The Improved Order of Red Men
[source: http://redmen.org/redmen/info/]
	
America's Oldest Fraternal Organization, Chartered by Congress

Who Are The Red Men?

The fraternity traces its origins back to 1765 and is descended from 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 Confederacy and its democratic governing 
body. Their system, with elected representatives to govern tribal councils, had been in existence for several centuries.

After the War of 1812 the name was changed to the Society of Red Men and in 
1834 to the Improved Order of Red Men. They kept the customs and terminology of 
Native Americans as a basic part of the fraternity.... The Improved Order of 
Red Men (IORM) is similar in many ways to other major fraternal organizations 
in the United States.

The Improved Order of Red Men is a national fraternal organization that 
believes in…
    * Love of and respect for 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 & Friendship.
    * Perpetuating the beautiful legends & traditions of a once-vanishing 
     race & keeping alive their traditional customs, ceremonies, & philosophies.

Legally, The Improved 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.


History of the Red Men

The Improved 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, the Sons of St. Tammany, and later the 
Society of 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 
their sacred honors....

Following the American Revolution many of the various secret societies founded 
before and during the conflict continued in existence as brotherhoods or 
fraternities.

For the next 35 years, however, each of the original Sons of Liberty and Sons 
of St. Tamina groups went their 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. The name 
was changed to the Improved Order of Red Men in Baltimore in 1834.

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 Improved 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 the 
mid-1920s there were tribes in 46 states and territories with a membership 
totaling over one-half million....


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 Freedoms Foundation at 
      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.
    * Children with Cognitive, Intellectual, and Developmental Disabilities 
      Program — Support of various projects and programs of the ARC (formerly 
      Association for Retarded Citizens) and 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 the Boston Tea Party in 1773.


Charitable Programs

The National Charity project of the Improved Order of Red Men is Alzheimer's 
research. Since 1991, the Organization has given over two million dollars to 
the Alzheimer's Association