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Patron Membership: $50.00
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Lifetime Membership: $500.00
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A view of the exterior of the building that housed
the Redman's Lodge on the second floor; as well as The Niles Daily
News and the East Ohio Gas Company.
It was located on South Main Street before the construction
of the viaduct(possibly between West State Street and Water Street).
South Main Street is sloping down to the PRR tracks and Mahoning
River since the viaduct was not built until 1933.
PO2.286 |
Improved
Order of the Redman Lodge.
Redman Lodge, like Niles, also Celebrates the
Centennial This Week.(September 1934. Ed.)
Genesee Tribe Instituted In Niles In March 1904
Co-incident with the City of Niles, Ohio, the
Improved Order of Redmen is celebrating its Centennial the week
of September 10th, 1934. The celebration is to be held at Baltimore,
Maryland where the order was instituted and has grown until it
now has over five hundred thousand members, all of whom are citizens
of the United States.
Genesee Tribe No. 15 of Niles, Ohio, was instituted
in March 1904. The first meeting place was in the Frech building
now occupied by the American Legion, with the following officers
in charge: Prophet, A. D. Williams; Sachem, L. W.
Bach; Senior Sagamore, E. V. Rader; Junior Sagamore,
Robert McCarty; Collector of Wampum, I. Campbell;
Keeper of Wampum, I. Don Holeton.
The Genesee Tribe met in this location for two
years until the completion of the Morgan-Williams building which
was designed especially for the order and is still the home of
the Redmen.
A feature peculiar to the Redmen is the care
of the orphans of deceased members. They maintain no orphan’s
home but contribute to the support of the children in their own
homes.
The degrees of the order are founded on the customs
and traditions of the American Aborigine and the League of the
Iroquois. The motto is Freedom, Friendship, and Charity.
Meetings are held weekly on Wednesday evening
in Redmen Hall. In charge of Sachem, Edward Reese; Senior
Sagamore, Roy Campbell; Junior Sagamore, A. Zigler;
Keeper of Wampum, D. L. Boyd; Trustees: Chas. Duff,
C. A. Edwards, J. T. Rose.
Al. Tailbitzer
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Left:
A photo of the members of the Niles 'Red Man Lodge' in front of
the Odd Fellows Hall on North Main Street. October 12, 1918 for
a special Columbus Day parade.In the background is the site of
the McKinley Memorial.PO1.1606
Right: An advertisement for a Redmans Lodge dance
at the Redman Hall. It appeared in the October 17, 1914 edition
of the Niles Daily Times.PO1.2340 |

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New Jersey Sachem Medallion of
the Improved Order of the Redman. |
History
of the Improved Order of the Redman.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Improved_Order_of_Red_Men
Membership
The Improved Order of the Red Men grew in membership
in the late 19th century. It reached 519,942 members in forty-six
states in 1921, but had declined to 31,789 in 32 states in 1978
and to 15,251 by 2011. Until 1974, the Order was open to whites
only.
On December 16, 1773, a group of colonists —
all men, and members of the Sons of Liberty — met in Boston
to protest the tax on tea imposed by England. When their protest
went unheeded, they disguised themselves as their idea of Mohawk
people, proceeded to Boston harbor, and dumped overboard 342 chests
of English tea.
In the late 18th century, the Tammany Societies,
named after Tamanend, were formed. The most well-known of these
was New York City's Society of St. Tammany, which grew into a
major political machine known as "Tammany Hall."
For the next 35 years, the original Sons of Liberty
and the Sons of St. Tamina groups went their own way, under many
different names.
Around 1813, a disenchanted group created the
philanthropic "Society of Red Men" at historic Fort
Mifflin in Philadelphia.
The organization grew in the 1820s. Parallel
lines of advancement were offered in the Order of Red Men: a series
of military titles and a set of Indian rankings.
Class and ethnic differences introduced by new
immigrants, anti-Masonic persecutions, attacks on fraternal groups
based on excessive drinking, and, ultimately, a wide-spread cholera
epidemic in 1832 led to the decline of the organization.
In 1834, the Improved Order of Red Men (IORM)
was started as a revival in Baltimore. It was focused on temperance,
patriotism and American History. In 1835, with only two tribes
in place, a larger IORM was organized. Unlike the original Order,
the IORM uses only expanded Indian titles. Rather than the public
display of Indian costumes, the IORM uses its regalia in private
gatherings. |
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In
1886, its membership requirements were defined in the same pseudo-Indian
phrasing as the rest of the constitution:
Sec. 1. No person shall be entitled to adoption
into the Order except a free white male of good moral character
and standing, of the full age of twenty-one great suns, who believes
in the existence of a Great Spirit, the Creator and Preserver
of the Universe, and is possessed of some known reputable means
of support.
In one 1886 tribe, a member's 12 cent a week
dues went into a fund which was used to pay disability benefits
to members at a rate of about "three fathoms per seven suns"
($3/week) for up to "six moons" (6 months) and then
two dollars a week. Some medical care ("a suitable nurse")
was available, and also a death benefit of one hundred dollars.
The fund was invested in bonds, mortgages, and "Building
Association Stock". Meetings were held weekly on Friday nights.
The Order has a three tiered structure. Local units are called
"Tribes" and are presided over by a "Sachem"
and a board of directors. Local meeting sites are called "Wigwams".
The state level is called the "Reservation" and governed
by a "Great Sachem" and "Great Council" or
"Board of Chiefs". The national level is the "Great
Council of the United States". The Great Council consists
of the "Great Incohonee" (president), and a "Board
of Great Chiefs", which includes the "Great Senior Sagamore"
(first vice-president), "Great Junior Sagamore", "Great
Chief of Records" (secretary), "Great Keeper of the
Wampum" (treasurer) and "Prophet" (past president).
The headquarters of the Order has been in Waco, Texas, since at
least 1979. They maintain an official museum and library in Waco.
Auxiliaries and side degrees
A side degree of the order was founded in 1890 as the National
Haymakers' Association. There was also once a uniformed division
called the Knights of Tammany, as well as a group called the Chieftains
League, which consisted of members who had been exalted to the
Chief Degree and were in good standing within their respective
Tribes.
In 1952, the Order created the Degree of Hiawatha,
as a youth auxiliary for males 8 and up. Most of the members of
the Degree of Hiawatha were concentrated in New England. In 1979
there were less than 5,000 members in approximately 125 "Councils".
The Order female auxiliary is the Degree of Pocahontas
and dates to the 1880s and the Degree of Anona, a junior order
of the Degree of Pocahontas, was formed in 1952. |
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Unknown Author: http://collections.mnhs.org/cms/display?irn=10706288 |
Philanthropy
and positions
The order has historically opposed federal welfare programs, waste
in government and Communism. However, there are examples of substantial
socialist participation in the organization in pockets of the
United States; for example, in southern West Virginia, during
the build up to the West Virginia Mine Wars, "the Improved
Order of Red Men [was] . . . the most comfortable lodge for Socialist
miners and other radical workers."
The IORM supported the founding
of the Society of American Indians in 1911 and helped organize
the SAI's first two conferences. |
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Source: http://redmen.org/redmen/info/
America's Oldest
Fraternal Organization
Chartered by Congress
Freedom * Friendship * Charity
The fraternity traces its origins back to 1765
and is descended from the Sons of Liberty. These patriots concealed
their identities and worked "underground" to help
establish freedom and liberty in the early Colonies. They patterned
themselves after the great Iroquois Confederacy and its democratic
governing body. Their system, with elected representatives to
govern tribal councils, had been in existence for several centuries.
After the War of 1812 the name was changed
to the Society of Red Men and in 1834 to the Improved Order
of Red Men. They kept the customs and terminology of Native
Americans as a basic part of the fraternity. Some of the words
and terms may sound strange, but they soon become a familiar
part of the language for every member. The Improved Order of
Red Men (IORM) is similar in many ways to other major fraternal
organizations in the United States.
The Improved Order of Red Men is a
national fraternal organization that believes in…Love
of and respect for the American Flag.
Preserving our Nation by defending and upholding the principle
of free Government.
America and the democratic way of life.
Preserving the traditions and history of this great Country.
Creating and inspiring a greater love for the United States
of America.
Helping our fellow men through organized charitable programs.
Linking our members together in a common bond of Brotherhood
and Friendship.
Perpetuating the beautiful legends and traditions of a once-vanishing
race and the keeping alive some of the traditional customs,
ceremonies, and philosophies.
Legally, The Improved Order of Red Men is a patriotic fraternity
chartered by Congress. It is a non-profit organization devoted
to inspiring a greater love for the United States of America
and the principles of American Liberty.
History of the Red Men
The Improved Order of Red Men traces its origin to certain secret
patriotic societies founded before the American Revolution.
They were established to promote Liberty and to defy the tyranny
of the English Crown. Among the early groups were: The Sons
of Liberty, the Sons of St. Tammany, and later the Society of
Red Men.
On December 16, 1773 a group of men, all members
of the Sons of Liberty, met in Boston to protest the tax on
tea imposed by England. When their protest went unheeded, they
disguised themselves as Mohawk Indians, proceeded to Boston
harbor, and dumped overboard 342 chests of English tea.
During the Revolutionary War, members of secret
societies quenched their council fires and took up muskets to
join with the Continental Army. To the cause of Freedom and
Liberty they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their
sacred honors. At the end of the hard fought war the American
Republic was born and was soon acknowledged among the nations
of the world.
Following the American Revolution many of the
various secret societies founded before and during the conflict
continued in existence as brotherhoods or fraternities.
For the next 35 years, however, each of the
original Sons of Liberty and Sons of St. Tamina groups went
their own way, under many different names. In 1813, at historic
Fort Mifflin, near Philadelphia, several of these groups came
together and formed one organization known as the Society of
Red Men. The name was changed to the Improved Order of Red Men
in Baltimore in 1834.
At Baltimore, Maryland, in 1847, the various
local tribes came together and formed a national organization
called the Grand Council of the United States.
With the formation of a national organization,
the Improved Order of Red Men soon spread, and within 30 years
there were State Great Councils in 21 states with a membership
of over 150,000. The Order continued to grow and by the mid-1920s
there were tribes in 46 states and territories with a membership
totaling over one-half million.
Today, The Improved Order of Red Men continues
to offer all patriotic Americans an organization that is pledged
to the high ideals of Freedom, Friendship, and Charity. These
are the same ideals on which the American nation was founded.
By belonging to this proud and historic organization you can
demonstrate your desire to continue the battle started at Lexington
and Concord to promote Freedom and protect the American Way
of Life.
Goals of the Red Men
To promote patriotism and the American Way of Life, to provide
social activities for the members, and support various charitable
programs. Our activities include:
Flag Recognition Program — A program
to honor those patriotic Americans who display the flag regularly.
Faith Of Our Fathers Chapel — Chapel erected at Freedoms
Foundation at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, to memorialize the
ideals and principles of our founding fathers.
Annual Pilgrimage To Faith Of Our Fathers Chapel — Annual
meeting to renew and strengthen our beliefs in the American
Way of Life.
Children with Cognitive, Intellectual, and Developmental Disabilities
Program — Support of various projects and programs of
the ARC (formerly Association for Retarded Citizens) and Special
Olympics.
Red Men's Day At Arlington National Cemetery — Annual
ceremony to honor our unknown soldiers and all brave Americans
who have fallen in battle to protect our Freedom.
Red Men's Week — Week of December 16th, designated as
National Red Men's Week, commemorating the Boston Tea Party
in 1773.
Charitable Programs
The National Charity project of the Improved Order of Red Men
is Alzheimer's research. Since 1991, the organization has given
over three million dollars to the Alzheimer's Association. Alzheimer's
disease knows no social or economic boundaries; but it does
incline heavily toward older people, affecting seven to nine
percent of Americans over the age of 65, yet it strikes those
in their 40s and 50s as well. Indeed, some of our own members
have been stricken with this dreaded disease. Our members not
only give generously, but work with local Alzheimer's Chapters
across the nation.
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