Information Sheet

 

 

R         Modern Woodmen of America.  Ozark Camp No. 5111 (Ozark, Mo.).

1002                Record book, 1913-1920.

                                    One volume.

 

MICROFILM

 

 

This is the record book of the Modern Woodmen of America camp at Ozark in Christian County, Missouri.  The volume includes minutes of meetings, 1913-1919, and a record of benefit certificates issued to members.

 

The Modern Woodmen of America is a fraternal benefit society organized in 1883 by Jo­seph Cullen Root. It began as an all male group, but in 1895 organized a women's group, the Royal Neighbors of America, which had existed previously as an unofficial female auxiliary to the Modern Woodmen. The organization and its local groups, called “camps,” held social events and carried out benevolent work. Assessments of members and payment of benefits were an important part of the organization's purpose. The Modern Woodmen exists today as a legal reserve fraternal assessment society.

 

The presiding officer of each Woodmen camp was known as the “Consul.”  Among the consuls at Ozark during the period represented by the records were J. A. Kerr, Harley C. Johnson, and L. A. Vaughan.  Charles E. Reid was the clerk.  Jacob Hartley and L. R. Williams were also prominent members.

 

The minute book begins with the meeting of 1 February 1913 and continues through 4 January 1919.  Most meetings concerned acceptance (“adoption”) of new members and matters concerning benefits.  Other business included the purchase of a hall in Ozark, and a resulting law­suit by D. R. Walker & Company over the purchase price.  The Woodmen won the suit.  In 1914, they rented the upper floor of their building, on what was known as the Woodmen Block, to Christian County for use as offices and courthouse.  The biggest fraternal affair during the period was to be a “County class adoption” and supper to be held in cooperation with “Forester teams and other Neighbors from Chadwick, Sparta, Nixa, Billings and other places” on 15 April 1916, but the event was rained out.  Another county meeting in November 1918 was postponed due to “Spanish Influenza.”  There is no membership list in the records, but in 1915 the camp divided into two teams and began a membership drive.  The minutes of the meeting of 6 November 1915 contain a listing of the individuals in each team.  Ninety-eight members are represented.

 

The last portion of the volume contains an alphabetical listing of members who held benefit certificates, showing their dates of birth, amount of benefits, and, in some cases, changes in bene­ficiaries.  The last entry was made on 4 August 1920.

 

 

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