Founded in 1868 in the US by John Jordan Upchurch, a Freemason. Originating from a group of railway workmen, the AOUW grew rapidly, in part because it was the first benevolent society to offer life insurance. Each new member paid $1 into the life insurance fund and each member paid an additional dollar whenever a member died. The fund paid out at least $500 whenever a member died. The AOUW had many of the features of Freemasonry – symbols, degrees, and so on. By 1895 it had over 300 000 members in the USA and 32 000 in Canada.
The first lodge in Canada was started in 18771 and the Grand Lodge of Ontario was incorporated on 1879 Feb 18 in London. It was divided into Districts and then into Lodges. In 1902 it had 462 lodges in Ontario and 43 000 members.2
An extensive early history of the AOUW is in Sackett3. There is also an entry in Stevens4
To join, one had to be white, male, between 18 and 45, of good character, able and competent to earn a livelihood, a believer in the existence of a supreme being, and “not engaged in the sale, by retail, of intoxicating liquors as a beverage”.
The AOUW had two degrees:
Junior Workman
Workman
The leader of a lodge was termed a Master Workman. The local unit was called a Lodge, there was
a Grand Lodge in each state or province, and over all a Supreme Lodge.
Click for a list of AOUW Lodges in Ontario
In 1926 the Ontario lodges were acquired by the Independent Order of Foresters. In 1952 the American group folded with only those in Washington State continuing under the name. Part of the organization became the Pioneer Mutual Life Insurance Company.
A copy of the 1897 Bylaws for the Grand Lodge of the AOUW in Ontario is in Queens University library and can be seen online at the Internet Archive5.
Degree of Honor
A female auxiliary created in 1873. It separated from the AOUW in 1910.
Order of Mogullians
The fun side of AOUW
Select Knights of A O U W
The Grand Legion of Ontario of the Select Knights of the AOWU was instituted on 1883 May 246. It was divided into Legions. One had
to be a Master Workman and of the age 21 in order to join. It had two degrees:
Minor Degree
Select Knight Degree
The leader of a Legion was termed a Commander.
In 1888 the Grand Legion of Ontario established two Legions in Montreal.
Click for a list of AOUW Legions in Ontario
References:
http://phoenixmasonry.org/masonicmuseum/fraternalism/aouw.htm
(1) Sackett - p 173
(2) Program for AOUW picnic, London Ont, on 1902 Jun 14 in the Internet Archive at
https://archive.org/details/cihm_88056
(3) Much of the book is about the AOUW
(4) Stevens - p 128
(5) https://archive.org/details/constitutionlaws00anci
(6) An 1886 constitution for the Grand Legion of Ontario is online at:
https://archive.org/details/cihm_60237/