Fraternal Order of Eagles International is a fraternal organization that was founded on February 6, 1898, in Seattle, Washington by a group of six theater owners including John Cort (the first president), brothers John W. and Tim J. Considine, Harry Leavitt, Mose Goldsmith and Arthur Williams. Originally made up of those engaged in one way or another in the performing arts, the Eagles grew and claimed credit for establishing the Mother's Day holiday in the United States as well as the "impetus for Social Security". A fraternal organization, sometimes also known as a fraternity, is an organization that represents the relationship between its members as akin to brotherhood. ... is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... “Seattle” redirects here. ... The performing arts are those forms of art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artists own body, face and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some... Mothers Day is a holiday honoring mothers, celebrated on various days in many places around the world. ... Social Security in the United States is a social insurance program funded through dedicated payroll taxes called FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act). ...

Originally, membership in the order was restricted to whites only; this led to a controversy in Milwaukee in the late 1960s, when a radical Roman Catholic priest, Father James Groppi, discovered that many local judges were members of the order. Groppi questioned how a judge could render impartial decisions in cases involving non-whites when that judge belonged to an organization which excluded non-whites from its membership. The result was a series of demonstrations, including, in some instances, picketing of the residences of the judges in question. Eventually, the order dropped its ban on non-white members, but nonetheless its membership remains overwhelmingly white today. This article is about Milwaukee in Wisconsin. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... James E. Groppi Unity Bridge Father James Edmund Groppi (November 16, 1930 – November 6, 1985) was a Roman Catholic priest and noted civil rights activist. ...

As with many other fraternal organizations, the Eagles' numbers have dwindled in recent years, though no membership figures have been identified.

On November 15, 2001 a jury awarded $8 million to the family of a toddler who drowned in a septic tank at a Fraternal Order of Eagles picnic.

References

• http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/pacificnw/2002/0825/nowthen.html
• http://www.foe.com/magazine/september2002/sept02_cov2.pdf
• http://www.fansoffieger.com/septic.htm

External links

• Fraternal Order of Eagles International