Red Men
IMPROVED ORDER OF, a social, fraternal, and benevolent secret organization founded on the customs and traditions of the aborigines of the American continent, and the oldest benevolent society in the United States of distinctively American origin and growth . The first authenticated Red Man's Society was organized in Philadelphia, Pa., early in 1772. On March 12, 1834, the "Red Men's Society, Tribe of Maryland," was organized in Baltimore, Md., shortly after (May 20, 1835) forming the Great Council of Maryland, and adopting the present name of the order. The order is composed of subordinate bodies called tribes, officered by a sachem, senior sagamore, junior sagamore, prophet, chief of records, keeper of wampum, and minor sub-chiefs. In each State possessing REDMOND necessary members membership a Great Council is constituted, composed of representatives from the various tribes under its jurisdiction, and officered by similar chiefs to the subordinate tribes, with the prefixed title of great. The Great Council of the United States is the supreme legislative body, and is composed of representatives from each Great Council. There is also a Degree of Pocahontas, to which women relatives of the members may belong.
There are now about half a million members of the Order of Red Men, including some 50,000 women in the Pocahontas Degree. Over a million dollars is disbursed annually in benefits .