Knights of Pythias membership certificate 1890

The Knights of Pythias is a

fraternal organization A fraternity (from Latin ''frater'': "brother"; whence, " brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club or fraternal order traditionally of men associated together for various religious or secular aims. Fraternity i ...

and

secret society A secret society is a club or an organization whose activities, events, inner functioning, or membership are concealed. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence a ...

founded in

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, on . The Knights of Pythias is the first fraternal organization to receive a charter under an

act of the United States Congress An Act of Congress is a statute enacted by the United States Congress. Acts may apply only to individual entities (called private laws), or to the general public ( public laws). For a bill to become an act, the text must pass through both house ...

. It was founded by

Justus H. Rathbone Justus Henry Rathbone (October 29, 1839 – December 9, 1889) was an American school teacher and the founder of the international fraternal order of the Knights of Pythias. Prior to and during the American Civil War he taught, worked in a numbe ...

, who had been inspired by a play by the Irish poet

John Banim John Banim (3 April 1798 – 30 August 1842), was an Irish novelist, short story writer, dramatist, poet and essayist, sometimes called the "Scott of Ireland." He also studied art, working as a painter of miniatures and portraits, and as a drawin ...

about the legend of

Damon and Pythias The story of Damon (; grc-gre, Δάμων, gen. Δάμωνος) and Pythias (; or ; or Phintias, ) is a legend in Greek historic writings illustrating the Pythagorean ideal of friendship. Pythias is accused of and charged with plotting against ...

. This legend illustrates the ideals of loyalty, honor, and friendship that are the center of the order. The order had over 2,000 lodges in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and around the world, with a total membership of over 50,000 in 2003. Some lodges meet in structures referred to as Pythian Castles.

Organization

The structure of the Knights of Pythias is three-tiered. The local units are called "Subordinate Lodges." State and provincial organizations are called "Grand Lodges" and the national structure is called the "Supreme Lodge" and meets in convention biennially. The officers of the Supreme Lodge include the sitting Past Supreme Chancellor, Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Prelate, Secretary, Treasurer, Master at Arms, Inner Guard and Outer Guard. The order's auxiliaries are the Pythian Sisters, the Dramatic Order of the Knights of Khorassan, and the Nomads of Avrudaka.

Membership

Membership has historically been open to males in good health who believe in a

Supreme Being In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

. Maimed individuals were not admitted until 1875. Members are accepted by blackball ballot. A member must be at least 18 years of age, and must take the following oath: By the end of the so-called "

Golden Age of Fraternalism The Golden Age of Fraternalism is a term referring to a period when membership in the fraternal societies in the United States grew at a very rapid pace in the latter third of the 19th century and continuing into the first part of the 20th. At its ...

" in the early 1920s, the order had nearly a million members. By 1979, however, this number had declined to fewer than 200,000.

Rank structure

The ranks of Pythian Knighthood in a subordinate lodge (or "Castle") are: #Page #Esquire #Knight In 1877, the order adopted an optional rank, called the Endowment Rank, which provided fraternal insurance benefits. In 1930, this department split from the Knights of Pythias and became a mutual life insurance company, later known as the "American United Insurance Company". Finally, members who obtained the rank of Knight were eligible to join the now-defunct Uniform Rank, which participated in parades and other processions.

Sword

Early in the group's history, when a man was inducted into the Knights of Pythias, he received a ceremonial sword. Such a sword might be given to a Pythian by family members, business associates, or others as a token of esteem. Markings on swords varied widely. Most swords were inscribed with the initials "FCB", which stand for the Pythian motto ("Friendship, Charity, Benevolence"). Images on swords were also somewhat common, and included: A man, woman, and child (symbolic of Damon saying good-bye to his family); a man looking out of a building, with a group of people below (symbolic of Pythias' pending execution); a man (Samson) between some pillars, pulling them down, or various types of weapons (swords, axes, hammers, etc.). A full Knight of the Pythian order often inscribed his sword with the image of a knight's helmet with a lion on the crest. Many also carried the image of a sprig of myrtle (the Pythian symbol of love) or a falcon (the Pythian symbol of vigilance). Swords owned by a member of the Uniformed Rank might be inscribed with the initials "UR," a dove, or a lily.

Philanthropy

The order provides for "worthy Pythians in distress" and has given aid to victims of national or sectional disasters. It runs camps for underprivileged youth and homes for aged members. It has sponsored scholarship funds, blood drives, highway safety programs, and the Cystic Fibrosis Research Foundation.

Other Pythian organizations

Knights of Pythias of North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa

After a black lodge was denied a charter by the Knights of Pythias' Supreme Lodge meeting in

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

on , a number of black Americans who had been initiated into the order formed their own Pythian group, the Knights of Pythias of North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. By 1897, the KPNSAEAA had 40,000 members, with Grand Lodges in 20 states and other lodges in the West Indies and Central America. It distributed worth of benefits annually and had a woman's auxiliary and uniformed rank.

Canada

The Grand Lodge of Ontario was instituted on . Rowena L. Rooks composed "K of P grand march or piano" which was dedicated to Collin H. Rose, Grand Chancellor, and the officers and representatives of the Grand Lodge K of P of Ontario, Canada. The march sheet music, which was published in

London, Ontario London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...

, by C. F. Colwell, 1876, was illustrated with the Knights of Pythias emblem and Latin motto or, in English, "True friends are a refuge".

Improved Order, Knights of Pythias

In 1892, the Supreme Lodge ruled that the work of the order would only be conducted in English. This upset some members who were accustomed to using German. After this ruling was reiterated at the Supreme Lodges of 1894 and 1895, a number of German-speaking Pythians split off and formed the Improved Order, Knights of Pythias at a convention in

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

in June 1895. The new order was reportedly not very popular, and a movement toward reconciliation occurred a few years later.

Notable Pythian Knights

* Granville Pearl Aikman (1858–1923), State of Kansas District Judge and suffragist * A. A. Ames, four-time mayor of Minneapolis, Minnesota *

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, jazz trumpeter and singer *

Hugo Black Hugo Lafayette Black (February 27, 1886 – September 25, 1971) was an American lawyer, politician, and jurist who served as a U.S. Senator from Alabama from 1927 to 1937 and as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1937 to 1971. A ...

, U.S. Supreme Court Justice *

Clifford Cleveland Brooks Clifford Cleveland Brooks, also known as C. C. Brooks (September 19, 1886 – October 16, 1944), was a Georgia native who served as a Democrat from 1924 to 1932 in the Louisiana State Senate. Brooks represented the delta parishes: Tensa ...

, member of the Louisiana State Senate from 1924 to 1932 from northeast Delta parishes *

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, U.S. Secretary of State and presidential candidate *

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, U.S. Senator *

Benjamin Cardozo Benjamin ( he, ''Bīnyāmīn''; "Son of (the) right") blue letter bible: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3225/kjv/wlc/0-1/ H3225 - yāmîn - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv) was the last of the two sons of Jacob and Rachel (Jacob's th ...

, U.S. Supreme Court Justice *

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, member of both houses of the

Louisiana State Legislature The Louisiana State Legislature (french: Législature d'État de Louisiane) is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is a bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 represen ...

* Robert E. Lee Chancey, 44th mayor of Tampa. * Brevet Major

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, founder of the

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, Congressman, New York * John W. Grabiel, Republican gubernatorial nominee in Arkansas in 1922 and 1924 *

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(1854–1919), California real-estate developer *

Warren G. Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party, he was one of the most popular sitting U.S. presidents. A ...

, U.S. President * William S. Hayward, mayor of

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, co-founder of Citizens Bank *

Charles Tisdale Howard Charles Tisdale Howard (February 16, 1856 – June 23, 1936) was an attorney and Republican party politician, the first United States Attorney for the District of South Dakota, served as the fourth Speaker of the South Dakota House of Representa ...

, U.S. Attorney for South Dakota, Speaker of the South Dakota House of Representatives *

Hubert Horatio Humphrey Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. (May 27, 1911 – January 13, 1978) was an American pharmacist and politician who served as the 38th vice president of the United States from 1965 to 1969. He twice served in the United States Senate, representing Mi ...

, U.S. Vice President * Bob Jones, Sr., founder of

Bob Jones University , motto_lang = Latin , mottoeng = We seek, we trust , top_free_label = , top_free = , type = Private university , established = , closed = , f ...

, prominent evangelist *

Claud H. Larsen Claud H. Larsen (December 1, 1892 – December 18, 1964) was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Biography Larsen was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His parent were both immigrants from Norway. He would work for Nordberg Manufacturing Comp ...

, member of the

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, Governor of Arkansas, U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas *

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, member of both houses of the

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, U.S. President * Charles W. Miller, 18th Indiana Attorney General * Oscar H. Montgomery, Justice of the

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* Robert Pfeifle, 3rd mayor of

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* Alexander P. Riddle lieutenant governor of Kansas *

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, U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district (1891–1897) * Nelson A. Rockefeller, U.S. Vice President *

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, U.S. President, who joined in 1936, during his presidency *

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, U.S. Senator *

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, 23rd Indiana Attorney General *

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, U.S. Senator from

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, author, territorial governor of New Mexico, major general (U.S. Army), diplomat

Notable Pythian buildings

Knights of Pythias Castle, Houston, Texas

: ''(by state then city)'' * Knights of Pythias Building (Phoenix, Arizona), NRHP-listed * Pythian Castle (Arcata, California), in Humboldt County, California, NRHP-listed * Pythias Lodge Building (San Diego, California), NRHP-listed * Knights of Pythias Lodge (Salida, Colorado) * Knights of Pythias Lodge Hall (Weiser, Idaho), NRHP-listed *

Knights of Pythias Building and Theatre The Knights of Pythias Building and Theatre, also known as K. of P. Building, is a historic building located at Greensburg, Decatur County, Indiana. It was built in 1899 by the Knights of Pythias, and is a three-story brick building that includes ...

, Greensburg, Indiana, NRHP-listed *

Knights of Pythias Lodge (South Bend, Indiana) Knights of Pythias Lodge is a historic Knights of Pythias building located at South Bend, St. Joseph County, Indiana. It was built in 1922, and is a seven-story, Commercial style brick building with terra cotta. The building features applied Class ...

, NRHP-listed * Knights of Pythias Temple (Louisville, Kentucky), NRHP-listed * Pythian Temple, New Orleans, Louisiana *

Pythian Opera House The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor, also known historically as the Boothbay Harbor Opera House, Knights of Pythias Hall, The Opera House, and as the Pythian Opera House, is a historic meeting hall and multifunction building at 86 Townsend Aven ...

, Boothbay Harbor, Maine * Eagle Harbor Schoolhouse, Eagle Harbor, Michigan, NRHP-listedwhere Justus Rathbone developed the idea and ritual of the order *

Pythian Home of Missouri The Pythian Home of Missouri, also known as Pythian Castle, in Springfield, Missouri, was built in 1913 by the Knights of Pythias and later owned by the U.S. military. German and Italian prisoners-of-war were assigned here during World War II for ...

, also known as Pythian Castle *

Knights of Pythias Building (Virginia City, Nevada) The Knights of Pythias Building, also known as the Knights of Pythias Hall is an historic Knights of Pythias lodge hall located in Virginia City, Nevada, United States. It was built of cast iron and stuccoed brick in 1876 by Nevada Lodge No. 1 of ...

Pythian Temple (New York City) The Pythian Temple is a historic Knights of Pythias building at 135 West 70th Street between Columbus Avenue and Broadway in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It was built in 1927 to serve as a meeting place for th ...

Pythian Temple and James Pythian Theater The Martin Luther King Jr. Performing and Cultural Arts Complex is a historic building in the King-Lincoln Bronzeville neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio. It was built in 1925 as the Pythian Temple and James Pythian Theater, and was added to the Nati ...

, Columbus, Ohio * Pythian Castle (Toledo, Ohio), NRHP-listed *

Knights of Pythias Pavilion The Knights of Pythias Pavilion in Franklin, Tennessee, also known as Carlisle House, is a Classical Revival architecture building designed by Henry Gibel and built in 1897. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. Acco ...

, Franklin, Tennessee, NRHP-listed * Knights of Pythias Temple (Dallas, Texas), also known as the Union Bankers Building * Knights of Pythias Building (Fort Worth, Texas), also known as Pythian Castle Hall, NRHP-listed *

Pythian Castle (Portsmouth, Virginia) The Pythian Castle is a historic three-story brick-and-stone Knights of Pythias building located at 610-612 Court Street in Portsmouth, Virginia. Built between 1897 and 1898 for the Atlantic Lodge, Knights of Pythias, it was designed by architec ...

, NRHP-listed *

Pythian Temple (Tacoma, Washington) The Pythian Temple, built in 1906 for Commencement Lodge Number 7 of the Knights of Pythias, is an historic building located on Broadway in the Theater District of Tacoma, Washington. It was designed by noted Tacoma architect Frederick Heath. L ...

, NRHP-listed * Knights of Pythias Building (Bellingham (Fairhaven), Washington) *

Pythian Castle Lodge The Pythian Castle Lodge, also known as Crystal Palace, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, was built in 1927 by the Knights of Pythias, a fraternal organization. In 1988 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Knights ...

, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, NRHP-listed

In popular culture

The Knights are mentioned in ''

Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town ''Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town'' is a sequence of stories by Stephen Leacock, first published in 1912. It is generally considered to be one of the most enduring classics of Canadian humorous literature. The fictional setting for these sto ...

'' by

Stephen Leacock Stephen P. H. Butler Leacock (30 December 1869 – 28 March 1944) was a Canadian teacher, political scientist, writer, and humorist. Between the years 1915 and 1925, he was the best-known English-speaking humorist in the world. He is known ...

; an ill-fated marine excursion organised by the Knights is the subject of Chapter 3, entitled "The Marine Excursion of the Knights of Pythias". Several characters in the book are said to be members of the Knights. In the

Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act that was successful in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in motion pictures from 1905 to 1949. Five of the Marx Brothers' thirteen feature films were selected by the American Film Institute (AFI) ...

movie ''Animal Crackers'', Groucho, as the character Captain Spaulding, reports on his recent big game hunting trip to Africa. He says, "The principal animals in Africa are moose, elks, and Knights of Pythias."

Notes

References

External links

*
Grand Lodge, Knights of Pythias of Missouri

Knights of Pythias Benjamin N. Cardozo Lodge
{{Authority control 1864 establishments in Washington, D.C. Fraternal orders Organizations established in 1864 Secret societies in the United States