Knights of Pythias membership certificate 1890

The Knights of Pythias is a fraternal organization 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 Washington, D.C., 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, who had been inspired by a play by the Irish poet John Banim about the legend of Damon and Pythias. 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 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 The Dramatic Order of the Knights of Khorassan or Dokeys are a side degree of the Knights of Pythias, somewhat analogous to the Shriners in Freemasonry. The Order was founded in 1894. Organization The Dramatic Order of the Knights of Khora ...

, and the

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Membership

Membership has historically been open to males in good health who believe in a Supreme Being. Maimed individuals were not admitted until 1875. Members are accepted by

blackball ballot Blackballing is a rejection in a traditional form of secret ballot, where a white ball or ballot constitutes a vote in support and a black ball signifies opposition. The system is typically used where an organization's rules provide that one or ...

. 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" 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

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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

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" 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, 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

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, U.S. Supreme Court Justice *

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, member of the

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from 1924 to 1932 from northeast Delta parishes * William Jennings Bryan, U.S. Secretary of State and presidential candidate * Robert Byrd, U.S. Senator * Benjamin Cardozo, U.S. Supreme Court Justice *

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, 44th mayor of Tampa. * Brevet Major Augustus P. Davis, founder of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War * Eliot Engel, Congressman, New York *

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(1854–1919), California real-estate developer * Warren G. Harding, U.S. President *

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, mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, co-founder of Citizens Bank * Charles Tisdale Howard, U.S. Attorney for South Dakota, Speaker of the South Dakota House of Representatives * Hubert Horatio Humphrey, U.S. Vice President *

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, member of both houses of the Wisconsin Legislature * William McKinley, U.S. President *

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, Justice of the

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lieutenant governor of Kansas * Bradbury Robinson, pioneering American football player, physician, conservationist, and local politician. *

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, U.S. Vice President * Franklin D. Roosevelt, U.S. President, who joined in 1936, during his presidency * Charles Schumer, U.S. Senator *

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* Park Trammell, U.S. Senator from Florida * Lew Wallace, 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, Greensburg, Indiana, NRHP-listed * Knights of Pythias Lodge (South Bend, Indiana), 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, also known as Pythian Castle * Knights of Pythias Building (Virginia City, Nevada) *

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, Columbus, Ohio *

Pythian Castle (Toledo, Ohio) The Pythian Castle in Toledo, Ohio, is a Romanesque-style building built in 1890. Located in Toledo's Center City at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and N. Ontario Street, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. History ...

, NRHP-listed * Knights of Pythias Pavilion, Franklin, Tennessee, NRHP-listed *

Knights of Pythias Temple (Dallas, Texas) The Knights of Pythias Temple is an historic Knights of Pythias building located at 2551 Elm Street in the Deep Ellum neighborhood of Dallas, Texas. Also known as the Union Bankers Building for a later owner, it was designed by African-American ...

, 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), 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, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, NRHP-listed

In popular culture

The Knights are mentioned in '' Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town'' by Stephen Leacock; 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 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