The Order of Royal Purple was the

female auxiliary Fraternal orders often have "side degrees", auxiliaries or appendant (as opposed to primary). Some of these are created as female "sister organizations", youth organizations or side degrees proper which are organizations associated with or within t ...

of the

Elks of Canada Elks of Canada is a fraternal organization that was founded in 1912. It is not directly affiliated with Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the American organization founded in 1868, but the two "share a common history and enjoy a friendly rel ...

. Unlike their counterparts in the United States, who have never been officially recognized by the

Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE; also often known as the Elks Lodge or simply The Elks) is an American fraternal order founded in 1868, originally as a social club in New York City. History The Elks began in 1868 as a soci ...

, the ORP was officially recognized by the Elks of Canada.

History

The Order of Royal Purple was founded in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

in September 1914. In 2014 the Supreme Executive of the Order of Royal Purple decided to secede from the Elks and start a new organization, the Canadian Royal Purple Society. Some locals, however, wished to remain with the Elks and these were integrated into the organization of the Elks of Canada as Royal Purple Elks Lodges. Approximately 75 of these new Canadian Royal Purple lodges were formed between August 2014 and Feb. 2015.

Ritual

The Order was quite serious about its ritual. Its fraternal signs were not allowed be used in a lodge until the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

was open nor after it was closed. The Order had passwords, regalia for formal dress, and a floral emblem. During the initiation rite the candidate was asked to promise "never to divulge any of the secrets of the order to anyone." The candidate had also to promise "...to defend every worthy member's reputation, never to wrong a member and always help a member in need". This obligation followed a prayer by the lodge chaplain and the singing of " In Charity's Sweet Name". The Canadian Royal Purple has modernised much of its structure and operation and is a Not for Profit Federally Incorporated Organization. Members and Lodges have less restricted guidelines, allowing everyone's ideas to be considered.

Organization

Local units of the Order were called "Lodges" and the national structure was called the "Supreme Lodge". In 1979 headquarters were located in

Brandon, Manitoba Brandon () is the second-largest city in the province of Manitoba, Canada. It is located in the southwestern corner of the province on the banks of the Assiniboine River, approximately west of the provincial capital, Winnipeg, and east of the ...

. The last National Office was located at 200 - 2629 - 29th Avenue,

Regina, Saskatchewan Regina () is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province, after Saskatoon, and is a commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. As of the 2021 C ...

Membership

In 1979 membership was open women who believed 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 ...

, were 18 years or old and had male relative in the Elks of Canada. Women who did not have a male relative who was an Elk could also be admitted, but could not make up more than 25% of a lodge. Members were accepted or rejected by a black cube system, with three black cubes being sufficient to reject a candidate for membership. However, membership requirements at the time of the dissolution of the organization were: fourteen years of age, a resident of Canada, supporting democratic and lawful government and the purpose and objectives of the Order.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Official website
as of 2013, the last copy taken by the

Wayback Machine The Wayback Machine is a digital archive of the World Wide Web founded by the Internet Archive, a nonprofit based in San Francisco, California. Created in 1996 and launched to the public in 2001, it allows the user to go "back in time" and see ...