annual meetings, and are the basis of the many popular works on this subject which have appeared in the last few decades. 

The Library of the Society, consisting of about 5,000 volumes and much manuscript material, is open daily to students in its chosen field. Recently it has been enriched by the gift of several hundred early American books and numerous letters and manuscript documents, presented by Dr. A.S. W. Rosenbach, in memory of his mother Isabella Rosenbach. Part of them are on exhibit in the Society's Museum, together with other similar material, objects of historical and synagogue art, historical relics, portraits, etc. Both the Library and the Museum are located in the Schiff building of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Oscar S. Straus served as president from its inception to 1898; Dr. Cyrus Adler, 1899-1921; and the present incumbent since 1922 is Dr. A.S.W. Rosenbach.

Edward D. Coleman, B.A.
Librarian, American Jewish Historical Society, N.Y.C.