Collection Guide
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Guide to the Foresters of America. Court Concordia, No. 119 (Sacramento, Calif.) and Court Sacramento, No. 12 (Sacramento,
Calif.) records
MS0016
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Title: Foresters of America. Court Concordia, No. 119 (Sacramento, Calif.) and Court Sacramento, No. 12 (Sacramento, Calif.) records
Dates: 1881-1960
Collection number: MS0016
Creator:
Foresters of America. Court Concordia, No. 119 (Sacramento, Calif.)
Creator:
Foresters of America. Court Sacramento, No. 12 (Sacramento, Calif.)
Collection Size:
13 linear feet
(14 boxes + 6 volumes)
Repository:
Center for Sacramento History
Sacramento, California 95811-0229
Abstract: The Foresters of America Court Concordia, No. 119 (Sacramento, Calif.) and Court Sacramento, No. 12 (Sacramento, Calif.) collection
is comprised primarily of meeting minutes and financial records of the Foresters of America, Court Concordia No. 119 and Court
Sacramento No. 12 from 1884-1960. The Foresters of America (F of A) was an American fraternal and benevolent organization
that supported its membership with medical assistance, weekly sick benefits, burial benefits and support during times of unemployment
or hardship. The Foresters of America also had social benefits, along with the financial. Its motto was “Liberty, Unity,
Benevolence and Concord.”
Physical location: 2:A:2-4
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
German
Collection is open for research use.
All requests to publish or quote from private manuscripts held by the Center for Sacramento History (CSH) must be submitted
in writing to the archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of CSH as the owner of the physical items and
is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the patron. No permission
is necessary to publish or quote from public records.
[Identification of item and/or item number], [box and folder number], Foresters of America. Court Concordia, No. 119 (Sacramento,
Calif.) and Court Sacramento, No. 12 (Sacramento, Calif.) records, MS0016, Center for Sacramento History.
This collection was donated by Heinz Ludke and the Sacramento Turn Verein. It includes administrative records, ledgers, minutes,
financial records, photographs and certificates dating from 1884 -1960. Accession number: 2008/036.
Processing and finding aid by Lynn Aiello, 2019.
Biography / Administrative History
The Foresters of America (F of A) was an American fraternal and benevolent organization that supported its membership with
medical assistance, weekly sick benefits, burial benefits and support during times of unemployment or hardship. The Foresters
of America also had social benefits, along with the financial. Its motto was “Liberty, Unity, Benevolence and Concord.”
A member of a Court became a member of the organization regardless of location, meaning that benefits moved with the member,
a novel feature at the time and one that inspired the inception of the Royal Foresters at Knaresborough Castle, England in
1745. In 1834, its name was changed to the Ancient Order of Foresters. By 1874, the Canadian and American branches separated
from the Ancient Order of Foresters to form the Independent Order of Foresters, headquartered in Canada. Separation from British
friendly society administration was completed by 1889 when became the Ancient Order of Foresters of America. It then changed
its name to Foresters of America in 1895. This is shown by the seamless transition from Court Concordia No. 8393 to Court
Concordia No. 119 on the same day as Court Sacramento No. 6742 became Court Sacramento No. 12 in the minute books.
According to Stacy C. Hollander (2016) in her exhibition label for an Foresters of America ceremonial axe, the stories surrounding
the Robin Hood legend and the biblical Garden of Eden influenced the rituals, regalia and props of the Ancient Order of Foresters,
and thus that of the Foresters of America.
The terminology used come from the British medieval forest courts: court instead of lodge, for example, and officers called
Chief Ranger (President) or Woodwards.
Today, the Foresters and Foresters Financial are trademarks and trade names of the Independent Order of Foresters. Foresters
Financial is an international financial services provider for life insurance, savings, retirement, and other financial products.
These companies operate in the US, Canada and the UK.
Scope and Content of Collection
The collection is comprised primarily of meeting minutes and financial records of Foresters of America Court Concordia No.
119 and Court Sacramento No. 12 from 1884-1960. Membership materials include medical information. Among the artifacts is a
tasseled velvet Court Concordia collar/shawl (undated), ribbons and medallions, and a container with different colored stones.
Also included are some poster-sized certificates and a Foresters card with odes and the words to songs dating to circa 1906.
Three group photographs can be found under Administrative records—membership—photographs, box 12.
The collection has been organized into three series, Administrative records, Artifacts and Financial records Series 1 Administrative
records is composed primarily of large minute books in large books and ledgers. Court Concordia minutes are mostly in German
although membership information is in both English and German. Court Sacramento materials are entirely in English. One box
of documents (Box 11) contains correspondence, newsletters, event flyers and recruitment information and other ephemera mostly
dating from the 1938 to 1949, although the range is 1894-1959. Membership information is contained in ledgers. Also included
are applications for membership along with medical forms; three group photographs; certificates; and three records of proceedings
of annual sessions of the Grand Court of California dating from 1949-1959.
Series 2 Artifacts. Apart from the velvet collar/shawl and a wooden box with different colored stones, this series is comprised
of a variety of committee ribbons, pins and medallions.
Series 3 Financial Records. These records span the period 1894-1960 and included ledgers, cash books, reports, stock ledgers
and certificates, as well as cancelled checks.
Series 1: Administrative records
Subseries 1.1 Meeting minutes
Subseries 1.2 Correspondence and other related
Subseries 1.3 Membership
Subseries 1.4 Certificates
Subseries 1.5 Medical
Subseries 1.6 Photographs
Subseries 1.7 Proceedings
Subseries 1.8 Reports
Series 2: Artifacts
Series 3: Financial records
Subseries 3.1: Financial records
Subseries 3.2: Reports
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
Ancient Order of Foresters
Independent Order of Foresters
Foresters of America
Foresters of America. Court Concordia No. 119 (Sacramento, Calif.)
Foresters of America. Court Sacramento No. 12 (Sacramento, Calif.)
Fraternal organizations
Benevolent societies
Friendly societies
Mutual aid societies
Stacy C. Hollander, “Foresters of America Axe,” exhibition label for Mystery and Benevolence: Masonic and Odd Fellows Folk
Art from the Kendra and Allan Daniel Collection. Stacy C. Hollander, curator. New York: America Folk Art Museum, 2016.