Massachusetts Fraternal Lodges

About Fraternal Organizations in Massachusetts

A deep look at the history, oldest lodges, membership process, and notable members of fraternal organizations across Massachusetts.

History of Fraternal Organizations in Massachusetts

Massachusetts is the cradle of American fraternalism, full stop. Boston is where Freemasonry first took organized hold in the colonies: St. John's Lodge was constituted in Boston in 1733 by a deputation from the Grand Lodge of England, making it the oldest Masonic lodge in the Western Hemisphere. The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, founded in 1733 and reconstituted after the Revolution, is one of the oldest grand lodges in the United States.

Paul Revere, John Hancock, and a long roster of revolutionary figures were Boston Masons, and the Green Dragon Tavern, the so-called Headquarters of the Revolution, was a Masonic meeting place. Prince Hall, a Boston freedman, founded what would become the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts in 1784, creating the foundation for African American Freemasonry across the country. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows arrived in Massachusetts in the 1840s and built a robust network of mill-town lodges. The Knights of Columbus, born just south of the border in New Haven, Connecticut in 1882, found early and lasting success in Massachusetts; Boston's St.

Mary's Council and the order's Massachusetts State Council became foundational pieces of the early KC. The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks chartered Boston Elks Lodge No. 10 in 1884, followed by Worcester Elks Lodge No. 243 and a long line of lodges in Lowell, Lawrence, Springfield, New Bedford, Fall River, Cambridge, Salem, Holyoke, and the Cape and Islands.

The Loyal Order of Moose, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Foresters of America, the Knights of Pythias, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, and the various Italian and Portuguese mutual-aid societies all built durable Massachusetts followings. The state's industrial mill economy, its dense Catholic immigrant population, and its long tradition of voluntary association combined to make Massachusetts one of the most fraternally organized places in the country between 1880 and 1940.

Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks in Massachusetts

Boston Elks Lodge No. 10 was instituted in 1884, sixteen years after the BPOE was founded in New York. From the start it was one of the order's flagship lodges, with a membership drawn from Boston's theatrical, journalistic, legal, and commercial classes — the same demographic that had founded the original New York Elks lodge. Boston No.

10's clubhouse on Beacon Hill, and later other Boston addresses, hosted national figures and Grand Exalted Rulers throughout the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Worcester Elks Lodge No. 243, chartered in 1892, served the second-largest city in New England and built a particularly strong charitable tradition tied to Worcester's mix of manufacturing, education, and immigrant communities. Other early Massachusetts Elks lodges arose in Lowell (No.

87), Lawrence (No. 65), Springfield (No. 61), New Bedford (No. 73), Fall River (No.

118), Salem (No. 80), Cambridge (No. 195), Holyoke (No. 902), Pittsfield, Brockton, Quincy, Lynn, Haverhill, Gloucester, Plymouth, Taunton, and lodges on the Cape and Islands.

Massachusetts Elks have a long tradition of supporting veterans-service programs, the Elks National Foundation scholarships, and the Massachusetts State Major Project, which provides therapy services for children with disabilities. The state association also runs an active Drug Awareness program and one of the original Hoop Shoot programs, with state-level finals that have been a tradition for generations. Boston No. 10's annual Flag Day ceremony has been a city tradition for more than a century, and the Massachusetts State Elks Association's annual convention, rotating among the larger lodges, draws delegates from across New England.

Cape Cod and Islands lodges run summer charity events that draw visiting Elks from around the country, particularly Hyannis Lodge's annual fundraisers.

Loyal Order of Moose in Massachusetts

The Loyal Order of Moose came into Massachusetts in the early twentieth century, planting lodges in Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Lowell, Lawrence, Fall River, New Bedford, Holyoke, Pittsfield, Lynn, Quincy, Brockton, Salem, Haverhill, Taunton, Plymouth, and a string of smaller mill towns. Mooseheart's promise to raise the children of deceased members had real weight in the textile-mill cities, where industrial accidents and tuberculosis took a steady toll. The Women of the Moose chapters in Massachusetts ran much of the actual on-the-ground charity work — Christmas baskets, scholarship awards, support for cancer patients and their families. Massachusetts Moose lodges have historically been particularly strong in the central Worcester County region and the Merrimack Valley.

Lawrence and Lowell Moose lodges in particular built reputations as working-class community centers in the textile-mill years, and the New Bedford and Fall River lodges anchored Moose life in the south coast. Springfield Moose Lodge has been one of the larger Massachusetts lodges for decades. Moosehaven, the order's retirement community in Florida, has long had a dedicated Massachusetts waiting list, and the Massachusetts Moose Association funds scholarships for the children of deceased members. The state retains roughly 50 active Moose lodges today, with the strongest concentrations in the I-495 mill cities and the western Massachusetts industrial corridor.

Eagles, Knights of Columbus & Other Fraternal Orders in Massachusetts

Knights of Columbus has very deep Massachusetts roots. Although the order was founded in New Haven, Connecticut in 1882, Massachusetts was one of the first states it expanded into, and Boston St. Mary's Council was a foundational early KC council that helped shape the order's identity in its critical first decade. The Massachusetts State Council, organized soon after, became one of the largest and most influential KC jurisdictions in the country.

Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Lowell, Lawrence, Fall River, New Bedford, and Holyoke all built strong council networks tied to the Irish, Italian, French Canadian, Portuguese, and Polish Catholic populations of those cities. The Massachusetts Council ranks among the order's largest, with strong Fourth Degree assemblies, an active Coats for Kids program, and a particular tradition of supporting Catholic education and seminarians at Saint John's Seminary in Brighton. The Fraternal Order of Eagles arrived in Massachusetts shortly after its 1898 founding in Seattle, planting aeries in Boston, Worcester, Springfield, and the mill cities. Eagles members were active in the legislative campaigns the order is famous for, particularly Mother's Day, old-age pensions, and fair-labor laws.

Today the FOE has a smaller Massachusetts footprint than the Elks, Moose, or KC, but several aeries remain active. Beyond these national orders, Massachusetts retains a uniquely strong network of Catholic and ethnic mutual-aid societies — Ancient Order of Hibernians divisions, Italian-American social clubs, Portuguese Holy Ghost societies, and Polish-American clubs — that operate as fraternal organizations in everything but name.

Massachusetts Fraternal Lodges by the Numbers

Massachusetts has approximately 110 active Elks lodges with combined membership of roughly 50,000 to 55,000, ranking among the larger Elks state associations in the country. The Loyal Order of Moose maintains about 50 lodges with roughly 18,000 to 22,000 members. Knights of Columbus reports more than 350 councils and approximately 65,000 to 70,000 members under the Massachusetts State Council, making it one of the largest KC jurisdictions in the nation. The Fraternal Order of Eagles operates roughly 25 active aeries.

The Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts AF&AM reports roughly 30,000 Masons across about 200 lodges, making Massachusetts Freemasonry the largest fraternal Masonic jurisdiction in New England. The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, the original Prince Hall jurisdiction, maintains an active membership of several thousand. Odd Fellows membership has declined since the early twentieth-century peak, but a substantial number of IOOF lodges remain active across the state.

How to Join a Fraternal Lodge in Massachusetts

Joining a Massachusetts fraternal organization typically starts with a sponsor from inside the lodge, but most lodges welcome strangers at public events. Massachusetts Elks lodges require U.S. citizenship, age 21 or older, belief in a Supreme Being, sponsorship by a current member, and approval by lodge vote. Annual Elks dues in Massachusetts typically run from $100 to $250, with a one-time initiation fee.

Boston Elks Lodge No. 10 and Worcester Elks Lodge No. 243 maintain the same standard membership requirements as smaller lodges, though their downtown clubhouses tend toward the higher end of the dues scale. The Moose welcome members of good character at least 21 with a belief in a Supreme Being; dues are usually $50 to $80 a year.

The Knights of Columbus is open to practical Catholics 18 and over; dues run $30 to $60 plus per-capita assessments. The Fraternal Order of Eagles is open to people of any faith of good character; dues are typically $35 to $50. Most Massachusetts lodges have public events — clambakes, lobster nights, fish fries, Flag Day ceremonies, and Memorial Day breakfasts — that are the simplest way to meet members and apply. The Massachusetts State Elks Association maintains a directory at maelks.org, the Massachusetts State Council of the Knights of Columbus has a comprehensive council finder, and most individual lodges and councils maintain Facebook pages with event calendars and contact information for membership inquiries.

Notable Massachusetts Fraternal Members in History

Massachusetts has produced or attracted a remarkable share of fraternal members. Paul Revere was a Mason in St. Andrew's Lodge in Boston and later served as Grand Master of Massachusetts. John Hancock was a Mason.

President John F. Kennedy was a Knight of Columbus, joined while in college, and his ties to the order were a recurring feature of his political life. Cardinal Richard Cushing of Boston was a Knight of Columbus and presided over countless KC events. Senator Edward M.

Kennedy was a longtime Knights of Columbus member. Author Henry David Thoreau's family had Concord Masonic connections. Boston Mayor James Michael Curley was a Knight of Columbus and an Elk. Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill of Cambridge was a Knight of Columbus.

Senator John Kerry has been honored at Massachusetts Knights of Columbus events. Boston Celtics legend Bob Cousy was a Knights of Columbus member in Worcester. Former House Speaker John W. McCormack was a Knight of Columbus.

Prince Hall, the founder of African American Freemasonry, lived and worked in Boston, and his legacy is honored throughout Massachusetts Prince Hall Masonry. Senator John F. Fitzgerald, JFK's grandfather, was a Knight of Columbus and an Elk. Boston Mayor Kevin White was honored at Massachusetts KC events.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft has appeared at Massachusetts Elks and KC charity functions. Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski has been honored at Massachusetts fraternal events.

Frequently Asked Questions: Massachusetts Fraternal Lodges

Sources & Further Reading

• https://www.elks.org
• https://maelks.org
• https://www.mooseintl.org
• https://www.kofc.org
• https://www.massknights.org
• https://www.foe.com
• https://www.massfreemasonry.org
• https://www.princehall.org