Fraternal Order Beavers

White text on an outer black edge with an illustration of a beaver and a tree on a white background

The Fraternal Order of Beavers was founded in 1911. Its members were white men, ages 16 to 55, who believed in a Supreme Being but otherwise did not question candidates religious, political or national background. The Order had 12,000 members in 53 lodges in the early 1920s, and was headquartered at the Liberty Building in Philadelphia.

The beaver is used as a symbol in this organization because it can change its surroundings and alter the course of nature to survive.  In this way, the organization seeks to “encourage motivation and persistence by honoring those same traits also found in the beaver.” The idea is that the organization can solve local, national, and global problems.