Posted 7 years ago
billretire…
(593 items)
Well as it turns out, this Fraternal Order badge that I got at the Flea Market a few weeks ago, is not the Elks, Loggers, or Rangers, it's an Order of Merry Men...like Robin Hood, of Sherwood Forest, they take from the fortunate, and give where needed. That is, they organize donations, and then give to groups in need/or for support.
This Badge that was made by J.C. Irvine Co. on 339 Kearney St. S. F., and was made before 1906, when their building was destroyed by the earthquake and fire, that happened in San Francisco, Calif. at that time.
Here is some history about the Order:
On October 29, 1745, the first Court of Foresters was organized in Knaresborough, England, under the name Ancient Royal Order of Foresters. Unfortunately, none of its records have survived to the present day. The written history of the fraternity of Foresters begins with the institution of Court Perseverance, No. 1 in Leeds, England, in 1770, though the traditional history of the Brotherhood goes back to Sherwood Forest around the year 1180 during the days of Robin Hood. From the beginning the aims of the society have been benevolent and peaceful and were founded upon the principles of the Brotherhood of Man.
In my research of this badge, I found a Rules for new members, and what you have to do to enter "The Secrete Society". It's a strange ceremony, to be sure, with Robin Hood as their leader, and Little John, and Will Scarelet, too, and the new member is blindfolded, with hands tied behind his back, when questioned about his loyalty to the Order.
The last Lodge of The Foresters was closed in Livermore, California recently, ending an over 830 year history!
Any comments or questions welcome, thank you for looking! :^)
Thanks to the two of you BB2 was here, and fortapache, for lookin, and lovin! :^)
Cool find.
Thanks SpiritBear, when I got it, I thought it was for the Elks, and was going to give it to the local Lodge, but when I saw it was the Foresters, I started researching more. A funny thing is, that the Deer Buck, on this badge/medal is turned to the right looking at it, and all others that I saw were head-on or turned to the left, so an odd one too!
Thank you so much for the love,
SpiripBear
and artfoot,
always appreciated! :^)
I wonder what it means.
Twilight Zone! :^)
Thanks for a look, and a love, PoliticalPinbacks, it's always nice to get! :^)
Love it and the old badges like this, I was thinking late 1890s to early 1900 and like you said it can't be past the 1906 date. .
In the U.S. The I.O.F. Independent Order of Foresters became the A.O.F. in 1874
They are still around in the U.K as the Foresters Friendly Society and in the U.S. as branch off organizations M.W.ofA. The Modern Woodmen of America / W.O.W. Woodmen of the World who began marketing itself as WoodmenLife on June 1, 2015
Thanks PP, I didn't know about the W.O.W. connection, when I was a child, our family was in the W.O.W., I think when my father was a union butcher, it may have been an insurance company, but they put on family outings, that we went to.
Here's a link to more info, and badges/pins, and the initiation ceremony:
http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/masonicmuseum/fraternalism/foresters.htm
Thanks for your comment also PP. :^)
Hey roddyq, and Thomas, thank you for taking a look, and leaving some love! :^)
Thank you for the comment also Thomas, the more the merrier! :^)
Some nice images and great info on the link, I would love a few of those badges and posters, I have a W.O.W. Badge - Ribbon I will post soon.
My Dad was a union Meat Cutter I found a photo in a local news paper named "Weird old photo's" that showed him in a 1929 meat market at 16 years old
I made a post about it a few months ago. (below)
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/224738-1929-titled-weird-old-photos-shows-my
Thanks for the link PP, the picture of your Dad, brought back memories that I had of being in the Butcher Shop/Meat Counter, with my Dad! :^)
Hi Kevin, thanks for stopping by, and leaving some love! :^)
I'm glad it sparked some good memories for ya, We had some good cuts of meat growing up eh.
You know it! Always had meat on the table, all different kinds too, traded 1/2 of my beef tongue sandwich, calling it beef, then after the trade, let the kids know it was tongue! Almost always got it back! Loved tongue, now it costs too much! :^)
I would have known and not traded lol still don't care for it or Pigs Feet and brown gravy Mom and aunts would make a big pot and play cards the cards I went for ;p
Thank you all for the love,
fortapache
Judy
and Jlmam,
always appreciated! :^)
Such an interesting piece and equally interesting history Bill! Thanks for sharing buddy : )
Thanks so much Rick, for your comment, and the love! :^)
I was researching two of my Flea Market finds today, and both seem to have been great buys. I'm going to post the first, just now. It's a cabbage/lettuce leaf dish, made and signed by Dodie Thayer. So check back in a bit! :^)