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It saddens me to announce that as of October 26th, 2009 the DoP and IORM NYS websites, as well as Arlington and Valley Forge will be shut down. Yahoo is stopping all non paying websites, so they will be gone forever. This saddens me, but considering the frustration I have had to deal with trying to get people to send me info, I think this is best... Art O'Donnell, PS, Webmaster
"BOARD OF GREAT CHIEFS OF NEW YORK STATE."
G.S.D. 517 - 518 (July, 2008 - June, 2009)
"This is Great Sachem Ted R. Schoonmaker."
"This is Great Senior Sagamore Ronald Warner and Great Junior Sagamore ???."
"This is Great Prophet Edward Wilson."
"Great Chief of Records, Richard Warner and Great Keeper of Wampum Leon Huey."
"Great Sannap Harold McMann and Great Mishinewa Richard Hart."
"Great Guard of The Forest - Robert Hunt and Great Guard of The Wigwam - Leo Welch."
"Great Trustee... Harold McMann."
"Great Trustee... Robert Scott and Great Trustee... Jerry Shenise."
"2008 - 2009 Visitations"
Oct 9th - Watkins Glen (Chequaga Tribe #201, Oneactah Tribe # 104 and Kickapoo Tribe #236)
April 16th - Rochester (Rochester Tribe #579 and Wah-Be Tribe #7)
May 4th - Johnstown (Teroga Tribe #569)
"Board of Great Chiefs Meetings - 2008 - 2009"
Nov. 8th - Rochester, NY (Holiday Inn - Meeting @ 2:30pm, Dinner @ 5:30pm
Feb 21st - Rochester, NY (Meeting @ 2:00pm - Also Winter Break)
June 13th - Johnstown, NY (Meeting @ 2pm - Teroga's Dinner to Follow)
"Indian Castle Church Weekend"
"June 13th - 14th, 2009"
"The Board of Great Chief's Meeting will take place at 2:00pm, services at Indian Castle Church will be on June 14th @ 11:00am.
Red Men's Day at Arlington"
Red Men's Day at Arlington will be held August 21st-23rd. 2009
(Reservation Deadline is: August 07th.)
Hotel Headquarters are:
"Holiday Inn National Airport"
Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, Va. 22202
(Phone: 1-800-HOLIDAY or 703-684-7200.)
Price of the rooms are $ 89.00 + tax
Registration fee is $ 115.00.
Contact: Elaine Schoonmaker, PNP at 585-323-1295 or 585- 738-1363. The 738 number only during the day.
Next years Red Men's Day will be August ??, ??, and ??, 2010.
The 2009 "Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge" ceremony will take place May 1-3, 2009
http://www.oocities.org/dop12603/valleyforge.html
"To visit our Brothers and Sisters in the Great Council of California "CLICK HERE"
(Art's note: I got this and thought it very interesting, even though it was about tribes in California. Stan submitted our Red Men & Pokies sites to the search engine. I would like to Thank Him very much for his help.)
Dear Red Men of Mawenawasigh Tribe # 479:
For several years I've been working on a fraternal history of Marin County California. Unfortunately all of the IORM Tribes that once called Marin their hunting ground are extinct. However, to preserve their memory I have put what history I can find about them on the web at:
"http://www.freemasonry.biz/marin_red_men.htm"
Please consider adding a link to my Red Men page. I will soon be
updating the list of California Tribes to include the missing numbers
which were kindly supplied by Ken Reffeitt, PGI, who lives in VA.
I've also passed your web site to fratworld.org for inclusion in their
"Big List" of fraternal Lodges.
Keep up the good work.
Fraternally,
Stan Bransgrove, PM
Mill Valley Lodge No. 356, F & AM of California
"Freedom...Friendship...Charity"
America's Oldest Fraternal Organization ---- Chartered By Congress.
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Who Are The Red Men?
The Fraternity was founded in 1765 and was originally known as the Sons of Liberty. These patriots concealed their identities and worked "underground" to help establish freedom and liberty in the Early Colonies. They patterned themselves after the great Iroquois Indian nation and its democratic governing body. Their system with elected representatives to governing tribal councils had been in existence for several centuries.
After the American Revolution the name was changed to The Order of Red Men. They kept the customs and terminology of the Indians as a basic part of the Fraternity. Some of the words and terms may sound strange, but they soon become a familiar part of the language for every member. The Masons are similar to the Order of Red Men in that they have patterned their rituals and work after the Ancient Masonic Craftsman. The Order of Red Men is a National Fraternal Organization that believes in ...
Love and Respect of the American Flag...
Preserving our Nation by defending and upholding the principle of free Government...
America and the democratic way of life...
Preserving the traditions and history of this great Country...
Creating and inspiring a greater love for the United States of America...
Helping our fellow men through organized charitable programs;
Linking our members together in a common bond of Brotherhood and Friendship;
Perpetuating the beautiful legends and traditions of a vanishing race and the keeping alive of its customs, ceremonies, and philosophies...
Legally, The Order of Red Men is a Patriotic Fraternity Chartered by Congress. It is a Non-Profit Organization devoted to Inspiring a greater love for the United States of America and the principles of American Liberty.
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"History of the Red Men"
The Order of Red Men traces its origin to certain secret Patriotic Societies founded before the American Revolution. They were established to promote Liberty and to defy the tyranny of the English Crown. Among the early groups were: The Sons of Liberty, Sons of Tamina and the Red Men.
On December 16, 1773 a group of men, all members of the Sons of Liberty, met in Boston to protest the tax on tea imposed by England. When their protest went unheeded, they disguised themselves as Mohawk Indians, proceeded to Boston harbor and dumped overboard 342 chests of English tea.
During the Revolutionary War, members of secret societies quenched their council fires and took up muskets to join with the Continental Army. To the cause of Freedom and Liberty, they pledged their lives, their fortunes and sacred honors. At the end of the hard fought war, the American Republic was born and was soon acknowledged among the Nations of the world.
Following the Revolution the various secret societies founded before and during the conflict continued in existence as brotherhoods or fraternities.
For the next 35 years each group went its own way, under many different names. In 1813, at historic Fort Mifflin, near Philadelphia, several of these groups came together and formed one organization known as the Society of Red Men.
At Baltimore, Maryland, in 1847, the various local tribes came together and formed a national organization called the Grand Council of the United States.
With the formation of a national organization, the Order of Red Men soon spread, and within 30 years there were State Great Councils in 21 states with a membership of over 150,000. The Order continued to grow and by 1920, tribes in 46 states totaled membership over one half million.
Today the Order of Red Men continues to offer all Patriotic Americans an organization that is pledged to the high ideals of Freedom, Friendship and Charity. The same ideas on which the American Nation was founded. By belonging to this proud and historic organization you can demonstrate your desire to continue the battle started at Lexington and Concord to promote Freedom and protect the American Way of Life.
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"Goals of the Red Men."
To promote patriotism and the American Way of Life; to provide social activities for the members and support various charitable programs. Our activities include:
Flag Recognition Program- - A program to honor those patriotic Americans who display the flag regularly. Faith Of Our Fathers Chapel--Chapel erected at Freedom Foundation, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania to memorialize the ideals and principles of our founding fathers.
Annual Pilgrimage To Faith Of Our Fathers Chapel - Annual meeting to renew and strengthen our beliefs in the American Way of Life.
Braille Press - Financial support to aid and promote books for the blind.
Retarded Children's Program - Support of various projects and programs of the Association of the Retarded, including the Special Olympics.
Red Men's Day At Arlington National Cemetery - Annual ceremony to honor our unknown soldiers and all brave Americans who have fallen in battle to protect our Freedom.
Red Men's Week - Week of December 16th designated as National Red Men's Week, commemorating Boston Tea Party in 1773.
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"Charitable Programs."
The National Charity project of the Improved Order of Red Men is "ALZHEIMERS". Since 1991, the Organization has given over a quarter of a million dollars to the Alzheimer's Association. Alzheimer's disease knows no social or economic boundaries; but it does incline heavily toward older people, affecting seven to nine percent of Americans over the age of 65, yet it strikes those in their 40s and 50s as well. Indeed, some of our own members have been stricken with this dreaded disease. Our members not only give generously, but work with local Alzheimer's Chapters across the nation.
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"Youth Activities"
The Degree of Hiawatha is a Junior Tribe of Red Men composed of boys 8 years and older. The Degree of Hiawatha has for its aim the development of each boy so that he may appreciate the virtues of unity, freedom, strength, peace, charity, loyalty, education, hope, love, courage, friendship, patriotism and tolerance. In other words, we help the young boys of today to mature as exemplary men in the world of tomorrow.
To start a Degree of Hiawatha in your home town, contact your local Red Men Tribe or the National Office - P.O. Box 683, Waco, Texas 76703.
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"Prominent Americans Who have been Members."
George Washington
Samuel Adams
Thomas Jefferson
Patrick Henry
John Hancock
Richard M. Nixon
Thomas Paine
Paul Revere
Theodore Roosevelt
Warren G. Harding
Franklin D. Roosevelt
And Many Other Prominent Citizens...
"I am confident that in the final analysis we shall find that the stability of our government depends not so much on our armies and navies, though they may be vastly important, but rather, we must depend upon the Brotherhood of Humanity as represented by great force of fraternity. The fraternal societies are one of the greatest powers for good government and the protection of the home that we have in this country. The government will endure just as long as we protect the great interests represented by our fraternal societies."
"Theodore Roosevelt"
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"Question & Answers."
Q. How do I Become A Member?
A. Contact a local tribe or member who will provide you with an application blank.
Q. What if there is no tribe in my town?
A. Contact the National Office, P.O Box 683, Waco, Texas 76703-0683.
Q. Is it expensive to join?
A. No -- The initiation fee and annual dues vary with the individual tribe's laws and the facilities that are offered.
Q. Must I memorize a large amount of unwritten or secret work?
A. No -- You will be required to know the password and the secret signs of the Order, both of which may be learned in only a few minutes.
Q. Will I be required to wear Indian dress to the meetings?
A. No -- The only time the Indian Regalia is worn is during the Adoption degree. Occasionally the tribal officers may wear the Indian costume at various public affairs, but this is done with discretion.
Q. Do you have to be an Indian to belong?
A. No.
Q. How is the Order of Red Men associated with the Indians?
A. Only through our customs, terminology, and ritualism, which is patterned after early American Indians. For example, the masons take their teaching and work from the history of the Ancient Masonic craft.
Q. What are the primary purposes and beliefs of the Order?
A. The Motto, or precepts, of the Order are Freedom, Friendship and Charity.
"Freedom" -- We endeavor to preserve and uphold the American Way of Life and its guarantee of Liberty. Freedom has been the hope and aim of the oppressed of every land. It is now the proud boast of every American. We dedicated our lives to its maintenance.
"Friendship" -- Is the binding link and unswerving loyalty of one to another, which makes sweet and lasting the relationship that one member bears to another.
"Charity" -- Is giving with an open hand and willing heart in time of need, assistance to weak or unfortunate and measured not by wealth but by moral worth. Charity exemplifies the Brotherhood of Man.
Q. What do you do at your meetings?
A. Our meetings are conducted much the same as any organization. Aside from our ritualistic opening and closing, the regular business of the tribe is conducted. Various projects are planned and discussed and regular programs are presented. Social affairs are apart from these.
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Links to other sites on the Web
Improved Order Of Red Men National Web Site.
Red Men's Day At Arlington Pix.
Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge
Great Council of New York State, Degree of Pocahontas
"People have visited our site since 11/02/01."
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