Auxiliary History
A "new era for the women of Eagledom" was launched when an amendment to the Grand Aerie Laws passed unanimously, establishing a Grand Auxiliary. The event took place during the 1951 Grand Aerie Convention in Rochester, New York, August 8-12.
"It was a great moment in the history of the ladies auxiliary of the Fraternal Order of Eagles," said Lester Loble, Past Grand Worthy President.
Auxiliaries Trace Roots to 1927
Actually, Eagles auxiliaries existed long before the Grand Auxiliary was formed, with the first dating back to March 24, 1927 in Pittsburgh, Kansas. Three days later, the second auxiliary was instituted in Frontenac, Kansas.
By March, 1951, 965 local auxiliaries were in existence, boasting 130,000 members. By the end of that year, 22 state and provincial auxiliaries were operating.
"The progress made in the last 24 years is a solid foundation on which Eagle Auxiliaries must continue to build," said Mrs. Eagle magazine, which began publishing in 1948.
Convention Sets Stage for Success
During the Regional Membership Department Banquet held at the Rochester Convention, Grand Aerie Director M.L. Brown set the stage:
"It is especially fitting that the F.O.E. encourage the upbuilding of the Ladies' Auxiliaries of our Order. The growth of the ladies' auxiliaries is the astonishment of the fraternal world. We welcome the ladies and congratulate you on your outstanding success and predict great things for your future."
During the convention, state and provincial madam presidents attended an all-day forum. Participants included Kay Buy, Pennsylvania; Alta Browning, Ohio; Carol Bennett, California; Mary Dunn, Toronto, Ontario; Phyllis Wright, Washington; and Georgia Walker, who represented Mrs. Eagle magazine.
After the forum, the sisters listed above were presented to the Grand Aerie assembly. Loble, who spearheaded drafting of the legislation establishing the Grand Auxiliary, introduced Alta Browning.
The lead story in the October, 1951 issue of Mrs. Eagle reported: "Pride shone on every woman's face as she said, in part: 'The Ladies' Auxiliaries of this Fraternity thank you, our Brothers, for everything that you have done for us through the years. We thank you, who are the representatives of the Grand Aerie, for making it possible for us to realize, in the near future, one of our fondest dreams..."
Grand Auxiliary Instituted
A year later, during the 1952 Grand Aerie Convention in Philadelphia, 1,100 Eagle sisters from every American state and Canadian province watched with awe and pride as Loble was escorted to the platform in the Crystal Ballroom of the Benjamin Franklin Hotel to officially institute the Grand Auxiliary.
"My friends," said Loble, "here in the City of Brotherly Love, in the year 1952, you women of Eagledom are gathered upon an extraordinary occasion. Today is as historic as February 6, 1898, when the Fraternal Order of Eagles came into being. From that humble beginning, in a little more than half a century, that meeting of six men in the Moran shipyards has become the fastest-growing fraternal order in the world, a humanitarian and patriotic organization that has no equal.
"Today, the counterpart of that organization is born: the Ladies' Grand Auxiliary of the F.O.E. May its future be as illustrious as the parent organization from which it derives its being."