A Fraternal History of Marin County California

Knights of the Maccabees (KOTM)

Knights of the Maccabees - Degree Team

It is unknown whether a Tent of Maccabees existed in Marin County. However, obituaries of County residents have been found indicating that the deceased had been a member of the Maccabees.

A record exists of the Knights of the Maccabees women's auxiliary having existed in Mill Valley. Known as Mill Valley Review No. 110 of the Women's Benefit Association, the Mill Valley Record reported on February 5, 1927, under the heading of "Maccabees Installation," that the Mill Valley Review held a Joint Installation and class initiation with Petaluma Review and Santa Rosa Review in Santa Rosa on January 18, 1927. The article states that "Major Hemsted, Messrs. Frank Raney, George Gosser, R.G. Sutherland, R.L. Sutherland, John Baker and Weeks each escorted an automobile load of the local Review members to Santa Rosa and enjoyed the banquet at the conclusion of the ceremonies at which 150 members were seated." The officers installed for Mill Valley Review No. 110, WBA, were: Myrtle Sutherland, Commander; Nannie Paulin, Lt. Commander; Cora Forrester, Past Commander; Edith Yorsten, Chaplain; Mary Hudtloff, Collector; Ava Raney, Lady-at-Arms; Mary Mensted, Record and Finance Keeper; Margaret McWatters, Sentinel; Ruther Peters, Picket; Grace Thune, Captain of the Guards; and Lillian Roberts and Marie Hausle, Color Bearers. (Mill Valley Record, February 5, 1927.)

Knights of the Maccabees - Background, History, Ritual and Emblems

The Knights of the Maccabees was founded in 1878 in London, Ontario, Canada, extensively reorganized in 1881 and 1883. In September 1881, N.S. Boynton rewrote the K.O.T.M. ritual. History of the Maccabees: Books of the Ancient Maccabees (from Apocrypha) and Biographical Sketches of the Executive Officers of the Order - 1881 to 1896, p. 8 (Copyrighted 1892). By 1882, the order was defunct outside of the Great Camp of Michigan. Id. In April 1893, the K.O.T.M. opened its new headquarters building in Port Huron, Michigan. Id. This building, which resembled a mosque, is depicted on K.O.T.M. members badges also referred to as jewels. The K.O.T.M. shortened its name to "The Maccabees" in 1914. The insurance aspect of the fraternity has always been paramount. Its fraternal aspect drew on the exploits of the Jewish military genius Judas Maccabeus.

The aspects of Maccabeus's feats that appealed to the founders of the modern Maccabees were steadfastness and persistence; his wisdom in the use of power; and the fact that he seems to have been the first recorded military leader to order his soldiers to reserve a part of their spoils for the widows and orphans of their fallen colleagues.

The offices of a Tent were Commander, Lt. Commander, Knight Record Keeper, Master at Arms, Sergeant, Chaplain, Guards, Sentinel, Picket.

The Maccabees conferred three degrees: Degree of Protection, Degree of Friendship, and Degree of Loyalty.

In the Degree of Protection, the candidate was introduced to the demands of Honor, Courage, and Obedience. The candidate learned the history of Maccabee household and how it protected Judea from King Antiochus during the war of independence. To prove themselves fit to "join in the cause of humanity," the tyros had to undergo an ordeal.

In the Degree of Friendship, the Commander takes the part of Mattathias, the Lt. Commander that of Judas, the Past Commander that of John (son of Mattathias), and the Chaplain that of Eleazar (son of Mattathias). The candidate received instruction in the nature of friendship.

In the Degree of Loyalty, the dramatic work revolved around the following characters: Apelles, Mattathias, Matthathias's four sons, Judas, Soldiers, while the candidate, Sentinel, and a Knight took the parts of Jewish peasants. In keeping with the Maccabee legend of the revolt at Modin the patriarch Mattathias remained steadfast to the Jewish religion when ordered to make sacrifice to Roman gods and at great personal risk stops an apostate Jew from offering sacrifice to false gods. The lesson derived from his example was that of genuine patriotism and inculcated the duty to uphold and defend the rights of liberty and conscience when they are threatened by irresponsible power in any form. Additionally, the candidate was reintroduced to the ghost of Eleazar and finally sees the end of the rebellion.

The Knights of the Maccabees Uniform Rank was called the Mystic Circle Degree. The members of the Uniform Rank met in a body styled an armory. It was said, "The Uniform Rank is not a higher degree of Maccabeeism. Rather it is to be compared to the pioneers and skirmishers of a large army, whose duty it is to clear the way and develop the enemy, so great battles can be won by those who follow you." (Ritual of the Mystic Circle Degree, Uniform Rank (1903).) The Uniform Rank was much less dramatic than the Tent Degree's that proceeded it. The first section of the Uniform Rank degree involved the staged debate between the First and Second Guards as to whether "this candidate be merely obligated, and the regular initiation be omitted." Id. The lessons of the Uniform Rank were obedience and courage. This was taught by the Captain commanding the newly created Sir Knight to place his bare right hand into a box containing an unknown object, and to bring the "snake" inside the box to the Captain. The officers of a Maccabee Uniform Rank armory were the Captain, First Lieutenant, Second Lieutenant, Record Keeper, Assistant Record Keeper, Chaplain, First Guard, Second Guard, First Sergeant (inner sentinel), Second Sergeant (outer sentinel).

A women's auxiliary to the Maccabees was proposed by Mrs. A.G. Ward of Muskegon, MI, as a social organization assisting tents in "socials, musicales, and various entertainment's." Id. p. 11. Recognition of the auxiliary was voted down in 1886 and again in 1887, but persistence carried the day and in May 1890 recognition was finally granted and a Great Hive formed. Id. pp. 11-12. In winning recognition, the Ladies of the Maccabees had "requested that their laws provide life and disability benefits, and that management of the Order be left entirely in the hands of the ladies on a representative basis similar to that of the Great Camp. [of Michigan]." Id. p. 11 (L.O.T.M.). Hives of the Ladies of the Maccabees (L.O.T.M.) spread from Michigan to New York and Ohio, but in contrast to Michigan, the brethren of those two states elected to keep control of the women's funds. Id. p. 13. "[B]ut in the fullness of time, when the discovery was made that women possessed physical, business, and mental qualifications for all the privileges of the kindred society, the K.O.T.M., their privileges were granted. Id. p. 9 of Biographical Sketches (Mary M. Danforth, M.D.). A Supreme Hive was organized in October 1892, the same year that a 25-year-old Michigan schoolteacher named Bina West joined the Order. By 1896, the Supreme Hive had extended the L.O.T.M. to Pennsylvania, Ontario, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, California, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Tennessee, Missouri, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, West Virginia, and Iowa. Id. p. 14 (L.O.T.M.). It was the first movement of its kind among women offering life benefits. Id. p. 15 (L.O.T.M.). By 1915 it had its own office building. In 1921, a youth group called Gamma Nu was started for girls that was organized into Chapters.

In time, under the leadership of Ms. Bina West, the L.O.T.M. became the largest fraternal order controlled exclusively by women, with membership passing 200,000 by 1920. From Mutual Aid to the Welfare State: Fraternal Societies and Social Services, 1890-1967, David T. Beito, pp. 32 and 242 n. 48 (University of North Carolina Press, 2000). Under West's leadership the L.O.T.M. moved toward even greater independence. West jestingly once said, "L.O.T.M. stands for 'Leave Out Those Men'," but the future course of the organization showed those words to be more prophetic. From Mutual Aid to the Welfare State at 33. The L.O.T.M. first distanced itself from the K.O.T.M. by changing its name in c.1902 to the Women's Benefit Association of the Maccabees, and at a subsequent date seceded from the K.O.T.M., becoming simply the Women's Benefit Association. In 1966, the Women's Benefit Association reincorporated under the new name North American Benefit Association. In turn, the North American Benefit Association reincorporated under the new name Women's Life Insurance Society. (California State Insurance Records.)

Several of the early leaders of the K.O.T.M. were also affiliated with other fraternal organizations. Theodore G. Beaver, Esq., was a leading member of the Masonic fraternity (Lodge, Chapter, Council, Commandry and Consistory) in Michigan. History of the Maccabees: Books of the Ancient Maccabees (from Apocrypha) and Biographical Sketches of the Executive Officers of the Order - 1881 to 1896, at p. 12 of Biographical Sketches (K.O.T.M.). William S. Linton had held positions in the Grand Lodge F. & A.M.of Michigan, as well as being prominent in the Knights of Pythias, Ancient Order of United Workmen, and Independent Order of Foresters. Id. p. 12 of Biographical Sketches. Ms. Bina West, a guiding force in the Ladies of the Maccabees (and subsequently to its successor in interest, the Women's Benefit Association) was also a member of other fraternal orders, including the Odd Fellows Rebeccas and Woodmen's Circle auxiliary of the Woodmen of the World. Id. p. 6 of Biographical Sketches (L.O.T.M.). Many of the other leaders of the L.O.T.M. were also leaders in suffrage and temperance organizations, including Lillian Hollister, Alice B. Locke, Elizabeth E. Brown, and Emma E. Bower. Id. p. 33-34 of History (L.O.T.M.).

In 1941 The Maccabees absorbed the Michigan Union Life Association and in 1937 it absorbed the Slavic Progressive Beneficial Union. The Maccabees converted to a life insurance company in 1962. It changed its name to The Maccabees Mutual Life Insurance Company.