Fraternity (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 14, No. 8, Ed. 1 Sunday, August 1, 1915 Page: 2 of 8
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FRATERNITY
to the emotions of men. At the same
time the weakness of emotionalism is its
lack of the business element.
Human nature is human nature. We
know something, but not a great deal
about it. In its study, books are of
small value. It must be studied by
phemonenon. The man who knows
most about human nature has wasted
the least time on theories. There is no
such thing as an abstract question when
it involves human nature. Human na-
ture can only be judged by practical
knowledge. Such knowledge may be
acquired from any source.
We are, then, clearly within the do-
main of our discussion in looking at
man's conduct wherever found. We
find in religious matters he places the
emphasis on the emotions. There are
hundreds of different religions. It is not
a question of which religion, but rather
the religious instinct in man. How
strong is it? To what extent does it
control his fife? Of course no attempt
is made here to draw a comparison be-
tween religion and fraternal insurance.
But as man has everything to do with
both, and each alike depends upon man's
will, it is self-evident that the emo-
tionalism of religion, put to proper use
in fraternalism, is ideal. Why not?
Probably the chief handicap to religi-
ous endeavor has been the lack of suf-
ficient business infusion. On the other
hand the principal handicap of Fraternal
insurance has been, not a lack of busi-
ness organization but a clear lack of
emotionalism in, and inspiring such or-
ganization. While religion and frater-
nalism are not to be considered analo-
gous, there exists between them, as in-
dependent systems, a strong and well
marked alliance. To deny or ignore the
alliance stunts the growth of each alike.
But where this alliance is recognized
and cultivated the highest attainment is
possible.
The Church has long featured the
Home and the family as of super-
importance; ever since Christ "took lit-
tle children in His arms and blessed
them." Why should not the fraternal
insurance order do this? It may well be
questioned, if the Church was to sud-
denly reverse itself and begin to ignore
the family and the home as such would
it (the Church) not sink into instant
and irretrievable oblivion? It ought to
be no trouble at all for theologians to
readily agree that the "ROCK" upon
which Christ said he would build His
Church was the Home. That is what
has been done anyway.
If the Church has its Sunday School,
its primary department and its cradle
roll; and if the Church can maintain
with a definite purpose in view, its allied
organizations for young and old, then
why should not the fraternal insurance
society moving along rational lines, with
its already magnificent business organi-
zation and equipment, make intelligent
and appropriate provision for harnessing
this mighty force of brain and nerve,
lying in mute appeal at the threshold of
advancing and oncoming futurity? No
grander sight could be conceived than a
group of little children, protected by
family insurance, participating in the
exercises of the lodge meeting. Chil-
dren are the impersonation of emotion-
alism, and its by-product, Enthusiasm.
Every fraternal insurance society
ritual, in order to comply with statutory
law, contains orthodox professions of
fraternalism as its object; while, as a
matter of fact, too many of the orders
are little different from old line mutual
companies. They take great pride in
their business management, and in their
short-sightedness wonder that they
have trouble eo exist. Their local lodges,
for the most part, are dead. Instead of
local secretaries they have local agents.
Their membership is composed of
groups which were never initiated, and
to whom the password is unknown.
Sometimes the fact is pointed out with
pride, and the "lodge system" referred to
and denounced as "rubbish." They ex-
perience the same perplexities, discom-
forts, embarrassments and humiliation
the lion did trying to subsist on the
cow's diet. In many instances their
charters could be cancelled by the state
for non-compliance with the lodge sys-
tem. It stands to reason that in the
course of time fraternal legislation will
have advanced until such orders, not-
withstanding their excellent business
management, will be exposed and for-
bidden.
Therefore, a good deal of so-called
fraternal insurance is old line mutual
insurance with the fraternal label. It is
to be hoped and believed that no one
will get the idea for a moment that an
accusation of improper motive is aimed
agaianst any order or individuals or in-
dividual. The very reverse is intended.
Furthermore, while idealism is always to
be aimed at, it can never be expected to
produce in the form of any order a per-
fectly compounded fraternal insurance
society. All we can say is, and all we
ever will say is, that some are better
models than others. The insurance
order most nearly ideal is the one which
combines the best lodge system with the
very best business management. It
must be both commercialized and frater-
nalized. The blending of these elements
in proper manner gives the product,
otherwise not. It is noticeable that
there never was such a magnificent
opening, as now, for the advance of
fraternal insurance societies. The pub-
lic is, upon acquaintance, demanding
them. Legislatures and courts are re-
moving the barriers, and urging them
forward as never before. This is all
upon the reputation of the societies
themselves. Widowhood and orphan-
age, wrecked homes and the attendant
sorrows of death appeal for the succor
that fraternal insurance orders offer.
The trouble is, we have been trying to
make the public come to our societies,
instead of taking the societies to the
public. The public, not the societies,
prescribes what it wants. It is the
business of the societies to enquire of
the public what it demands, and then
address themselves ot the task of sup-
plying the public demand. No depart-
ment of industrial and social progress
has unfolded and developed more rapid-
ly than that of Fraternal Life Insurance.
It is no reproach that the societies find
their propositions growing out of date
rapidly, almost overnight. Instead of
tenaciously holding on to old laws, rules,
systems, customs, and features going to
make up their proposition, or appeal to
the public, they should be ever alert,
along conservative yet progressive and
safe lines to make all necessary and
vital changes to meet modern and up-to-
date ideas. Our societies are not pro-
gressive enough. They tend too strong-
ly to reactionary ideas. The progressive
says, go to the people; the reactionary
says no, wait, make the people come to
you. The distinction is clear. So, let us
be more progressive.
As an argument for progressiveness,
there are 100,000,000 popuation in the
United States. There are 8,000,000 fra-
ternal insurance certificates in force.
Only one to every twelve inhabitants.
Many of these certificates are repeaters,
that is many certificate holders hold two
or more, in two or more orders. Making
allowance for this, there is probably not
more than one person out of every
twenty that carries insurance in a fra-
ternal order. From these figures it can
be seen what a vast and ripened field of
fraternal insurance awaits the awaken-
ing touch of Whole Family Insurance.
We cannot raise the cry that the "frater-
nal insurance field" has been covered
and developed, until Whole Family In-
surance has been tried out and the num^
ber of fraternal certificates in force in-
creased from eight millions to at least
fifty millions or more! Is this vision-
ary? Let us see:
The Fraternal Monitor, one of the
greatest and most widely read Fraternal
Insurance publications, commenting edi-
totrially in the July issue 1915, says:
"The progress of the movement favor-
ing whole family protection continues to
expand and strengthen each month. It
is one which stands the test of actual
trial, and which yields abundant results.
The societies now employing the prin-
ciple are enthusiastic in its favor. It is
Q
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Schmidt, Henry C. Fraternity (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 14, No. 8, Ed. 1 Sunday, August 1, 1915, newspaper, August 1, 1915; Fort Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth233213/m1/2/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.