ORGANIZATION INDEX PAGE
HOME PAGE

A.O.U.W. PICNIC AT BISMARCK, MISSOURI

It Drew A Big Crowd
-----
List of Prize Winners
At the Horse Show

According to the observations of old residents, no such crowd has attended a Bismarck picnic for the past twenty years as gathered here on the Fourth of July at the bidding of Bismarck Lodge No. 330, A.O.U.W., to take part in their annual picnic.

From early morning till late in the evening the streets and grounds were thronged with people, and if anyone who attended the picnic failed to have a good time it was not the fault of the committee of arrangements, for every detail was carefully attended to and ample amusement provided for all. The Bismarck band furnished the music, assisted by the noted Hampton Bros., of Irondale, and the local Degree of Honor served dinner on the grounds in superb style.

The business houses were tastefully decorated as were many private residences and the city presented a very handsome appearance.

The horse show came in for a deal of attention and was a very attractive feature of the day. The best of order was maintained and we have heard of no persons who regretted having spent the day with their Bismarck friends.

The sum of $65 was raised by subscription to be awarded as premiums, and was disbursed as follows. Eight first and second premiums, $56; two, premiums, first and second, $3.75; two premiums, $3; paid for dragging street, $2.25; total, $65. Premiums were awarded as follows:

Saddle horses, first premium, Fred BEAN; second, Ollie HANSBROUGH.

Trotting horses, first, Dan HODKINS; second, Ollie HANSBROUGH.

Pacing horses, first, Sam TULLOCK; second, Fred BEAN.

Racking horses, first, J. C. SMITH; second, Geo. J. GOELTZ, Jr.

Running horses, first, J. C. SMITH; second, H. CARR.

Draft Horses, first, D. MORAN; second, Emmet BELKNAP.

Draft mules, Glen SMITH, first and second premiums.

Horse colts, John HORTON, first and second.

Mule colts, first, E. W. HUGHES; second, W. E. FITE.

Boy's shoe race, first, Paul BENNET; second, David DAVIS.

Foot Race, fastest lodge member A.O.U.W., K. E. SHERRIL, first premium.

Much credit is due the committee of arrangements, of which Mr. Geo. J. Goeltz, Jr., was chairman, for the harmonious and successful manner in which the entire program was carried out and the lodge members all contributed in every way possible to the comfort and enjoyment of the visitors.

Published by THE BISMARCK GAZETTE, Bismarck, St. Francois Co. MO, Fri. July 13, 1906.

Brief History of A.O.U.W.

Although there is some debate over the first fraternal benefit society in the United States, the Ancient Order of United Workmen (AOUW), founded by John Jordan Upchurch in 1868, is generally recognized as the first in the U.S. because it was the first to offer a formal system of life insurance protection for its members beginning in 1869. The earlier fraternals relied on "passing the hat" to collect whatever burial funds they could when a member died, but AOUW was the first to embrace an assessment method to ensure a guaranteed death benefit for a member's family. At initiation, each new member would pay $1 into a fund. When a member died, each member would be "assessed" up to $1 to provide the death benefit. AOUW, as its membership grew, capped the death benefit at the maximum amount of $2,000.New and existing fraternal benefit societies, began to base their operations on the AOUW model. Over time, all fraternal benefit societies abandoned the assessment method and established formal life insurance contracts for their members. Insurance premiums, a scientific actuarial table and a guaranteed death benefit, known as the legal reserve formula, became part of all societies and continue today.

ORGANIZATION INDEX PAGE
HOME PAGE