Order of Scottish Clans


This society of Scotsmen and Scotswomen was organized in 1878 in St. Louis, Missouri, by James McCash and some of his Masonic friends. Its objectives were (1) to unite fellow Scotsmen who were between eighteen and fifty-five years of age; (2) to establish death benefits for the deceased member's family; (3) to relieve the financial burdens of sick members by establishing a relief fund; and (4) to strengthen Scottish bonds and cultural heritage.

The ritual of the OSC was based in part on the Danes trying to capture the Castle Slanes and their defeat. The Battle of Bannockburn also played a part in the order's ritual. The emblem of the society was the Scottish thistle with the motto: Nemo Me Impune Lacessit.

In the 1920s the order experienced actuarial insolvency in the state of Missouri, where it was incorporated. In 1971 the society merged with the Independent Order of Foresters (lOF).

Membership originally was open only to Scottish male descendants.
During the latter years of the order's existence, Scottish females were also eligible for membership. Before the OSC merged with the IOF, it had about 16,000 members.

Structurally, the order operated on three levels: local, regional, an national. Local units were known as "Subordinate Clans," and the nation: group was referred to as the "Royal Clan." The latter group met in convention every two years. Headquarters were in Boston, Massachusetts.


Home