Royal
Highlanders
Organized
in 1896 as a fraternal benefit society, this order admitted men and women to its
ranks on equal terms. Two classes of membership were available, benefit and
social. The ritual, which was secret, was based on Scottish history and intended
to teach “Prudence, Fidelity, Valor.” These latter three were the watchwords
of the society. All members took a vow of secrecy. The society invested
extensively in Nebraska farm lands. In 1930 the society had approximately 17,000
members. The order reincorporated in 1937 to become a mutual life insurance
company, and in 1946 it changed its name to Lincoln Mutual Life Insurance
Company. Head
offices were in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Ritual of
Fraternal Degree