Museum / Archive

Elgin County Archives

Part Of

Canadian Order of Foresters (Vienna Court No. 1181) fonds

Description Level

Fonds

Accession Number

99-12

Storage Room

Archives Storage Rm. 105

Storage Location

C6 Sh3 B5

GMD

textual records

Date Range

[1902?]-1939

Physical Description

13 cm of textual records

History / Biographical

The Canadian Order of Foresters, Court No. 1181, Vienna, Ontario was established April 6, 1907 at a meeting held in the Mason’s Hall, Vienna, Ontario. G.F. Curtis was elected inaugural Chief Ranger and eleven members were invested. Minutes indicate that Court No. 1181 operated continuously until March 1929, and then was in hiatus until its next recorded meeting was held in February 1934. It is not known when the Court was disbanded. Court No. 1181 was affiliated with the Canadian Order of Foresters and the Independent Order of Foresters. The Independent Order of Foresters was founded in the United States in June 1874 and subsequently established in Canada on April 26, 1876 in London, Ontario, with the incorporation of Court Hope No. 1. The Independent Order of Foresters in Canada was reorganized by Dr. Oronhyatekha, a Mohawk physician and scholar in June 1881. The object of the Canadian Order of Foresters was to unite all men of sound health between the ages of 16 and 35 years in order to establish and maintain an insurance fund for the members of the brotherhood in good standing at the time of death. This insurance fund was also available to members as a sick and funeral benefits fund. Secondary to this mission, the Canadian Order of Foresters also aimed to provide entertainment, enjoyment and improvement to its members. It also aimed to encourage its members to always be on their best behaviour and to instill the principles of liberty, benevolence and concord in all their actions and dealings. The Canadian Order of Foresters is presided over by the High Court for the Dominion of Canada, made up of officers, both elected and appointed, and representatives of the District High Courts and the Subordinate Courts. The High Court presides over the District High Courts and the Subordinate Courts, and the District High Courts preside over the Subordinate Courts. Canadian Order of Foresters High Court officers include High Chief Ranger, High Vice-Chief Ranger, High Secretary, High Auditor, High Treasurer, High Registrar, High Chaplin, Chairman of the Medical Board and Associate Medical Board.

Custodial History

The records comprising the fonds were removed from the former Vienna Village Papers (since integrated in the Village of Vienna fonds) for description as a separate fonds. The records were stored at the Elgin County Administration Building prior to the establishment of the Elgin County Archives, were inventoried ca. 1999-2000, and were given the accession number 99-12.

Scope and Content

The fonds consists of selected administrative and operational records of the Canadian Order of Foresters, Court No. 1181, Vienna, Ontario, and includes minutes of meetings, auditors’ reports and other financial records, membership records and correspondence. Fonds also includes the amended constitution (1916) of the Canadian Order of Foresters and records relating to the rituals prescribed by the Order for observance by its affiliate courts. The fonds is organized into the following series: 1. Constitution and Rituals 2. Minutes and Reports 3. Membership 4. Correspondence 5. Financial Records The fonds will be useful to researchers studying the origin and development of the Independent Order of Foresters, the Canadian Order of Foresters and Court No. 1181, Vienna, Ontario in particular, and of fraternal social-service organizations in Canada and Ontario generally.

Name Access

Canadian Order of Foresters. Court No. 1181 (Vienna, Ont.)

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