Artisans Order of Mutual Protection

The Artisans Order of Mutual Protection is a fraternal benefit society operating in the United States and Canada.

History

The Order was founded by Dr. James Bunn, who had also helped found the Ancient Order of United Workmen. Preliminary meetings on the idea of a fraternal order that would be more satisfactory in terms of benefits were first held in 1867. This group met again in 1872 in St. Louis, were Dr. Bunn unveiled the rituals of the order and administered an oath to keep it secret. Another convention was held in Washington, DC in 1873 and Bunn was authorized to institute assemblies of the Order and was given the title "Most Excellent Master Artisan". In its early years the Order had had a lengthy ritual that was heavily influenced by Freemasonry. It worked three degrees - Endentured Apprentice, fellow Workman and Perfect Artisan. The rituals lengths and derivativeness led to some controversy within the organization and it was shortened. The shortened version was kept essentially unchanged into the 1970s.^[1]

Organization

The Order had a two level structure. Local units are called "Assemblies" and the national body, "Most Excellent Assembly" which meets annually. This convention meets the executive office of the organization, the Most Excellent Master Artisan. The national office is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A junior department was founded in 1933 for young males aged thirty days to eighteen. This department is almost entirely insurance oriented. A women's department with its own assemblies was established in 1955.^[2]

Membership

The Order had 30,000 members by 1930. In the 1950s the combined junior and adult organizations reached a high of 36,000. This dropped off to 32,000 in 1967 and 26,000 in 1978.^[3]

Ritual

Every adult member who joins the order is required to go through an initiation ceremony, including taking an obligation. There are still Masonic influences, such as the use of a white apron.^[4]

See also

• Travelers Protective Association of America
• List of North American fraternal benefit orders

References

1. Alvin J. Schmidt Fraternal Orders (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press), 1980, pp.44-5
2. Schmidt p.45
3. Schmidt p.45
4. Schmidt p.45

Further reading

• "History of the Artisans Order of Mutual Protection" in The Artisan May 1948
• Borden, Elias H, A century of fraternalism and protection, 1873-1973: a history of one hundred years of peace, power, protection, with the Artisans Order of Mutual Protection and the Most Excellent Assembly of the Artisans Order of Mutual Protection [Philadelphia?] : [Artisans Order of Mutual Protection?], 1973

External links

• Official website