The oldest of the American temperance societies, founded in 1842. It rapidly spread throughout the world. From 1866 women may join, although there is a Daughters of Temperance. There also is a Cadets of Temperance for boys and a juvenile unit called the Loyal Crusaders. The first Black member was admitted in 1849 in Ohio but it was not until the early 1880s that most American units admitted Blacks. For a while the Sons offered the usual life insurance and sickness benefits.
A book giving the early history, up to 1848, is available online2, as is a Canadian 1851 history3, although this is an aplologia not a history. British rituals are online4.
The first Sons unit appeared in Canada around 18485. Eventually virtually every Canadian community had a unit. A Grand Division was formed in Hamilton on 1849 Apr 2. The Grand Divisions reported to the National Division of America.
Today there is a Sons of Temperance Friendly Society in the UK6, but the Sons have disappeared from Canada.
The local unit was called a Division.
Click for a list of Divisions in Ontario
Click for a list of Grand Divisions in Ontario
Click for a list of Cadet Sections in Ontario
References:
(1) Stevens page 409
(2) http://books.google.ca/books/about/The_History_of_the_Order_of_the_Sons_of.html?id=z9sXAAAAYAAJ&redir_esc=y
(3) https://archive.org/details/cihm_93135
(4) http://www.stichtingargus.nl/vrijmetselarij/sontemp_en.html
(5) http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/temperance-movement/
(6) http://www.sonsoftemperance.info/index.htm