Knights of the Golden Eagle
The Knights of the Golden Eagle was founded in Baltimore in 1872. The order has
a militaristic and Christian slant to its rituals and ceremonies, which were
based on the events and legends from the crusades. The founders wanted to
organize a secret society on a Christian (protestant) base. The purpose was the
unification of white men with high morals.
The order worked in three degrees: Pilgrim, Knight
en Crusader. The rituals teach the candidate Loyalty,
Courage and Courteousness and Faith and Honor. Over the years the order evolved
into an insurance corporation. At its top it counted almost 60,000 members,
nowadays there are less than 2,000, mainly in three eastern states of the U.S.
There used to be a female auxiliary, the Ladies of the Golden Eagle, but it is
not known whether this order still exists.