Gentlemen's Lodges/Groups in the Golden Era?

[FedoraFan112390]

Watching Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners, it's often mentioned he's a member of the Raccoon Lodge. A sort of club or gentlemen's thing. In the Flintstones, Fred is also a member of a club. Both seem to be satrical of something. I don't think it's supposed to be the Free Masons, since Ralph and Fred are supposed to be blue collar type guys....Were there any sort of men's lodges or groups in the '40s-50s that were notable enough to be spoofed on shows like The Honeymooners?

 

[SHOWSOMECLASS]

FYI, Created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, The Flintstones ran for six seasons from 1960 to 1966. Fred Flintstone and his friend Barney Rubble were members of the Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes Lodge No. 26. Originally called the Loyal Order of Dinosaurs, the fraternity appeared in twenty episodes.

 

[SHOWSOMECLASS]

Social Groups & Organizations
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Leopard Lodge - Milwaukee based social group on the 1950s situation comedy HAPPY DAYS/ABC/1974-84.
Tom Bosley as Howard Cunningham and Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham - HAPPY DAYS
Leopard Lodge member Howard Cunningham & son, Richie

The Leopard Lodge (No. 462) members included hardware store owner Howard Cunningham (Tom Bosley) who began as Leopard first class and eventually attained the rank of Grand Puba.

The lodge hat is a leopard covered Fez with a red top and dangling black tassle. Neophytes are called Leopard Cubs. They start off with a plain beige fez beret and then have to earn their spots.

See Picture of Fez here
http://www.tvacres.com/fraternal_org_leopard.htm

Leopard Lodge Fez - HaAPPY DAYS
Leopard Lodge Basic Fez Hat

The lodge holds an annual event called the Poopa, Dooda Dance. Once Howard's son Richie asked Al Delvecchio (Al Molinaro), the owner of the local high school hangout, if he was going to the lodge dance? "No, I'm not allowed. I don't have enough spots yet. But someday, I'll be a Poopa, a Dooda, or even a Poopa, Dooda. I know its a dream," he sighed.

 

[C44Antelope]

Don't forget back in the 1930s with "The Sons of the Desert"

One of Laurel and Hardy's best. The boys are members of the fraternal group and attend the national convention in Chicago.

By the way, there is a group called The Sons of the Desert that exists today. A fraternal organization that celebrates the careers of Laurel and Hardy. The organization is organized in "Tents" all over. I think women are allowed, though.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

There was also the Knights of the Mystic Sea of which Amos n' Andy were proud members.

 

[Master Mason]

Watching Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners, it's often mentioned he's a member of the Raccoon Lodge. A sort of club or gentlemen's thing. In the Flintstones, Fred is also a member of a club. Both seem to be satrical of something. I don't think it's supposed to be the Free Masons, since Ralph and Fred are supposed to be blue collar type guys....Were there any sort of men's lodges or groups in the '40s-50s that were notable enough to be spoofed on shows like The Honeymooners?

I am wondering why you think that since it is blue collar it couldn't be the masons? I know many brothers that are blue colar. And after WWII the numbers of masons in the US exploded as the soldiers came home from war and wanted to stay a part of a brotherhood.

Having said that there are a number of other frateral organizations out there, the Elks, Moose, Odd Fellows etc. And I think that in the flinstones case it was probably a blend of them. The aprons they wear are definately masonic, but the animal name tends to give credence to the elks or moose.

 

[RBH]

Very true MM...my grand dad was a 1950s Arkansas farmer when he joined the Blue Lodge.
And I have just learned my other grand father , who was a rail road man...and also a member. He passed in 1949.

 

[dhermann1]

There were many such lodges back in the day, and many of them are still around. There's the Moose, The Oddfellows (you can see the Oddfellows Hall in many small towns across America, it will have IOOF across the top. International Order of Odd Fellows), the Elk, The Rotary Club, and of course the VFW and American Legion are also lodges, more or less. And many more.

 

[MisterCairo]

Rotary Club, Kinsmen, Masons, Oddfellows, Shriners, there are all sorts. Those are just the ones that have signs on my local town's welcome sign. Some are men only, some all in. I imagine in the golden era there were many more, local clubs, regional clubs.

 

[Big Man]

My Grandfather, in the 1920's and early 1930's, was a member of the Patriotic Order, Sons of America (POSofA) and the Spanish War Veterans. Both organizations had lodges here in Marion, NC. I still have several of the receipts where he paid his lodge dues from that time.

 

[Master Mason]

Well as evidenced by my user name, I'm fairly involved in masonry and an good number of groups that require masonic membership to join, I think at last count I pay dues to about 16 different groups.

so should anyone be interested let me know. Love talking about the craft.

 

[MisterCairo]

My favourite for the ladies: The Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire (IODE). I wish there was a male equivalent! There is also another group, the Foresters something or other. Familiar to anyone?

Are the Women's Institutes (WI) still around in Britain? Heard they were dying out (the film Calendar Girls is based on one chapter of the WI, a real event).

 

[MisterCairo]

How to Recognize a Mason, by M. Python:

[video=youtube;t1bHBthJN9w]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1bHBthJN9w[/video]

 

[tuco1963]

also there was the tribe of ben hur lodge started by lew wallace here in indiana as an insurance group which many frat orgs started as
you paid your dues ,particapated in club activities and when you died your family got got money

i learned about the tbh after buying a pocket watch with it on the case and then researched it

 

[Stanley Doble]

There were many lodges, they were very popular from the mid 19th century up to the 1950s. The Masonic Lodge is probably the largest and best known. It was not limited to any particular religion, trade or social class. I know in my part of the country there were Masonic lodges in every small town, the members included the town doctor, lawyer etc but also plenty of farmers, mechanics and shopkeepers.

Other lodges were associated with a particular church, occupation or nationality. Then there were service clubs, like the Rotary and Lions. They could be mistaken for lodges if you did not know the difference.

In the US there was the Grange which once had enormous membership and political influence. It was supposed to be a secret society for farmers but in reality, was about as exclusive as a rain storm. In small towns and rural areas practically everyone belonged and went to their dances and parties.

Grange history

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_National_Grange_of_the_Order_of_Patrons_of_Husbandry

This could stand in for thousands of similar organizations, some of them limited to a single town or small group of people with some shared interest.

One little known organization is the Society of the Cincinnati. It may be more what you had in mind as a gentlemens' lodge or club. Founded in 1783, it is a club for officers who served under General George Washington, and their direct lineal descendents. Now that is an exclusive group!

They are named after Cincinnatus the Roman patriot.

 

[Stanley Doble]

If you are interested in the subject you should read Masters of Atlantis by Charles Portis (better known as the author of True Grit).

It is the supposed history of a lodge or secret society that flourished in the 1920s and 30s. It gives a feel for the subject and the times and is also a very funny and touching book to read.

 

[Big Man]

Another organization my Grandfather belonged to was the Knights of Pythias. Here is his receipt for dues for 1929. Anyone know anything about this organization?

 

[HudsonHawk]

Another organization my Grandfather belonged to was the Knights of Pythias. Here is his receipt for dues for 1929. Anyone know anything about this organization?

I only know *of* them. They're one of the older fraternal service organizations out there. Some famous fellows have been Knights of Pythias, including several US Presidents (FDR was one, I believe). They are still around.

 

[David Conwill]

you paid your dues ,particapated in club activities and when you died your family got got money

The social function of the lodges was one thing, but many also operated like this as mutual aid societies and / or life insurance. Ever seen a grave marker shaped like a dead tree? That guy was a member of the Woodmen of the World and his dues went to pay for his funeral expenses.

With private insurance becoming widespread, along with the post-WWII trend of Bowling Alone they kinda died back, although they've never gone entirely extinct.

My great-grandfather was a Mason. We still have his sword hanging on the wall. Fraternal organizations have always held an interest for me. Probably because so few of my generation really belong to anything.

 

[Leacock]

FYI, Created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, The Flintstones ran for six seasons from 1960 to 1966. Fred Flintstone and his friend Barney Rubble were members of the Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes Lodge No. 26. Originally called the Loyal Order of Dinosaurs, the fraternity appeared in twenty episodes.

Based on that full name I would almost think they were spooking the Loyal Orange Order but they were never a big force in the US, although still quite prevalent in the 1960s in Canada.