Information about Friendly Society
A friendly society (sometimes called a mutual society, benevolent society or fraternal organization) is a mutual association for insurance-like purposes, and often, especially in the past, serving ceremonial and friendship purposes also. It is a benefit society composed of a body of people who join together for a common financial or social purpose. Before modern insurance, and the welfare state, friendly societies provided social services to individuals, often according to their religious or political affiliations. Unlike guilds, society members do not necessarily share a common profession.
Before large-scale government and employer health insurance, friendly societies played an important part in many people's lives. In some countries, half the population was covered by such societies. Many of these societies still exist. In some countries, they have been incorporated into the health system and become like insurance companies and lost their ceremonial aspect; in others they have taken on a more charitable or social aspect.
In their heyday, members typically paid a regular membership fee and went to lodge meetings to take part in ceremonies. If a member became sick they would receive an allowance to help them meet their financial obligations. The society would have a regular doctor who the member could visit for free. Members of the lodge would visit to provide emotional support (and possibly to check that the sick member was not malingering). When a member died, their funeral would be paid for and the members of their lodge would attend in ceremonial dress—often there was some money left over from the funeral for the widow. Friendly societies also had social functions such as dances, and some had sporting teams for members to participate in. They occasionally became involved in political issues that were of interest to their members.
Each lodge was generally responsible for its own affairs, but it was associated with an order of lodges such as the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, or the Independent Order of Foresters. There were typically reciprocal agreements between lodges within an order, so that if a member moved cities or countries they could join a new lodge without having to serve any initiation time. The ceremonies were also fairly uniform throughout an order. Occasionally a lodge might change the order that it was associated with, or a group of lodges would break away from their order and form a new order, or two orders might merge. Consequentially, the history of any particular friendly society is difficult to follow. Often there were unassociated orders with similar names.
Before large-scale government and employer health insurance, friendly societies played an important part in many people's lives. In some countries, half the population was covered by such societies. Many of these societies still exist. In some countries, they have been incorporated into the health system and become like insurance companies and lost their ceremonial aspect; in others they have taken on a more charitable or social aspect.
In their heyday, members typically paid a regular membership fee and went to lodge meetings to take part in ceremonies. If a member became sick they would receive an allowance to help them meet their financial obligations. The society would have a regular doctor who the member could visit for free. Members of the lodge would visit to provide emotional support (and possibly to check that the sick member was not malingering). When a member died, their funeral would be paid for and the members of their lodge would attend in ceremonial dress—often there was some money left over from the funeral for the widow. Friendly societies also had social functions such as dances, and some had sporting teams for members to participate in. They occasionally became involved in political issues that were of interest to their members.
Each lodge was generally responsible for its own affairs, but it was associated with an order of lodges such as the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, or the Independent Order of Foresters. There were typically reciprocal agreements between lodges within an order, so that if a member moved cities or countries they could join a new lodge without having to serve any initiation time. The ceremonies were also fairly uniform throughout an order. Occasionally a lodge might change the order that it was associated with, or a group of lodges would break away from their order and form a new order, or two orders might merge. Consequentially, the history of any particular friendly society is difficult to follow. Often there were unassociated orders with similar names.
List of some friendly societies
- Knights of Columbus
- Liverpool Victoria
- Independent Order of Foresters
- Independent Order of Odd Fellows
- Knights of the Maccabees
- Polish Roman Catholic Union of America
- Australian Natives Association
External links
- Association of Friendly Societies
- APRA list of Friendly Societies in Australia
- Friendly Societies in Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife
fraternal organization, sometimes also known as a "fraternity," is an organization or club that represents the relationship between its members as akin to brotherhood. There is a great deal of overlap between the terms Friendly Society and fraternal organization.
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A benefit society or mutual aid society is an organization or voluntary association formed to provide mutual aid, benefit or insurance for relief from sundry difficulties.
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Welfare State of the United Kingdom was prefigured in the William Beveridge Report in 1942, which identified five "Giant Evils" in society: squalor, ignorance, want, idleness and disease.
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A guild is an association of craftspeople in a particular trade. The earliest guilds are believed to have been formed in India circa 3800 BC, and though they are not as commonplace as they were a few centuries ago, many guilds continue to flourish around the world today.
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Malingering
Classification & external resources
ICD-10 Z76.5
ICD-9 V65.2
Malingering is a medical and psychological term that refers to an individual fabricating or exaggerating the symptoms of mental or physical disorders for a variety of
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Classification & external resources
ICD-10 Z76.5
ICD-9 V65.2
Malingering is a medical and psychological term that refers to an individual fabricating or exaggerating the symptoms of mental or physical disorders for a variety of
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Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) is a fraternal organization derived from English Oddfellows orders of the mid-1700s.
The Patriotic Order in England was followed by the Union of United Orders and the Loyal Order.
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The Patriotic Order in England was followed by the Union of United Orders and the Loyal Order.
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Fraternal Forestry is a term for a movement of fraternal organizations (or friendly societies) marked by a confusing history of merger, separation and charitable activity throughout Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.
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The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus[1] and dedicated to the principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism.
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The Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society Limited was founded in 1843. It is incorporated under the provisions of the Friendly Societies Act 1992 and is owned by its members. The registered address for the company is County Gates, Westbourne, Bournemouth BH1 2NF.
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Fraternal Forestry is a term for a movement of fraternal organizations (or friendly societies) marked by a confusing history of merger, separation and charitable activity throughout Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.
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Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) is a fraternal organization derived from English Oddfellows orders of the mid-1700s.
The Patriotic Order in England was followed by the Union of United Orders and the Loyal Order.
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The Patriotic Order in England was followed by the Union of United Orders and the Loyal Order.
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The Knights of the Maccabees was a fraternal organization formed in 1878 in London, Ontario, Canada.
A related but separate organization "Maccabees of the World" was also established, the two merging under the title "The Knights of the Maccabees of the World" (KOTMOTW) later
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A related but separate organization "Maccabees of the World" was also established, the two merging under the title "The Knights of the Maccabees of the World" (KOTMOTW) later
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The Polish Roman Catholic Union of America ("PRCUA") is the oldest Polish American organization in the United States. Its history spans notable periods in the development of the Polish American ethnic group, from the time of early settlement by immigrants from Poland (Poles)
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Australian Natives' Association (ANA), a mutual society was founded in Melbourne, Australia in April 1871. The Association played a leading role in the movement for Australian federation in the last 20 years of the 19th century.
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