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| Text on Button | 407 FOR MASTER OF FORMS HERMAN A. MILLER |
| Image Description | Blue fabric button with red and white ribbons hanging from it. |
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THE WHITEHEAD & HOAG CO. NEWARK, N.J. PATENTED JULY 17, 1894 APRIL 14, 1896 JULY 21, 1896 |
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| Additional Information | The Patriotic Order Sons of America was a prominent fraternal organization promoting American patriotism throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries. “Jewels of office,” as they were known, included red, white and blue ribbons as well as silver emblems, worn on members’ sashes as part of their official regalia. The POS of A leadership included a Master of Forms position, as noted on the button here, where Camp #407 was established in Easton, Pennsylvania in 1889 and one Herman A. Miller was a lifelong member elected as Pennsylvania Master of Forms for the 1912-1913 election cycle. Mr. Miller went on to serve as the Patriotic Order Sons of America’s Pennsylvania State Vice President as well as President and eventually became Secretary for the national organization in 1919, serving until his death in 1939. As of June 2025, the Patriotic Order Sons of America continues to serve the state of Pennsylvania although they no longer operate at a national capacity. |
| Sources |
Bosniabob2000 Best Buys. (2025). York, PA Patriotic Order Sons of America P.O.S. of A. Washington camp ribbon [eBay listing]. eBay. https://ebay.us/m/LvGZy3 Drunen, H. V. (2025). Patriotic Order Sons of America. Stichting Argus. https://www.stichtingargus.nl/vrijmetselarij/frame_en.html Drunen, H. V. (n.d.-a). Patriotic Order Sons of America: Initiation ritual. Stichting Argus. https://www.stichtingargus.nl/vrijmetselarij/r/posa_r1948.html Drunen, H. V. (n.d.-b). Patriotic Order Sons of America: Ritual for the blue degree. Stichting Argus. https://www.stichtingargus.nl/vrijmetselarij/posa_r3.html Kale, S. (2024, March 5). Edit update: I added the information in the comments from The Patriotic Order Sons of America.. [Facebook post]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/117197648377902/posts/7039801232784141/ McGowan, D. P. (n.d.). History of ‘The Order’. Patriotic Order Sons of America. http://www.nationalposofa.org/History.html New York Times. (1939). Herman A. Miller; Long an Official of the Patriotic Order Sons of America. NY Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1939/07/24/archives/herman-a-miller-long-an-official-of-the-patriotic-order-sons-of.html?smid=url-share Patriotic Order Sons of America. (1896). Proceedings of the thirty-first annual session of the State Camp of Pennsylvania, P.O.S. of A. : held at Altoona, Aug. 25 and 26th 1896, forty -ninth year of the Order. Philadelphia: Camp News Office. https://archive.org/details/proceedingsofthi00patr/mode/2up?q=%22herman+a.+miller%22 President Washington Camp No. 4. (1875). A political organization: Patriotic Order of Sons of America – Principles of the organization. The New York Times. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1875/12/16/79964042.pdf Showers Ephemera. (n.d.). 1924 Patriotic Order Sons of America 29th annual camp MD Master of Forms badge [eBay listing]. eBay. https://ebay.us/m/nAHeE9 Stager, H. J. (1911). History of the Centennial and memorial association of Valley Forge. Old State House Philadelphia. https://archive.org/details/historyofcentenn00stag/page/220/mode/2up?q=%22master+of+forms%22 |
| Catalog ID | IN0039 |