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Bagpipes, tartan & insurance:
Scottish-American Fraternalism in the 19th Century
By Todd Wilkinson
During
the 19th century, many American males were members of a myriad of
fraternal organizations – the Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, the Grand
Army of the Republic, etc. Besides the social camaraderie and entertainment
that these organizations provided, many joined for mutual-aid benefits, such as
insurance, old-age homes, etc, and in the case of immigrant organizations, to
maintain a social and cultural link to the “auld country”. While many St.
Andrews and Caledonian Societies still exist in the United States today, during
the fraternal “craze” of the late 19th century, several organizations
with a Scottish “theme” were organized in the United States and Canada. The
Benevolent Order of Scottish Clans A
lesser known fraternal organization, the Benevolent Order of Scottish Clans, or
BOSC, was founded in St. Louis, Missouri, On St. Andrew’s Day, 1878 (although
some sources give a later date of 1882) by James McCash and a number of fellow
freemasons. Besides
being a social order for Scots and Scottish-Americans, the Order also was a
mutual aid society that provided insurance to its members, since many businesses
did not provide it for their employees. Mutual-aid societies also provided
relief for the widow and orphan, tended the sick and buried the dead. The
ritual of the BOSC was based on the story of the Battle of Largs in 1263, and
the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. The emblem of the BOSC was the Scottish
thistle, and the motto, Nemo Me Impune Lacessit. In
addition, the BOSC served a similar purpose to the Caledonian and St. Andrew’s
Society – preserving Scottish heritage and customs in the New World, as well as
providing social events for members. Clan Stewart No. 50 in Duluth, Minnesota,
for example, would hold an annual summer picnic at Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
Members were ferried to the site of the Picnic on the banks of Lake Superior for
a day-along celebration of all things Scottish, including dancing, piping and
Highland games. Wayne
Rethford and June Skinner Sawyers, in their book The Scots of Chicago: Quiet
Immigrants and Their New Society, tell of “Scotland Day”, which was held in
Chicago on September 30, 1933. The BOSC took a leading role in this celebration,
which consisted of performances by local pipe bands, and the Essex Scottish
Regiment Pipes & Drums from Canada, as well as Highland dancing, readings and
speeches by local Scottish-American dignitaries. Each
lodge took the name of a Scottish clan; in the “Grand Clan of Missouri”, there
was Clan Campbell No. 1, Clan Douglas No. 3, Clan MacDonald No. 6, etc. The
National organization was referred to as the “Royal Clan”, which met in
convention every two years. At one time, the national headquarters were in
Boston, Massachusetts. In 1971, the BOSC merged with the International Order of
Foresters.
Daughters of Scotia There
was also a ladies auxiliary of the BOSC, the Daughters of Scotia, which was
organized in 1895, in New Haven, Connecticut. Originally a number of male
members of the Order of Scottish Clans were dual members of the DOS until the
organization was up and running. Like
the BOSC, the Daughters also placed a strong emphasis on Scottish culture,
history and traditions. Only wives, daughters, mothers, sisters and widows of
BOSC members could join. The DOS is organized similar to the BOSC, for obvious
reasons. The
Daughters still exist today, and maintain a web site at:
http://www.daughtersofscotia The
Sons of Scotland In
Canada, a similar order and mutual aid society, the Sons of Scotland, was
founded in 1876 and is very active across the country. The first camp, Robert
Burns No. 1, was organized in Toronto, on June 27 of that year. By 1892, over 70
camps had been formed, with a membership of some 6,000 individuals. Besides
insurance, the “camp doctor” provided free medical care (save surgeries and
childbirth) to all members. Sons of
Scotland “camps” are located from Vancouver to Montreal, and organize Burns and
St. Andrew’s Suppers, ceilidhs, picnics, etc. The order also has a pipe band,
The Sons of Scotland Pipes & Drums, which is reportedly Canada’s oldest civilian
pipe band, organized in 1896. Simon
Fraser University maintains archives of the records of the Sons of Scotland from
1895-1998. While
the Benevolent Order of Scottish Clans is no longer around today, traces of its
heyday can still be seen, mostly in its surviving auxiliary, the Daughters of
Scotland, and in the occasional grave marker in a cemetery or a membership medal
in an antique store. Yet it can also be argued that the legacy of the BOSC is
the numerous Scottish clan societies that dot the United States & Canada and
continue the work of promoting Scottish heritage & culture at Highland Games and
other Scottish events.
Works Cited
Books:
Hewitson, Jim. Tam Blake & Co.: The Story of Scots in America. Edinburgh:
Canongate Press, 1993.
Rethford, Wayne and June Skinner Sawyers. The Scots of Chicago: Quiet
Immigrants and Their New Society. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing
Co., 1997.
Schmidt, Alvin J. Fraternal Organizations. Westport, Connecticut:
Greenwood Press, 1980. Szasz,
Ferenc Morton. Scots in the North American West 1790-1971. Norman:
University of Oklahoma Press, 2000. Web
sites:
Daughters of Scotia:
http://www.daughtersofscotia Simon
Fraser University Archives:
http://www.sfu.ca/archives/F St.
Louis Public Library:
http://www.slpl.lib.mo.us Sons of
Scotland:
http://www.sonsofscotland.com Sons of
Scotland Pipes & Drums:
http://www.sospb.com/index.html
http://www.rootsweb.com/~srgp
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